Pope Francis's visit to Iraq this week will encourage Christians to stay in the country and remind the public of the multi-religious country they once lived in, members of the diaspora faith told The National.
For nearly 2,000 years Christians have inhabited what is modern day Iraq, their roots can be traced back to ancient Mesopotamia, the “cradle of civilisation”.
The Pope is set to visit historic religious sites across the country which are vital to understanding the antecedents of the Christian faith.
"It is a message to all Christians in Iraq to encourage them to stay in the land in which their ancestors first took root," said Yasmin Philip, an Iraqi Christian from London.
The Pope will carry a message saying that “Iraq must not be empty of Christians as they were the first religion on this land,” she added.
Followers of the ancient religion have faced severe persecution during the last decade especially after ISIS swept into Mosul and surrounding sites in 2014, forcing hundreds of thousands to flee the city after the militants threatened to kill them unless they converted to Islam or paid a 'protection tax'.
Although there are no official figures of how many Christians remain in Iraq, the Chaldean Catholic Patriarch Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako estimated that 1 million Christians have left Iraq since 2003 and about 400,000 remain.
Many Iraqi Christians abroad hope the Pope’s visit will push some to return home.
"The visit gives Iraqi Christians strength and belief in their country," Ashoor Bakoos, an Iraqi Christian living in London, told The National.
Mr Bakoos, 39, who left Iraq in 1991, said the Pontiff’s visit is not only for the benefit of Christians “but for uniting the country to say that we are all one.”
"My father has met Pope Francis and the previous one and both have strong beliefs on having unity in the world, not just with one race or religion- this what they want," he said.
Pope Francis’ visit will be his first foreign trip abroad since the start of the coronavirus pandemic and the first papal trip to Iraq.
He is expected to arrive in Baghdad on March 5 with a four-day, six-city visit that will take him to historic sites around the country.
The visit shows Pope Francis’ intentions towards Iraq, that Christians still have an existence, especially that followers of the faith were “extracted from their roots”, Sawsan Naamo, an Iraqi Christian living in the UK, said.
It also presents an opportunity to show that there are no differences between Iraq’s multicultural, multi-religious groups, Mrs Naamo said.
“In the past we never felt there was a difference between the Christians and Muslims in Iraq, there was nothing of this sort,” said Ms Naamo, who left Iraq nearly 30 years ago.
“I went to a Christian school and my some of my classmates, the Muslim girls, used to come with us to the Chapel and pray. There was no difference at all,” she said.
Ms Philip, who lived in Baghdad until the early 1990s, said she experienced no discrimination and felt she was an equal to other Iraqis from different faiths.
“No-one knew what religion their neighbour was,” she said.
Ms Philip, who is a patient pathway co-ordinator at London's Kingston Hospital, said she feels members of her faith group across the world and those who are in Iraq finally have some support.
“The Pope visiting Iraq is huge, even though I will not be there, I felt emotional and teary, and felt that I have support from him,” she said.
Christians have been an easy target for terrorists, she said, adding that it is one of the main reasons why the Pope is going to Iraq next week.
Although Lina Evan, 42 year-old housewife living in San Diego, is sceptical that the visit will change much for Christians who are still living in Iraq.
“Whenever we hear of new developments or are promised that changes will occur, nothing happens,” she said.
Ms Evan said the Pope’s visit is a “good move” especially that not many Christians are left in the country.
“It gives some hope that someone as senior as the Pope can go to Iraq and show followers that they are not alone."
"All we have is hope” she said.
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
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Your rights as an employee
The government has taken an increasingly tough line against companies that fail to pay employees on time. Three years ago, the Cabinet passed a decree allowing the government to halt the granting of work permits to companies with wage backlogs.
The new measures passed by the Cabinet in 2016 were an update to the Wage Protection System, which is in place to track whether a company pays its employees on time or not.
If wages are 10 days late, the new measures kick in and the company is alerted it is in breach of labour rules. If wages remain unpaid for a total of 16 days, the authorities can cancel work permits, effectively shutting off operations. Fines of up to Dh5,000 per unpaid employee follow after 60 days.
Despite those measures, late payments remain an issue, particularly in the construction sector. Smaller contractors, such as electrical, plumbing and fit-out businesses, often blame the bigger companies that hire them for wages being late.
The authorities have urged employees to report their companies at the labour ministry or Tawafuq service centres — there are 15 in Abu Dhabi.
List of officials:
Referees: Chris Broad, David Boon, Jeff Crowe, Andy Pycroft, Ranjan Madugalle and Richie Richardson.
Umpires: Aleem Dar, Kumara Dharmasena, Marais Erasmus, Chris Gaffaney, Ian Gould, Richard Illingworth, Richard Kettleborough, Nigel Llong, Bruce Oxenford, Ruchira Palliyaguruge, Sundaram Ravi, Paul Reiffel, Rod Tucker, Michael Gough, Joel Wilson and Paul Wilson.
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116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
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- Flexible payment plans from developers
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- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
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'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
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Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
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Energy density figures are often quoted as calories per serving, with one gram of fat in food containing nine calories, and a gram of protein or carbohydrate providing about four.
Alcohol contains about seven calories a gram.
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
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Dos
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- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
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- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
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If you go
The flights
The closest international airport for those travelling from the UAE is Denver, Colorado. British Airways (www.ba.com) flies from the UAE via London from Dh3,700 return, including taxes. From there, transfers can be arranged to the ranch or it’s a seven-hour drive. Alternatively, take an internal flight to the counties of Cody, Casper, or Billings
The stay
Red Reflet offers a series of packages, with prices varying depending on season. All meals and activities are included, with prices starting from US$2,218 (Dh7,150) per person for a minimum stay of three nights, including taxes. For more information, visit red-reflet-ranch.net.
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Series: UAE lead 1-0
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The UAE is India’s third-largest trade partner after the US and China
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Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
