June 14 marks a day painfully etched in the memories of our community, and a haunting reminder to the rest of the world about the collective failures that led to one of the biggest calamities in British peacetime. Two years ago to the day, 72 people, including 18 children, died in the fire that consumed Grenfell Tower in North Kensington, London, within minutes. Many have since written about the tragedy that befell Grenfell; numerous stories have been told and much ink and paper spent on covering the aftermath. But the only story that can be told is by those who are living through the fallout, day after day. They, and the generations that follow, are the ones who will be impacted for years to come.
Two years on, anger, frustration and disappointment run high among the bereaved and survivors of the devastating fire, primarily because of a lack of action and the snail's pace of implementing basic recommendations to prevent a similar tragedy happening again. At the heart of it lies deep contempt, its fracture lines of class and poverty laid bare in Britain's richest borough. As Nigel de Noronba wrote in his book After Grenfell, Violence, Resistance and Response, it "reflects a return to the open hostility that the British ruling class have felt towards the working class and colonial subjects they ruled over".
North Kensington has the highest level of deprivation in London, yet sits alongside central and South Kensington, where royals and oligarchs rub shoulders in some of the most expensive homes in Britain. The disparity is clear not just in wealth but in a 15-year gap in life expectancy. Yet North Kensington is home to a vibrant and ethnically, culturally and linguistically diverse community. Its population includes a large number of Moroccans as well as communities from the Caribbean, Portugal, Somalia and Spain. Most of those who died in Grenfell Tower had only been in the UK since 1990. A total of 80 per cent of the victims were Muslims; nearly one in seven were Moroccan. Other victims were Lebanese, Egyptian, Sudanese, Iraqi, Afghan, Syrian, Iranian, Spanish, Italian, Ghanaian and Eritrean.
That was reflected in the names and backgrounds of those who died in the blaze. Take Mohammed Al Haj Ali, a 23-year-old civil engineering student who had escaped the war in Syria, only to die when trying to escape his 14th floor flat. Or Fethia and Hania Hassan, aged four and three respectively, two bright little sisters who died along with their mother, Rania Ibrahim. Or Rabeya Begum, a loving mother who lost her life, along with her husband and three of her children. Or Moroccan university porter Abdulaziz El Wahabi, whose wife and three children were also killed.
Grenfell has left an indelible stain, not just on the North Kensington landscape but on London’s reputation as a global city with its arms open to the world. The scars of a collective trauma have not yet healed.
As we reach the two-year mark, few answers have been forthcoming and there has been no real change, despite numerous conversations and meetings with the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) local authority and the government, including the office of British Prime Minister Theresa May, Nick Hurd, the minister for policing and the fire service, and London mayor Sadiq Khan. The first phase of an independent inquiry into the circumstances leading up to the fire on June 14, 2017, has concluded but its report has yet to be made available. A second phase of the inquiry is not due to begin until next year.
It must be acknowledged that this event did not happen in a vacuum. Despite many warnings by the tower's residents about fire and building safety, the Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation responsible for the building chose to ignore them. Residents were not consulted on the refurbishment of the tower with highly flammable cladding but were silenced and intimidated. That refurbishment, carried out by the authority and the tenant management organisation, effectively turned Grenfell into a death trap. Fire safety policies were out of date. The tenants were treated with disdain, looked down on and treated unfairly for years. That appalling mistreatment continued even in the aftermath of the fire.
The one positive outcome has been the strengthening of community spirit of people living in North Kensington and the wider support that Justice4Grenfell receives from all sections of society, both in Britain and elsewhere
The real lifeline in this tragedy came from volunteers, local organisations and mosques that provided support to those affected. As far as the authorities are concerned, the community was failed horribly before, during, and after the fire.
The major issue has been housing for families who lost their homes and possessions. This situation has not been helped by promises made and broken.
The first promise that was shattered was Mrs May’s pledge that all survivors would be rehoused within three weeks. Two years on, 16 families are still waiting in limbo. Earlier this week Kim Taylor Smith, the deputy leader of RBKC responsible for rehousing Grenfell residents, wrote: “We got the Grenfell housing process wrong and it’s time to apologise to survivors.” This apology will not help those who are still homeless, nor will it lessen the suffering and pain they have been subjected to. There are daily calls for help from families who have yet to be rehoused; some have even contemplated suicide.
The catalogue of failures were summed up by the MP John Healey, who told parliament: “Ministers have been frozen like rabbits in the headlights. Their action has been too slow and too weak on every front. There has been a failure to give justice to the Grenfell community.”
The fact Sir Martin Moore-Bick, the chairman of the Grenfell public inquiry, has not kept his promise either and still has to publish his report of phase one has just exacerbated the level of anger and anxiety among the bereaved, survivors and the local community, who are seeking justice and redress. Police leading the criminal investigation have made matters even worse by announcing they will not bring any criminal charges before the end of the second phase. This means people affected by the tragedy will have to wait at least five years before they can get any closure.
The government and RBKC are far removed from the reality of the local community. One of the most striking examples of this attitude can be seen in the development of a commission to oversee and manage a memorial park in place of Grenfell Tower. Bereaved families were so angry about the proposal that only five mourners could have a say and had to be voted onto the commission panel that they walked out of talks. They did not want to compete with each other while still grieving their loved ones.
All these issues have deepened the level of trauma experienced by the local community. Work is underway to form a five-year health and wellbeing recovery strategy but mental health facilities in the area are woefully inadequate. Cultural and faith-based therapies have proved more effective in helping many families.
The one positive outcome has been the strengthening of community spirit of people living in North Kensington and the wider support that Justice4Grenfell receives from all sections of society, both in Britain and elsewhere. That has strengthened our resolve to fight until justice is done, and a healthy and resilient community is rebuilt. This weekend will be marked with remembrances, vigils and – as has happened on the 14th of every month since the fire – a silent walk in memory of those who died. Earlier this week, Grenfell families launched legal action in the US against the manufacturers of the cladding used on the tower and projected messages onto buildings with similarly dangerous fittings in London, Manchester and Newcastle. As Kensington and Chelsea MP Emma Dent Coad says: “The time for platitudes is done.” Together, we hope we can effect change and that no death will have been in vain.
Nour-eddine Aboudihaj is from the Justice4Grenfell campaign
The specs: 2018 Jaguar F-Type Convertible
Price, base / as tested: Dh283,080 / Dh318,465
Engine: 2.0-litre inline four-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 295hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm @ 1,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.2L / 100km
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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Read more about the coronavirus
Rock in a Hard Place: Music and Mayhem in the Middle East
Orlando Crowcroft
Zed Books
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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Results
Stage 7:
1. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal - 3:18:29
2. Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep - same time
3. Phil Bauhaus (GER) Bahrain Victorious
4. Michael Morkov (DEN) Deceuninck-QuickStep
5. Cees Bol (NED) Team DSM
General Classification:
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates - 24:00:28
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers - 0:00:35
3. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep - 0:01:02
4. Chris Harper (AUS) Jumbo-Visma - 0:01:42
5. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-Nippo - 0:01:45
MATCH INFO
Arsenal 1 (Aubameyang 12’) Liverpool 1 (Minamino 73’)
Arsenal win 5-4 on penalties
Man of the Match: Ainsley Maitland-Niles (Arsenal)
MORE ON TURKEY'S SYRIA OFFENCE
What is type-1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is a genetic and unavoidable condition, rather than the lifestyle-related type 2 diabetes.
It occurs mostly in people under 40 and a result of the pancreas failing to produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugars.
Too much or too little blood sugar can result in an attack where sufferers lose consciousness in serious cases.
Being overweight or obese increases the chances of developing the more common type 2 diabetes.
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
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
List of alleged parties
- May 15 2020: Boris Johnson is said to have attended a Downing Street pizza party
- 27 Nov 2020: PM gives speech at leaving do for his staff
- Dec 10 2020: Staff party held by then-education secretary Gavin Williamson
- Dec 13 2020: Mr Johnson and his then-fiancee Carrie Symonds throw a flat party
- Dec 14 2020: Shaun Bailey holds staff party at Conservative Party headquarters
- Dec 15 2020: PM takes part in a staff quiz
- Dec 18 2020: Downing Street Christmas party
Results:
Men's 100m T34: 1. Walid Ktila (TUN) 15 sec; 2. Rheed McCracken (AUS) 15.40; 3. Mohammed Al Hammadi (UAE) 15.75. Men's 400m T34: 1. Walid Ktila (TUN) 50.56; 2. Mohammed Al Hammadi (UAE) 50.94; 3. Henry Manni (FIN) 52.24.
'Texas Chainsaw Massacre'
Rating: 1 out of 4
Running time: 81 minutes
Director: David Blue Garcia
Starring: Sarah Yarkin, Elsie Fisher, Mark Burnham
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
Top tips
Create and maintain a strong bond between yourself and your child, through sensitivity, responsiveness, touch, talk and play. “The bond you have with your kids is the blueprint for the relationships they will have later on in life,” says Dr Sarah Rasmi, a psychologist.
Set a good example. Practise what you preach, so if you want to raise kind children, they need to see you being kind and hear you explaining to them what kindness is. So, “narrate your behaviour”.
Praise the positive rather than focusing on the negative. Catch them when they’re being good and acknowledge it.
Show empathy towards your child’s needs as well as your own. Take care of yourself so that you can be calm, loving and respectful, rather than angry and frustrated.
Be open to communication, goal-setting and problem-solving, says Dr Thoraiya Kanafani. “It is important to recognise that there is a fine line between positive parenting and becoming parents who overanalyse their children and provide more emotional context than what is in the child’s emotional development to understand.”
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more from Janine di Giovanni
World Cricket League Division 2
In Windhoek, Namibia - Top two teams qualify for the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, which starts on March 4.
UAE fixtures
Thursday February 8, v Kenya; Friday February 9, v Canada; Sunday February 11, v Nepal; Monday February 12, v Oman; Wednesday February 14, v Namibia; Thursday February 15, final
RESULTS
2.15pm: Al Marwan Group Holding – Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
Winner: SS Jalmod, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer)
2.45pm: Sharjah Equine Hospital – Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner: Ghallieah, Sebastien Martino, Jean-Claude Pecout
3.15pm: Al Marwan Group Holding – Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: Inthar, Saif Al Balushi, Khalifa Al Neyadi
3.45pm: Al Ain Stud Emirates Breeders Trophy – Conditions (PA) Dh50,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: MH Rahal, Richard Mullen, Elise Jeanne
4.25pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Cup – Prestige Handicap (PA) Dh100,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: JAP Aneed, Ray Dawson, Irfan Ellahi
4.45pm: Sharjah Equine Hospital – Handicap (TB) Dh40,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Edaraat, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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.
Abu Dhabi Card
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 80,000 1,400m
National selection: AF Mohanak
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 90,000 1,400m
National selection: Jayide Al Boraq
6pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 100,000 1,400m
National selection: Rocket Power
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Championship Listed (PA) Dh 180,000 1,600m
National selection: Ihtesham
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 1,600m
National selection: Noof KB
7.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 80,000 2.200m
National selection: EL Faust
Company profile
Date started: January, 2014
Founders: Mike Dawson, Varuna Singh, and Benita Rowe
Based: Dubai
Sector: Education technology
Size: Five employees
Investment: $100,000 from the ExpoLive Innovation Grant programme in 2018 and an initial $30,000 pre-seed investment from the Turn8 Accelerator in 2014. Most of the projects are government funded.
Partners/incubators: Turn8 Accelerator; In5 Innovation Centre; Expo Live Innovation Impact Grant Programme; Dubai Future Accelerators; FHI 360; VSO and Consult and Coach for a Cause (C3)
RESULT
Chelsea 2
Willian 13'
Ross Barkley 64'
Liverpool 0
Manchester City transfers:
OUTS
Pablo Zabaleta, Bacary Sagna, Gael Clichy, Willy Caballero and Jesus Navas (all released)
INS
Ederson (Benfica) £34.7m, Bernardo Silva (Monaco) £43m
ON THEIR WAY OUT?
Joe Hart, Eliaquim Mangala, Samir Nasri, Wilfried Bony, Fabian Delph, Nolito and Kelechi Iheanacho
ON THEIR WAY IN?
Dani Alves (Juventus), Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal)
