The UAE can overcome the post-9/11 fear and prejudice



There are very rare moments in our lives when we bear witness to the unspeakable. Where our lives are abruptly brought to a standstill as we are forced to observe the darkest actions of humanity. In every record of every country, the unforeseen and unfathomable tragedy of September 11 will remain a black stain on the history of mankind.

In the UAE and around the globe, many of us can recall the exact moment when we watched the horrific events unfold. As I sat around with my fellow Emirati brothers in a mall in Sharjah, glued to an electronic shop's display televisions, what I remember most was the looks of confusion on the faces of those around me. What we thought was only possible in Hollywood studios was transformed into an unimaginable reality.

As the world searched for those responsible for the September 11 attacks, it was unthinkable to believe that Al Qaeda, a group of thugs as we in the UAE understood them to be, was capable of carrying out an operation of such horror and magnitude. The immediate belief of many Emiratis was that the Israeli government had staged these attacks to incite international hatred and aggression towards Muslims. When Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for the attacks, only then did we realise the true significance of the threat it posed not only to the United States, but to the reputation of Muslims all over the world, especially citizens from the GCC states. On an international level, we were now seen as a region that had produced the likes of Osama bin Laden.

The false portrayals of Islam and Arabs in general began to increase on the international stage, all the more painful because they were directly opposite to the truth. The word "jihad" was overused and abused, represented only by the militants' definition of "holy war" in the media's sensationalised coverage of the "war on terror" that followed September 11.

A more precise definition of jihad in Islam is a Muslim's efforts towards making his or her life and that of their society as just and decent as humanly possible. Jihad is a duty for all Muslims to commit themselves to a struggle on all fronts, be it spiritual, moral or political. Islam is a religion of peace that encourages all Muslims to end injustice, ensure peace and security and always struggle for a peaceful coexistence between Islam and all other faiths. Islam has brought millions of Muslim's worldwide to accept each other as true brothers and sisters, regardless of colour or nationality.

Yet after September 11, Islam was portrayed as a religion that believed in the destruction of another faith or society, directly contradicting its own teachings. Al Qaeda, with its terror tactics, encouraged this interpretation by justifying its actions as directed at weakening the oppression of Muslims by the West.

For Emiratis, the repercussions of September 11 were felt almost immediately. What used to be a few hours processing for UAE citizens to apply for a visa to the United States became a process of summary rejection. Student visas were declined and most Emiratis planning to study in America were redirected to Australia or the United Kingdom. More and more stories were heard about the wrongful persecution of Emiratis and many other Arabs by the US security organisations as well as airport immigration officials. More importantly, some Emiratis were targeted for hate crimes.

Even before September 11, relations between the United States and Muslims countries were disintegrating under the administration of President George W Bush. The new US foreign policy disaster in the Middle East was making the country a target for hatred. With the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq, many people in the UAE and across the Muslim world understood the United States as a country that had publicly announced its support for oppressing Muslim states and people.

The September 11 attacks added fuel to that fire and many lost hope that this division between the Muslim world and the West would ever be healed. Yet it is countries such as the UAE that immediately took action after the attacks, not only to declare their support for the fight against terrorism but to communicate a commitment to the world through various international projects. The UAE has always opposed terrorism and done everything in its power to prevent violent extremism from being fostered or conducted within its borders.

The UAE and the Emirati people have always been mediators between conflicting parties as well as hosts who have encouraged the peaceful coexistence of almost every nationality and faith. In recent years, flagship projects such as the Masdar Initiative, Burj Khalifa tower and charitable projects like the famine-relief project in Somalia have all raised the UAE's profile on the international stage. Hand-in-hand with those efforts, tourism campaigns and the welcome extending to the growing number of guests in the country have communicated the depth and texture of Emirati culture, customs and traditions, particularly the deeply ingrained hospitality of the region.

The UAE has always called for a peaceful resolution to conflicts as has been evident in diplomatic efforts during this Arab spring. It was no different after September 11. As we look back, we realise that these good intentions were put into practice. The UAE's reputation across the world should be as a country of opportunity, prosperity and peace among all of its citizens and residents. We are well on our way.

Taryam Al Subaihi is an Emirati political and social commentator who specialises in corporate communications

The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

The specs: 2019 Mini Cooper

Price, base: Dh141,740 (three-door) / Dh165,900 (five-door)
Engine: 1.5-litre four-cylinder (Cooper) / 2.0-litre four-cylinder (Cooper S)
Power: 136hp @ 4,500rpm (Cooper) / 192hp @ 5,000rpm (Cooper S)
Torque: 220Nm @ 1,480rpm (Cooper) / 280Nm @ 1,350rpm (Cooper S)
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 4.8L to 5.4L / 100km

Graduated from the American University of Sharjah

She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters

Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks

Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding

 

How to avoid crypto fraud
  • Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
  • Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
  • Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
  • Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
  • Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
  • Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
  • Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
Dubai Bling season three

Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed 

Rating: 1/5

The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz E 300 Cabriolet

Price, base / as tested: Dh275,250 / Dh328,465

Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder

Power: 245hp @ 5,500rpm

Torque: 370Nm @ 1,300rpm

Transmission: Nine-speed automatic

Fuel consumption, combined: 7.0L / 100km

The bio

Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.

Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.

Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.

Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.

Other workplace saving schemes
  • The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
  • Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
  • National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
  • In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
  • Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
The specs
 
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

Cryopreservation: A timeline
  1. Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
  2. Ovarian tissue surgically removed
  3. Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
  4. Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
  5. Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
Paatal Lok season two

Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy 

Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong

Rating: 4.5/5

COMPANY PROFILE

Company: Bidzi

● Started: 2024

● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid

● Based: Dubai, UAE

● Industry: M&A

● Funding size: Bootstrapped

● No of employees: Nine

Some of Darwish's last words

"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008

His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.

The specs

Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now

The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now