Tony Blair is back. After a decade away from the cut and thrust of politics – apart from an ineffectual spell as Middle East peace envoy – he has found a new target for his rhetoric: populism.
The populism that swept the Brexit side to victory in the UK’s referendum last year and the populism that swept Donald Trump to victory in the US is, he argues, most recently in The New York Times, part of the same reshaping of traditional politics.
“Today, a distinction that often matters more than traditional right and left is open vs. closed. The open-minded see globalisation as an opportunity; the closed-minded see the outside world as a threat,” he writes.
This analysis of Brexit is not new. Indeed, writing the day after the Brexit vote, I too drew this open vs closed analogy, but took it a step further, pointing out that reclaiming an open political order would require alliances – alliances that will need to come from much farther away than merely the transatlantic countries.
The political views that animate those who supported Mr Trump or sought to remove Britain from the European Union exist in the Middle East, too.
These Arab populists are driven by the same anxieties that drove the Trump vote and that drive so much of global politics today. For them, the dangers of globalisation, the importance of family and community, the perceived loss of traditional culture and failure of elites are all live issues, as they are for millions in the West. The difference, and this is the reason politicians such as Mr Blair find it difficult to see commonalities, is that these views are often expressed through the prism of religion.
Across the Arab republics, the systematic hollowing out of politics has elided the distinction between the government of the day and the nation state itself. The idea that an opposition could criticise the government but be loyal to the state is still disputed. For figures such as Hosni Mubarak, Saddam Hussein, Hafez Al Assad and Ali Abdullah Saleh, they were the state.
This left religion as the space for political opposition. So, today, when questions such as what it means to be from a particular country or community in an age of globalisation, how to define family in changing times, where traditional culture ends and foreign influence begins – when these questions arise, they are answered in religious terms.
Yet these are not religious questions, per se. And so a schism exists between the populists and the progressives, who offer different answers.
It is important to recognise, however, that the turning inwards that the populists advocate and the openness to new ideas that the progressives advocate are both authentically Arab responses. There are strands of political thought within the histories of Arab countries and the histories of Islam that have offered similar answers.
These questions do not come from the outside. That is important, because neither side has a monopoly on authenticity.
Simply because populists frame their arguments in the language of faith does not mean it carries the weight of centuries of religious practice. On the contrary, these are political questions and they are questions that the Ottomans, the Mamluks and every other political grouping faced.
Indeed, many of the answers the populists offer – the nativism, the return to an unsullied age – have been offered before. That includes the worst effects of these answers: the rise in sectarianism across the Middle East is part of this creation of “enemies”, usually drawn from ethnic or religious minorities. It parallels the same demonisation of difference that is taking place in the West.
Thus when leaders such as Mr Blair speak of alliances across party lines, they should also search for alliances across national lines.
That does not mean across only European countries. It means seeking out the progressives in Turkey opposing the populist turn of Recep Tayyip Erdogan. It means looking at what Egyptian progressives did to counter the populist messages of the Muslim Brotherhood. It means looking at how Iraqis rooted their progressive arguments in Iraqi history itself, not in some innovation from the outside.
In the challenges and responses of Arab political trends are ideas and intellectual strategies that will also be useful against the nativists of America and the Brexiteers of Britain.
Combating the drift away from internationalism that is taking place in the United States and Britain will, as Mr Blair points out, take cool analysis, strategy and alliances. But those alliances need to sought everywhere. There is no point advocating an open mind if you only stock it with limited ideas.
Across the Middle East, there are allies for western progressives. The future that they want – the future that politicians such as Mr Blair believe their own countries have lost – is open, tolerant, and outward looking. Western and Arab progressives should seek it together.
falyafai@thenational.ae
On Twitter: @FaisalAlYafai
Kat Wightman's tips on how to create zones in large spaces
- Area carpets or rugs are the easiest way to segregate spaces while also unifying them.
- Lighting can help define areas. Try pendant lighting over dining tables, and side and floor lamps in living areas.
- Keep the colour palette the same in a room, but combine different tones and textures in different zone. A common accent colour dotted throughout the space brings it together.
- Don’t be afraid to use furniture to break up the space. For example, if you have a sofa placed in the middle of the room, a console unit behind it will give good punctuation.
- Use a considered collection of prints and artworks that work together to form a cohesive journey.
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Company%20Profile
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Brief scores:
Huesca 0
Real Madrid 1
Bale 8'
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
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
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
Sweet%20Tooth
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Coming soon
Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura
When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Akira Back Dubai
Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as, “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems.
Barbie
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The specs: 2019 Mercedes-Benz C200 Coupe
Price, base: Dh201,153
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 204hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 300Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.7L / 100km
Results
2.30pm: Park Avenue – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (Dirt) 2,000m; Winner: Rb Seqondtonone, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)
3.05pm: Al Furjan – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Bosphorus, Dane O’Neill, Bhupat Seemar
3.40pm: Mina – Rated Condition (TB) Dh105,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Royal Mews, Tadhg O’Shea, Bhupat Seemar
4.15pm: Aliyah – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,900m; Winner: Ursa Minor, Ray Dawson, Ahmad bin Harmash
4.50pm: Riviera Beach – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 2,200m; Winner: Woodditton, Saif Al Balushi, Ahmad bin Harmash
5.25pm: Riviera – Handicap (TB) Dh2,000 (T) 2,000m; Winner: Al Madhar, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
6pm: Creek Views – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Al Salt, Dane O’Neill, Erwan Charpy
THE DETAILS
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Dir: Ron Howard
Starring: Alden Ehrenreich, Emilia Clarke, Woody Harrelson
3/5
match details
Wales v Hungary
Cardiff City Stadium, kick-off 11.45pm
The Year Earth Changed
Directed by:Tom Beard
Narrated by: Sir David Attenborough
Stars: 4
RACE RESULTS
1. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Mercedes) 1hr 21min 48.527sec
2. Sebastian Vettel (GER/Ferrari) at 0.658sec
3. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/Red Bull) 6.012
4. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) 7.430
5. Kimi Räikkönen (FIN/Ferrari) 20.370
6. Romain Grosjean (FRA/Haas) 1:13.160
7. Sergio Pérez (MEX/Force India) 1 lap
8. Esteban Ocon (FRA/Force India) 1 lap
9. Felipe Massa (BRA/Williams) 1 lap
10. Lance Stroll (CAN/Williams) 1 lap
11. Jolyon Palmer (GBR/Renault) 1 lap
12. Stoffel Vandoorne (BEL/McLaren) 1 lap
13. Nico Hülkenberg (GER/Renault) 1 lap
14. Pascal Wehrlein (GER/Sauber) 1 lap
15. Marcus Ericsson (SWE/Sauber) 2 laps
16. Daniil Kvyat (RUS/Toro Rosso) 3 laps
MATCH INFO
League Cup, last 16
Manchester City v Southampton, Tuesday, 11.45pm (UAE)
More on Quran memorisation:
THE DETAILS
Deadpool 2
Dir: David Leitch
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Justin Dennison, Zazie Beetz
Four stars
WIDE%20VIEW
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Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
Company info
Company name: Entrupy
Co-founders: Vidyuth Srinivasan, co-founder/chief executive, Ashlesh Sharma, co-founder/chief technology officer, Lakshmi Subramanian, co-founder/chief scientist
Based: New York, New York
Sector/About: Entrupy is a hardware-enabled SaaS company whose mission is to protect businesses, borders and consumers from transactions involving counterfeit goods.
Initial investment/Investors: Entrupy secured a $2.6m Series A funding round in 2017. The round was led by Tokyo-based Digital Garage and Daiwa Securities Group's jointly established venture arm, DG Lab Fund I Investment Limited Partnership, along with Zach Coelius.
Total customers: Entrupy’s customers include hundreds of secondary resellers, marketplaces and other retail organisations around the world. They are also testing with shipping companies as well as customs agencies to stop fake items from reaching the market in the first place.
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