There is something special about the fact that Rishi Sunak is the UK’s first Asian, as well as first Hindu, prime minister. It says something about the UK. But there is plenty it does not say, and a lot of wishful thinking seems to abound over his appointment. We have to be careful about reading too much into it, both positively and negatively.
Firstly, the UK is not the first western European country to have a prime minister with Indian heritage. The UK’s western neighbour, Ireland, had one from 2017 to 2020 in Leo Varadkar, and who will be PM in a few weeks in the planned power sharing rotation. When that happened in Ireland, however, it was not lauded particularly as a massive milestone. Irish society might have had their first mixed race prime minister, but it seemed to be an ordinary event. Race didn’t come up particularly, and to this day, even while Mr Varadkar has his critics in Irish politics, race does not seem to have ever come up.
Indeed, when Mr Varadkar pushed an actively anti-racist platform on several issues, such as removing statues of slave owners, or expressing support for the Black Lives Movement in the US, it didn’t really turn heads in Irish society.
There are those that want to imagine that the UK has got to this point – that Mr Sunak’s race and minority religious status as a practicing Hindu, is simply irrelevant for the British public. Hence his being elected as the new leader of the Conservative Party, and thus prime minister, was extraordinary in its ordinariness.
There are others who go in the other direction, which we saw on the Daily Show, a popular American comedy-news show, where it was claimed there was a massive "backlash" against Mr Sunak’s becoming Britain’s prime minister, due to his Indian origins. The host, Trevor Noah, defended his comments, insisting that he wasn’t making a generalised characterisation of British society writ large, but was talking about only "some" people.
Noah was wrong – but also right. He was very wrong in saying there was a backlash against Mr Sunak due to his Indian origins – his belonging to the UK seemed barely to come up as an issue, even at the height of campaigning. The closest one could say it came up as a point of contention was related to taxation issues, as Akshata Murty, Mr Sunak’s wife, claimed to be "non-domiciled" in the UK for tax purposes.
And even then, his own Indian origins were not seen as controversial. Quite rightly so – and quite unlike when former US president, Barack Obama, was elected in 2008. Then, his mixed race and Black heritage served as a lightning rod for right-wing and far-right wing opponents to question his fitness for the presidency. No doubt, there is a temptation to see Mr Sunak as somehow a British version of Mr Obama – but Mr Sunak likely did not have to overcome huge anti-Indian racism in the UK to gain his position, in remotely the same way that Mr Obama had to overcome anti-Black racism in the US.
But that does not mean the UK actually does not have a problem with racism, or indeed with minority religious groupings. Mr Sunak has Indian origins, true – but Mr Sunak is also incredibly wealthy, and in the context of the UK, class often overcomes and displaces race.
Moreover, historically, the biggest target of racism and bigotry in the Indian British community is aimed at a different demographic – the Muslim community, and especially those who are visibly and publicly Muslim. This is why the former chairperson of the Conservative Party, Sayeeda Warsi, has been raising the alarm around anti-Muslim bigotry in the UK in general, and inside the Conservative Party in particular, for many years now.
Far beyond the party, there have been numerous critiques of how the Conservative Party simply does not take anti-Muslim bigotry seriously enough, which has meant reports of rampant Islamophobia within the party.
Despite three years of promises, the current government failed to even define Islamophobia, an essential task if the government were to recognise the importance of tackling anti-Muslim bigotry and hate crimes against Muslims.
In May of next year, the coronation of the UK's new monarch, King Charles III, is expected to take place. It will be a striking affair – the coronation of the head of the Christian Anglican Communion, against the backdrop of a Hindu Prime Minister, in a city with a (Labour) Muslim Mayor. The coronation will have multi-faith representation, as is befitting of this king in particular, who has expressed a great deal of respect for the multitude of Britain’s faiths. The UK has much to be grateful for in terms of how far it has come in this regard, but we also should not fool ourselves into thinking we’ve come further than we have.
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
Why are you, you?
Why are you, you?
From this question, a new beginning.
From this question, a new destiny.
For you are a world, and a meeting of worlds.
Our dream is to unite that which has been
separated by history.
To return the many to the one.
A great story unites us all,
beyond colour and creed and gender.
The lightning flash of art
And the music of the heart.
We reflect all cultures, all ways.
We are a twenty first century wonder.
Universal ideals, visions of art and truth.
Now is the turning point of cultures and hopes.
Come with questions, leave with visions.
We are the link between the past and the future.
Here, through art, new possibilities are born. And
new answers are given wings.
Why are you, you?
Because we are mirrors of each other.
Because together we create new worlds.
Together we are more powerful than we know.
We connect, we inspire, we multiply illuminations
with the unique light of art.
Ben Okri,
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Earth under attack: Cosmic impacts throughout history
- 4.5 billion years ago: Mars-sized object smashes into the newly-formed Earth, creating debris that coalesces to form the Moon
- 66 million years ago: 10km-wide asteroid crashes into the Gulf of Mexico, wiping out over 70 per cent of living species – including the dinosaurs.
- 50,000 years ago: 50m-wide iron meteor crashes in Arizona with the violence of 10 megatonne hydrogen bomb, creating the famous 1.2km-wide Barringer Crater
- 1490: Meteor storm over Shansi Province, north-east China when large stones “fell like rain”, reportedly leading to thousands of deaths.
- 1908: 100-metre meteor from the Taurid Complex explodes near the Tunguska river in Siberia with the force of 1,000 Hiroshima-type bombs, devastating 2,000 square kilometres of forest.
- 1998: Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 breaks apart and crashes into Jupiter in series of impacts that would have annihilated life on Earth.
-2013: 10,000-tonne meteor burns up over the southern Urals region of Russia, releasing a pressure blast and flash that left over 1600 people injured.
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
Barbie
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MOST%20POLLUTED%20COUNTRIES%20IN%20THE%20WORLD
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Common OCD symptoms and how they manifest
Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.
Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.
Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.
Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.
Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.
Source: Dr Robert Chandler, clinical psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
Stage results
1. Julian Alaphilippe (FRA) Deceuninck-QuickStep 4:39:05
2. Michael Matthews (AUS) Team BikeExchange 0:00:08
3. Primoz Roglic (SLV) Jumbo-Visma same time
4. Jack Haig (AUS) Bahrain Victorious s.t
5. Wilco Kelderman (NED) Bora-Hansgrohe s.t
6. Tadej Pogacar (SLV) UAE Team Emirates s.t
7. David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ s.t
8. Sergio Higuita Garcia (COL) EF Education-Nippo s.t
9. Bauke Mollema (NED) Trek-Segafredo s.t
10. Geraint Thomas (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers s.t
More from Aya Iskandarani
HOW TO WATCH
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
Ipaf in numbers
Established: 2008
Prize money: $50,000 (Dh183,650) for winners and $10,000 for those on the shortlist.
Winning novels: 13
Shortlisted novels: 66
Longlisted novels: 111
Total number of novels submitted: 1,780
Novels translated internationally: 66
