Killing overthrown tyrants harms society, but we should kill their methods and way of thinking
Everywhere popular Arab uprisings cropped up, calls for capital punishment for the culprits are now roaring, columnist Hazem Saghya observed in the pan-Arab newspaper Al Hayat.
In courtrooms, in the street and in households in Egypt, Syria and Yemen, requests for the death penalty have grown disturbingly louder.
"Kill the president" is an understandable shout; it comes from decades of anger and injustice, years of oppression laden with murder, torture and theft as the former regimes reigned free, unabated, unabashed.
However, it seems only right to lay out some of the most common anti-capital punishment arguments that have been heard in the countries where similar debates have previously taken place, in similar circumstances:
Statistics show that the death penalty has never, not even once, reduced or limited the frequency of trespasses for which the perpetrators were executed.
What results most often from executions is an atmosphere of ritualism and savagery that creates in a society an unquenchable thirst for blood and revenge.
"It is a climate that brings out the worst in us as human beings and citizens and makes us resort to recrimination and snitching to make up for what we lack," said the writer.
"Above all that, and especially in the case of the Arab uprisings, one must at all times adhere to an elevated ethical pedestal that is the very antithesis of the ousted regimes," he added.
If past experiences proves anything, it proves that executions in such cases only reveal that things aren't going as well as hoped; executions are mostly used to divert public attention from the failure to move ahead.
This was the case when Saddam Hussein, the former Iraqi dictator, was executed in 2006. "Anyone monitoring the situation in Iraq today realises how the instincts that were evoked at that time, leading up to the execution, are the same that govern the continuing civil conflicts in Iraq and that impede the state-building process," the writer observed.
"This is not to mention the more barbaric way Muammar Qaddafi was killed, which was sufficient indication that the future of Libya is more likely to see more Zintan Brigades and Misurata Brigades than a new and recovered Libya."
A more ominous prediction for the future also comes to mind: the door to the easy use of capital punishment is being opened wide, which would complicate any attempts to build political legitimacy on the basis of effective accomplishments rather than symbolic ones.
"What is required, eventually, is the execution of a way of thinking and of certain behaviours in the practice of authority. These must be replaced by social values; we must not revive the same old practices under other names and slogans."
Immunity for Saleh is a new dawn for Yemen
There is now hope of a new beginning of unity in Yemen, the Qatari newspaper Arraya said in its editorial.
On Saturday, the Yemeni parliament passed a revised law to grant President Ali Abdullah Saleh full immunity from prosecution. Parliament also recommended the vice president, Abedrabbuh Mansour Hadi, as a candidate for the February 21 presidential election.
In light of this, the transition of power is expected to be smooth despite fierce opposition from Yemen's youth and from non- governmental organisations that are insisting that he and his aids should face prosecution for crimes against protesters.
Approval of the immunity law, which came under foreign pressure, was a crucial step in the GCC initiative to save Yemen.
"The biggest challenge now is to remove the hurdles that impede the implementation of the initiative provisions in their entirety." New elections "would turn the page on Mr Saleh once and for all," said the paper.
And the country needs to move ahead. "The army remains divided and Sanaa and the other Yemeni cities … suffer from chaos and dire economic straits."
The prime minister, Mohammed Salem Basindwah, wept as he called on parliament to approve immunity. It was a scene that summarised the crisis. Mr Saleh's departure is Yemen's last hope for salvation before complete and utter pandemonium.
Israel finds that it must now coexist with Iran
Iran is once again the centre of attention as all eyes turn to Israel, where the top US solider is seeking to persuade the Jewish state to refrain from unilateral steps against the Islamic Republic, columnist Hussam Kanafani said in the Emirati paper Al Khaleej.
The Americans are aware of Israel's immense frustration these days regarding Iran's progress in implementing its nuclear programme," the writer noted. "What adds to their frustration is that they are convinced that sanctions are no longer a potent remedy to Iran's nuclear plans."
Israel is indeed aware of the colossal pressure that the world, and especially Washington, is exerting to keep it from committing any "folly" in relation to Iran. The US fears a conflict in the newly-shaped region, for it would reshuffle the cards and impair months of US efforts to adapt to the new scene in the Arab World.
Washington is persuaded that any Israeli attack would reorganise allegiances in the region, hinder US chances of benefiting from the new situation.
Tel Aviv too recognises that an attack would have grave repercussions, and so it has been backing away from its threats.
"Israel finds itself now forced to coexist with Iran, for any move against the Islamic Republic is very unlikely, as Ehud Barack himself has put it."
* Digest compiled by Racha Makarem
rmakarem@thenational.ae
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
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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
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
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THE BIO
Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.
Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.
The specs: 2018 Maxus T60
Price, base / as tested: Dh48,000
Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder
Power: 136hp @ 1,600rpm
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Fuel consumption, combined: 9.1L / 100km
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Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
21 Lessons for the 21st Century
Yuval Noah Harari, Jonathan Cape
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Donating your hair
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• Clean, dry hair in good condition (no split ends) from any gender, and of any natural colour, is required.
• Straight, wavy, curly, permed or chemically straightened is permitted.
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The five pillars of Islam
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
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Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
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