Palestinian Alaa Borqan preferred to tear down his own house in Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem after a court ruled that it was constructed illegally and must be demolished.
Mr Borqan, 35, was given two options: to destroy his four-bedroom home in the Jabal Mukaber neighbourhood himself, or to let the city council do it and then send him the bill.
The Israeli authorities regularly raze homes built by Palestinians on their own lands in East Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank if they lack Israeli construction permits.
The catch, according to an UN study, is that such permits are incredibly difficult to obtain and the result is a chronic housing shortage.
"I applied to city hall for a building permit, but without success," Mr Borqan said.
"I spent around 75,000 shekels (Dh82,000) on legal fees and on a ground survey," he said.
Ben Avrahami, an adviser to the city authorities on East Jerusalem, said every case was handled strictly according to the law.
"The demolitions are being carried out by order of an Israeli court and are subject to careful legal scrutiny," he said.
But Mr Borqan, a father of four, said he was dismayed after he hired a bulldozer that was used to tear down his own house in front of his eyes.
He said he invested all of his savings in the building, taking on a debt of 800,000 shekels and putting in four years of work.
The court, which ruled the structure illegal because it was built without a permit, also fined him 60,000 shekels.
He now lives with his family in a house he rents for 2,800 shekels a month.
Standing in the rubble of his former house, he said it was "difficult it is to demolish a home with one's own hands".
According to city hall, 44 houses have been demolished in East Jerusalem since the start of this year.
Some owners prefer to raze their homes themselves to avoid paying thousands of shekels to the city's demolition crews.
East Jerusalem, under Israeli occupation since the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, is home to about 300,000 Palestinians and 200,000 settlers.
Palestinians say the true purpose of the permit regime is to empty the city of its Palestinian inhabitants.
The UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs noted in an April 2019 report that in East Jerusalem "a restrictive planning regime applied by Israel makes it virtually impossible for Palestinians to obtain building permits".
"At least one third of all Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem lack an Israeli-issued building permit, potentially placing over 100,000 residents at risk of displacement," it said.
The authority said that only 13 per cent of East Jerusalem was designated for Palestinian construction, much of which is already built up, while 35 per cent has been allocated to Israeli settlements, which are illegal under international law.
Director of the Jerusalem Centre for Economic and Social Rights, Ziad Hammuri, said the self-demolitions were humiliating and "have considerable psychological effects" on families, in addition to heavy financial costs.
But many Palestinians still prefer to demolish their properties, fearing arrest if they are unable to pay the city's demolition bill or fines.
On July 2, the Shalalda family demolished their two-bedroom apartment in A-Tur.
Sara Shalalda, a mother of six, said it was "very difficult, a dream has been destroyed".
"We were about to move in, we didn't want to have to pay rent any more," she said.
According to the UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs, 65 children were displaced and 85 others affected by self-demolitions in East Jerusalem in the first six months of the year.
Palestinians lack 30,000 to 40,000 housing units, rents are high and building permits are expensive, Union for Jerusalem Housing chief Mahmoud Zahaykeh said.
"The average rent is $800 (Dh2,900) and a building permit for an apartment can cost $50,000," he said.
"Only 20 per cent of residents obtain permits and the process can take five years."
Mr Avrahami said the city granted about 250 building permits to Palestinians each year.
Mr Borqan said he wanted to be among the lucky ones, but his hopes were dashed.
"They don't want us to stay," he said, referring to Israel.
"But we are not going to move."
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.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
The specs: 2019 BMW X4
Price, base / as tested: Dh276,675 / Dh346,800
Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged in-line six-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 354hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 1,550rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.0L / 100km
UAE%20FIXTURES
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Australia tour of Pakistan
March 4-8: First Test, Rawalpindi
March 12-16: Second Test, Karachi
March 21-25: Third Test, Lahore
March 29: First ODI, Rawalpindi
March 31: Second ODI, Rawalpindi
April 2: Third ODI, Rawalpindi
April 5: T20I, Rawalpindi
Representing%20UAE%20overseas
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Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
TOP%2010%20MOST%20POLLUTED%20CITIES
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Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
The 24-man squad:
Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea), Simon Mignolet (Liverpool), Koen Casteels (VfL Wolfsburg).
Defenders: Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham), Thomas Meunier (Paris Saint-Germain), Thomas Vermaelen (Barcelona), Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham), Dedryck Boyata (Celtic), Vincent Kompany (Manchester City).
Midfielders: Marouane Fellaini (Manchester United), Axel Witsel (Tianjin Quanjian), Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City), Eden Hazard (Chelsea), Nacer Chadli (West Bromwich Albion), Leander Dendoncker (Anderlecht), Thorgan Hazard (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Youri Tielemans (Monaco), Mousa Dembele (Tottenham Hotspur).
Forwards: Michy Batshuayi (Chelsea/Dortmund), Yannick Carrasco (Dalian Yifang), Adnan Januzaj (Real Sociedad), Romelu Lukaku (Manchester United), Dries Mertens (Napoli).
Standby player: Laurent Ciman (Los Angeles FC).
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Five famous companies founded by teens
There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:
- Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.
- Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.
- Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.
- Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
- Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20profile
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Company profile
Name: Thndr
Started: October 2020
Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000
Funding stage: series A; $20 million
Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC, Rabacap and MSA Capital
