LONDON // In a tiny room just inside the lobby of one of London's largest mosques, security staff were huddled around a single computer monitor discussing where best to focus their gaze.
Trying to make sense of feeds from 26 closed-circuit TV cameras on a single screen was not the only challenge faced by the three young men on duty Tuesday night at the East London Mosque.
"The problem with CCTV," said Mohammad, 23, the only salaried staff of the three, none of whom would give their family names, "is that every one looks suspicious."
That assessement is not just the effect of grainy footage.
Ever since the murder last month on a London street of a British soldier, mosques and other Islamic institutions in Britain have been on high alert.
They have reason to be. The hate crime monitoring site, Tell Mama, has received more than 200 reports of anti-Muslim incidents across the country in the three weeks since the soldier, Lee Rigby, was killed in Woolwich.
Two Muslim men, Michael Adebolajo, 28, and Michael Adebowale, 22, announced to passers-by that the gruesome daylight killing was in revenge for British military action against Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Fourteen mosques have been vandalised in attacks ranging from offensive and largely sacreligious graffiti to arson.
Last Wednesday, not far from the Tower Hamlets area of London where the Eeast London Mosque is located, a small Islamic centre catering to the Muswell Hill area's Somali community was set ablaze in a suspected arson attack.
Just three days later another fire erupted at an Islamic boarding school in Chislehurst in South London, prompting London's police commissioner, Bernard Hogan-Howe, to step up security around other potential Muslim targets across London.
Outside the East London Mosque, which averages some 6,000 worshippers for Friday prayers in a borough that is majority Muslim, two uniformed Tower Hamlets police officers now take up prominent positions all day, every day.
Chief Superintendent Dave Stringer, the borough police commander, said that since Woolwich there have been between 20 and 50 extra patrols throughout the borough, which has about 40 mosques and Islamic institutions.
It has been a drain on resources, acknowledged Mr Stringer, who commands 650 officers. And it has been a challenge to strike the right balance.
"Some of the police work has been very low key," Mr Stringer said in a phone interview. "We don't want to frighten the local community. But sometimes it is better to be more visible. Now is such a time."
There is constant coordination with community leaders, including officials at the East London Mosque, he said. A decision was taken at the mosque soon after the Woolwich killing to augment the existing security staff, and volunteers were recruited to help patrol the large building, which includes administrative offices, a gym and a school.
Every night since then, seven young men - two of whom are paid a part-time wage - have taken turns to guard the mosque.
The volunteers received some basic training, mainly to ensure they understood their roles and their limits, said Juber Hussain, head of mosque security.
"They are not there to confront people, whatever their instincts. First, they are there to be visible. If something suspicious happens, they should alert management or, if it is an emergency, direct to the police."
Their presence has been welcomed by local police.
"These are not vigilantes," Mr Stringer emphasised. "They provide up-to-date information. We do the policing."
Armed with walkie-talkies and dressed in bright orange reflective vests emblazoned with "East London Mosque Staff", the volunteers make a circuit of the complex every hour after evening prayers and until the Isha prayers at night.
Around one in the morning the building is locked, and the guards make one last round to check that all doors are secure. Then they move inside the mosque and huddle in the room off the lobby, trying not to be fooled by the grey and grainy footage that casts everyone as a potential criminal.
Apart from a can thrown by a passing car, none of the three on duty on Tuesday night had any unusual incident to report.
Abdullah, 21, who is about to start a civil engineering course, said he had happily volunteered after Woolwich. Like Mohammad and Shah, 23, a computer science student who recently finished his exams, he had time to spare.
And like his friends, Abdullah told numerous stories of anti-Muslim incidents in recent weeks, accounts related to him by relatives, friends and acquaintances up and down the country.
One girl had had her veil pulled down in a bus. Another boy had had something thrown in his eyes that blinded him temporarily. Such reports of random abuse - verbal, physical or both - abound at the moment. They add to the men's own experiences, which predate the Woolwich killing.
Not far from the mosque Abdullah said he had been attacked himself one night last year, soaked by a bucket of water thrown from a passing van carrying three white men.
"'We don't want you here'. 'We don't like your kind'," he recalled the men shouting at him.
"I worry for the younger generation," said Shah, who said things were getting worse, even as first generation immigrants became second and third, and nobody anymore considers themselves "anything but British".
The East London Mosque has also seen a spike in hate mail, according to Salman Farsi, a spokesman.
One effort had clearly taken some time to prepare. It was postcard that featured a picture of a pig and a carefully printed offensive caption. Inside the envelope the postcard arrived in, a message read, in part, that, "we will continue p***ing on you".
A DVD was included, which from past experience Mr Farsi assumed contained pornography.
A pile of similar but unopened envelopes had gathered in his in-tray. He was in no hurry to open them. "It's too depressing".
Still, he said, the mosque too has been mindful of striking a balance between security and serving the community.
There is no security desk or uniformed security staff during the day. There are no metal detectors, and in daylight, the mosque remains open to anyone.
"We are not an airport," Mr Farsi said. "We are a place of worship. It has to remain that way."
okarmi@thenational.ae
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How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
• For more information visit the library network's website.
if you go
The flights
Fly to Rome with Etihad (www.etihad.ae) or Emirates (www.emirates.com) from Dh2,480 return including taxes. The flight takes six hours. Fly from Rome to Trapani with Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) from Dh420 return including taxes. The flight takes one hour 10 minutes.
The hotels
The author recommends the following hotels for this itinerary. In Trapani, Ai Lumi (www.ailumi.it); in Marsala, Viacolvento (www.viacolventomarsala.it); and in Marsala Del Vallo, the Meliaresort Dimore Storiche (www.meliaresort.it).
SPECS
Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Price: From Dh599,000
On sale: Now
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Info
What: 11th edition of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship
When: December 27-29, 2018
Confirmed: men: Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Kevin Anderson, Dominic Thiem, Hyeon Chung, Karen Khachanov; women: Venus Williams
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae, Virgin megastores or call 800 86 823
SPECS
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AGL AWARDS
Golden Ball - best Emirati player: Khalfan Mubarak (Al Jazira)
Golden Ball - best foreign player: Igor Coronado (Sharjah)
Golden Glove - best goalkeeper: Adel Al Hosani (Sharjah)
Best Coach - the leader: Abdulaziz Al Anbari (Sharjah)
Fans' Player of the Year: Driss Fetouhi (Dibba)
Golden Boy - best young player: Ali Saleh (Al Wasl)
Best Fans of the Year: Sharjah
Goal of the Year: Michael Ortega (Baniyas)
Small Victories: The True Story of Faith No More by Adrian Harte
Jawbone Press
UAE Rugby finals day
Games being played at The Sevens, Dubai
2pm, UAE Conference final
Dubai Tigers v Al Ain Amblers
4pm, UAE Premiership final
Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Jebel Ali Dragons
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
SPECS
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A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
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More on Quran memorisation:
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.
How Beautiful this world is!
Engine: 80 kWh four-wheel-drive
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 402bhp
Torque: 760Nm
Price: From Dh280,000
Info
What: 11th edition of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship
When: December 27-29, 2018
Confirmed: men: Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Kevin Anderson, Dominic Thiem, Hyeon Chung, Karen Khachanov; women: Venus Williams
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae, Virgin megastores or call 800 86 823
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
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ETFs explained
Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.
ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
Teaching your child to save
Pre-school (three - five years)
You can’t yet talk about investing or borrowing, but introduce a “classic” money bank and start putting gifts and allowances away. When the child wants a specific toy, have them save for it and help them track their progress.
Early childhood (six - eight years)
Replace the money bank with three jars labelled ‘saving’, ‘spending’ and ‘sharing’. Have the child divide their allowance into the three jars each week and explain their choices in splitting their pocket money. A guide could be 25 per cent saving, 50 per cent spending, 25 per cent for charity and gift-giving.
Middle childhood (nine - 11 years)
Open a bank savings account and help your child establish a budget and set a savings goal. Introduce the notion of ‘paying yourself first’ by putting away savings as soon as your allowance is paid.
Young teens (12 - 14 years)
Change your child’s allowance from weekly to monthly and help them pinpoint long-range goals such as a trip, so they can start longer-term saving and find new ways to increase their saving.
Teenage (15 - 18 years)
Discuss mutual expectations about university costs and identify what they can help fund and set goals. Don’t pay for everything, so they can experience the pride of contributing.
Young adulthood (19 - 22 years)
Discuss post-graduation plans and future life goals, quantify expenses such as first apartment, work wardrobe, holidays and help them continue to save towards these goals.
* JP Morgan Private Bank
Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
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Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
THE SPECS
Jaguar F-Pace SVR
Engine: 5-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 680Nm
Price: Dh465,071
