Early in the morning on May 28, Fusako Shigenobu – at one time, the most wanted Japanese woman in the world – was released from prison in Tokyo after serving more than 20 years for her activities as leader of the far-left Japanese Red Army (JRA). Now, 76 and in poor health, Shigenobu was met by her supporters and daughter outside, where she gave a short statement to the media.
Her release was widely reported domestically and internationally, just as the JRA’s hijackings and embassy seizures in the name of the Palestinian cause received sensational media coverage in the 1970s.
But who really is Fusako Shigenobu? A vicious former terrorist now defeated and disgraced, or a committed activist who employed divisive means for achieving particular goals?
We are confronted by two versions of her: the prevalent public image, supported by the mainstream media and government and police accounts, of Shigenobu as a dangerous radical, a femme fatale who lured men over from Japan to the Middle East to take part in missions; and another image of her as a leftist icon, a passionate activist who took up arms to make a contribution to the Palestinian struggle.
Neither narrative is fully accurate.
Shigenobu was not “the empress of terror”, as she is frequently described, nor did she participate directly in missions as a female fighter in the same way that, for instance, her Palestinian contemporary Leila Khaled did. Despite common misconceptions (repeated in media coverage of her release), Shigenobu was almost certainly not personally involved in the 1972 attack at Lod Airport (now Ben Gurion Airport), which was planned entirely by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).
That infamous operation was carried out by three Japanese men and left 28 dead, including two of the perpetrators. Most of the victims were Christian pilgrims from Puerto Rico of American nationality. At the time, the deaths were met with horror and shock by the world, which struggled to understand why Japanese leftists were attacking Israel. Though the authorities described it as an indiscriminate massacre, the JRA claimed the civilians were killed in the crossfire.
Yes, Shigenobu was nominally married to one of the attackers, but this was a ruse so that she could leave Japan with a different name. Shigenobu arrived in Lebanon in 1971 with the aim of volunteering for the Palestinian cause, and started working for the PFLP’s English-language newspaper with the author Ghassan Kanafani. The Lod operation was handled by the PFLP wholly separately from Shigenobu and before the JRA even formally existed (though the latter retroactively claimed credit for the incident).
Shigenobu was not 'the empress of terror', as she is frequently described
Later, Shigenobu did indeed organise the other Japanese activists in the Middle East into the JRA and the group carried out several operations with the PFLP or independently.
The hijackings and embassy seizures that sparked so many headlines in the 1970s were arguably more pragmatic than ideological: the JRA’s operations were preceded by the arrests of its comrades, and the goal, according to the hijackers’ stated demands, was to secure their release.
The JRA essentially went off the radar after its final hijacking in 1977, which successfully netted the release of several more peers. After this point, despite rumours of involvement with other terrorist incidents, the JRA never publicly claimed credit for any further operations, and its members were rather occupied with humanitarian and grassroots activism (and with surviving the Lebanese Civil War). Though often regarded as a beautiful woman living a mysterious fugitive life in the Middle East, the truth about Shigenobu’s existence was probably more mundane.
It was not until after Shigenobu’s arrest in 2000 and she had formally disbanded the JRA in 2001 that many details about its activities began to emerge.
What, then, is the real legacy of Shigenobu? Not revolution, which never materialised from the JRA’s actions (or any part of the New Left movement in Japan). Not violence, which has been roundly rejected by the Japanese public as a means of achieving political change.
No, her most lasting contribution is arguably one far less exciting or glamorous, for some, than the image of a female leader of a terrorist organisation would have us believe. It is as someone who dedicated herself to supporting what was for many a neglected cause. In 1970, much of the world was rightly focused on the suffering of the Vietnamese, but Shigenobu became drawn to the Palestinians. This interest would inspire her to leave activism in Japan behind to pursue something more ambitious.
The JRA’s hijackings certainly succeeded in raising awareness about Palestine, but at the cost of innocent people and notoriety that overshadowed its other efforts. The pen may ultimately be mightier than the Kalashnikov: Shigenobu has published numerous articles and books since the 1970s to the present that provide insights into her mindset and, perhaps more importantly, have helped share information in Japanese about the Palestinians, whose plight still receives relatively little attention from the mainstream media in Japan.
The invasion of Ukraine by Russia has triggered an outpouring of support from countries across the world, including Japan, which even loosened its strict policy on refugees to allow in fleeing Ukrainians. But while the world media understandably concentrates its attention on the horrors in Ukraine, other peoples also continue to suffer, from the Kurds to the Rohingya, Uyghurs, and Palestinians. She will be remembered by many as someone who was willing to travel to a distant region of the globe and commit herself to a difficult and dangerous life campaigning on behalf of the downtrodden and forgotten.
As Shigenobu’s daughter, May, recently wrote: “I experienced first-hand the love and dedication [my mother] had not just for me, but for all people and especially those who are oppressed...She taught me not only to be kind, or that all discrimination is unjust, but that we must work to end such injustices.”
The more militant methods Shigenobu used were unjustifiable even by her own admission, as she was honest about recognising her past errors, even if she still believed the cause to be right. During her trial, she apologised for adopting means that caused harm, such as taking hostages. Following her release, she was similarly penitent, expressing remorse “for harming innocent people by prioritising our fight”. Here, then, is another legacy: a rare willingness in radical politics to admit a mistake. Looking to the future, Shigenobu said she next wants “to study”. True revolution begins with learning.
World Cup warm up matches
May 24 Pakistan v Afghanistan, Bristol; Sri Lanka v South Africa, Cardiff
May 25 England v Australia, Southampton; India v New Zealand, The Oval
May 26 South Africa v West Indies, Bristol; Pakistan v Bangladesh, Cardiff
May 27 Australia v Sri Lanka, Southampton; England v Afghanistan, The Oval
May 28 West Indies v New Zealand, Bristol; Bangladesh v India, Cardiff
Profile of Foodics
Founders: Ahmad AlZaini and Mosab AlOthmani
Based: Riyadh
Sector: Software
Employees: 150
Amount raised: $8m through seed and Series A - Series B raise ongoing
Funders: Raed Advanced Investment Co, Al-Riyadh Al Walid Investment Co, 500 Falcons, SWM Investment, AlShoaibah SPV, Faith Capital, Technology Investments Co, Savour Holding, Future Resources, Derayah Custody Co.
MATCH INFO
Chelsea 1 (Hudson-Odoi 90 1')
Manchester City 3 (Gundogan 18', Foden 21', De Bruyne 34')
Man of the match: Ilkay Gundogan (Man City)
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
Tips for taking the metro
- set out well ahead of time
- make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines
- enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on
- don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers
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What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
- 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
- 2nd Test India won by innings and 53 runs at Colombo
- 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Power: 272hp at 6,400rpm
Torque: 331Nm from 5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.7L/100km
On sale: now
Price: Dh149,000
OPENING FIXTURES
Saturday September 12
Crystal Palace v Southampton
Fulham v Arsenal
Liverpool v Leeds United
Tottenham v Everton
West Brom v Leicester
West Ham v Newcastle
Monday September 14
Brighton v Chelsea
Sheffield United v Wolves
To be rescheduled
Burnley v Manchester United
Manchester City v Aston Villa
MATCH INFO
Alaves 1 (Perez 65' pen)
Real Madrid 2 (Ramos 52', Carvajal 69')
RESULTS
Argentina 4 Haiti 0
Peru 2 Scotland 0
Panama 0 Northern Ireland 0
How to register as a donor
1) Organ donors can register on the Hayat app, run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention
2) There are about 11,000 patients in the country in need of organ transplants
3) People must be over 21. Emiratis and residents can register.
4) The campaign uses the hashtag #donate_hope
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
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Keep it fun and engaging
Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.
“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.
His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.
He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.
Tips for entertaining with ease
· Set the table the night before. It’s a small job but it will make you feel more organised once done.
· As the host, your mood sets the tone. If people arrive to find you red-faced and harried, they’re not going to relax until you do. Take a deep breath and try to exude calm energy.
· Guests tend to turn up thirsty. Fill a big jug with iced water and lemon or lime slices and encourage people to help themselves.
· Have some background music on to help create a bit of ambience and fill any initial lulls in conversations.
· The meal certainly doesn’t need to be ready the moment your guests step through the door, but if there’s a nibble or two that can be passed around it will ward off hunger pangs and buy you a bit more time in the kitchen.
· You absolutely don’t have to make every element of the brunch from scratch. Take inspiration from our ideas for ready-made extras and by all means pick up a store-bought dessert.
Astroworld
Travis Scott
Grand Hustle/Epic/Cactus Jack
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Super 30
Produced: Sajid Nadiadwala and Phantom Productions
Directed: Vikas Bahl
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Pankaj Tripathi, Aditya Srivastav, Mrinal Thakur
Rating: 3.5 /5
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Brief scores:
Southampton 2
Armstrong 13', Soares 20'
Manchester United 2
Lukaku 33', Herrera 39'
The Lowdown
Kesari
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
Produced by: Dharma Productions, Azure Entertainment
Directed by: Anubhav Singh
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Parineeti Chopra
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
PROFILE OF STARZPLAY
Date started: 2014
Founders: Maaz Sheikh, Danny Bates
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment/Streaming Video On Demand
Number of employees: 125
Investors/Investment amount: $125 million. Major investors include Starz/Lionsgate, State Street, SEQ and Delta Partners
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
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