'No emotional context' for people using e-mail.
'No emotional context' for people using e-mail.

Sermon cautions against communicating by e-mail



ABU DHABI // Muslims have been cautioned about the dangers of communicating by e-mail because the lack of facial expression and body language can lead to misunderstanding. Sheikh Jihad Hashim, speaking at the Mariam bint Sultan mosque, was elaborating on a government-issued sermon which reminded worshippers that it was the duty of Muslims to help bring an end to conflict and reconcile differences in a spirt of forgiveness.

It was a sin for two Muslims to be in conflict for longer than three days, the sermon said. "God has facilitated all ways that can reach to reconciliation and absolved the facilitator of peace from the sin of lying." "The Prophet said: 'It is forbidden for a man to abandon his brother for longer than three days ? and the better one among them is he who initiates peace'. "The Prophet also said: 'He who reconciles differences between people cannot be a liar'."

The General Authority for Islamic Affairs and Endowments issues the Friday sermon weekly. Individual imams can expand the message to suit their congregation. Sheikh Hashim, who preaches to an English-speaking congregation of predominantly educated professionals, said: "The reconciler between people has a good intention. What does he do? He stretches the truth just a bit in order to plant a good seed where the land is barren. He encourages people to think differently because often our assumptions about each other are wrong."

While encouraging his congregation to use technology, he warned that e-mail can cause a great deal of misunderstanding. "The worst way to exchange communication is e-mail because there's no facial expression or body language to put words into emotional context. One person might be more stressed than what comes through in e-mail, and then becomes upset saying, 'Why haven't you done what I've asked?'"

Using emoticons, symbols that represent the emotional content of a message, "does not make things better", he said. "Every time we rely on digital technology to communicate on our behalf, we become one more step detached from each other." One of the worst things a Muslim can do is to offend or mistreat a fellow Muslim, because God resents those who mistreat believers close to Him. "This is the definition of sainthood in Islam. We call them wali, someone who is close to God. A friend of God - implying loyalty, not necessarily friendship.

"And God said whoever shows animosity towards a wali, He will declare war against them. "The whole point of Muslim sainthood is that we don't know who they are. So be careful about who you deem unworthy." relass@thenational.ae

ICC Awards for 2021

MEN

Cricketer of the Year – Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)

T20 Cricketer of the Year – Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)

ODI Cricketer of the Year – Babar Azam (Pakistan)

Test Cricketer of the Year – Joe Root (England)

WOMEN

Cricketer of the Year – Smriti Mandhana (India)

ODI Cricketer of the Year – Lizelle Lee (South Africa)

T20 Cricketer of the Year – Tammy Beaumont (England)

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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

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Roll of honour 2019-2020

Dubai Rugby Sevens

Winners: Dubai Hurricanes

Runners up: Bahrain

 

West Asia Premiership

Winners: Bahrain

Runners up: UAE Premiership

 

UAE Premiership

Winners: Dubai Exiles

Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes

 

UAE Division One

Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens

Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II

 

UAE Division Two

Winners: Barrelhouse

Runners up: RAK Rugby

Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion

The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.

Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".

The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.

He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.

"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.

As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics

 

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Electoral College Victory

Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate. 

 

Popular Vote Tally

The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.

If you go
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