Diplomats in Iraq are insisting that perpetrators of targeted killings of activists and journalists are brought to justice, as concerns mount over the frequency of attacks.
Widespread anger has gripped the country following the brutal killing of activist Ihab Al Wazni on Sunday morning in the southern holy city of Karbala and the attempted assassination of reporter Ahmed Hassan on Monday.
The attacks were less than 24 hours apart.
“Impunity for the killing of activists since October 2019 has only led to more deaths,” the British ambassador to Iraq, Stephen Hickey, said.
“There is an urgent need for concrete measures to hold perpetrators accountable and protect Iraqi citizens as they prepare for elections in October,” Mr Hickey said.
Since the start of the protest movement in October 2019 dozens of activists, journalists and members of civil society groups have been assassinated, kidnapped and threatened.
The movement calls for more employment opportunities, better public services and an end to corruption.
The government has been under pressure to find and punish the killers of activists calling for reforms, but little has been done.
“Insisting on accountability for murders like that of Ihab Al Wazni is not a hollow call,” said Martin Huth, the European Union’s ambassador to Iraq.
“Killers challenge the state, threaten and bully Iraqi society, and sabotage the political course of the entire country,” Mr Huth said.
Al Wazni was known as the “hero of Karbala” where he was well known in the protest movement, even as Iran-backed militia groups grew in strength and continued to murder activists.
He was shot dead near his home by men on motorbikes using a gun equipped with a silencer. The act was caught on surveillance cameras.
His death has sparked outrage at the lack of action taken by authorities to protect civilians and provide them with basic public services.
Al Wazni escaped death in December 2019, when men on motorbikes used silenced weapons to kill fellow activist Fahem Al Tai as he was dropping him home in Karbala.
The attack occurred only two months after the start of the protests. Many activists on social media blamed Iran-backed militias for his killing.
In reaction to his death, protests broke out in Karbala, Nassiriya and Diwaniya in southern Iraq, as people called for an end to the bloodshed and to rampant corruption.
Protesters blocked roads and bridges with burning tires and set fire to trailers belonging to Iran’s consulate in Karbala.
Hours after Al Wazni’s death, reporter Ahmed Hassan was put in intensive care after receiving "two bullets in the head and one in the shoulder," doctors told local news outlets.
Witnesses said that Mr Hassan "was targeted as he got out of his car to go home," in Diwaniya in the south of the country.
The protest movement has been directed at the post 2003 political system and an elite class that Iraqis accuse of pillaging Iraq’s wealth while the country grows poorer.
But protesters have also directed their rage at neighboring Iran and the powerful Iraqi Shiite militias tied to it, many of whom also have close ties to Iraqi political parties.
Protesters were met with overwhelming force in October 2019 and the ensuing months, which resulted in the death of at least 550 people and injuries of thousands more.
Since then, violence on the streets has declined but militias have opted for a strategy of killing of protest movement leaders.
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
EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
if you go
The flights
Air France offer flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi to Cayenne, connecting in Paris from Dh7,300.
The tour
Cox & Kings (coxandkings.com) has a 14-night Hidden Guianas tour of Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. It includes accommodation, domestic flights, transfers, a local tour manager and guided sightseeing. Contact for price.
Teaching in coronavirus times
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
What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
UAE tour of the Netherlands
UAE squad: Rohan Mustafa (captain), Shaiman Anwar, Ghulam Shabber, Mohammed Qasim, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Chirag Suri, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Mohammed Naveed, Amjad Javed, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Fixtures: Monday, first 50-over match; Wednesday, second 50-over match; Thursday, third 50-over match
Normcore explained
Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Read more about the coronavirus
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The five pillars of Islam
The five pillars of Islam
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
The five stages of early child’s play
From Dubai-based clinical psychologist Daniella Salazar:
1. Solitary Play: This is where Infants and toddlers start to play on their own without seeming to notice the people around them. This is the beginning of play.
2. Onlooker play: This occurs where the toddler enjoys watching other people play. There doesn’t necessarily need to be any effort to begin play. They are learning how to imitate behaviours from others. This type of play may also appear in children who are more shy and introverted.
3. Parallel Play: This generally starts when children begin playing side-by-side without any interaction. Even though they aren’t physically interacting they are paying attention to each other. This is the beginning of the desire to be with other children.
4. Associative Play: At around age four or five, children become more interested in each other than in toys and begin to interact more. In this stage children start asking questions and talking about the different activities they are engaging in. They realise they have similar goals in play such as building a tower or playing with cars.
5. Social Play: In this stage children are starting to socialise more. They begin to share ideas and follow certain rules in a game. They slowly learn the definition of teamwork. They get to engage in basic social skills and interests begin to lead social interactions.
