Latest news with #Omid
Wales Online
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
'I remember the utter sadness and not understanding what's going on…it was so cold'
'I remember the utter sadness and not understanding what's going on…it was so cold' Marjie Halati who has dedicated her life to helping refugees and marginalised women looks back at her childhood in a Welsh boarding school Marjie grew up in Wales and it shaped her significantly (Image: Images from production of Finding Hope ) It takes a very special type of person to be a charity worker, fearlessly and selflessly putting others needs in front of their own, and sometimes it can take a very poignant reason to pursue this work. This is the case for Marjie Halati who is an incredible woman and has her own personal reasons for dedicating her life to helping refugees and marginalised women. Marjie, who is from Iran, spent two years of her life in boarding school in Rhyl and it was this experience that shaped her into becoming the fearless and determined charity worker she is. While Marjie, who is also a psychologist, did not have a positive time in Wales, hating being so far away from home and unable to have any control over her own life, something she hopes to resolve, it made her inexplicably who she is. Aged 60, Marjie has devoted her life and her work to helping refugees and marginalised women. She successfully ran an organisation, called Omid, which means hope in Farsi, in Iran, for years before it was shut down and raided by the Iranian government in 2022. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter . This meant Marjie lost her charity and life's work overnight and is unable to ever return to Iran. Now she continues to help refugees and Marjie's story is told in the BBC documentary Finding Hope, which was made by Welsh-Iranian film maker Sara Nourizadeh. Marjie explained to WalesOnline how her childhood in Wales shaped her into who she is today. She said: "Not to have a voice or choice to be sent to Wales, to boarding school… for me, as a little girl of 11, it was like being uprooted and not having a choice. Article continues below "It kinda fits in with the idea of being a refugee because you are uprooted and also not having a voice. Unconsciously, that was part of my psychology, and that's why I wanted to work with women... That is how it kind of weaves into what I do, my own past." 'I just sat there and sobbed and sobbed' Speaking about how she felt at boarding school in Wales, having been sent there after a summer in London by her parents and having no idea she would not be returning to Iran, Marjie said: "I remember the utter sadness and not understanding what's going on… it was so cold." Not speaking any English and sharing a room with six other girls, Marjie felt lost. She said: "It's a picture that is kind of fixed in my mind, that sadness, that sense of alienation and uprootedness and these are words that I am using now but of course, as an 11 year old, I didn't understand. "I remember I just sat there and sobbed and sobbed, I cried so many days and months, the whole time I was crying because I couldn't really digest what was happening." In desperation Marjie went on hunger strike at the boarding school, admitting that she did smuggle in biscuits so it wasn't a full on hunger strike and looking back at that time, she said: "Looking back at the girl I was at the time, it was her taking a stance… so good for her! I'm very pleased for her now." Talking about the impact of her schooling experience in Wales, Marjie said: "I think it has shaped me in the sense, I don't take things lying down and I stand for something, whether it's politics or marginalised girls or refugees. "That when there is an injustice I think, I might not win, I might be able to accomplish anything, but I don't take it lying down, and I take a stance on any issues which are important to me." Marjie back at the boarding school in Wales, filming Finding Hope (Image: Images from production of Finding Hope ) In the documentary, Marjie revisits her former school, which is now a hotel. Talking about going back, Marjie said: "I remember that night when I went back to my room to sleep, I couldn't. It was like it was haunted. "For miles and miles, it's just green and you don't see any buildings, and I am an urban person, so as a little kid being in the middle of nowhere and it still felt like being in the middle of nowhere... Even as an adult visiting, I'd be devastated if someone left me there." Marjie is determined to repair her relationship with Wales and intends to holiday here in July. She said: "It is gorgeous, it is beautiful and I don't want the memories to tarnish the beauty of Wales and I love the Welsh because they are just so friendly and lovely." It is clear that Marjie has a deep and genuine passion for her work, she said: "When you really have your heart in the work, when you really believe in them, which I do, totally, and when you see them as human beings rather than refugees, it gives you that passion and the energy to continue because, it is not work, it is a belief in the goodness of the work and the importance of the work. "The feeling that you have done something of some value, for even one human being, is so satisfying and soul-nourishing." Sara also spoke to WalesOnline about why she wanted to make a documentary with Marjie. She said: "It felt like such a privilege to follow Marji's work… I felt like it was an opportunity for her to celebrate that work and going on that journey was a huge honour and privilege. "I tend to only make films about people when I believe the process can offer something meaningful to them as well. With Finding Hope, I knew it wasn't going to change what Marjie had been through, but I did hope it could be a way of reflecting back to her just how much she had achieved. Article continues below "She had lost so much, her charity had been shut down, she'd been exiled, and people she cared about were imprisoned. But that wasn't the whole story. For me, this film was about showing the impact she's had and the lives she's changed." You can watch Marjie's documentary, Finding Hope, on BBC iPlayer.
BBC News
15-05-2025
- BBC News
Bradford shopkeeper fined for selling out-of-date food
A shopkeeper has been fined £11,713 after selling food that was up to 38 days past its use by Omid, 39, of Berkshire Court, Bury, who was director of the now-closed Kofola shop in Great Horton Road, Bradford, pleaded guilty to 19 food hygiene offences when he appeared before Bradford and Keighley of the 120 out-of-date food items found by safety inspectors included cottage cheese, buttermilk, black pudding and various meats. There was also a lack of hot water and soap in the only hand basin in the told Mr Omid he had shown "a clear disregard for the importance of food safety". Moving to Belgium Imran Hussain, prosecuting on behalf of Bradford Council, said inspectors initially visited the shop on 8 December 2022 after they received complaints that Kofola was selling out-of-date said the inspectors "removed a large number of items" that were, in total, 2,626 days [seven years and two months] past their use by said: "120 food items were exposed for sale that were past their use by date."There were dairy products including natural butter milk that was 38 days past its use by date and cottage cheese 35 days past its use by date, vacuum packed meats and chicken. "In total the items were 2,626 days past their use by date."He went on to say that Mr Omid was given a hygiene improvement notice but, when inspectors returned in late January, there was "evidence the notice hadn't been complied with".They discovered more food that was past its sell by date bringing the total amount of time to 3,186 days [eight years and eight months].Mr Hussain said: "It was clear Omid had shown a clear disregard for the importance of food safety."The shop has since closed and the court heard that Mr Omid has been considering moving to Belgium to make a new life for himself, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. 'Wilful blindness' The court heard that as well as selling out-of-date food there was no "designated hand washbasin in the area where raw and ready-to-eat foods are handled".Inspectors also found "the basement food store was damp and in a poor condition and could not be adequately cleaned with numerous cigarette butts on the floor".Mr Khan, defending Mr Omid, said: "This was a case where an individual was trying to run a business without doing his research."Mr Walker, chair of the bench, told him that he had "shown a wilful blindness with regards to food hygiene and safety requirements".He was fined £5,000, ordered to pay £4,713 costs to Bradford Council and a £2,000 was also told he would have to pay the fine at a rate of £250 a month and failure to pay could result in him being sent to prison. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
New York Times
13-02-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
‘Universal Language' Review: If Tehran Were Winnipeg
The jokes I most enjoy are very specific, aimed at some tiny cross section of people who possess a peculiar shared set of reference points. Sure, broadly crowd-pleasing comedy is a hoot. But when you sense something is funny because it was made for you, and so there are other people like you, too — that's one of the best feelings art can provoke. 'Universal Language,' directed by Matthew Rankin, is a gently funny, gently moving, slightly surrealist little comedy that's aimed at two groups of people: Canadians, specifically but not exclusively those who know Winnipeg, and aficionados of Iranian cinema. Surely there's overlap between the two circles in that Venn diagram, but I can't imagine it's all that substantial. Combining the two cultural specificities, though, makes for something fresh and weird and delightful to watch — even if, like me, you're not an expert on either one. Even before the movie begins, onscreen text proclaims that this is 'A Presentation of the Winnipeg Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young People.' No such agency exists: It's a sly wink at cinephiles, who may know that a similar institute — the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults — produced some of the classic Iranian films in the 1970s and '80s, including some early children's films from the celebrated director Abbas Kiarostami. Rankin even uses a logo for his fictitious institute that looks suspiciously like the Iranian one. Actually, the onscreen text that I could read was in English subtitles, because the logo was rendered in Persian — unexpected for a purportedly Winnipeg-based organization. It's the first indication that this movie is not set in a world strictly like our own. In their screenplay, Rankin, Ila Firouzabadi and Pirouz Nemati came up with a world that is sort of a thought experiment: What if Tehran were Winnipeg? Or Winnipeg were Tehran? What if the landscapes were snowy, the Tim Hortons were teahouses and everyone spoke Persian? Persian and French, technically — this is Canada after all. There's no reason given for this alt-historical fact: This is just normal Canada but with Iranian cultural traditions having fully melded with Canadian ones for whatever reason. In fact, the first scene is set in a French-immersion language school full of rambunctious children, including one dressed up as Groucho Marx (cigar included) and one, named Omid (Sobhan Javadi), who insists that a turkey stole his glasses. The ill-tempered teacher (Mani Soleymanlou), who excoriates the children for not even having 'the decency to misbehave in French,' declares that there will no school until Omid has glasses again. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Experts are stunned by comeback of near-extinct animals: 'A wonderful feeling'
After years of steep population decline caused by hunting and habitat destruction, the Siberian crane was on the brink of extinction in 2015. There were just 3,500 Siberian cranes left in the wild. However, thanks to a decade-long conservation effort, the crane's eastern population has doubled. The Siberian crane had eastern and western populations, but the latter has sadly disappeared. The sole remaining western Siberian crane, a male named Omid (Persian for "hope"), wasn't seen in his wintering grounds in Iran in 2023. Fortunately, the situation in the east is much more promising. "It is a wonderful feeling to have this critically endangered species thriving with such a strong comeback from near extinction," Rich Beilfuss, president and CEO of the International Crane Foundation, told Mongabay. Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty? Definitely Only in some areas No way I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. The International Crane Foundation, Disney's Conservation Fund, and organizations in China and Russia collaborated to develop projects to protect the Siberian crane and its habitat. Educating and raising awareness were important aspects of the work, as were efforts to preserve the wetlands connecting the bird's wintering and breeding grounds, which are over 5,000 miles apart. Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China, is a vital winter haven for hundreds of species of migratory birds. The project's success underlines the importance of international cooperation and a long-term approach to conservation. Biodiversity is critical to maintaining a healthy ecosystem, and local, community-led efforts are crucial to this effort. The International Crane Foundation is not resting on its laurels; the work to protect the Siberian crane has now entered a new stage. As Mahendra Shrestha, the International Crane Foundation's vice president of Asia programs, explained, "We will continue to work with all partners to take active actions in breeding, staging, and wintering areas to jointly safeguard the health of the Siberian Crane population and the stability and safety of their migration routes." Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
