A prominent Muslim campaigner has vowed to investigate the hidden threats from extremism in modern Britain following her controversial appointment to a key government post established after a series of deadly terrorist attacks during 2017.
Sara Khan was named by the UK government to lead a new Commission for Countering Extremism, first proposed after a British-born and raised suicide bomber killed 22 people in Manchester in May last year. An inquiry has revealed missed opportunities to identify and potentially nullify the threat posed by the bomber, Salman Abedi, 22.
Response to her appointment has been divided, with dozens of Muslim groups and scholars opposing the move because of her backing for key sections of the government’s controversial counter-terrorism agenda.
Ms Khan’s three-year contract will include examining the scale and threat of extremism before laying out her plan to government to tackle it over the next two years. Her remit will include all forms of extremism including from far-right political groups as well as from Islamist extremists behind four of the five attacks in 2017 that killed 36 people.
“I want to hear from victims, whose voices are often missing from the debate,” she said in a statement. “We know about the hateful marches and poisonous online videos. But what about the harm we can’t see?”
Analysts said such “hidden harms” would include within the family unit from parents whose extreme views could lead their children into active support for ISIL.
Ms Khan was also likely to investigate concerns about home-schooling, a lightly regulated system outside of mainstream education that has been open to abuse, said Nikita Malik who heads the counter-radicalisation unit at the Henry Jackson Society thinktank.
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Read me:
New British anti-extremist commissioner provokes Muslim ire
UK government threatens to tax tech giants over extremism
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Ms Khan was chosen for the job based on her work over the last decade as a founder and leader of Inspire, an organisation designed to tackle Islamist extremism and promote women’s rights. She has been at the forefront of efforts to deflect girls and women from travelling to Syria to join ISIL and become a face of moderate Islam in Britain.
But her outspoken criticism of the “gate keepers” who have spoken on behalf of British Muslims for years has made her a target, according to Ms Malik.
The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) and the Muslim Engagement and Development (MEND) were among 100 groups and scholars who signed a letter to the Home Secretary Amber Rudd objecting to her appointment. The signatories said they had “no confidence” in the appointment and were “concerned that Muslim communities will refuse to liaise with Ms Khan, thereby defeating the purpose of her appointment to the role,” according to Sky News.
Both MCB and MEND had been criticised by Ms Khan during her work as an outspoken rights campaigner for the alleged toleration of extremism among their affiliates and personnel, according to the Policy Exchange thinktank in a blog.
The opposition to Ms Khan’s appointment has focused on her support for part of the UK’s counter-terrorism programme, known as Prevent, designed to stop the vulnerable being drawn into extremism but has been criticised by some groups as unjustified snooping and scapegoating of Muslim communities.
The former government minister, Sayeeda Warsi, who has led the opposition, has also said she would not be able to challenge those in power since some of her previous work had been government-funded.
But the idea that she is a “government stooge” was hard to reconcile with her opposition to earlier plans for counter-extremism legislation, said David Anderson QC, a former independent reviewer of terrorism legislation who backed her on Twitter.
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
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.
How to report a beggar
Abu Dhabi – Call 999 or 8002626 (Aman Service)
Dubai – Call 800243
Sharjah – Call 065632222
Ras Al Khaimah - Call 072053372
Ajman – Call 067401616
Umm Al Quwain – Call 999
Fujairah - Call 092051100 or 092224411
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The%20specs
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GRAN%20TURISMO
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Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Tips on buying property during a pandemic
Islay Robinson, group chief executive of mortgage broker Enness Global, offers his advice on buying property in today's market.
While many have been quick to call a market collapse, this simply isn’t what we’re seeing on the ground. Many pockets of the global property market, including London and the UAE, continue to be compelling locations to invest in real estate.
While an air of uncertainty remains, the outlook is far better than anyone could have predicted. However, it is still important to consider the wider threat posed by Covid-19 when buying bricks and mortar.
Anything with outside space, gardens and private entrances is a must and these property features will see your investment keep its value should the pandemic drag on. In contrast, flats and particularly high-rise developments are falling in popularity and investors should avoid them at all costs.
Attractive investment property can be hard to find amid strong demand and heightened buyer activity. When you do find one, be prepared to move hard and fast to secure it. If you have your finances in order, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Lenders continue to lend and rates remain at an all-time low, so utilise this. There is no point in tying up cash when you can keep this liquidity to maximise other opportunities.
Keep your head and, as always when investing, take the long-term view. External factors such as coronavirus or Brexit will present challenges in the short-term, but the long-term outlook remains strong.
Finally, keep an eye on your currency. Whenever currency fluctuations favour foreign buyers, you can bet that demand will increase, as they act to secure what is essentially a discounted property.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 258hp from 5,000-6,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm from 1,550-4,000rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.1L/100km
Price: from Dh362,500
On sale: now
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
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Credits
Produced by: Colour Yellow Productions and Eros Now
Director: Mudassar Aziz
Cast: Sonakshi Sinha, Jimmy Sheirgill, Jassi Gill, Piyush Mishra, Diana Penty, Aparshakti Khurrana
Star rating: 2.5/5
What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
Things Heard & Seen
Directed by: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, James Norton
2/5
SPECS
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'Munich: The Edge of War'
Director: Christian Schwochow
Starring: George MacKay, Jannis Niewohner, Jeremy Irons
Rating: 3/5
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Pathaan
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THURSDAY FIXTURES
4.15pm: Italy v Spain (Group A)
5.30pm: Egypt v Mexico (Group B)
6.45pm: UAE v Japan (Group A)
8pm: Iran v Russia (Group B)
