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An online backlash over the perceived relativism and racist undertones of reactions to the war in Ukraine is brewing on social media.
Thousands of people from Arab countries and Afghanistan are posting pictures of themselves in everyday situations on Twitter and Instagram, using the hashtags #civilised and #uncivilised.
Ukraine's appeal for survival posits on it being a European democracy. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told a European audience that this was a reason to rally to its defence. “We have proven that at a minimum, we are exactly the same as you,” he said.
Some commentators have suggested attacks on Ukraine were unlike attacks taking place in other conflict zones such as Syria.
“So, the question is, is the West going to tolerate the Russians doing this to Ukraine?” asked Philip Breedlove, a retired US general.
“What if the Russians do what they did in eastern Syria and they drop barrel bombs and make rubble of cities and terrorise citizens and force them on the road and make them refugees across Europe?”
Some of the language used has been disturbing to them, and hurtful.
“These are not the refugees we are used to … these people are Europeans,” Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov said of the Ukrainians this week. “These people are intelligent, they are educated people. This is not the refugee wave we have been used to, people we were not sure about their identity, people with unclear pasts, who could have been even terrorists…”
Reporting from Ukraine’s capital at the start of the Russian invasion, a CBS correspondent said Kyiv “isn’t a place, with all due respect, like Iraq or Afghanistan that has seen conflict raging for decades. This is a relatively civilised and relatively European city … where you wouldn’t expect that to happen”.
Some Arabs and Afghans said the insinuation was that they are “uncivilised” and that their lives have less value.
After an initial wave of criticism, thousands are now mocking the journalist’s comments by posting pictures of themselves at work, home or in social settings and referencing his words.
“Me, an #uncivilized #refugee from #Palestine, physician and researcher saving #civilised lives of critically ill patients and producing scientific research for fighting #Covid_19,” Palestinian doctor Osaid Asser posted, with a picture of himself in scrubs. Dr Asser said he was a graduate of the universities of Oxford and Harvard.
“Hi it’s me Arash from uncivilised Afghanistan, logging on from a mostly civilised Los Angeles,” another user posted.
Iranian Twitter has also picked up the charge, with users voicing their disappointment in the commentary with the hashtag #euracism in Farsi.
The reporter’s comments also drew condemnation from fellow journalists for their insensitivity.
The Arab and Middle Eastern Journalists' Association called out the media coverage of Ukraine more generally, saying it was “orientalist and racist”.
It said the way in which journalists had compared the crisis with conflict in the Middle East “ascribes more importance to some victims of war over others”.
Chris Doyle, of the Council of British Arab Understanding, told The National that some of the commentary highlighted the ignorance and casual racism towards the region.
“Many people would have thought attitudes like that would have died, but sadly that isn’t the case. The Middle East is literally the cradle of civilisation.
“To suggest otherwise is completely wrong.”
Mr Doyle said that the attitude of European countries towards refugees from Ukraine and the sanctions imposed on Russia “exposed double standards”.
“People are being encouraged to fight in Ukraine or celebrated for using Molotov cocktails and called ‘freedom fighters’, and then in other parts of the world like Iraq or the West Bank, they are called ‘terrorists’.
“Europeans are showing extraordinary empathy with Ukraine and Ukrainians, which is excellent, but people from other countries that have been blighted by war are looking at this and asking: ‘Where was the empathy when it was us?’”
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The bio
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Role Models: Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk
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Hometown: Dubai
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Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 400hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh234,000 - Dh329,000
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The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
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360Vuz PROFILE
Date started: January 2017
Founder: Khaled Zaatarah
Based: Dubai and Los Angeles
Sector: Technology
Size: 21 employees
Funding: $7 million
Investors: Shorooq Partners, KBW Ventures, Vision Ventures, Hala Ventures, 500Startups, Plug and Play, Magnus Olsson, Samih Toukan, Jonathan Labin
Most match wins on clay
Guillermo Vilas - 659
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Thomas Muster - 422
Rafael Nadal - 399 *
Jose Higueras - 378
Eddie Dibbs - 370
Ilie Nastase - 338
Carlos Moya - 337
Ivan Lendl - 329
Andres Gomez - 322
The specs
Engine 60kwh FWD
Battery Rimac 120kwh Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2) chemistry
Power 204hp Torque 360Nm
Price, base / as tested Dh174,500
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Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
UAE central contracts
Full time contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ahmed Raza, Mohammed Usman, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Sultan Ahmed, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid
Part time contracts
Aryan Lakra, Ansh Tandon, Karthik Meiyappan, Rahul Bhatia, Alishan Sharafu, CP Rizwaan, Basil Hameed, Matiullah, Fahad Nawaz, Sanchit Sharma