WASHINGTON, DC // In the small town of Prospect Park, New Jersey, the mayor is going further than most to state his opposition to president Donald Trump’s travel ban. He’s signed his own executive order banning the implementation of the presidential directive and declaring his town a safe haven for immigrants and refugees.
And the mayor should know how vulnerable refugees feel. Mohammed Khairullah is a Syrian American and was once a refugee himself.
“I wanted my city to be an example of tolerance and to inspire other cities and lead them to do the same,” he said.
Born in Aleppo in 1975, Mr Khairulla’s family fled persecution during what he calls “the first uprising” in Syria against the current president’s father, Hafez Al Assad.
Amid the mass executions taking place, the family feared for their safety as opponents of Al Assad.
Mr Khairulla’s father first took the family to Saudi Arabia in about 1980, where they lived until they emigrated to the United States in 1991, when the future Prospect Park mayor was 16.
While Mr Khairulla was still at university, he began volunteering in local hospitals and fire departments.
“I was involved in my town in many different ways and [was] already dedicated to serving my community even before I decided to enter political life,” he said.
In 2001, the year Mr Khairulla received his American citizenship and earned his master’s degree in education administration, he stood for election to the Prospect Park city council and won.
“I couldn’t let the issues that were affecting my town rest and just sit and watch from afar, so I decided to try and be part of the city council,” he said.
Three years later, in 2004, he was elected mayor of Prospect Park – the first from an ethnic minority – and has been re-elected three times since.
When the Syrian revolution started back in 2011 and then escalated into a deadly conflict, Mr Khairullah was reminded of his own family’s suffering years earlier.
“I had to help the people of Syria, so I decided to help them through humanitarian channels,” he said.
Between 2013 and 2015, he made seven trips to Aleppo, his native city, and the city of Idlib, taking humanitarian aid.
When the Trump administration brought in the travel ban on seven predominantly Muslim countries (reducing the number to six in a second executive order) – and blocked refugees from Syria indefinitely – Mr Khairullah decided he could not stand by. He felt he had to assure his city that everyone was safe in Prospect Park – by mayoral decree.
The mayor’s executive order was signed with the same fanfare as the president’s. Mr Khairullah held the document aloft with as much pride as Mr Trump did when brandishing his first version of the travel ban on January 27 of this year.
“I consider myself part of the resistance against unfair politics and tyranny. I respect the office of the president, but I don’t have to agree with all his policies. And as a mayor, my office is also executive,” Mr Khairullah declared.
“This law would have torn families apart and I could not let it happen without taking serious action, so I had to assure the people of Prospect Park who trust me that they will always feel safe here. They can come to us for help without the fear of us acting as federal government agents and turning them in.”
US attorney-general Jeff Sessions warned on Monday that so-called "sanctuary cities" turning a blind eye to illegal immigrants could jeopardise billions in federal funding. He demanded they do more to turn people who are in the country illegally over to the federal authorities for deportation.
But Mr Khairullah said such threats avoided the real problems in America.
“While average Americans are worried about losing their health care, their effective tax rates and crumbling roads, our federal government seems to be focused on picking fights with towns that don’t agree with the president,” he said. “Washington needs to straighten out its priorities.”
Throughout Mr Khairullah’s 11 years as mayor of Prospect Park (population, 5,900), his hard work and popularity have earned him a reputation as the most successful mayor in the state of New Jersey.
“He (Mr Khairulla) changed a lot in the city. There is a lot of new infrastructure – that’s why he was elected four times,” said city council member Adnan Zakaria, adding that this was proof the mayor is effective.
Mr Khairullah has also encouraged others from ethnic minorities to run for office and there are now Hispanic and African-American members on Prospect Park’s six-seat city council.
“I take people’s problems and complaints very seriously,” the mayor said. “I care, I listen and respond. I never make their issues marginal and I do make every effort to reach out to everyone.”
“The United States is a country of migrants and refugees,” he added. “And it is exactly what makes America great.”
foreign.desk@thenational.ae
The Cairo Statement
1: Commit to countering all types of terrorism and extremism in all their manifestations
2: Denounce violence and the rhetoric of hatred
3: Adhere to the full compliance with the Riyadh accord of 2014 and the subsequent meeting and executive procedures approved in 2014 by the GCC
4: Comply with all recommendations of the Summit between the US and Muslim countries held in May 2017 in Saudi Arabia.
5: Refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of countries and of supporting rogue entities.
6: Carry out the responsibility of all the countries with the international community to counter all manifestations of extremism and terrorism that threaten international peace and security
Founder: Ayman Badawi
Date started: Test product September 2016, paid launch January 2017
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Software
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Funders: friends
The specs
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
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Hili 2: Unesco World Heritage site
The site is part of the Hili archaeological park in Al Ain. Excavations there have proved the existence of the earliest known agricultural communities in modern-day UAE. Some date to the Bronze Age but Hili 2 is an Iron Age site. The Iron Age witnessed the development of the falaj, a network of channels that funnelled water from natural springs in the area. Wells allowed settlements to be established, but falaj meant they could grow and thrive. Unesco, the UN's cultural body, awarded Al Ain's sites - including Hili 2 - world heritage status in 2011. Now the most recent dig at the site has revealed even more about the skilled people that lived and worked there.
