Untitled Document

We welcome your images, sound files, video clips and text. Please email your material to journal@multi-story.org. (Please do not email material over 1mb.)	The Journal is an online space for people who want to add their stories and experiences or just to comment about the multi-story website.
My name is Mohammad Naveen Asif and i am a refugee from Afghanistan. I came to Scotland in the year 2000 and claimed asylum. I was journalist back home and also a school director. Since arriving in Scotland i have experienced different culture and different ways of life. The people of Scotland are well known for their hospitalties and friendliness. I have made so many friends in Scotland through my work with different organisations. The government policy on asylum is totally one sided and it does not tell the truth about asylum seekers. The media (rightwing media) is terrible. They spread lies and propaganda against asylum seekers. People are told very little truth about asylum seekers. I came from country where i faced certain death if i stayed. I worked hard against the Taliban government and eventually got no place left for me there to live and came to the UK. At present i work for Anniesland College as a Student Adviser and i love Glasgow and its people. Thank you
Selected comments from the multi-story exhibition and web-site launch at Street Level Photoworks, 05 February - 05 March 2005. "I was so inspired by the web site. The music is great, images are very strong and provokes a great deal of emotion!" "A very interesting project. I think Springburn has a lot of colour and is now a very cosmopolitan area of Glasgow with people from all over the world. I believe it will make Springburn a dynamic area in the near future." " There has been a lot said about this in the media (asylum issues) but I never really thought much about it. My eyes are now open." "I was a refugee myself when I was a small child and now I am a resident. The outsider feeling is a strong wound in my soul, different accents can alienate and only now, much later in my life do I feel I have a chance to heal some of my own fragmentation. It is wonderful to see an exhibition like this." " Sad, uplifting and all with an honest hopefulness that in Britain democracy/freedom will prevail even though sometimes it doesn't." "Beautiful show, often we tend to look at those high rise buildings as an eye sore, forgetting their necessity and wealth of resources, cultural heritage, ideas, stories, friends, food, dreams, hopes, struggles and opportunities contained within. Giving voices to such communities is investing in tolerance and fostering cross cultural understanding. Thank you, it's an excellent idea and very well presented." "The photos were truly inspiring, showing Glasgow from a whole new perspective. Truly remarkable." "How lovely to meet so many people in an empty room." "Brilliant. Everyone in Glasgow should see this - the taxi driver, the man on the bus, the neighbor" "This exhibition should be seen by everyone - to understand better the lives of refugees and asylum seekers." "Really inspiring and challenging and emotional, makes me want to be more involved. Wonderful to see Glasgow and it's whole range of people through different eyes. I believe the people here have so much to give and we Glasgow residents so much to learn from them, and visa versa." " Fantastic exhibition - it's really nice to see art that actually has a real point to make." "You have opened my eyes to Asylum Seekers and enriched my life today. God bless you all in your work." "Thought provoking and interesting. It's good to see how people's lives really are and give them a voice. Some lovely b&w portraits." "I just fell across this place and have just spent some of the most moving moments seeing these images and reading people's thoughts. AMAZING, truthful. Please do the same in London." "This is art that makes a difference to the people involved and the people who see it. Fantastic work, well done." "An innovative outlet for those who don't always seem to have a voice. Informative and sensitive." "Excellent." "Very interesting." "Insightful." 'Very moving." "The sense of isolation asylum seekers feel is the recurring feature of these photos. My first experience was with Chilean refugees in the seventies. The loneliness and isolation were the features then as they are today. Aysha Iqbal portrays this in her photographs. " "Very sensitive and striking exhibition, a very enriching experience." "I am glad the resources were there so these people were able to express themselves creatively. I thoroughly enjoyed the exhibition, the photographs were beautiful and informative, I particularly liked the pictures from the high flats. I think the web site is fantastic as it opens it up to so many people, the songs and short films were amazing. Even just reading about peoples experiences living over here was amazing. It has opened my eyes in so many levels. Let's get rid of the fear and replace it with love. Thank you to all the people that worked on this project." " Practically all my life I dreamed of coming to Scotland. At 44 I made it - just a couple of hours ago. In this gallery I feel I found the Scotland I always felt in my heart. We are all one people, different in culture and experience, but the same feelings. I feel honored that so many wonderful people have opened their selves in sharing - thank you."
Hi, I wanted to say, it's amazing, I read one of the pages that I wrote over a year ago for this web site. I was talking about the film 'A Wonderful Life", I read it today and thought, I was so brave. Today I am very depressed and fed up with everything, there is no hope. Now I have read this, it again gives me power. I can't imagine I was writing like that. Buya
From: Chris To: <journal@multi-story.org> Sent: Thu, 2 Jun 2005 19:07 Subject: Great Website I was really impressed by this website. I am from Glasgow but have never came into contact with any Asylum seekers. The website has certainly inspired me to appreciate what I have. I would like to know how I can help welcome the many Asylum seekers we have in this city.

We welcome your images, sound files, video clips and text. Please email your material to journal@multi-story.org. (Please do not email material over 1mb.)

The Journal is an online space for people who want to add their stories and experiences or just to comment about the multi-story website.

My name is Mohammad Naveen Asif and i am a refugee from Afghanistan. I came to Scotland in the year 2000 and claimed asylum. I was journalist back home and also a school director. Since arriving in Scotland i have experienced different culture and different ways of life. The people of Scotland are well known for their hospitalties and friendliness. I have made so many friends in Scotland through my work with different organisations. The government policy on asylum is totally one sided and it does not tell the truth about asylum seekers. The media (rightwing media) is terrible. They spread lies and propaganda against asylum seekers. People are told very little truth about asylum seekers. I came from country where i faced certain death if i stayed. I worked hard against the Taliban government and eventually got no place left for me there to live and came to the UK. At present i work for Anniesland College as a Student Adviser and i love Glasgow and its people.
Thank you

Selected comments from the multi-story exhibition and web-site launch at
Street Level Photoworks, 05 February - 05 March 2005.

"I was so inspired by the web site. The music is great, images are very
strong and provokes a great deal of emotion!"

"A very interesting project. I think Springburn has a lot of colour and is
now a very cosmopolitan area of Glasgow with people from all over the world.
I believe it will make Springburn a dynamic area in the near future."

" There has been a lot said about this in the media (asylum issues) but I
never really thought much about it. My eyes are now open."

"I was a refugee myself when I was a small child and now I am a resident.
The outsider feeling is a strong wound in my soul, different accents can
alienate and only now, much later in my life do I feel I have a chance to
heal some of my own fragmentation. It is wonderful to see an exhibition
like this."

" Sad, uplifting and all with an honest hopefulness that in Britain
democracy/freedom will prevail even though sometimes it doesn't."

"Beautiful show, often we tend to look at those high rise buildings as an
eye sore, forgetting their necessity and wealth of resources, cultural
heritage, ideas, stories, friends, food, dreams, hopes, struggles and
opportunities contained within. Giving voices to such communities is
investing in tolerance and fostering cross cultural understanding. Thank
you, it's an excellent idea and very well presented."

"The photos were truly inspiring, showing Glasgow from a whole new
perspective. Truly remarkable."

"How lovely to meet so many people in an empty room."

"Brilliant. Everyone in Glasgow should see this - the taxi driver, the man
on the bus, the neighbor"

"This exhibition should be seen by everyone - to understand better the lives
of refugees and asylum seekers."

"Really inspiring and challenging and emotional, makes me want to be more
involved. Wonderful to see Glasgow and it's whole range of people through
different eyes. I believe the people here have so much to give and we
Glasgow residents so much to learn from them, and visa versa."

" Fantastic exhibition - it's really nice to see art that actually has a
real point to make."

"You have opened my eyes to Asylum Seekers and enriched my life today. God
bless you all in your work."

"Thought provoking and interesting. It's good to see how people's lives
really are and give them a voice. Some lovely b&w portraits."

"I just fell across this place and have just spent some of the most moving
moments seeing these images and reading people's thoughts. AMAZING,
truthful. Please do the same in London."

"This is art that makes a difference to the people involved and the people
who see it. Fantastic work, well done."

"An innovative outlet for those who don't always seem to have a voice.
Informative and sensitive."

"Excellent."

"Very interesting."

"Insightful."

'Very moving."

"The sense of isolation asylum seekers feel is the recurring feature of
these photos. My first experience was with Chilean refugees in the
seventies. The loneliness and isolation were the features then as they are
today. Aysha Iqbal portrays this in her photographs. "

"Very sensitive and striking exhibition, a very enriching experience."

"I am glad the resources were there so these people were able to express
themselves creatively. I thoroughly enjoyed the exhibition, the photographs
were beautiful and informative, I particularly liked the pictures from the
high flats. I think the web site is fantastic as it opens it up to so many
people, the songs and short films were amazing. Even just reading about
peoples experiences living over here was amazing. It has opened my eyes in
so many levels. Let's get rid of the fear and replace it with love. Thank
you to all the people that worked on this project."

" Practically all my life I dreamed of coming to Scotland. At 44 I made it
- just a couple of hours ago. In this gallery I feel I found the Scotland I
always felt in my heart. We are all one people, different in culture and
experience, but the same feelings. I feel honored that so many wonderful
people have opened their selves in sharing - thank you."

Hi,

I wanted to say, it's amazing, I read one of the pages that I wrote over a
year ago for this web site. I was talking about the film 'A Wonderful
Life", I read it today and thought, I was so brave. Today I am very
depressed and fed up with everything, there is no hope. Now I have read
this, it again gives me power. I can't imagine I was writing like that.

Buya

From: Chris
To: <journal@multi-story.org>
Sent: Thu, 2 Jun 2005 19:07
Subject: Great Website

I was really impressed by this website. I am from Glasgow but have never came into contact with any Asylum seekers. The website has certainly inspired me to appreciate what I have. I would like to know how I can help welcome the many Asylum seekers we have in this city.