Many Afghans have approached the coming of Eid Al Fitr with sombre and heavy hearts, after record levels of violence that has shocked a society already used to conflict.
Last week, a school was bombed in the capital Kabul, killing 80 people, most of them girls.
I worry we are losing the young generation of this country to war
“This Ramadan was very different than all other Ramadans," said Farida Sangari, 21, a saleswoman in Kabul and member of the national martial arts team.
"It involved a lot more bloodshed than previous years."
The growing violence in Afghanistan has come very close to home for Ms Sangari.
As a resident of Dasht-e-Barchi, in recent months she’s witnessed the effects of several attacks in her neighbourhood, in which lives the persecuted Shiite Hazara minority.
The latest of these was Saturday’s suspected ISIS car bomb attack outside the Sayyed Al Shuhada school.
“It has been a heartbreaking month, more so for girls of this country, and particularly the girls of Dasht-e-Barchi,” Ms Sangari said.
“Our family has been traumatised and mentally exhausted. Every day I leave home, I pray for the safe return of myself and my family members.
“But we try to not surrender to these fears. We have been suffering a lot and I am hoping that God will listen to our prayers."
Her sentiment was echoed by Khan Mohammad, 23, a soldier with the Afghan National Army in Logar province.
"This was one of the most horrible Ramadans for us," Mr Mohammad told The National. "We were constantly fighting insurgents.
“In Islam, Ramadan is the month of forgiveness, it is the month of praying and getting close to Allah.
"But the Taliban has made it all about torturing and killing their Muslim brothers and sisters."
He said he lost a close friend, in recent battles.
“It took us days to get his body back from the Taliban," Mr Mohammad said. "He leaves behind two little kids. I can’t even think how they would feel without their dad this Eid."
Prominent Afghan businesswoman Kamila Sidiqi, who began her business under the Taliban regime that banned women from working, shared similar concerns.
“As a mother and woman, I worry we are losing the young generation of this country to war, especially during a month of forgiveness and self-reflection,” Ms Sidiqi said.
As well as the school bombing, a car bomb in Logar killed nearly 30 civilians, mostly students who were breaking their fast.
A special investigation team set up by Afghanistan’s Independent Human Rights Commission, on Sunday said it documented an increase in civilian casualties during the initial weeks of Ramadan.
"The SIT team documented 130 incidents, which resulted in 519 civilian casualties – 160 people killed and 351 injured," the team said.
It said the figures did not include the deaths and injuries of the Dasht-e-Barchi school massacre.
Prayers for peace
The killings have taken a toll on devout Afghan population.
Every Ramadan, Maulavi Abdul Aziz, a religious scholar from Nangarhar province in Afghanistan, makes it a point to say special prayers for the innocent civilians who are killed.
“This Ramadan we lost more lives than the ones before,” Mr Abdul Aziz said.
Mr Mohammad said: “I pray for the long-lasting peace in my country. We are tired of fighting and bloodshed. The 20 years of killing is enough."
An offer for respite from the Taliban, a three-day ceasefire during Eid, was rejected by many Afghans, including Mr Mohammad.
“What good is three days when they are killing us the rest of the 362 days?” he asked.
Ms Sangari said that for many who lost loved ones during the Ramadan period, the three days is not enough even to mourn.
“We can’t heal our wounds in three days. We need a longer period of peace,” she said.
A group of Afghan civil rights activists took this call for a longer ceasefire online, on a social media campaign with the hashtag #AfghansWantPermanentCeasefire, demanding that the Taliban resume the much-delayed peace talks and end the violence.
But despite months of efforts, the Taliban halted the planned intra-Afghan talks that were scheduled for last month in Turkey.
Meanwhile, they have increased violence even as the US administration is withdrawing foreign troops, in line with their agreement with the Taliban last year.
The repeated failures in the peace efforts with the Taliban have left many, including Mr Abdul Aziz, very anguished.
“As Muslims, we are obliged to accept each other. Then why can’t we get along?” he asked.
He answered the question with a text from the Quran: “O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise (each other).
"Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things).”
For now, though, Mr Abdul Aziz finds solace in his prayers that he will keep offering for every departed soul.
“But my heart cries with every prayer I say,” he said.
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
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The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
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.”
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Should late investors consider cryptocurrencies?
Wealth managers recommend late investors to have a balanced portfolio that typically includes traditional assets such as cash, government and corporate bonds, equities, commodities and commercial property.
They do not usually recommend investing in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies due to the risk and volatility associated with them.
“It has produced eye-watering returns for some, whereas others have lost substantially as this has all depended purely on timing and when the buy-in was. If someone still has about 20 to 25 years until retirement, there isn’t any need to take such risks,” Rupert Connor of Abacus Financial Consultant says.
He adds that if a person is interested in owning a business or growing a property portfolio to increase their retirement income, this can be encouraged provided they keep in mind the overall risk profile of these assets.
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
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Countries offering golden visas
UK
Innovator Founder Visa is aimed at those who can demonstrate relevant experience in business and sufficient investment funds to set up and scale up a new business in the UK. It offers permanent residence after three years.
Germany
Investing or establishing a business in Germany offers you a residence permit, which eventually leads to citizenship. The investment must meet an economic need and you have to have lived in Germany for five years to become a citizen.
Italy
The scheme is designed for foreign investors committed to making a significant contribution to the economy. Requires a minimum investment of €250,000 which can rise to €2 million.
Switzerland
Residence Programme offers residence to applicants and their families through economic contributions. The applicant must agree to pay an annual lump sum in tax.
Canada
Start-Up Visa Programme allows foreign entrepreneurs the opportunity to create a business in Canada and apply for permanent residence.
The Settlers
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Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
FINAL RESULT
Sharjah Wanderers 20 Dubai Tigers 25 (After extra-time)
Wanderers
Tries: Gormley, Penalty
cons: Flaherty
Pens: Flaherty 2
Tigers
Tries: O’Donnell, Gibbons, Kelly
Cons: Caldwell 2
Pens: Caldwell, Cross
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Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
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