On the early morning of January 5, 30-year-old Syrian national Mohammed Al Moussa entered Lebanese pop star Nancy Ajram’s Beirut home, in what appears to have been an attempted burglary.
Ajram and her husband, celebrity dentist Fadi Al Hashem, have given their account of that night in a new documentary.
The ordeal, partially recorded on the home’s extensive security camera network, ended with Al Hashem shooting dead Al Moussa, who was later revealed to be carrying a fake gun.
Al Moussa had 16 gunshot wounds in his body.
The new documentary on MBC's Shahid online platform Al Rou'ya Al Kamila (The Full Picture) saw the couple sit down for an interview about the night Al Moussa died.
Various theories have been shared across many platforms about what happened that night.
It has been suggested by some that the security camera footage was doctored by Al Hashem and that Al Moussa was in fact a family employee demanding an outstanding payment. This is denied in the documentary.
Ajram and Al Hashem say their reason for speaking now was partly to stem some of the commentary surrounding the event. However, Al Hashem speaking on TV now is notable due to his uncertain legal status.
After initially being cleared of the crime, he was subsequently charged by public prosecutor, Judge Ghada Aoun, for intentional murder. With Al Hashem’s trial presently postponed due to the pandemic, the documentary has faced criticism on social media for being an attempt to persuade public opinion before the beginning of legal proceedings.
While Al Rou'ya Al Kamila does indeed offer more from Ajram and Al Hashem's side of the story, it is a riveting 90 minutes of television. But it works best when it transcends the nuts and bolts of what happened to focus on on bigger themes, such as the sanctity of the home, or 'bayt' in Arab society.
Here are three of the key takeaways from Al Rou'ya Al Kamila:
1. How they say the night unfolded
It is important to note that a lot of the revelations presented haven't been scrutinised in a court of law, but in the show Al Hashem reenacts certain scenes in the house in a frankly terrifying retelling of what happened between the evening of Saturday, January 4 and the early hours the following day.
The couple says the night began with Al Hashem’s brother and his family joining them for a low-key dinner from around 7.30pm. With cameras on but the alarm system off, Al Moussa seems to have managed to scale the walls of the mountaintop villa in the Keserwan district of Beirut, and he spent time on the veranda until the visitors left.
The couple say they hadn't employed any security guards at the residence, the veracity of which has been raised repeatedly in regional press coverage. “I never felt that I needed protection,” Ajram says of this. “And I didn’t want my children to feel that way too. I want to make their environment as normal as I can.”
Al Hashem adds: “We knew everyone in the neighbourhood, so we didn’t feel like we needed security,” he said. “But I do have a strong alarm system for the home.”
Just shy of 2am on January 5, with the family asleep indoors, Ajram says she heard rustling inside the house and immediately informed Al Hashem.
He said he was initially not concerned, citing Ajram’s career for her heightened awareness: “Even the faintest sound registers with Nancy,” he says.
However, after they both heard sounds coming from the living room, Al Hashem gets up and investigates. At exactly 2am, the security camera sees Al Hashem startled by a man in a balaclava rummaging in his living room.
Al Hashem grabs a chair while Al Moussa shows he has a gun.
Hearing the shouting outside, Ajram says she ran to the en-suite, locked the door and proceeded to call her father, who lives around 250 metres away. She said she also called the villa’s janitor and the family chauffeur, who all reside within ear shot of the home. Her children remained in their bedrooms.
The chauffeur arrived within minutes, charging in with his brother and two friends. By that time Al Moussa was reportedly in the master bedroom, with Al Hashem demanding to know where more jewellery was, and where Ajram was (she remained hidden in the bathroom).
Al Moussa reportedly then ran to the living room to confront the janitor, the chauffeur and friends. Al Hashem says he then ran to the wardrobe to retrieve his Glock-17 automatic pistol, and chased Al Moussa.
He said he then saw Al Moussa heading towards the hallway where the bedrooms of their three daughters are. Al Hashem said he then saw red.
“I just couldn’t see anything after that,” he says softly. “At that moment, when he was coming for my daughters, I was prepared to die.”
The security camera catches Al Hashem disappearing into the corridor behind Al Moussa and seconds later bright flashes of gun fire puncture the darkness.
Al Hashem says the final confrontation lasted a few seconds and was in a smaller living room adjacent to one of the children’s bedrooms.
“When I heard the gun shots, I thought….I didn’t know what to think,” Ajram says. “I thought that Fadi was dead.”
A few minutes after the shooting, the security cameras catch a distraught Ajram sprinting to the corridor in pyjamas. She describes finding a dazed Al Hashem standing close to Al Moussa, who lay sprawled on the ground, blood oozing out of his chest.
By 2.30am, the house was a crime scene full of police officers. Not long after, Al Hashem was taken into custody for nearly two days, after which he was sent to hospital with concerns for his mental wellbeing.
2. We find out more about Mohammed Al Moussa
It is important to note that the home invasion portion of the documentary is told solely through the eyes of Ajram and Al Hashem.
According to the programme, Al Moussa’s wife, Fatima, who has publicly questioned the veracity of the security camera footage, refused to be interviewed “on and off screen”.
The only information we hear about her late husband comes through a Skype call with his grieving parents in Syria.
Both describe Al Moussa as a hard working and "God fearing individual", who fled Syria to Lebanon after marrying his cousin Fatima.
“When I heard the news, I was shocked,” said his father Hassan. “I can’t imagine him doing anything of that nature.”
As for the suggestion that Al Moussa was a disgruntled domestic employee of the Ajram and Al Hashem household, his parents say they were not aware that he worked for them.
This is in contradiction to what Al Moussa's mother said to Saudi TV station Al Arabiya on January 7. At that time she said her son used to work as a gardener for Ajram and was owed an unspecified amount of money by the couple. At the time, she questioned the surveillance footage of the killing and asked authorities to pursue the case to ascertain the full story.
Al Hashem is emphatic when asked about this claim: he says he never heard of Al Moussa until that fateful day.
The programme claims Al Moussa had been planning the burglary for up to six months. The show says his smart phone revealed extensive Google and YouTube searches on the location and architecture of the property, and the layout of Nancy Ajram’s bedroom. Al Moussa even reportedly made an appointment to attend Al Hashem’s dental practice months prior to the burglary and didn’t show up.
3. Nancy Ajram is seeking counselling
Al Rou'ya Al Kamila portrays a situation from which no one emerges unscathed.
Al Moussa’s parents have lost a son in terrible circumstances. While Al Hashem says during the show he is at peace with his actions, he says he struggles with frequent bouts of anxiety.
Ajram, meanwhile describes sudden crying fits triggered by suspicious noises at home, a growing sense of dread when day turns to night, and having a psychologist on speed dial for dealing with the anxiety of her children.
That anguish, she states, has been further compounded by social media criticising her for releasing a new music video weeks after the event.
“I sometimes read what is said online and it is painful,” she said. “I actually shot the video a long time before all this happened… just because I am moving forward it doesn’t mean that I forgot what happened. This will stay with me for the rest of my life.”
More details are sure to unfold when Al Hashem's legal case restarts.
Al Rou'ya Al Kamila is now streaming on Shahid VIP. For more details go to www.shahid.net
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group H
Manchester United v Young Boys, Tuesday, midnight (UAE)
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
The specs: 2018 Maxus T60
Price, base / as tested: Dh48,000
Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder
Power: 136hp @ 1,600rpm
Torque: 360Nm @ 1,600 rpm
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Fuel consumption, combined: 9.1L / 100km
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
The Baghdad Clock
Shahad Al Rawi, Oneworld
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
About Okadoc
Date started: Okadoc, 2018
Founder/CEO: Fodhil Benturquia
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Healthcare
Size: (employees/revenue) 40 staff; undisclosed revenues recording “double-digit” monthly growth
Funding stage: Series B fundraising round to conclude in February
Investors: Undisclosed
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
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
TV: World Cup Qualifier 2018 matches will be aired on on OSN Sports HD Cricket channel
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Points to remember
- Debate the issue, don't attack the person
- Build the relationship and dialogue by seeking to find common ground
- Express passion for the issue but be aware of when you're losing control or when there's anger. If there is, pause and take some time out.
- Listen actively without interrupting
- Avoid assumptions, seek understanding, ask questions
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Company profile
Date started: Founded in May 2017 and operational since April 2018
Founders: co-founder and chief executive, Doaa Aref; Dr Rasha Rady, co-founder and chief operating officer.
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: Health-tech
Size: 22 employees
Funding: Seed funding
Investors: Flat6labs, 500 Falcons, three angel investors
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Haltia.ai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202023%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECo-founders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Arto%20Bendiken%20and%20Talal%20Thabet%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20AI%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2041%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20About%20%241.7%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Self%2C%20family%20and%20friends%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Revibe%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hamza%20Iraqui%20and%20Abdessamad%20Ben%20Zakour%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Refurbished%20electronics%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410m%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%2C%20Resonance%20and%20various%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company info
Company name: Entrupy
Co-founders: Vidyuth Srinivasan, co-founder/chief executive, Ashlesh Sharma, co-founder/chief technology officer, Lakshmi Subramanian, co-founder/chief scientist
Based: New York, New York
Sector/About: Entrupy is a hardware-enabled SaaS company whose mission is to protect businesses, borders and consumers from transactions involving counterfeit goods.
Initial investment/Investors: Entrupy secured a $2.6m Series A funding round in 2017. The round was led by Tokyo-based Digital Garage and Daiwa Securities Group's jointly established venture arm, DG Lab Fund I Investment Limited Partnership, along with Zach Coelius.
Total customers: Entrupy’s customers include hundreds of secondary resellers, marketplaces and other retail organisations around the world. They are also testing with shipping companies as well as customs agencies to stop fake items from reaching the market in the first place.
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Apple's%20Lockdown%20Mode%20at%20a%20glance
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The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre V6
Power: 295hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 355Nm at 5,200rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
Price: Dh179,999-plus
On sale: now
The five pillars of Islam
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
WWE Super ShowDown results
Seth Rollins beat Baron Corbin to retain his WWE Universal title
Finn Balor defeated Andrade to stay WWE Intercontinental Championship
Shane McMahon defeated Roman Reigns
Lars Sullivan won by disqualification against Lucha House Party
Randy Orton beats Triple H
Braun Strowman beats Bobby Lashley
Kofi Kingston wins against Dolph Zigggler to retain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Mansoor Al Shehail won the 50-man Battle Royal
The Undertaker beat Goldberg
Bharat
Director: Ali Abbas Zafar
Starring: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Sunil Grover
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
DMZ facts
- The DMZ was created as a buffer after the 1950-53 Korean War.
- It runs 248 kilometers across the Korean Peninsula and is 4km wide.
- The zone is jointly overseen by the US-led United Nations Command and North Korea.
- It is littered with an estimated 2 million mines, tank traps, razor wire fences and guard posts.
- Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un met at a building in Panmunjom, where an armistice was signed to stop the Korean War.
- Panmunjom is 52km north of the Korean capital Seoul and 147km south of Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital.
- Former US president Bill Clinton visited Panmunjom in 1993, while Ronald Reagan visited the DMZ in 1983, George W. Bush in 2002 and Barack Obama visited a nearby military camp in 2012.
- Mr Trump planned to visit in November 2017, but heavy fog that prevented his helicopter from landing.
The%20end%20of%20Summer
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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
The specs: 2018 Nissan Altima
Price, base / as tested: Dh78,000 / Dh97,650
Engine: 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder
Power: 182hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 244Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Continuously variable tranmission
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.6L / 100km
