“I will bring you crashing down from the summit of the sky, like a lion I will throw you down to the lowest depths. I will not leave a single person alive in your country, I will turn your city, lands and empire into flames.”
So vowed Hulagu Khan in September 1257 in a letter to Baghdad’s caliph, Al Mustasim, warning him what would happen if he refused to accept Mongol authority.
By the following February, the population of Baghdad found itself under a terrifying bombardment of rocks, palm trunks and flaming naphtha, as Hulagu Khan’s army attacked the defences of the capital of the once omnipotent Abbasid empire.
Baghdad was “filled with thunder and lightning … besieged and terrorised for 50 days”, according to accounts relayed by historian Justin Marozzi in his book Baghdad: City of Peace, City of Blood – A History in Thirteen Centuries.
We are left only with what our imaginations can provide, and we will never know what it truly looked like; the sight of burnt corpses, children lying pale and dead in the rubble of homes, and livelihoods brought to ruin by the Mongol horde.
With the distance provided by nearly a millennium, we can of course now observe the tragedy that befell Baghdad with a cold analytical eye, and perhaps even with some bemusement, as we read the colourful reports of the epic destruction of a civilisation.
In bitter contrast, conflicts today have an immediacy that leaves an indelible mark on our psyche, thanks to the proliferation of mass communication. Since the Vietnam War, unfiltered images of the horrors of warfare have been made available, first on the television sets in our household and now through the devices we carry in the palms of our hands.
When we are counselled to simply look away, know that it is easier said than done
During the Gulf War of 1991, when CNN’s pioneering round-the-clock cable news coverage gave us POVs of “smart bombs” – in reality, they still killed in an indiscriminately ugly manner on the ground – there was a hubristic and ignorant celebration by some observers over how the media could now bring us closer to the action.
There was an erroneous belief that by doing this, war could be rendered more humane. It will never be so. In fact, since the fall of Baghdad in 1258, war has only become more terrible. We will never be able to bear it except inhumanely, whatever the reasons for waging one.
It is time, then, we finally realise that human beings are also not mentally equipped to watch a war unfold in real time, wherever it may be, whether in Ukraine or Gaza.
Their battlefields currently offer a living history that we are seeing up close. The devastation of Gaza, in particular, is being shown in excruciating detail on social media, as the bodies of Palestinians mount up in mass graves and a city is levelled. The suffering is plain to see and almost beyond words.
And when we are counselled to simply look away, know that is easier said than done.
It can feel like a betrayal, an abandonment of our fellow human beings. When we have so much to be grateful for, how can we ignore the suffering of the innocent, most of whom are children, just like our own? What would that make any of us as people, as a society? Wherever we are in the world, what meaning would anything we accomplish have, if we do not at least offer to act as witnesses to this horror? It is the least we can do.
So it is, then, that in the digital age, when a country or government wages war on an enemy, by extension it also wages a psychological war on its own population.
There is data to support this.
For example, research following the 2014 conflict in Gaza found among those in the Israeli population who followed the war unfold on television, there were reports of greater anxiety including “uncontrolled fear, physiological hyperarousal, sleeping difficulties, and fearful thoughts”.
“A regression model revealed that viewers watching the constant newscasts more than usual are 1.6 times more likely to report at least one anxiety symptom compared to those watching at the same frequency or less,” the researchers said.
Note well how the innocent Palestinian civilians on the battlefield in Gaza, who are attempting to flee the carnage, have been at times unable to respond to their instinct to run as their routes out are blocked by the Israeli military’s siege. We shout that this is wrong. A crime.
And for those of us raging as we helplessly watch videos of their plight, we must also acknowledge our own instinct to turn and run. It burns in our minds. Yet the clarion call “Don’t look away. We cannot look away” is also there.
Our inner turmoil is affecting each of us in some way.
In the short term, the result of this phenomenon is that, what many might have considered a regional war, is having an impact all over the globe.
There are protests and counter-protests being held over what people are witnessing in Gaza and Israel. Politicians and celebrities are choosing sides in response. Crisis diplomacy is in full swing. Boycott campaigns are targeting the biggest brands and businesses.
In the longer term, the impact on our emotional health, and in many cases, our broader mental health – in addition to the unforgivable price being paid by those on the actual battlefield – means that any conflict will, for those watching, be both at once a new world war and a deeply personal one.
'Gold'
Director:Anthony Hayes
Stars:Zaf Efron, Anthony Hayes
Rating:3/5
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
Directed by: Craig Gillespie
Starring: Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Joel Fry
4/5
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Lampedusa: Gateway to Europe
Pietro Bartolo and Lidia Tilotta
Quercus
Austrian Grand Prix race timings
Weekend schedule for Austrian Grand Prix - all timings UAE
Friday
Noon-1.30pm First practice
4-5.30pm Second practice
Saturday
1-2pm Final practice
4pm Qualifying
Sunday
4pm Austrian Grand Prix (71 laps)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MEYDAN CARD
6.30pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 Group One (PA) US$65,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm Handicap (TB) $175,000 (Turf) 1,200m
7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas Trial Conditions (TB) $100,000 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm Singspiel Stakes Group Two (TB) $250,000 (T) 1,800m
8.50pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
9.25pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 Group Two (TB) $350,000 (D) 1,600m
10pm Dubai Trophy Conditions (TB) $100,000 (T) 1,200m
10.35pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
The National selections:
6.30pm AF Alwajel
7.05pm Ekhtiyaar
7.40pm First View
8.15pm Benbatl
8.50pm Zakouski
9.25pm: Kimbear
10pm: Chasing Dreams
10.35pm: Good Fortune
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
Company%20profile
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SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.5-litre%204-cylinder%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20101hp%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20135Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20Six-speed%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh79%2C900%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Profile Box
Company/date started: 2015
Founder/CEO: Mohammed Toraif
Based: Manama, Bahrain
Sector: Sales, Technology, Conservation
Size: (employees/revenue) 4/ 5,000 downloads
Stage: 1 ($100,000)
Investors: Two first-round investors including, 500 Startups, Fawaz Al Gosaibi Holding (Saudi Arabia)
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
SPECS
Nissan 370z Nismo
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 363hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh184,500
The%C2%A0specs%20
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
match info
Union Berlin 0
Bayern Munich 1 (Lewandowski 40' pen, Pavard 80')
Man of the Match: Benjamin Pavard (Bayern Munich)
Tuesday's fixtures
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
AIDA%20RETURNS
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The nine articles of the 50-Year Charter
1. Dubai silk road
2. A geo-economic map for Dubai
3. First virtual commercial city
4. A central education file for every citizen
5. A doctor to every citizen
6. Free economic and creative zones in universities
7. Self-sufficiency in Dubai homes
8. Co-operative companies in various sectors
9: Annual growth in philanthropy
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."
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