DUBAI // A court ruling expected next month could bring the man who killed a four-year-old boy in a mosque at the start of Eid al Adha a step closer to execution. The Dubai Court of Appeals announced it will issue its final verdict for Rashid al Rashidi on April 11. Al Rashidi was found guilty of murdering young Moosa Mukhtiar Ahmed last year and sentenced to death by firing squad by the Dubai Court of First Instance.
In closing arguments yesterday in the appellate court, al Rashidi's defence attorney, Abdel Rahman al Midrib, said he wanted his client's sentence to be reduced, contending that some of the evidence produced during the lower court trial was insufficient to prove intent. Mr al Midrib disputed the forensic department findings, claiming its report had not specified the exact cause of Moosa's death. He also claimed the forensic report was unclear as to whether his client had raped the victim.
Dr Ashraf Ibrahim of the Dubai Police forensic department said last week that Moosa died from trauma after his head was struck several times on the floor in a rest room. That led to a blood clot and brain swelling that ultimately killed him. It was the first time a court had heard the exact cause of death as outlined by a medical examiner. Dr Ibrahim also said that although the investigation had found proof of sexual assault, in his opinion there was no evidence of rape.
The defence team also asked the court to convene a scientific committee to study the reasons behind the crime before issuing its verdict, a process that may delay it should the court grant the motion. Mr al Midrib requested the committee be comprised of members of psychological and sociological associations, and suggested it evaluate the circumstances that led to such crimes. He emphasised the need to study the phenomena to find the roots of such behaviour and safeguard the community.
Should the appellate court uphold the lower court verdict, the case will be referred to the Dubai Court of Cassation, the last appeal available. The case would then proceed to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who would set an execution date. @Email:amustafa@thenational.ae
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.”
Her most famous song
Aghadan Alqak (Would I Ever Find You Again)?
Would I ever find you again
You, the heaven of my love, my yearning and madness;
You, the kiss to my soul, my cheer and
sadness?
Would your lights ever break the night of my eyes again?
Would I ever find you again?
This world is volume and you're the notion,
This world is night and you're the lifetime,
This world is eyes and you're the vision,
This world is sky and you're the moon time,
Have mercy on the heart that belongs to you.
Lyrics: Al Hadi Adam; Composer: Mohammed Abdel Wahab
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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