I'm tired – exhausted, physically and mentally. And I know I'm not the only one.
People in Britain have lived in the frightening shadow of far-right race riots that have taken place around the country in recent weeks, spurred by misinformation around the identity of a teenager who stabbed to death three young girls in Southport. The angry mobs suspected him to be a Muslim asylum seeker; he is a Cardiff-born child of Rwandan immigrants. In any case, the result has been a wave of anti-immigrant and anti-asylum seeker violence.
Calling themselves “protesters”, the rioters circulated lists of places to gather. One of those was within walking distance of my home. My husband and I notified our employers we would be working from home, and shut ourselves in, as did so many others. Evening came and no “protesters” showed up. Instead, that day streets across Britain were filled with peaceful counterprotests. But bracing for the worst was nonetheless exhausting.
So many people have said they've felt ill since events happened. They’ve been struggling, feeling like their bodies are unresponsive and their minds unable to focus. I’ve certainly felt a sense of paralysis and brain fog.
Of course, the experience of living through these riots in Britain is not at all comparable to the violent conflicts raging in many other parts of the world. But throughout history, riots and pogroms have served as an entry point into that vortex, and my awareness of that fact was heightened during this unrest.
That is because the riots, the fear, the racism, the Islamophobia, the hate, anger and rage these past few weeks, and even in the months and years preceding them all have a common purpose. The American novelist Toni Morrison says the function of racism is “distraction”: “It keeps you from doing your work. It keeps you explaining, over and over again, your reason for being.“
Britain's race riots are not comparable to violent conflict raging in other parts of the world but such pogroms have served as an entry point into that vortex
These distractions are there to exhaust people, to make us ill, to dehumanise us, to gaslight us into believing that we are the problem. They force us to constantly justify our existence, leaving little time or energy to explore and develop our talents. A self-perpetuating cycle prompted by the bully – the claim of being less, and then the purposeful hurting to take away opportunity. This struggle to defend our right to exist is exhausting, threatening to extinguish the spark within us.
It did not feel safe “out there” in the streets, but today’s social media and rolling news cycle means that it often does not feel safe “in here” either. The assault of the far right is an assault on the whole of society. But the brunt of that assault is being taken by people from minority ethnic groups and Muslims.
To create some sense of safety to express that heaviness, I was a facilitator for two separate “listening circles”, which are also sometimes known as “safe rooms”. People gathered to speak freely among those experiencing the same, to find community and solidarity.
It was hard to listen, even harder not to reach through the screens of the online sessions to hug and comfort, offer solace and wipe away people’s tears – some of which by the end, trying to hold the heaviness in my heart, were my own.
What felt most hopeless to hear was the sense that – in the words of several speakers – “racism will never go away”.
“We were too comfortable,” someone said, “but it was there all the time."
"People have become emboldened,” said another, “and you can see it was only a veneer of civility... It’s always there and once you know that…”
There was also anger at being dehumanised: “I’m raging, distraught." And the roots of the rage lie in the behaviour of the majority and the state over a long period. Britain’s infamous “hostile environment” immigration policy of a decade ago has trickled down. The rioters have inherited these words.
And there are mixed emotions about what to do next. People expressed a desire and commitment to change, but also a deep frustration that even the work of creating change – sometimes called “emotional labour” falls upon those who are already exhausted. And this is compounded by a perception of a lack of support from industry, businesses and political classes, leading to feelings of alienation and frustration.
But in the rage, despair, exhaustion, hopelessness and even resignation there was also fight and determination. "I don’t want to be the ‘angry black woman’,” said one person, “But I’ll be damned if my children have to deal with this in 10 years."
I am tired. And I'm not the only one.
Yet, despite this exhaustion, we feel a responsibility to act, to do something. But how can we when we must also prioritise self-care and self-preservation? The emotional labour required to tackle these issues is immense, often leaving us too drained to advance ourselves personally or professionally.
We are tired. And we are not the only ones. But as long as racism and Islamophobia persist, we will continue to fight, continue to speak out, and continue to hope for a better future.
Match info
Manchester United 0-0 Crystal Palace
Man of the match: Cheikhou Kouyate (Crystal Palace)
A Cat, A Man, and Two Women
Junichiro Tamizaki
Translated by Paul McCarthy
Daunt Books
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Diriyah%20project%20at%20a%20glance
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
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.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
Turning%20waste%20into%20fuel
%3Cp%3EAverage%20amount%20of%20biofuel%20produced%20at%20DIC%20factory%20every%20month%3A%20%3Cstrong%3EApproximately%20106%2C000%20litres%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAmount%20of%20biofuel%20produced%20from%201%20litre%20of%20used%20cooking%20oil%3A%20%3Cstrong%3E920ml%20(92%25)%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ETime%20required%20for%20one%20full%20cycle%20of%20production%20from%20used%20cooking%20oil%20to%20biofuel%3A%20%3Cstrong%3EOne%20day%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EEnergy%20requirements%20for%20one%20cycle%20of%20production%20from%201%2C000%20litres%20of%20used%20cooking%20oil%3A%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%96%AA%20Electricity%20-%201.1904%20units%3Cbr%3E%E2%96%AA%20Water-%2031%20litres%3Cbr%3E%E2%96%AA%20Diesel%20%E2%80%93%2026.275%20litres%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Nancy 9 (Hassa Beek)
Nancy Ajram
(In2Musica)
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
11 cabbie-recommended restaurants and dishes to try in Abu Dhabi
Iqbal Restaurant behind Wendy’s on Hamdan Street for the chicken karahi (Dh14)
Pathemari in Navy Gate for prawn biryani (from Dh12 to Dh35)
Abu Al Nasar near Abu Dhabi Mall, for biryani (from Dh12 to Dh20)
Bonna Annee at Navy Gate for Ethiopian food (the Bonna Annee special costs Dh42 and comes with a mix of six house stews – key wet, minchet abesh, kekel, meser be sega, tibs fir fir and shiro).
Al Habasha in Tanker Mai for Ethiopian food (tibs, a hearty stew with meat, is a popular dish; here it costs Dh36.75 for lamb and beef versions)
Himalayan Restaurant in Mussaffa for Nepalese (the momos and chowmein noodles are best-selling items, and go for between Dh14 and Dh20)
Makalu in Mussaffa for Nepalese (get the chicken curry or chicken fry for Dh11)
Al Shaheen Cafeteria near Guardian Towers for a quick morning bite, especially the egg sandwich in paratha (Dh3.50)
Pinky Food Restaurant in Tanker Mai for tilapia
Tasty Zone for Nepalese-style noodles (Dh15)
Ibrahimi for Pakistani food (a quarter chicken tikka with roti costs Dh16)
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MATCH INFO
BRIGHTON 0
MANCHESTER UNITED 3
McTominay 44'
Mata 73'
Pogba 80'
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Read more from Mina Al-Oraibi
La Mer lowdown
La Mer beach is open from 10am until midnight, daily, and is located in Jumeirah 1, well after Kite Beach. Some restaurants, like Cupagahwa, are open from 8am for breakfast; most others start at noon. At the time of writing, we noticed that signs for Vicolo, an Italian eatery, and Kaftan, a Turkish restaurant, indicated that these two restaurants will be open soon, most likely this month. Parking is available, as well as a Dh100 all-day valet option or a Dh50 valet service if you’re just stopping by for a few hours.
The Little Things
Directed by: John Lee Hancock
Starring: Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, Jared Leto
Four stars
Napoleon
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20Ridley%20Scott%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20Joaquin%20Phoenix%2C%20Vanessa%20Kirby%2C%20Tahar%20Rahim%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%202%2F5%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Ukraine%20exports
%3Cp%3EPresident%20Volodymyr%20Zelenskyy%20has%20overseen%20grain%20being%20loaded%20for%20export%20onto%20a%20Turkish%20ship%20following%20a%20deal%20with%20Russia%20brokered%20by%20the%20UN%20and%20Turkey.%3Cbr%3E%22The%20first%20vessel%2C%20the%20first%20ship%20is%20being%20loaded%20since%20the%20beginning%20of%20the%20war.%20This%20is%20a%20Turkish%20vessel%2C%22%20Zelensky%20said%2C%20adding%20exports%20could%20start%20in%20%22the%20coming%20days%22%20under%20the%20plan%20aimed%20at%20getting%20millions%20of%20tonnes%20of%20Ukrainian%20grain%20stranded%20by%20Russia's%20naval%20blockade%20to%20world%20markets.%3Cbr%3E%22Our%20side%20is%20fully%20prepared%2C%22%20he%20said.%20%22We%20sent%20all%20the%20signals%20to%20our%20partners%20--%20the%20UN%20and%20Turkey%2C%20and%20our%20military%20guarantees%20the%20security%20situation.%22%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Courses%20at%20Istituto%20Marangoni%2C%20Dubai
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Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
The%20stats%20and%20facts
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