Mourners attend the funeral of Raed Fares and Hammud Al Junayd in the village of Kafranbel in the north-western province of Idlib. AFP
Mourners attend the funeral of Raed Fares and Hammud Al Junayd in the village of Kafranbel in the north-western province of Idlib. AFP
Mourners attend the funeral of Raed Fares and Hammud Al Junayd in the village of Kafranbel in the north-western province of Idlib. AFP
Mourners attend the funeral of Raed Fares and Hammud Al Junayd in the village of Kafranbel in the north-western province of Idlib. AFP

Like Raed Fares, too many have died for their dream of peace in Syria


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Yet another tragic loss. Syrians and those who care for Syria have spent the last three days in mourning. Mourning the Syrian journalist and activist Raed Fares, but also everything that he stood for – values of courage, patriotism and peaceful protest.

Raed reached millions of people around the world through the compelling banners he made in his hometown of Kafranbel. As the people around him bravely resisted the regime of Syria’s president Bashar Al Assad, he created messages that humanised ordinary Syrians striving for a better future. He did so in the hope of creating a sense of empathy and an international drive to save them. While his work was widely shared online, touching the lives of people across the globe, it was not enough to spur the necessary action to protect Kafranbel and other cities like it.

After two assassination attempts, last Friday Raed's enemies finally succeeded in killing him and his loyal friend Hammud Al Junayd. They join hundreds of activists, some of whom were also journalists, who have been killed in Syria. Mr Al Assad and the Islamist extremists now operating in Syria have several things in common, most importantly an utter rejection of peaceful, secular opponents, who reflect the wishes of many of their countrymen.

Initial reports say that such extremists were behind the killing of Raed and Hammud. Those same militants dominate Idlib − the last remaining Syrian province under rebel control, which the regime now has its sights set on. Idlib was not home to such groups until recently, but as part of siege and surrender tactics in areas such as Homs and Ghouta some were given safe passage there, while unarmed opposition members either had to flee the country or were killed.

The amount of times in recent years that analysts and diplomats have said “There are no good guys in Syria” is astounding. It is also an insult to peaceful opposition figures who have waited and worked so long and so hard for an end to the conflict. What they really meant to say was: “There are no good guys we want to work with.” There have always been good guys in Syria – people who want only to protect their country and refuse to sell it out. Too many of them, like Raed, have paid for their beliefs with their lives.

Peaceful activists in Syria are often cynical about UN efforts to end the war. The body’s convoluted attempts to achieve an orderly and non-violent transition are meant to restart soon. The constitutional committee, which has been lauded for months as the answer to this shattered nation’s problems now seems unlikely. In his penultimate briefing to the UN Security Council before he retires, UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said that balance, inclusion and international legitimacy are “the litmus test” for the committee.

In his statement last week, Mr De Mistura said: “We may have to conclude that it may not be possible to form a constitutional committee [that is] credible and inclusive at this stage.” He was also clear that the UN was in the last days of its attempts to convene the committee. Nothing that has been said at this critical point provides any hope that these efforts will prove anything other than futile.

The Norwegian diplomat Geir Pedersen takes his position as the new UN Envoy for Syria at the beginning of next year. He faces a seemingly insurmountable task and a ravaged nation. Unlike his predecessors, he will also not benefit from having a pool of Syrians to work with in pursuit of a stable transition. And yet in order to avoid more deaths, like that of Raed and so many others, he must work with what he has.

Peace talks are, by their nature, difficult and capricious. Anyone who has ever been involved in them will tell you that. However, one factor is always the same. The main sides must be willing to negotiate. That is still missing in Syria.

As a result, civilian populations continue to suffer. The latest news of a chemical attack in Aleppo proves once more the government’s failure to protect its citizens – if it is not the one attacking them. This week, the regional director for the International Committee of the Red Cross was in Aleppo. There, he gave a statement in which he described the scale of the destruction as “incredible”.

Like the devastation of Aleppo, the pain of losing Raed will not go away time soon. Raed, Hammud, the Damascus-based activist Hani Abdullah, the 200 brave rescuers of the White Helmets who have lost their lives. The list goes on, the names running into the thousands. Among them are some of the best minds Syria and the wider Arab world had. And now we have lost them forever.

But we have not lost everything. During the Arab uprisings of 2011, young patriots rose up in numerous countries. There were those were neither militant nor Islamist, who had a simple vision of a nation state that served its people. Their thundering calls for dignity were heard around the world. Yet without weapons and money, and with autocrats and extremists colluding against them, their voices were silenced. Their ideas, however, remain alive.

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UAE fixtures:
Men

Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
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Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final

Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final

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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
  • Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
  • Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
  • Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
  • For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
  • Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
  • Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
  • Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
  • Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
  • Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
  • Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.

Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz

Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

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Sarfira

Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad

Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal 

Rating: 2/5

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