Every day, for the past seven months, Sayed Muhammad Hussainy has kept to the same routine: wake up, pray, then head to his tablet, where he will spend hours drawing.
Much of Hussainy’s latest work is focused on the struggles of life in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, his art helping him to channel his own pain and fear into colourful, evocative depictions of the hope, dread and desolation many people in his home country now feel.
“When I draw, my mind settles and I feel a sense of comfort,” Hussainy, 29, tells The National by phone from an undisclosed location.
Whatever I was feeling personally, the pain, the hurt, I put it all into my art
Sayed Muhammad Hussainy,
artist
In recent months, his work has focused primarily on Afghan women, who he says have suffered inordinately since former president Ashraf Ghani fled and the Taliban walked into Kabul on August 15.
“If you look at my drawings from before and after the Taliban, it’s a night-and-day difference,” Hussainy says.
His Instagram account, which has more than 8,000 followers, offers a slice of history seen through an artist’s lens. Initially, his work was brighter and featured more cartoon-like characters with words of encouragement or commentary on Afghan society, but over the past few months his posts have become starker and more foreboding.
Hussainy’s style went from whimsical to dark, almost haunting. Gone are the full, round eyes and looks of confidence, replaced with the piercing, laser-like glares of a watchful Taliban and quiet faces that seem to exude a sense of despondence. His work often features stoic and forlorn young women being trapped, followed and pulled down by domineering armed men meant to represent the Taliban-controlled state.
“War and destruction are nothing new in Afghanistan, unfortunately, but the pressures on women have only increased,” Husseiny says. Since the Taliban takeover, teenage girls have been kept out of school for more than 240 days, women have been told to wear face coverings and hundreds of thousands of women are out of work either because of restrictions or because of the huge economic downturn.
“I wanted to be a voice [to raise awareness] that such an abuse is taking place against half the population in today’s Afghanistan.”
Hussainy has tapped into a collective consciousness, as people far and wide have begun to share his work online. “That support uplifts you. It keeps you going, even amid all of the dangers.
“Whatever I was feeling personally, the pain, the hurt, I put it all into my art.”
Getting here hasn’t been easy, Hussainy admits. He spent the first two months of the Taliban takeover “engulfed in sadness” and looking for ways out of the country. He even made the risky trip to Kabul Airport in late August. When he saw thousands of men, women and children squatting in dirt and squalor while Taliban and CIA-backed Afghan intelligence forces fired their rifles into the air, he realised the risk was too high, and quietly returned to his home.
In the past, Hussainy has worked with the Afghan government and was part of a digital campaign to support the Afghan National Security Forces, which made him worry he’d be a target for the Taliban.
“When they first came to power, we didn’t know what they would do or who they would go after, so I just decided to go into hiding.”
His fears only increased when his friend, a journalist, was detained in the spring.
Hussainy says while his friend was in detention, the Taliban took note of messages the two had exchanged, including sketches depicting increased poverty in the country that came about after the international community withheld billions in assets, decreased aid and placed restrictions on banking in the country.
While Hussainy wasn’t particularly concerned about the sketches, he was worried when he found out the Taliban had noticed his logo. “They asked my friend, ‘Who is he, is he here, why does he draw such things?’”
He now tries to be as elusive as possible, knowing he can’t be too careful.
That does not stop him from creating his art, though, despite concerned friends around the world begging him to put down his tablet.
“When I draw, my mind settles and I feel a fleeting sense of comfort. If I didn’t have this, I don’t know what I would do,” he says.
The eight to 14 hours a day he spends on each drawing simply provides him with a sense of solace in turbulent times. “I can show the world how I feel and clear my mind at the same time.”
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
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
Champions League Last 16
Red Bull Salzburg (AUT) v Bayern Munich (GER)
Sporting Lisbon (POR) v Manchester City (ENG)
Benfica (POR) v Ajax (NED)
Chelsea (ENG) v Lille (FRA)
Atletico Madrid (ESP) v Manchester United (ENG)
Villarreal (ESP) v Juventus (ITA)
Inter Milan (ITA) v Liverpool (ENG)
Paris Saint-Germain v Real Madrid (ESP)
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
U19 WORLD CUP, WEST INDIES
UAE group fixtures (all in St Kitts)
Saturday 15 January: v Canada
Thursday 20 January: v England
Saturday 22 January: v Bangladesh
UAE squad
Alishan Sharafu (captain), Shival Bawa, Jash Giyanani, Sailles Jaishankar, Nilansh Keswani, Aayan Khan, Punya Mehra, Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly, Dhruv Parashar, Vinayak Raghavan, Soorya Sathish, Aryansh Sharma, Adithya Shetty, Kai Smith
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Barings Bank
Barings, one of Britain’s oldest investment banks, was
founded in 1762 and operated for 233 years before it went bust after a trading
scandal.
Barings Bank collapsed in February 1995 following colossal
losses caused by rogue trader Nick Lesson.
Leeson gambled more than $1 billion in speculative trades,
wiping out the venerable merchant bank’s cash reserves.
T20 WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS
Qualifier A, Muscat
(All matches to be streamed live on icc.tv)
Fixtures
Friday, February 18: 10am Oman v Nepal, Canada v Philippines; 2pm Ireland v UAE, Germany v Bahrain
Saturday, February 19: 10am Oman v Canada, Nepal v Philippines; 2pm UAE v Germany, Ireland v Bahrain
Monday, February 21: 10am Ireland v Germany, UAE v Bahrain; 2pm Nepal v Canada, Oman v Philippines
Tuesday, February 22: 2pm Semi-finals
Thursday, February 24: 2pm Final
UAE squad:Ahmed Raza(captain), Muhammad Waseem, Chirag Suri, Vriitya Aravind, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Alishan Sharafu, Raja Akifullah, Karthik Meiyappan, Junaid Siddique, Basil Hameed, Zafar Farid, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Rahul Bhatia
How to book
Call DHA on 800342
Once you are registered, you will receive a confirmation text message
Present the SMS and your Emirates ID at the centre
DHA medical personnel will take a nasal swab
Check results within 48 hours on the DHA app under ‘Lab Results’ and then ‘Patient Services’
Results
57kg quarter-finals
Zakaria Eljamari (UAE) beat Hamed Al Matari (YEM) by points 3-0.
60kg quarter-finals
Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) beat Hyan Aljmyah (SYR) RSC round 2.
63.5kg quarter-finals
Nouredine Samir (UAE) beat Shamlan A Othman (KUW) by points 3-0.
67kg quarter-finals
Mohammed Mardi (UAE) beat Ahmad Ondash (LBN) by points 2-1.
71kg quarter-finals
Ahmad Bahman (UAE) defeated Lalthasanga Lelhchhun (IND) by points 3-0.
Amine El Moatassime (UAE) beat Seyed Kaveh Safakhaneh (IRI) by points 3-0.
81kg quarter-finals
Ilyass Habibali (UAE) beat Ahmad Hilal (PLE) by points 3-0
Getting there
The flights
Flydubai operates up to seven flights a week to Helsinki. Return fares to Helsinki from Dubai start from Dh1,545 in Economy and Dh7,560 in Business Class.
The stay
Golden Crown Igloos in Levi offer stays from Dh1,215 per person per night for a superior igloo; www.leviniglut.net
Panorama Hotel in Levi is conveniently located at the top of Levi fell, a short walk from the gondola. Stays start from Dh292 per night based on two people sharing; www. golevi.fi/en/accommodation/hotel-levi-panorama
Arctic Treehouse Hotel in Rovaniemi offers stays from Dh1,379 per night based on two people sharing; www.arctictreehousehotel.com
Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance: the specs
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 plus rear-mounted electric motor
Power: 843hp at N/A rpm
Torque: 1470Nm N/A rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.6L/100km
On sale: October to December
Price: From Dh875,000 (estimate)
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
AT%20A%20GLANCE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EWindfall%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EAn%20%E2%80%9Cenergy%20profits%20levy%E2%80%9D%20to%20raise%20around%20%C2%A35bn%20in%20a%20year.%20The%20temporary%20one-off%20tax%20will%20hit%20oil%20and%20gas%20firms%20by%2025%20per%20cent%20on%20extraordinary%20profits.%20An%2080%20per%20cent%20investment%20allowance%20should%20calm%20Conservative%20nerves%20that%20the%20move%20will%20dent%20North%20Sea%20firms%E2%80%99%20investment%20to%20save%20them%2091p%20for%20every%20%C2%A31%20they%20spend.%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EA%20universal%20grant%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EEnergy%20bills%20discount%2C%20which%20was%20effectively%20a%20%C2%A3200%20loan%2C%20has%20doubled%20to%20a%20%C2%A3400%20discount%20on%20bills%20for%20all%20households%20from%20October%20that%20will%20not%20need%20to%20be%20paid%20back.%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETargeted%20measures%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EMore%20than%20eight%20million%20of%20the%20lowest%20income%20households%20will%20receive%20a%20%C2%A3650%20one-off%20payment.%20It%20will%20apply%20to%20households%20on%20Universal%20Credit%2C%20Tax%20Credits%2C%20Pension%20Credit%20and%20legacy%20benefits.%0D%3Cbr%3ESeparate%20one-off%20payments%20of%20%C2%A3300%20will%20go%20to%20pensioners%20and%20%C2%A3150%20for%20those%20receiving%20disability%20benefits.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
