Broadcast journalist Mehdi Hasan responded on Monday to an incident on CNN in which a fellow member of a panel in which he was taking part said he hoped Hasan's “beeper doesn't go off”.
“I have interviewed, debated, sparred with, controversial, opinionated, offensive people from across the world,” Hasan said on his Zeteo network.
“But never, never, in my 25 years as a journalist and 15 years of doing live TV, have I been so stunned by what was said to me that I had to walk off set in the middle of a live show.”
During a panel discussion on CNN focused on Donald Trump's Madison Square Garden rally at the weekend, Ryan Girdusky said the journalist had been accused of being anti-Semitic “more than any of us at this table”.
Hasan replied that, as a “supporter of Palestinians”, he was used to the accusation. Girdusky then made the comment about the beeper, a reference to a wide-ranging attack carried out by Israel against Hezbollah in Lebanon that caused thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies to explode.
“In his head, when he hears 'Palestinian', he hears 'Hamas',” Hasan said. “When he sees a Muslim in front of him, he sees Hamas.
“That's how bold these Maga [Make America Great Again] Republicans have become with their racism. That's the permission structure Trump and fans have created.
“To be clear, because of her refusal to budge even an inch on Gaza, [Kamala] Harris morally deserves to lose,” Hasan added, but the alternative is an “anti-Semitic, Islamophobic” president in Mr Trump.
Hasan said that, after the incident on CNN, a friend had asked him if he found it “emotionally taxing” to face bigotry, or if it was “par for the course at this point”.
“Sadly, we Muslims don't have thicker skins than everyone else, nor should we have to have thicker skins than everyone else,” he said. “We're human beings. So of course, it's emotionally taxing. That's the whole point. That's why they do it.
“Racism is about not just dehumanising you, but demoralising and depressing.”
Addressing viewers, he said he would continue to speak out against bigotry and racism and “so should you”.
Previously, Hasan hosted The Mehdi Hasan Show on MSNBC, but he left the network in January after the channel cancelled his Sunday night programme the previous November.
The decision to cancel the show drew condemnation from progressives who accused the channel of silencing one of the few US Muslim broadcast personalities. He had taken a highly critical stance on Israel's military operations in Gaza.
He went on to found media organisation Zeteo.
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.”
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
