Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza
What’s the difference between the sound of a gunshot and a distant rocket attack? It's a topic Palestinian rapper Shamaly, 23, discussed with fellow Gaza residents trapped amid the onslaught from the Israeli military. Since the war began, about 42,800 Palestinians have been killed, most of them civilians.
Shamaly, full name is Ahmed Shamaly, chronicled some of that traumatic experience in his debut EP Bdl Faqed (Replacement of the Lost). It is a searing and taut collection of four songs, half of which were recorded in the Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza, while the other two were completed in Egypt, where Shamaly and his siblings have been residing since March.
As for the sonic difference between the two explosive rounds, the opening track Ta5, an Arabic word similar to the English version of "bang", shows he is still not sure.
If I didn’t speak about it, who would? The EP is a direct message
Shamaly
"Am I hearing it right or not? I only heard the airstrike. Who made the decision? Where are we going and is this what the world has become?" he raps over a claustrophobic production of a dark piano riff and stuttering percussion.
Shamaly tells The National: “It’s interesting what I remember from Gaza now that I am here in Egypt, where I finished that song, is the constant sounds of explosions and gunshots. Whenever we heard them in and around Gaza, I would turn to my family and friends and ask what sound they thought it was. I didn’t know why I asked, because would it have made a difference?”
Bdl Faqed often wrestles between that fatalism and the resilience allowing Shamaly, and producer Adam Ghanim, to work on the project in the war zone. Throughout the nine minutes of the EP, released by Gazan record label Manjam, the lyrics oscillate between helplessness – “There’s no mercy, no repentance / Our days are repeated on the same note” – and self-empowerment – “When you make a mistake, forgive yourself”.
Shamaly says he wasn’t seeking a sense of clarity or insight from the songs; the fact he put pen to paper is the point. “Working on the music and writing the songs is what kept me going and holding on to life. It gave me some space to express what I was going through,” he says. “I remember my friends in Gaza would joke and ask me: ‘How will we record it?’ But I had a computer to work on the beats.”
He says playing early versions of the songs to friends provided rare moments of levity in Gaza. “The youth still live their lives," he adds. "We listen to music, walk around and share jokes. We knew the risks, but we tried to be happy as much as we could.”
In Bastana Feek, the production is lively, with jazzy keyboards layered over a swaggering drum loop. Shamaly’s lyrics ponder what it means to connect with someone when the world is seemingly falling apart: “How many times did I speak? How many times did I feel? My heart is full and hungry and I found my smile in you.”
Shamaly says the song required him to dig deep into what he was feeling at the time. “It required a total shift in mindset because I realised I was writing a love song during a particularly intense period,” he says. “I met someone in the shelter, and we have remained friends. It made me reflect on whether feelings like love are relevant when the world is unstable.”
Meanwhile, there is nothing ambiguous about Falatan, a track in which Shamaly pours his heart out regarding the plight of Gaza. Certain lines read like a chilling epitaph in case he didn’t survive. “And from my north to my south, my city loves my resistance. I really hope you return,” he raps. “I’ve entrusted my matters to God. I wrote an idea, release me. I preserved a memory, protect me. I wrote my lines with my hand, freeing myself from all my doubts. I did everything that was necessary. The world spins and turns.”
Shamaly has nothing new to add to the song’s meaning. “It was written during what we were going through every day,” he says. “I was just so angry about everything happening around me, and I felt if I didn’t speak about it, who would? It was a direct message.”
With Bdl Faqed available this week on major streaming platforms, Shamaly views the EP as an example of resilience to inspire fellow young Gazans and displaced Arab youth.
He says: “I stay resilient by doing simple things – getting food, seeing my friends and helping my family. In my eyes, resisting is just surviving, continuing and making sure I contribute something to the world. The most important thing is to always have hope for the next day. That’s the theme I tried to convey in all the songs. I especially appreciate that, even though I know I may not see someone again, I still have hope that I might. I just want to build something sweet in my heart.”
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
More coverage from the Future Forum
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh135,000
Engine 1.6L turbo
Gearbox Six speed automatic with manual and sports mode
Power 165hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 240Nm @ 1,400rpm 0-100kph: 9.2 seconds
Top speed 420 kph (governed)
Fuel economy, combined 35.2L / 100km (est)
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh1,470,000 (est)
Engine 6.9-litre twin-turbo W12
Gearbox eight-speed automatic
Power 626bhp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 900Nm @ 1,350rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.0L / 100km
Analysis
Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.
The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.
We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List
James Mustich, Workman
WHAT FANS WILL LOVE ABOUT RUSSIA
FANS WILL LOVE
Uber is ridiculously cheap and, as Diego Saez discovered, mush safer. A 45-minute taxi from Pulova airport to Saint Petersburg’s Nevsky Prospect can cost as little as 500 roubles (Dh30).
FANS WILL LOATHE
Uber policy in Russia is that they can start the fare as soon as they arrive at the pick-up point — and oftentimes they start it even before arriving, or worse never arrive yet charge you anyway.
FANS WILL LOVE
It’s amazing how active Russians are on social media and your accounts will surge should you post while in the country. Throw in a few Cyrillic hashtags and watch your account numbers rocket.
FANS WILL LOATHE
With cold soups, bland dumplings and dried fish, Russian cuisine is not to everybody’s tastebuds. Fortunately, there are plenty Georgian restaurants to choose from, which are both excellent and economical.
FANS WILL LOVE
The World Cup will take place during St Petersburg's White Nights Festival, which means perpetual daylight in a city that genuinely never sleeps. (Think toddlers walking the streets with their grandmothers at 4am.)
FANS WILL LOATHE
The walk from Krestovsky Ostrov metro station to Saint Petersburg Arena on a rainy day makes you wonder why some of the $1.7 billion was not spent on a weather-protected walkway.
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
More from Neighbourhood Watch
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKinetic%207%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202018%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rick%20Parish%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Clean%20cooking%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Self-funded%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More on Quran memorisation:
More from Neighbourhood Watch
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Young women have more “financial grit”, but fall behind on investing
In an October survey of young adults aged 16 to 25, Charles Schwab found young women are more driven to reach financial independence than young men (67 per cent versus. 58 per cent). They are more likely to take on extra work to make ends meet and see more value than men in creating a plan to achieve their financial goals. Yet, despite all these good ‘first’ measures, they are investing and saving less than young men – falling early into the financial gender gap.
While the women surveyed report spending 36 per cent less than men, they have far less savings than men ($1,267 versus $2,000) – a nearly 60 per cent difference.
In addition, twice as many young men as women say they would invest spare cash, and almost twice as many young men as women report having investment accounts (though most young adults do not invest at all).
“Despite their good intentions, young women start to fall behind their male counterparts in savings and investing early on in life,” said Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, senior vice president, Charles Schwab. “They start off showing a strong financial planning mindset, but there is still room for further education when it comes to managing their day-to-day finances.”
Ms Schwab-Pomerantz says parents should be conveying the same messages to boys and girls about money, but should tailor those conversations based on the individual and gender.
"Our study shows that while boys are spending more than girls, they also are saving more. Have open and honest conversations with your daughters about the wage and savings gap," she said. "Teach kids about the importance of investing – especially girls, who as we see in this study, aren’t investing as much. Part of being financially prepared is learning to make the most of your money, and that means investing early and consistently."
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Match info
Liverpool 4
Salah (19'), Mane (45 2', 53'), Sturridge (87')
West Ham United 0
More on animal trafficking
