The national december 26 2016

Ready for fireworks?

Volume 9 Issue 254

The complete guide to what’s going on across the UAE at New Year arts & life, pages 4 and 5

Monday, December 26, 2016 www.thenational.ae

Assad eyes up his next target

Silent night, holy day

analysis Idlib is the strongest remaining enclave of Syrian rebels – but experts question whether the regime will risk the sacrifices required to recapture it Josh Wood Foreign Correspondent

BEIRUT // With the recapture of Aleppo complete, Assad regime forces are looking to build on their battlefield successes and are weighing up their next target.

The most probable location is Idlib. Syria’s north-western province has been almost entirely in rebel hands since May last year and, with tens of thousands of fighters there, it is the strongest rebel enclave. Their numbers have been boosted by the arrival of fighters who left other parts of the country under deals with the government, most recently from Aleppo.

But dislodging the rebels will not be easy. Idlib is the main stronghold of both Jabhat Fatah Al Sham, the former Al Qaeda affiliate that dominates the province, and the powerful, hardline Ahrar Al Sham. And unlike Turkish-backed rebels in northern Syria’s other opposition pocket along the Turkish border north of Aleppo, who are restrained from attacking government forces as they carry out Ankara’s bidding, Idlib’s rebel fighters have no such constraints.

“If they did go for Idlib, I think it would be a really big challenge,” said Charles Lister, a

senior fellow at the Middle East Institute in Washington. “I don’t think it’s an impossible objective, but I think the level of destruction and casualties, and the resources it would need to take the entire province back – or even just Idlib city – would probably not be worth it.”

Fabrice Balanche, a Syria expert at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, estimated it would take at least a year to recapture all of Idlib.

The government would have to retake nearly 6,000 square kilometres of rebel territory, fighting through cities, farmland and mountains. The varied geography could be advantageous to the rebels, particularly if they adopt guerrilla tactics. And with a local population that largely detests the government, insurgency could continue even in areas that have been recaptured.

The regime would also be facing Syria’s most effective and feared rebel groups. Jabhat Fatah Al Sham has spearheaded many offensives. Its experience, training and tactics – including suicide attacks, which other opposition groups are not willing to carry out – have enabled them to achieve victories that other rebel fighters could not.

Idlib, continued on 4 →

A nativity scene at St Joseph’s Cathedral compound on Christmas Day. Churches across Abu Dhabi and throughout the emirates were busy as Christians flocked to masses and services to mark the birth of Jesus. Eight masses, five languages, page 2. Reem Mohammed / The National

Tunisia warned of returning jihadis Security forces say militants must not be allowed back TUNIS // Tunisia’s security forces yesterday called on the government to take “exceptional measures” to stop the return of citizens who fought for extremist groups abroad.

“The return of terrorists from hotbeds of unrest is worrying and could lead to the ‘Somalisation’ of the country,” the internal security forces’ national

Zayed inspires Year of Giving Crown Prince lauds humanitarian vision of UAE’s Founder The National staff

ABU DHABI // Fostering a sense of duty to give to society will be one of the main aims of a campaign announced for the new year.

The Year of Giving 2017 seeks to promote a culture of social responsibility – a cause held in

high regard by Sheikh Zayed, the nation’s Founder.

The initiative, which was announced by the President Sheikh Khalifa on Saturday, has three main pillars: creating a sense of community responsibility in the private sector, encouraging a spirit of volunteering and instilling loyalty and commitment in a new generation of Emiratis to serve their country.

“In the UAE, we are combining our efforts in generous giving and are one in sowing the seeds of giving to promote happi-

ness for all humanity,” Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, was reported by government news agency Wam as saying.

The country’s many achievements would not have been possible without the philanthropy and guiding vision of the country’s Founder, as well as the UAE’s policies which strongly uphold humanitarian principles, said Sheikh Mohammed.

union said, referring to the collapse of Somalia and its division into warring tribes and factions in the 1990s and the presence of Al Shabab violence that threatens its recovery today.

Battle-hardened fighters “have received military training and have learnt to use all sorts of sophisticated weapons”, it said.

The warning came a day after Tunisian authorities said they had arrested three members of a suspected terrorist cell , including the nephew of Anis Amri – a Tunisian who had pledged allegiance to ISIL and who drove a lorry into a crowd-

more A GENERATION FIT TO SERVE National Service recruits will be urged to shape up and improve their fitness standards, page 5

FILIPINOS FEAR FOR THEIR LOVED ONES Expats in UAE seek reassurance as typhoon rages across the Philippines, world, page 8

Year of Giving, continued on 5 →

Red Army Choir killed in plane crash TOUGH ROAD FOR ARAMCO IPO

MOSCOW // Sixty-four mem-

bers of the Red Army Choir died in a plane crash yesterday.

The Tu-154 military aircraft carrying 84 passengers and eight crew crashed into the Black Sea minutes after taking off from Sochi. There were no survivors.

The plane was taking the choir, the Alexandrov Ensemble, to the Hemeimeem air base in Latakia in Syria, where they were to perform a New Year concert for Russian forces.

The ensemble, formed in the 1920s by the composer of the Soviet national anthem, has entertained audiences worldwide.

Among the dead was its leader, Valery Khalilov, a conductor and composer. “Losing such a

Changing of the guard in Washington poses questions for Saudi oil, business, page 1

ANSWERS TO THE CHELSEA QUESTION

Bodies were recovered from the wreckage. Viktor Klyushin / AP Photo

great collective all at once is a great tragedy,” Moscow city’s culture chief Alexander Kibovsky said.

Also among the victims was Yelizaveta Glinka, a Russian

doctor who has won acclaim for her work in war zones. She was taking a shipment of medicine to a hospital in Syria.

Plane crash tragedy, page 6

Conte’s strategy gives Premier League opponents big problems, sport, page 3

TASTE OF HOME BUT SO FAR AWAY Syrian chef brings special touch to fare at refugee camp in Greece, World, page 9

ed Christmas market in Berlin last Monday.

Tunisia has suffered a number of extremist attacks since its 2011 revolution, including violence against foreign tourists, and the United Nations estimates there are more than 5,000 Tunisians fighting for extremist outfits, mainly in Iraq and Syria.

Hundreds of people gathered outside parliament in Tunis on Saturday to protest against letting those militants back in the country.

On Friday, interior minister Hedi Majdoub told parliament that 800 citizens who had fought

for extremist groups abroad had since returned.

President Beji Caid Essebsi said this month the government would refuse to pardon Tunisians who fought for extremist groups but could not stop them from returning home.

“Many of them want to return, and we can’t prevent a Tunisian from returning to his country,” he said, “but we will be vigilant”.

Following criticism in the press and on social media, Mr Caid Essebsi later said “we will not be indulgent with the terrorists”.

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Agence France-Presse

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The National

Monday, December 26, 2016 www.thenational.ae

christmas2016

Christians flock to services Eight masses held in five languages as worshippers celebrate the birth of Jesus at St Paul’s Church in Mussaffah, and many find strength in their religious community when their thoughts turn to families back home, Ramona Ruiz reports tant that we share our Christmas joy with others.”

Families and friends posed for photos in front of a large Christmas tree near the church entrance, while others prayed in front of a statue of Mary.

Among them were Liji Joseph, 32, her husband Binu, 34, and their daughters Rose and Elsa, aged 3 and 5.

“Our Christmas this year is very special,” she said. “Both my parents are visiting from India to attend mass and celebrate with us, so it’s a wonderful feeling. We would like them to experience the Christmas spirit here, in a Muslim country.”

The previous night, thousands headed towards the church to attend five masses, including carol singing and the Christmas Eve high mass at 11.30pm.

“Christmas is a time of joy and peace,” said Father Ani Xavier, the church’s parish priest. “It’s a time of rejoicing in the presence of one another because in the history of the Catholic Church we are celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.

“I’m so happy that we are able to celebrate Christmas, and we are so grateful to the country’s Rulers, especially to the President Sheikh Khalifa and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, who have given a place for us. We are praying for the Ruler’s family and may God continue to bless them with good health, happiness and peace. We also pray for the prosperity of this country.”

Worshippers attend the Christmas Day mass at St Joseph’s Cathedral in Abu Dhabi yesterday. Photos Reem Mohammed / The National

The opening of St Paul’s Church in June last year highlights the religious tolerance of the country’s leaders. The 4,560 square metre complex is built on land that was given by Abu Dhabi Municipality, under the directives of the Office of the Crown Prince, in 2011.

“We experience religious tolerance here and we have the freedom to practice and express our faith,” Fr Xavier said. “All the credit goes to the Rulers, their families and the Ministers of this country.”

In his Christmas sermon, Fr Xavier told worshippers: “The birth of Jesus was first proclaimed to the shepherds, who were simple

and ordinary people. So in the same way, as we are celebrating Christmas today, we have to give importance to the ordinary people, such as labourers, in this part of the world. We have to reach out to the poor, the sick and the elderly.

“Jesus chose to be poor and we are called to love the poor. We have to live a simple life and whatever God-given resources we have has to be shared to the poor, the needy and those who are suffering.”

rruiz@thenational.ae Bishop Paul Hinder of the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia conducts the Christmas Day mass at St Joseph’s Cathedral.

Notebook, Comment, page 11

Church // Recovery

Bittersweet celebration in Iraqi Christian town QARAQOSH, IRAQ // Iraqi Chris-

tians celebrated a bittersweet Christmas in a town near Mosul from which they fled more than two years ago after it was captured by ISIL. Residents returned to Qaraqosh, east of Mosul, for Christmas mass at the Mar Yohanna church, but they are still displaced and longing to return permanently.

“This feeling is indescribable ... we were waiting for it,” said Imama Behnan, one of the worshippers, as the church bells rang.

But she later began crying over what was lost when ISIL group overran the area in 2014, prompting its population to flee.

“I am crying for Qaraqosh, crying for our house, for our place,” said Ms Behnan.

ISIL “forced us from our houses and stole our money, and after we returned, after the liberation, we saw that they burned the houses,” she said.

Iraqi forces recaptured Qaraqosh from ISIL as part of a massive military operation to retake Mosul, the last jihadist-held city in the country, which was launched on October 17.

Before the mass, Christian militiamen with Kalashnikov rifles swept the area around the church, which was vandalised by the extremists, while others dusted off long-disused pews inside.

“It brings back memories. It was two years for us that we did not attend mass here,” said Rassen Yohanna, one of the worshippers at the mass.

“It feels ... like a real Christmas.”

Fajr

Father Yonan Hanno, who served at Mar Yohanna church prior to the ISIL assault, said he hoped the mass would be a new beginning, but that the area must be stabilised before true recovery can begin.

“God willing, this mass will be the beginning of new hope, especially because this mass is on Christmas,” he said.

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Agence France-Presse

Worshippers mark Christmas Day at Mar Yohanna church in Qaraqosh, Mosul, recently liberated from ISIL. Chris McGrath / Getty Images

Rabea Al Awwal 27, 1438 prayer times

ABU DHABI // Away from the hustle and bustle of the capital, the air buzzed with Christmas spirit yesterday.

Thousands of Catholics in their suits and saris headed to St Paul’s Church in Mussaffah, where eight Christmas masses were celebrated. Services were conducted in English, Malayalam, Tamil, Konkani and Tagalog starting at 4am and ending until 8.30pm.

Churchgoers said they missed their families back home, but the mass allowed them to enjoy the spirit of Christmas.

“I feel really, really sad and lonely,” said Anthony Okoloba, 45, a safety professional who has worked in Abu Dhabi for 15 months.

“In Nigeria, by now, there would be lots of songs, so many carols, and music everywhere. The celebrations are colourful.”

He had taken a day off to spend the holiday with his friends.

“I really miss my wife and two daughters,” he said. “But I’m glad to be part of a very active African community here. Today, my friend here, who’s a good cook, will be preparing our traditional dishes and we’ll have a simple celebration at our accommodation.”

Sagaya Nesan, 50, a church coordinator from India who has lived in the capital for 12 years, spent Christmas away from his wife and two sons, aged 15 and 18.

“Many of us are not with our families today but we belong to a community,” he said. “It’s impor-

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For a complete coverage of Christmas, visit thenational.ae/world

Pope calls for guns to fall silent in the Middle East ‘Far too much blood has been spilled’, says pontiff as he comforts victims of terrorism and urges Israel-Palestinian peace efforts VATICAN CITY // Pope Francis urged peace in the Middle East yesterday as tens of thousands gathered to hear his Christmas address – also offering comfort to victims of terrorism after a year of bloody attacks.

The 80-year-old Argentine called for guns to fall silent in Syria, saying “far too much blood has been spilled” in the nearly six-year conflict.

And he urged Israelis and Palestinians to “have the courage and the determination to write a new page of history” in his message from the balcony of Saint Peter’s Basilica to a crowd of 40,000 gathered in the square below.

As Europe ramped up security for the holiday days after the lorry attack in which 12 people were killed at a Berlin Christmas market, the leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Roman Catholics said he hoped for “peace to those who have lost a person dear to them as a result of brutal acts of terrorism”.

In Milan, where suspected Berlin attacker Anis Amri was killed in a police shootout on Friday, there was a heavy police presence around the cathedral. The entrance has been protected by

concrete barriers since the Berlin attack.

In France, where the Berlin killings raised grim memories of the lorry attack in June that left 86 people dead, 91,000 members of the security forces have been deployed to guard public spaces including churches and markets over the weekend.

Religious ceremonies in Germany were sombre with the weight of Monday’s attack in Berlin, which was claimed by ISIL. “Christmas this year carries a deep wound – we are celebrating this festival in a different way this year,” said Gebhard Fuerst, bishop of Rothenburg in the southeast.

But Baden bishop Jochen Cornelius-Bundschuh offered a note of hope.

“At Christmas, a light shines in the world – it shines in powerful darknesses like those we have seen in recent years with the horror of war, civil war and terrorist attacks,” he said.

In Bethlehem, about 2,500 worshippers packed the Church of the Nativity complex – built over the grotto where Christians believe Jesus was born – for midnight mass.

Pope Francis delivers his Christmas day blessing from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. Alessandra Tarantino / AP Photo

Pakistani Christians celebrate Christmas in Karachi. Christians form the largest religious minority group in Pakistan. Rahat Dar / EPA

Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa used his sermon there to plead for compassion for refugees and for a halt to the violence across much of the Middle East.

“We fear the stranger who knocks at the door of our home

and at the borders of our countries,” he said.

“Closed doors, defended borders before personal and political choices are a metaphor for the fear that inevitably breeds the violent dynamics of the present time.”

Pope Francis struck a similar tone in his Christmas Eve mass, urging a 10,000-strong crowd in St Peter’s Square to feel compassion for children, notably victims of war, migration and homelessness.

Meanwhile, Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury who leads the world’s Anglicans, said 2016 had left the world more divided and fearful.

“The end of 2016 finds us all in a different kind of world – one less predictable and certain, which feels more awash with fear and division,” he was due to say in his sermon yesterday.

Queen Elizabeth missed the Christmas Day church service attended by the British royal family as she suffered from a heavy cold, said Buckingham Palace.

The 90-year-old, who is the supreme governor of the Church of England, was to join in family festivities later in the day.

Elsewhere in the world, despite the security fears, many were

braving winter temperatures to take part in traditional pastimes ans seasonal activities. Among them, about30 hardy Slovaks took part in a winter swim at Bratislava’s Zlate Piesky lake.

But in conflict-torn areas, there were reminders of the violence that has ravaged the world this year.

Christians in Aleppo, Syria were preparing for Christmas services after president Bashar Al Assad’s forces retook full control of the country’s second city.

The Old City’s Saint Elias Cathedral, its roof collapsed because of rocket fire, was to host its first Christmas mass in five years.

And in Bartalla, near the Iraqi city of Mosul, Christians filled the pews of the fire-damaged Mar Shimoni church for the first service since the town was retaken from ISIL militants who seized it in 2014.

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Agence France-Presse

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Monday, December 26, 2016 www.thenational.ae

The National

upfront Netanyahu retaliates after vote on settlers

Syria

Israeli prime minister and his cabinet ramp up rhetoric against UN and Obama in wake of bruising by Security Council JERUSALEM // Israel yesterday summoned representatives of states that supported a United Nations resolution demanding it halt settlement activity, while cutting civilian coordination with Palestinians by way of rebuke.

Foreign ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon said the 14 envoys of UN Security Council members were to visit the ministry in Jerusalem throughout the day.

The Council passed the measure on Friday after the United States abstained, enabling the adoption of the first resolution since 1979 to condemn Israel for its settlement policy. The US envoy was not summoned.

The resolution demands “Israel immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem”.

It says settlements have “no legal validity” and are “dangerously imperilling the viability of the two-state solution”.

Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who rejected the resolution as a “shameful blow against Israel,” repeated the Israeli claim that US president Barack Obama and secretary of state John Kerry were behind the resolution.

“We have no doubt that the Obama administration initiated it, stood behind it, coordinated the drafts and demanded to pass it,” Mr Netanyahu said at a weekly cabinet meeting.

“This is, of course, in total contradiction to the traditional American policy of not trying

to impose conditions of a final resolution,” Mr Netanyahu said, “and of course the explicit commitment of president Obama himself in 2011 to avoid such measures.”

While the resolution contains no sanctions, Israeli officials are concerned it could widen the possibility of prosecution at the International Criminal Court.

They are also worried it could encourage some countries to impose sanctions against Israeli settlers and goods produced in the settlements.

Also yesterday, army radio reported that defence minister Avigdor Lieberman ordered the Israeli security establishment to cease to all cooperation on civilian matters with the Palestinians, while retaining security coordination.

Israeli officials refused to comment on the report.

The measures taken yesterday joined Mr Netanyahu’s order to review engagements at the UN, including funding for its agencies and the presence of its representatives in Israel.

Right-wing public security minister Gilad Erdan said on Saturday that Israel should “announce a full annexation of settlement blocs” in response to the resolution.

Education minister Naftali Bennett, of the far-right Jewish Home party, told army radio that his party would “soon propose a bill to annex Maale Adumim”, a settlement city east of Jerusalem.

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Soldiers and armour in the Zabadia district of Aleppo – their next stop may be Idlib, where protracted fighting is expected. EPA

Assad eyes up his next target → Idlib, continued from 1

As a result, Fatah Al Sham is the dominant force in Idlib, with a number of allied factions in its orbit. The group’s close relationship with many other rebel factions in Idlib blurs the lines between more moderate opposition fighters and extremists more than anywhere else in the conflict.

When the government attack on Idlib does come, it would not be surprising if international criticism of the its actions is muted compared with the response to its actions in Aleppo.

After Donald Trump assumes the presidency of the United States next month, it is also not out of the realm of possibility that strikes against Fatah Al Sham, and potentially its allies, could increase given his state-

ments about working with Russia in Syria.

Analysts agree that the fight for Idlib will be difficult, but not that it will be the regime’s next target.

While heavy concentrations of government forces and heavy weapons left over from the offensive on nearby Aleppo would make it easier to attack Idlib, the regime may have more pressing concerns.

With government and allied forces massed in Aleppo, ISIL was able to retake the ancient city of Palmyra on December 11. The government’s capture of the city in March was one of its most celebrated victories of the war, marked by a Russian orchestra playing a concert amid the Roman ruins.

This time around, retaking Palmyra holds even greater sym-

bolic importance for the government, as well as strategic importance. But if taking the city – and keeping hold of it afterwards – requires a significant number of troops, progress elsewhere could stall.

The government could also look to make headway against rebel pockets in southern Syria, or continue a push into ISIL territory in the north-east.

Or, rather than a full-scale assault, pro-government forces could also try to make small, specific gains in Idlib over time.

The government is also likely to face pressure from allied Iranbacked factions to retake the two besieged Shiite villages of Foua and Kefraya in the province.

“I just have difficulty imagining that they would try to roll up the whole of Idlib at once because that would be a huge

undertaking,” said Aron Lund, a Syria expert with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington.

“They’re shipping rebels to Idlib in order to deal with them later and reduce the number of active fronts they have at one time … for Assad you can also just kind of leave Idlib stewing to some extent and deal with everything else.”

Even if an attack on Idlib is imminent, its main thrust could still be distant.

“If the regime chooses to do Idlib, it will be premised on – like in Aleppo – several months of very heavy bombardment.

I don’t think we’d see major ground operations for a while,” said Mr Lister of the Middle East Institute.

jwood@thenational.ae

Rebels blamed for ‘poisoning’ Damascus water

Agence France-Presse

Capital on reserve supply after three days of shortages

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives for a weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem yesterday. AP Photo

DAMASCUS // Residents of the Syrian capital were facing their third consecutive day of water shortages yesterday, with authorities accusing “terrorist groups” of poisoning water resources.

The government cut off water to Damascus on Friday after concerns that rebel groups west of the city had poisoned wells and pipes.

The city’s water supply and sewage authority said it had halted supplies after “terrorist attacks on all water resources

feeding into Damascus and its surroundings”.

It said it was using reserves and would pump water to city neighbourhoods, according to its website.

“Water has been totally cut for three days,” said Rasha, a 51-year-old housewife. “We can live without electricity but we can’t live without water.”

Supplies were pumped briefly to two districts on Saturday, but tanks were empty again yesterday.

According to state news agency Sana, rebel groups attacked springs at Wadi Barada and Ain Al Fijeh, about 15 kilometres north-west of Damascus.

It did not specify the type of attack, but the daily Al Watan, which is close to the govern-

ment, accused rebels of “contaminating the water resources into Damascus with pollutants and diesel”.

An estimated 1.5 million people live inside Damascus proper, with another 3.5 million in its suburbs.

While the capital has remained relatively insulated from the civil war, rebel factions have seized territory across Damascus province.

The water shortages have come as Syrian government forces bombard Wadi Barada and Ain Al Fijeh, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The Britain-based monitor said government forces were shelling the area to pressure rebel factions and Jabhat Fatah Al Sham to accept a reconciliation deal.

Fatah Al Sham, formerly known as Jabhat Al Nusra, changed its name after renouncing ties to Al Qaeda this year.

Under such local reconciliation deals, rebels agree to leave a town or village in exchange for safe passage elsewhere, often after months of devastating siege or bombardment.

Over the past five months , such agreements have led to the evacuation of at least six towns around Damascus, with rebels, their families and other civilians transported to opposition-held areas in northern Syria.

More than 310,000 people have been killed since Syria’s conflict erupted nearly six years ago.

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Agence France-Presse

Monday, December 26, 2016 www.thenational.ae

The National

05

theemirates Drive for military recruits to shape up Campaign on social media will encourage widespread participation to get fit after many recruits found to be overweight Thamer Al Subaihi

ABU DHABI // A campaign aimed at improving military recruits’ fitness was launched yesterday.

The National Service and Reserve Staff Authority initiative was created after many National Service conscripts were found to be in relatively poor health.

The year-long Your Body Is Your Responsibility campaign intends to engage Emirati youth and the community using a social media campaign.

Gen Sheikh Ahmed bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, director of the National Service Authority, said a collective effort was needed to ensure the readiness of recruits beginning their service.

“The most important aspect is participation,” he said. “If all participate – not only government and the companies but also the community – then the initiative will be successful.”

Lt Col Dr Moza Al Shehhi, head of the physical readiness department at the authority, said National Service provided an opportunity to cut the prevalence of obesity in the country.

Dr Al Shehhi said a study of recruits at the start of National Service in 2014 found that 68 per cent of those serving were as overweight or obese.

“We found there was a problem with physical inactivity and overweight and obesity,” said Dr Al Shehhi, who completed a doctoral degree on obesity in the UAE. She said the authority would collaborate with the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation to get the message across to Emiratis at an earlier age.

Dr Al Shehhi hoped a pre-National Service programme would be implemented in schools.

From next month, the campaign will focus on the merits of physical fitness and sports.

It will then highlight a different health topic each month of 2017.

Other subjects covered will include obesity, nutrition, mental health, smoking, health during Ramadan, drug awareness and vitamin D. Dr Maha El Adawy, director of health protection and promotion at the World Health Organisation’s Eastern Mediterranean office, praised the campaign because it was at the heart of her organisation’s mission.

“We know that chronic illnesses start at a very young age, so initiatives such as this targeting children and families to promote their physical activity and

Lt Col Dr Moza Al Shehhi, head of the physical readiness department, Homaid Al Shimmari, Mubadala chief executive with responsibility for defence, and Dr Maha El Adawy, director of health protection and promotion at the World Health Organisation. Antonie Robertson / The National

nutrition are key,” the director said.

With 28 per cent of men in the region in ill health compared to almost 40 per cent of women, Dr El Adawy said it was important for the message to reach women.

The campaign’s app, Tahaddi,

or Challenge, will include customised exercise programmes, healthy eating, and diet programmes as well as recording daily activity and sleep.

Dr Al Shehhi said further awareness among women was being achieved through the fe-

male military recruits. “We have a large number of women joining the military for the purpose of being physically active,” she said.

“This will affect our reach as they are, or will be, mothers who will educate their children

and raise them to be healthy.”

The campaign has also been supported by the UAE Jiu Jitsu Federation and the sports councils of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah.

talsubaihi@thenational.ae

Know the score before you take off Founder inspires

the Year of Giving

They might well be gifts, but drones need licence to fly Dana Moukhallati

DUBAI // Anyone who received a drone as a present this year has been reminded that they must register it with authorities.

Saif Al Suwaidi, director general of the General Civil Aviation Authority, said it was important people knew the regulations that govern drone ownership.

“Whether it is received as a gift or bought by the person, it doesn’t matter. People need to register their drones with the GCAA,” Mr Al Suwaidi said.

“We recommend that people visit the GCAA website and read the rules along with the instructions on how to register their devices.”

Dubai International Airport was shut down for about half an hour on September 28 as a result of unauthorised drone flights within its airspace.

Hobbyists and professionals, no-one is excluded from the rules and drone owners need a licence. Mona Al-Marzooqi / The National

Drones are prohibited within 5 kilometres of the UAE’s airports.

The following day, the GCAA issued a regulation requiring drone operators to hold a permit and liability insurance of at least Dh2 million.

Mansour Al Baloushi, chairman of Sanad Air Academy, which has been endorsed by the

Dubai Civil Aviation Authority to provide certification for remote drone use, said that they test the operators before they register them with the GCAA. “Any drone with a camera, no matter what size, needs to be registered and cleared,” he said. “We also make sure that the hobbyist knows the latest rules and regulations, so he

knows what he’s in for.”

Binod Kumar, general manager of the Ultimate Hobby shop in Dubai, had not noticed an increase in drone sales this season but said he always tells his customers to register their devices.

“Some use drones as a hobby, while others for professional purposes,” he said. “We always tell our customers to register.”

Mr Kumar said that since the regulations came into effect, people were very cooperative.

He advised customers so “they know how to fly their devices safely and in what areas and places they are allowed to fly them”.

Business users must comply with different rules and need to obtain both GCAA operating approvals and, when cameras are used, security clearance.

Anyone using a drone without authorisation could face up to one year in prison and a Dh50,000 fine.

To register a drone or for more information, visit the GCAA website at www.gcaa.gov.ae.

dmoukhallati@thenational.ae

→ Year of Giving, continued from 1

“The Year of Giving is being embraced by the UAE as a continuous approach to promoting the values of volunteering and community responsibility so as to bolster cohesion and solidarity of society,” he said.

“This approach inspires a roadmap for a state that was founded on the principles of generous giving, human dignity and establishing the values of tolerance and cooperation.”

The announcement has been met with widespread support.

“What the UAE leadership seeks is to nurture the seedling planted by the forefathers and instilled in the minds of its people so as to keep them in harmony, solidarity and love and empower them to rush to the help of all those in distress anywhere in the world,” said Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed, Ruler’s Representative in the Western Region and President of the Emirates Red Crescent.

Shamma Al Mazrui, Minister of State for Youth Affairs, said the announcement was the best beginning to a new year.

“It is a country that was found-

New council to grow country’s green economy other ministries, including Zahra El Aboudi, undersecretary of the Ministry of Infrastructure Development, Sultan Al Shamsi, assistant undersecretary of the Ministry of Economy, and 25 other government and ministerial officials.

The council will represent the UAE in regional and international negotiations relat-

ed to the scope of work of the ministry.

“The ministry will seek to find innovative solutions for pressing environmental issues that we face without compromising economic development and yet protect our culture and heritage,” said Dr Al Zeyoudi.

Year of Giving announcement has been met with widespread support

ed on giving back, and is being led by leaders who are giving back and presenting a model for the youth to follow.”

She called upon the youth of the country to respond to the declaration and calls of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to promote the culture of giving back. “The UAE youth are leaders of generous giving, promoting giving back, and serving their nation in all domains.”

The UAE would remain a philanthropic leader thanks to the efforts being exerted by its wise leadership and the people’s loyalty to the principles upheld by the Founding Fathers, she said.

Sultan Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy, said the Year of Giving ushered in a new year and new milestones in terms of charity, nationalism and volunteerism.

“It will help reinforce the strong values adopted by the UAE since its initial founding, while at the same time setting its eyes firmly on the future and the potential of the UAE to enhance its position and become one of the world’s leading and most developed nations.

“We are confident that the three main themes, strengthening social responsibility in the private sector, promoting spirit of volunteerism, and strengthening the concept of serving the nation in the new generations, announced

by Sheikh Khalifa, will be a strong catalyst for change. With hard work and determination, the public and private sectors, and aided by individuals, can help serve this beloved country and promote the value of social responsibility.”

ABU DHABI // A council to develop policies to protect the environment was formed by the Government yesterday.

The UAE Council for Climate Change and Environment will make recommendations for a green economy through man-

agement of natural resources.

The ministry formed the council following directives of President Sheikh Khalifa, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai.

The council was established through a decision by Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment.

Its members will come from

SEARCH ON FOR TALENTED PUPILS

TWO MEN ARRESTED FOR HASHISH HAUL

ARABIC FOCUS AT SHARJAH ACADEMY

POLICEMAN DENIES BRIBERY CHARGES

Nine public schools across Abu Dhabi emirate are taking part in a pilot programme to identify and nurture gifted and talented pupils. Schools are in the process of selecting the youngsters and will provide activities addressing their academic needs. A parental workshop will be offered to help them support gifted children. “By working in partnership with parents, we can help these pupils to achieve at the highest international levels and become the leaders of the future,” said Dr Mona Alameri of the Abu Dhabi Education Council.

A lorry driver has been arrested for trying to smuggle 213 kilograms of hashish through the border from Oman into Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Police and Abu Dhabi Customs said the driver, who was of Asian origin, was to deliver the drugs to an unemployed man from a Gulf country. This man had been under surveillance and he was also arrested. Maj Gen Maktoum Al Sharifi, director general of the Abu Dhabi Police, said his force was committed to keeping the emirates “free from Abu Dhabi Police and Abu Dhabi Customs display the 213 kilograms of the dangers and the scourge the hashish seized at a border port. Courtesy Abu Dhabi Police of drugs”.

An academy to preserve the Arabic language has been set up in Sharjah. The academy, which was formed after a decree by Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, will focus on maintaining Arabic by keeping it relevant to sciences, technology, literature and arts. Aisha Saif, former secretary general of Sharjah Education Council, said Arabic was “suffering alienation within its very home, as it is being used incorrectly, mixed with foreign languages and replaced with these languages by younger generations”.

A policeman sought a Dh2,000 bribe to help a prisoner escape from custody, a court heard.

The 31-year-old is charged with asking for and accepting a bribe between August and October. He denied the charges in Dubai Criminal Court. A 29-year-old Bangladeshi, who is a friend of the accused, said he met the officer in a cafeteria a month before his friend was arrested and taken to Al Rafaa police station. The officer was paid Dh900 upfront, with the rest to be paid when the prisoner was released. The next hearing will be on January 15.

The National staff

newsdesk@thenational.ae

newsdesk@thenational.ae

06

Monday, December 26, 2016 www.thenational.ae

The National

theworld Aviation disaster

Russian plane crash leaves no survivors Red Army Choir members among 92 passengers on Syria-bound flight that crashed in the Black Sea near Sochi MOSCOW // A Russian military plane crashed on its way to Syria yesterday, with no sign of survivors among the 92 on board. They included dozens of Red Army Choir members.

The Tu-154 plane went down in the Black Sea shortly after taking off from the southern city of Adler where it had been refuelling, defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said.

It disappeared from radar two minutes after it took off at 5.25am.

The ministry said there was no sign of survivors and that 10 bodies had been recovered off the coast of the resort city of Sochi. Authorities dispatched more than 100 divers to aid in the search.

“Fragments of the Tu-154 plane of the Russian defence ministry were found 1.5 kilometres from Sochi at a depth of 50 to 70 metres,” the ministry said.

President Vladimir Putin said Russia would observe a national day of mourning today.

The plane was on a routine flight to Russia’s Hmeimim airbase in western Syria, which has been used to launch air strikes in Moscow’s military campaign supporting its ally president Bashar Al Assad in the country’s civil war.

Among the passengers were Russian servicemen as well as 64 members of the Red Army Choir, the army’s official musical group, and its conductor Valery Khalilov. They were headed to Syria to participate in New Year celebrations at the airbase.

Also on board were nine jour-

nalists, with state-run channels Pervy Kanal, NTV and Zvezda saying they each had three staff on the flight.

There were eight crew members, the ministry said.

A list of passengers published by the defence ministry included Elizaveta Glinka, a doctor and charity worker who served on the Kremlin human rights council.

Mikhail Fedotov, who heads the council, said Glinka was travelling to Syria to bring medication to a university hospital in the coastal city of Latakia near the airbase, agencies reported.

Mr Al Assad, as well as German chancellor Angela Merkel, Turkish prime minister Binali Yildirim and the US embassy in Moscow, expressed condolences.

Mr Putin was being updated on the search operation and was in regular contact with defence minister Sergei Shoigu.

Mr Konashenkov said that deputy defence minister Pavel Popov had flown to Adler along with a team tasked with clarifying the circumstances surrounding the crash.

Transport minister Maxim Sokolov, who is heading a state commission investigating the crash, is also on his way to the region, the Kremlin said.

The ministry has not put forward any possible causes of the crash.

Mr Konashenkov said that the aircraft had been in service since 1983 and had flown about 7,000 hours. The plane last underwent repairs in December 2014 and was serviced in September, he said.

A memorial outside their home stage in Moscow for the 64 Red Army Choir members killed yesterday in a Russian military plane crash. EPA

Russia’s investigative committee said a criminal probe had been launched to determine whether violations of air transportation safety had led to the crash.

Investigators are questioning the technical personnel responsible for preparing the plane for take-off, the committee said.

Tu-154 aircraft have been involved in a number of accidents in the past.

In April 2010, many high-ranking Polish officials, including president Lech Kaczynski, were killed when a Tu-154 airliner went down in thick fog while approaching Smolensk airport in western Russia.

Moscow has been conducting a bombing campaign in Syria in support of Mr Assad since September last year and has taken steps to boost its presence in the country.

In October, Mr Putin approved a law ratifying Moscow’s deal with Damascus to deploy its forces in the country indefinitely, firming up Russia’s longterm presence in Syria.

Russian warplanes have flown out of the Hmeimim base to conduct air strikes. The base is also home to a S-400 air defence system.

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Agence France-Presse

Omanis go to the polls to vote in municipal elections MUSCAT // Voters in Oman headed to the polls yesterday to choose municipal councillors in only the second local election held in the sultanate.

More than 620,000 Omanis were registered to take part in the election, which will choose 202 councillors for 11 municipalities, including the capital Muscat. There were 731 candidates, including 23 women, for the four-year posts.

The councillors will have limited powers, as authorities designate the chairmen and deputy chairmen for the municipalities from outside those elected.

“I voted for the person who

will best represent me,” said Jawhara Al Zadjali as she left a Muscat polling station.

Ruled by Sultan Qaboos since 1970, Oman has made tenta-

More than 620,000 Omanis registered to vote in second local election

tive steps towards reform in recent years, although political parties are banned.

In 1994, it became the first Gulf monarchy to allow women to vote. In 2011, Sultan Qaboos decreed that elections be held for municipal councils.

At the national level, Oman has a consultative council with limited powers, the 85-member Majlis Al Shura.

Sultan Qaboos slightly expanded the powers of the majlis in 2011 after social unrest when the normally quiet nation became caught up in the protests that swept the Arab world.

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Agence France-Presse

Devastating blow to potent symbol of Russian prowess MOSCOW // The renowned Red Army Choir, which lost 64 members in a plane crash yesterday, has been a powerful symbol for projecting Moscow’s military and artistic might to millions around the world.

Founded in 1928, the military Alexandrov Ensemble, more widely known as the Red Army Choir, has for decades showcased its repertoire of famed Russian folk songs and spiritual music on the global stage.

The booming baritones and melodies of the all-male choir presented a human face to many on the other side of the Iron Curtain of the Soviet Union’s Red Army that swept across Europe as part of the victory over Germany in the Second World War. During the Cold War the group was one of the rare Soviet ensembles to tour beyond the Eastern bloc, playing a prominent role in the Kremlin’s attempts to portray itself to the rest of the world.

Along with ballerinas from the

The Red Army Choir has long been acclaimed for its first-rate singers, and as a useful tool for ‘soft diplomacy’. Yuri Kochetkov / AFP

world-renowned Bolshoi theatre, for many beyond the country the military ensemble, which has 200 members, came to be synonymous with Soviet culture.

The ensemble was directed for its first 18 years by Alexander Alexandrov, after whom the group is named, a legendary composer who wrote the music for the stirring Soviet national anthem.

After Alexandrov’s death the

ensemble was taken over by his son, Boris. The current leader, Valery Khalilov, who was only handed the baton this year, was one of the choir on board the jet that crashed into the Black Sea. After the crash, Russia’s deputy prime minister Olga Golodets said Khalilov’s death was an “irreplaceable loss”.

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Agence France-Presse

Hadi visits recaptured port city for first time in violent day across Yemen ADEN // Yemen’s president Ab-

drabu Mansur Hadi yesterday visited Mukalla for the first time since pro-government forces retook it from Al Qaeda in April.

Mr Hadi was accompanied by prime minister Ahmed bin Dagher on his visit to the southeast port city.

They met political and military officials from Hadramawt province, of which Mukalla is the capital.

Mr Hadi praised efforts to eradicate “forces of evil and terrorism” and bring security and stability back to Mukalla.

He stressed the need to “tighten our ranks to meet the challenges we face”, a reference to

Al Qaeda fighters still active across the vast province.

His internationally recognised government has been based in Aden since it was retaken from Iran-backed Houthi rebels last year.

The retaking of Mukalla was facilitated by the intervention of Emirati special forces, members of a Saudi-led coalition that back Mr Hadi’s government.

About 100 kilometres north of Mukalla yesterday, a local official survived an assassination attempt that security sources said was carried out by Al Qaeda.

Faraj Neji survived the ambush in Shibam, but two of his

guards were killed. A military official said yesterday that five rebels were killed in a coalition air raid in the southern Shabwa province.

Also in Shabwa, three armed tribesmen were killed in an ambush by fighters belonging to the Yemeni branch of Al Qaeda.

In the north, a Saudi soldier was killed in a cross-border fight with rebels, the interior ministry in Riyadh said yesterday.

A border post was attacked overnight by Houthis, a spokesman said, adding that a soldier wounded in the exchange died before reaching hospital.

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Agence France-Presse

TERROR SUSPECTS DIE IN POLICE RAID

7.7-MAGNITUDE QUAKE HITS CHILE

VERY ILL BOY RAISES RED SEA RESORT €2.6M FOR CHARITY ATTACKERS JAILED

JAKARTA // Indonesian police yesterday shot dead two terrorist suspects and arrested two others days after foiling plans by an ISIL-linked group for a suicide bombing near the capital, Jakarta, during Christmas. The pair were shot at a house in Purwakarta, 100 kilometres east of Jakarta after allegedly resisting arrest. Police raided the house after arresting and interrogating two men yesterday morning.

The suspects attacked officers with knives but gave up after being shot and wounded, police said. No explosives were found.

– AFP

SANTIAGO // Thousands of people were evacuated from coastal areas in southern Chile yesterday after a Christmas Day earthquake that initially triggered a tsunami alert. The quake was at a magnitude of 7.7, said the US geological survey. There were no immediate reports of casualties, although some communities suffered cuts to electricity supply. After the quake, Chilean authorities issued a tsunami alert and urged people to flee to high ground. The alert was later downgraded to a “state of precaution”. – AFP

THE HAGUE // A terminally ill six-year-old Dutch boy, who hoped to raise a few hundred euros by daring people to paint their nails, has raised €2.6 million (Dh10m). Tijn Kolsteren, who was diagnosed with brain cancer in May, launched the appeal only three days ago, but it fired the imagination of the public. The Dutch press hailed the boy as a hero, with a tabloid publishing on Friday a picture of him dressed as a superhero under the headline “SuperTijn”.

The charity appeal is part of a traditional event in The Netherlands. – AFP

Chileans survey a road that was severely damaged by the earthquake in Tarahuin, on the island of Chiloe, yesterday. Alvaro Vidal / EPA

CAIRO // Egypt yesterday sentenced two men with links to ISIL to life in prison for plotting an attack on a Red Sea resort hotel that injured three tourists, a court official said. Armed with knives, the two stormed the restaurant of the Bella Vista hotel in Hurghada last January as tourists were having dinner, and slightly wounded an elderly Austrian couple and a Swedish tourist. No one claimed responsibility for the attack, during which police shot dead one of the assailants and injured the other. – AFP

Monday, December 26, 2016 www.thenational.ae

The National the world

07

In business today Despite modernisation and market-oriented transformation, Russia’s oil and gas sectors still bear the heavy imprint of the Soviet Union, which ended 25 years ago. Building a diversified economy remains vital but elusive, Robin Mills writes. Page 3

Frankincense forests at risk Over-tapping of trees and an increased demand for the ‘king of essential oil’ is threatening the future availability of frankincense and the livelihoods of those who collect it in Somaliland ERIGAVO, SOMALIA // In a tradition dating to biblical times, men rise at dawn in the rugged Cal Madow mountains of Somaliland to scale rocky outcrops in search of the prized sap of wild frankincense trees.

Bracing against high winds, Musse Ismail Hassan climbs with his feet wrapped in cloth to protect against the sticky resin.

With a metal scraper, he chips off bark and the tree’s white sap bleeds into the salty air.

“My father and grandfather were both doing this job,” said Mr Hassan, who is a Muslim. “We heard that it was with Jesus.”

When dried and burnt, the sap produces a fragrant smoke that perfumes churches and mosques around the world.

Frankincense, along with gold and myrrh, was brought by the Three Kings as gifts in the Gospel account of the birth of Jesus.

‘

Frankincense is something that is literally given by God to humanity. If we don’t preserve it, if we don’t take care of it, if we don’t look after it, we will lose that Shukri Ismail Somaliland’s minister of environment and rural development

But now these last intact wild frankincense forests on Earth are under threat as prices have shot up in recent years with the global appetite for essential oils.

Overharvesting has led to the trees dying off faster than they can be replenished, putting the ancient resin trade at risk.

“Frankincense is something that is literally given by God to humanity. If we don’t preserve it, if we don’t take care of it, if we don’t look after it, we will lose that,” said Shukri Ismail, Somaliland’s minister of environment and rural development.

The Cal Madow mountains, which rise from the Gulf of Aden in sheer cliff faces reaching more than 2,440 metres, are part of Somaliland, an autonomous republic in Somalia’s north-west.

The frankincense trade is Somaliland’s largest source of government revenue after livestock and livestock products, Mr Ismail said.

Harvesting frankincense is risky. The trees can grow high on cliff edges, shallow roots gripping bare rock slithering with venomous snakes. Harvesters often slip and tumble down canyon walls.

“Every year people either break both legs or die. Those casualties are so often,” said Mr Hassan. He wished he had proper ropes and climbing gear for his safety.

“It’s a very dangerous job, but we don’t have any alternative.”

Once the resin is collected, women sort the chunks by colour and size. The various classes of resin are shipped to Yemen, Saudi Arabia and eventually Europe and America.

Besides incense, frankincense gum is distilled into oil for use in perfumes, skin lotions, medicine and chewing gum.

In the last six years, prices for raw frankincense have shot up from about US$1 (Dh3.67) a kilogram to $5 to $7, said Anjanette DeCarlo, an ecologist and director of Conserve Cal Madow, an environmental group.

The rise in demand is the result of stronger marketing in the essential oils industry, which la-

Egypt arrests TV producer for inciting sedition Cairo alleges Al Jazeera false news is to create chaos CAIRO // Egypt confirmed yesterday that it had arrested an Al Jazeera news producer, accusing him of “provoking sedition” on behalf of the Qatar-based broadcaster.

Judicial sources said Mahmoud Hussain, who was detained on Friday, was being

Egypt accuses Al Jazeera of being supportive of the banned Muslim Brotherhood

A harvester collects sap from a frankincense tree in Somaliland. The trees are part of the last wild frankincense forests on Earth.

bels frankincense as the “King of Essential Oils,” Ms DeCarlo said. The dwindling supply of high-quality resin, and competition between exporters, also are factors.

Now over-tapping is destroying the trees across the Cal Madow, as tappers try to extract as much sap as possible and make too many cuts a tree. They also tap the trees year-round rather than seasonally, preventing the trees from recovering.

“The death rate of the adult trees is alarming,” Ms DeCarlo said. “There is potential for regeneration, but it takes about 40 years or so for these trees to become viable for tapping if it’s done right.”

Officials worry the ancient trade could disappear.

“Frankincense that the pharaohs were using came from here, so you could imagine it has a history, it has a rich history,” Mr Ismail said. “I’m afraid that we will lose that rich history.”

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Associated Press

French aid worker abducted in Mali

held on charges of disturbing public security and spreading false news.

The interior ministry said Al Jazeera officials “had ordered some individuals collaborating with the channel inside the country to continue implementing its media plan of provoking sedition, incitement against the state, and spreading chaos through broadcasting false news”.

It identified Hussain as a person implementing that plan for the channel, which is not allowed to operate inside Egypt.

Egypt accuses Al Jazeera of being supportive of the banned Muslim Brotherhood. Al Jazeera was not available for comment.

Egypt has arrested several Al Jazeera reporters over the past two years.

In May, a Cairo court recommended the death penalty against two of them, charged in absentia with endangering national security by leaking state secrets to Qatar.

The Muslim Brotherhood is outlawed as a terrorist organisation in Egypt and president Abdel Fattah El Sisi has cracked down on the group since he took power in 2013 from the Brotherhood’s Mohammed Morsi, following mass protests against his rule.

PARIS // A Frenchwoman who runs an organisation for malnourished children was kidnapped in northern Mali.

Sophie Petronin was abducted in the city of Gao on Saturday, France’s foreign ministry said, adding that French and Malian authorities were working together “to find and free our compatriot as quickly as possible”.

Ms Petronin is the director of an NGO called Aide a Gao (Help Gao) that assists children who suffer from malnutrition. The ministry said officials were in contact with her family.

The aid worker, who is in her sixties, had been working in Gao for a long time as head of the NGO that she founded.

According to French media, she is a doctor specialising in nutrition and tropical diseases who had escaped a kidnapping by extremists in Gao in 2012.

In Paris, prosecutors opened an investigation into her kidnapping, a judicial source said.

She is the latest French aid worker to fall prey to kidnappers in the Sahel.

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Reuters

Agence France-Presse

Women sort raw frankincense gum. Prices have shot up in recent years with the global appetite for essential oils, and overharvesting has led to the trees dying off. Photos Jason Patinkin / AP Photo

08

Monday, December 26, 2016 www.thenational.ae

The National the world

In comment today The recent bombing of a Coptic church in Egypt and the immolation of two Turkish soldiers have spurred discussions about the need to revisit traditional religious texts that extremists use to justify their practices, Hassan Hassan writes. Page 11

Typhoon Nock-Ten

Thousands on move as a precaution Philippine officials warn to brace for rough seas, landslides and flooding as typhoon hits south-east of Manila DARAGA, PHILIPPINES // Babies, toddlers and elderly people were loaded onto military vehicles in wet weather in the Philippines yesterday as tens of thousands fled the path of a typhoon.

Officials warned of waves of up to 2.5-metres high, landslides and flash floods as NockTen closed in on the Bicol peninsula and nearby islands.

More than 100,000 people have left their homes as the severe tropical storm threatened to bring chaos on one of the biggest holidays in the Philippines, with officials saying hundreds of thousands of people could be displaced.

One provincial governor offered roast pig at evacuation centres to entice people to forsake celebrations at home.

“Floods terrify me. Each time I hear about a coming typhoon I want to throw up,” said Criselda Buenvenuto, 68, as she joined neighbours sheltering at a school in the town of Santo Domingo.

The widow has lived alone in the kitchen of her house after the rest of it was destroyed during a typhoon 10 years ago that

Weather forecasters say the typhoon will eventually affect an area that is home to about 42 million people, including Manila today

killed more than 1,000 people.

In Alcala, on the slopes of the active Mayon volcano, about 100 babies, toddlers, parents and elderly people were taken to another school as rain and strong wind shook trees at noon.

“There are large ash deposits on the slopes of Mayon. Heavy rain can dislodge them and bury our homes in mud,” said Alberto Lindo, an official of the farming village of 3,300 people.

“We went around with megaphones and gave instructions to our people to eat breakfast, pack and board the military lorries.”

Nock-Ten, named after a bird found in Laos, hit Bicol on the south of the main island of Luzon yesterday evening.

The US Joint Typhoon Warning Centre forecast sustained winds of 231kph and gusts of 278kph.

The government has forced more than 12,000 residents to move from the Catanduanes coast where the typhoon first made landfall, said provincial vice governor Shirley Abundo.

In Camarines Sur province near Catanduanes, governor Miguel Villafuerte said on his Facebook page that nearly 90,000 residents were moved out of their homes as part of his “zero casualty” goal.

In another post on Twitter, he hinted at the difficulty of convincing people to recognise the approaching danger amid Christmas celebrations.

“Please evacuate, we will offer roast pig at the evacuation centres,” he tweeted.

Weather forecasters said the typhoon would eventually affect an area that is home to about 42 million people, including the capital Manila today.

Civil defence officials in Bicol said nearly 500,000 people in the region were in harm’s way and needed to be moved out.

The military and local governments sent lorries yesterdayto clear people from coastal communities and other areas hit by landslides or flash floods in earlier storms.

About 20 typhoons or lesser storms strike the Philippines each year, routinely killing hundreds of people, and Bicol is often the first region to be hit.

It prides itself on having sharpened its disaster re-

Young Filipinos are moved as a precaution from the path of Typhoon Nock-Ten yesterday in Barangay Matnog, Albay province. AFP

sponse to minimise casualties.

Nock-Ten, which has arrived outside the normal typhoon season, caused all ferry services and commercial flights in Bicol to be suspended.

In the port of Tabaco, stranded passengers sat inside the ferry terminal with their luggage and children as they stared out at the rough seas, some still hoping to make it across to Catanduanes.

Rescue workers in Manila and the flood-prone central Luzon plains to the north have been put on standby, evacuation centres opened and food and other rations stocked.

The coastguard yesterday ordered the beaches south of Manila to be cleared of holidaymakers by today, while residents of the capital’s seaside slums were warned to leave their homes.

Mammoth tsunami-like waves called storm surges devastated the city of Tacloban and nearby areas when Super Typhoon Haiyan struck the central Philippines in November 2013, leaving 7,350 people dead or missing.

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Agence France-Presse

China’s aircraft carrier joins Pacific drills for first time Symbol of Beijing’s maritime ambitions flexes its muscles BEIJING // China’s navy has sent its only aircraft carrier into the Pacific for the first time, according to state media – a move that may ratchet up regional tensions.

The duration of the drill and the route of the flotilla were not known. But the Soviet-made carrier is based in the northeastern city of Dalian, suggesting the fleet would enter the Pacific through a disputed island chain between Taiwan and Japan.

Japan’s defence ministry confirmed eight Chinese vessels, including the carrier Liaoning and three destroyers, were seen by one of its ships in the central part of the East China Sea on Saturday afternoon.

In recent days, the Liaoning has been involved in exercises in the Yellow Sea, located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula, with J-15 fighter jets taking off from it and conducting air refuelling and combat drills, Xinhua news agency said.

UAE expats fear for families Ramona Ruiz

ABU DHABI // As Typhoon NockTen struck the Philippines yesterday, UAE residents voiced fears for relatives in their home country.

“It’s Christmas Day and we’re finding it hard to celebrate until we are assured of our family’s safety back home,” said Nikki Beares, 48, a secretary from Nabua, Camarines Sur, who has lived in Abu Dhabi for 25 years.

“We’ve been told that it’s now signal number 4 so I’m worried about the safety of my two sisters, brother, and our nephews, nieces and grandchildren in our hometown,” she said.

In the Philippines, signal number 4 categorises a weather systen as a very intense typhoon with winds of more than 185kph coming within 12 hours.

“My sister in Canada, brother in the US and I are in touch with

tor investigating a corruption scandal involving South Korean president Park Geun-hye said yesterday that it was considering whether to raid the presidential offices and if it did so, had no choice but to conduct it publicly.

Prosecutors are investigating allegations that Ms Park colluded with a friend, Choi Soon-sil, and aides to pressure companies to contribute to foundations set

Earlier in the month, the carrier led large-scale exercises in the Bohai Sea that included live ammunition for the first time.

Tokyo controls the string of uninhabited islands known as the Senkakus in Japan and the Diaoyus in China that are also claimed by Beijing and Taiwan.

The Chinese navy drills are seen as a show of strength by Beijing at a time of rising tensions with Taiwan and the United States following a protocol-breaking telephone con-

versation between Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen and US president-elect Donald Trump.

Last Tuesday, the Chinese navy returned a US underwater drone it had seized in the waterway, where competing territorial claims have heightened tensions in the region.

In December 2015, the ministry of defence announced plans for construction of a second carrier.

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Agence France-Presse

‘

It’s Christmas Day and we’re finding it hard to celebrate until we are assured of our family’s safety back home Nikki Beares A Filipino secretary who has lived in Abu Dhabi for 25 years

a engineer in Abu Dhabi who is from Camarines Sur, said although most of his relatives are now based in Manila, he is worried about the safety of his father and other relatives in the province.

“My brother Janus told me about this strong typhoon that’s posing a threat to the Bicol province,” he said.

“Every now and then, I’ve been checking the storm signal and have also asked him to update me. Many Filipinos here are anxiously waiting for news from relatives.”

In the past 65 years, seven typhoons have struck the Philippines on Christmas Day, according to the government’s weather agency.

“We are used to typhoons hitting our country but it has disrupted celebrations and dampened the Christmas spirit for families,” said Mr Ramboyong.

rruiz@thenational.ae

South Korea prosecutor says it might raid presidential office SEOUL // The special prosecu-

The Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning was recently involved in military exercises in the Yellow Sea. Li Tang / AP Photo

our siblings back home via our group chat,” Ms Beares said.

“Our relatives are now preparing for any eventuality. We can only hope and pray that they’re OK.” Jethroefel Ramboyong, 43,

up to back her policy initiatives.

They previously said they needed access to the presidential offices as part of their investigation. But the offices have denied access.

“In case of raiding the Blue House to carry out that, there is no choice but to be make it public,” said Lee Kyu-chul, a spokesman for the prosecutor’s team, referring to the presidential offices.

“We are still considering whether the raid is needed and

if needed what the raid should be aimed at.”

Ms Park was indicted in a December 9 parliamentary vote.

She has denied wrongdoing but apologised for carelessness in her ties with Ms Choi, who is facing her own trial.

Ms Park has immunity from prosecution as long as she is in office but her powers have been suspended since parliament voted to impeach her.

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Reuters

Japan suffers snowy transport chaos TOKYO // Heavy snow in north-

ern Japan caused transport chaos over the Christmas period, with flights and train services cancelled and thousands of passengers forced to stay at a regional airport for three nights in a row.

Sapporo had up to 96 centimetres of snow on Friday night, the Hokkaido island city’s heaviest snowfall in 50 years, according

to the Japan meteorological agency.

The snow blanketed New Chitose airport, the main gateway to the northern island region.

About 2,500 people were forced to stay there on Thursday night, 6,000 on Friday night and 2,600 on Saturday night, according to a security official.

The passengers’ plight was compounded by the fact that most flights had been fully

booked because of the holiday.

More than 280 flights to and from the airport were cancelled on Friday, along with hundreds of train services in the region over the weekend.

But the weather had improved by yesterday. An official said most of the stranded passengers should be able to leave by the end of the day.

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Syrian chef’s taste of home for refugees Former Damascus restaurant cook who endured dangerous trip to Greece finds recipes for success at camp near Athens by preparing Syrian dishes for fellow asylum seekers RITSONA // Before surviving a harrowing journey to escape from Syria, Talal Rankoussi was a chef in a Damascus restaurant considered the largest in the world – Bawabet Al Dimashq, or Damascus Gate, which can seat more than 6,000 people.

So, when the 41-year-old was asked by a benefactor from the United States to spice up the meals for several hundred fellow Syrians at the Ritsona camp near Athens, the two-decade culinary veteran did not hesitate.

The father of three, who crossed the Aegean in February in “a trip of death, riding a plastic tyre in an ocean under the rain”, says the food handed out in the camp is “undercooked ... with no regard to improving the quality”.

Like most refugee camps in Greece, Ritsona receives daily meals from catering companies commissioned by the army.

But in terms of quality and nutritional value, it “just covers survival needs”, says a camp operator who declined to be named.

“It’s been a challenge just to get the caterers to send pitta bread

instead of white bread,” the operator says, adding that “sometimes we have 200 meals left over that nobody wants to eat”.

Then came Carolynn Rockafellow, an American former investment banker who moved to Greece last year after a 30-year career, including two decades at Credit Suisse.

Ms Rockafellow, originally from New York, has taken a per-

‘

I feel this story is as much about helping the Greeks as it is about helping the refugees Carolynn Rockafellow Cafe owner

sonal interest in the well-being of Ritsona’s 700 refugees, nearly half of them children.

With personal funds and donations from friends, she has created Cafe Rits, offering alternative cuisine out of one of the camp’s few brick-and-mortar buildings.

“I feel this story is as much about helping the Greeks as it is about helping the refugees,” Ms Rockafellow says over the sound of Mr Rankoussi chopping vegetables.

“This is a very tough situation for Greece and I think they’re doing a great job,” says the woman whose nickname around the camp is Madame Sharba, or Mrs Soup.

Several times a week, she and a few helpers drive out to a supermarket on the nearby island of Evia and load a van with supplies for the day’s meals, plus meat and vegetables for camp families to do their own cooking.

About €3,000 (Dh11,516) to €5,000 a week goes into the Cafe budget.

“Every day we have distribution of either vegetables, meats or cooked meals. Meat once a week,

Talal Rankoussi says that he wants to empower Syrian refugees by reminding them about their culture through cooking traditional Syrian dishes in the Ritsona camp near Athens. Louisa Gouliamaki / AFP

vegetables twice or three times a week, cooked food twice a week,” says Mr Rankoussi, now keeping a close eye on a bubbling cauldron of onion broth.

Cafe Rits is like an oversized food lorry, without the wheels.

The walls are lined with pots, pans, tins and cutlery. A long bench where the food is prepared cuts across the room, while gas-fired stoves stand near the entrance.

Water is brought in a plastic tub as there is no piping. Or heating.

“I wanted to find a way to empower refugees, to bring them back their culture through food,” says Ms Rockafellow, who has two grown-up children and

was a volunteer chef in the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Sandy in the US. “Syrian people love to offer hospitality and something of themselves through food.”

Staple Syrian recipes such as kibbeh, fattoush, maqluba and muhammara are mostly made with locally sourced ingredients, and are a far cry from what Greek catering services can provide.

The dozen-strong volunteer team at Cafe Rits also prepares lunch bags for about 80 of the camp’s children who take afternoon classes at nearby schools.

“We also host parties. It’s important to laugh and to remember that this, too, shall pass,”

says Ms Rockafellow, adding that she wants to use her experience to help the cafe’s refugee volunteers find jobs once they leave Greece.

Mr Rankoussi, who reached Greece in February after a difficult time trying to find employment in Turkey, has applied for asylum in several European countries including Germany, Holland and France.

But he would have “no problem” dishing out to patrons in a Greek establishment, given the chance.

“This is my interest. This is my job,” the chef says with a smile.

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comment editorials

Exploring the many ways in which to give The Year of Giving provides a chance to think of ways to connect to our communities

W

ith 2017 having been declared the “Year of Giving” by the President, Sheikh Khalifa, it is worth asking what giving really means in a modern context and particularly in the context of the UAE. This country spends a great deal of its wealth in creating what can be called “public goods”.

These are products or services that everyone can use – think, for example, of well-maintained roads, clean air, transport infrastructure, banking systems, a legal framework and so on. Companies and individuals, both Emiratis and expatriates, benefit from these goods, but, because there is no income tax, they don’t directly pay for them.

Giving, in one sense then, is really giving back, both by companies and individuals. Private companies can use this year to increase their corporate social responsibility, making sure that they are contributing to the communities in which they thrive.

Individuals, too, can give back. In launching the Year of Giving, Sheikh Khalifa noted that “true citizenship ... also means sacrificing for the sake of the homeland”. All of us, both expats and Emiratis, have gained and flourished by living in the UAE and giving to our communities and country is a way to offer something back.

But giving is about more than just giving back. It is really about service. Volunteering means serving something greater than yourself, either your community or your country. Individuals who serve a higher purpose often find they gain benefits in their own lives: a greater sense of purpose, more satisfaction, as well as the sense that they are making a real difference.

Service can take many forms. For some Emiratis, it will mean serving in the armed forces or doing other national service. Both will involve real sacrifice and will create within them a strong connection to the country. But there are many other ways to serve: there are so many initiatives across the emirates that get people involved in the community, from taking care of the natural environment to helping with a blood drive or working with abandoned animals. And service can start at the smallest level: even giving up your time to help a neighbour is part of service.

This coming year is a moment to explore the different ways to give back to our communities and in doing so connect with them.

The lasting allure of academia Teaching at the university level carry with it rewards beyond those of a monetary kind

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et’s be frank, people don’t go into academia for the money. It’s not investment banking. Indeed, it’s hard to imagine how someone might decide to devote their life to the study of, for example, semiotics – something to do with “signs” and how they affect our interpretation of language and culture (we think) – because of money.

Instead, it has to do with interest. And for the best academics, really deep interest and talent. Academia can be quite rewarding in and of itself (the bickering over apparently esoteric matters notwithstanding). You enter the profession because you can’t imagine anything else you’d want to do.

Last week, the Federal National Council was told that fewer than 1 in 10 instructors at public universities and colleges are Emirati. While the FNC is exploring ways to increase remuneration in the university systems for Emirati teachers to attract recruits, there is something much more appealing on offer than financial compensation.

For one, academics are free to pursue their interests in a relatively unencumbered manner. Of course, there are targets and benchmarks that must be met – such as publishing in learned journals.

But it is difficult to conceive of a similar level of intellectual freedom in other career paths.

There is also an incredibly persuasive component to teaching that shouldn’t be overlooked: the pleasure of teaching good students. Why? Because good students challenge you to think beyond your comfort zone. They cause you to reconsider accepted ideas through the impertinence of their youthful questioning.

So, might not the best way of rewarding our academics and encouraging more Emiratis to join their ranks be to rededicate our efforts to improve education all round?

We are not so naive as to think that academics don’t need to be paid enough or fairly: poor pay in many universities in the West has forced a great number to abandon what they enjoy most. But while we all need to consider how much we need to live the life we want, we don’t choose that life only because of the money. If we support our universities to become among the top in the world, they will create a community that many would seek to join.

Down to earth Going underground is a passion for some people but for others it’s a necessity

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hile some people are eyeing a trip to Mars, others want to go in the other direction and explore what lies beneath our own planet. The National this week highlighted the story of Toufic Abou Nader, a spelunker who just completed a 2,000 metre-plus descent into the 17-kilometre long Krubera-Voronja cave in Georgia and is now preparing to enter into the third deepest cave network, the Illuzia-Snezhnaja-Mezhonnogo cave, which is far more extensive. It will involve spending 35 to 40 days underground.

While the idea of being underground might seem weird to some of us, it’s really not a bad idea. Humans have lived in caves in places such as Petra in Jordan and Cappadocia in Turkey, and there are modern underground homes in Coober Pedy, in the South Australian desert – because it’s cooler than living on the surface.

Perhaps we could apply this idea here in the UAE, and have underground resorts where people could escape the hot summer .

letters to the editor

Teachers should have respect in our community

A class of their own

I am writing in response to ‘We need Emiratis teaching Emirati traditions at universities and colleges’, FNC hears (December 22).

Teaching is not a highly paid career anywhere in the world.

Instilling respect and desire for the profession is something the local community has the power to control.

The rest will follow.

Suzanne Arruda-Wessel, Dubai

I totally agree about the idea of teaching Emirati traditions in UAE schools.

Everyone needs to know their ancestral histories, where they came from and how their nations began.

Elizabeth Llorent, US

Smaller traders deserve a break I have just read your article, Facebook traders ‘breaking UAE law’ (December 21).

It seems fair that these small traders are given an exemption.

Make them legally bound to reveal sales and only require a licence if profits exceed a certain amount.

In this way, those businesses that remain small will be able to continue operating without having to pay licence fees.

A reader says that society should value those who want to be teachers. Ravindranath K / The National

sive” tag as a badge of honour.

There is no way I’m spending several hundred dirhams to sit in a franchise restaurant to watch the fireworks. There are better views from the roadside.

Samia Iftekhar, Abu Dhabi

People should be careful where they eat on New Year’s Eve. Some restaurants make you pay extra.

M Al Belooshi, Dubai

Tina Saad, Abu Dhabi

Downsizing makes sense I refer to your editorial, Downsizing is about doing more with less (December 19).

It can be a good decision for some expatriates to send their families back home if it means that they are then able to save money for their future.

Name withheld by request

You can see the fireworks for free I was amused by your story Dubai rated most expensive city to see in the new year (December 23).

I will be spending New Year’s Eve in Dubai this year, but it’s funny how some people there are wearing the “most expen-

Omar takes a turn at tennis Thank you for your online video featuring Omar Abdulrahman promoting the Mubadala World Tennis Championships.

Abdulrahman is the UAE’s best footballer.

Jeffrey Martin, Dubai

Investors have a right to choose Your columnist Nima Abu Wardeh asks Is the profitable ETF bubble just an illusion? (December 24).

This is quite an interesting article but it skips over the freedom-of-choice argument.

The range of index funds one can choose to invest in is so much smaller than the much wider range of exchange traded

funds that are available.

I often hear commentators say there are too many ETF. I am not so sure. Look on Amazon and see how many books people have written – yet nobody would ever suggest that people should stop writing books.

If investors want more ETFs, let them have them. Like all business models, if the providers of these products cannot run at a profit then they will cease to operate. That’s business.

Allan Lane, UK

Students suffer Israel backlash Israel continues to defy world opinion by violating the internationally adopted Geneva Conventions on Human Rights in the Occupied Territories of the Palestinian West Bank, along with Arab East Jerusalem and Syrian Golan Heights, and its illegal blockade of essential goods into Gaza.

One disturbing consequence of these violations is the increasing anti-Israel feelings on British university campuses that are now affecting ordinary Jewish students, the majority of whom have nothing to do with Israel or the nefarious activities of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government in Tel Aviv.

An increasing majority of Jew-

ish students in Britain and the United States recognise that the human rights violations being perpetrated against millions of Palestinians run directly counter to the ethics and tenets of traditional Judaism. However, too often they are intimidated by militant Zionists on campus.

The result is that British universities are slowly becoming no-go areas for ordinary Jewish students. This is a tragedy that openly plays into the agenda of the Likud government that wants the entire Jewish diaspora to emigrate to Israel.

Anthony Bellchambers, UK

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from the arabic press

Muslims are indispensable to the fight against extremism What Arabic writers say about the lorry attack in Berlin. Translated by Jennifer Attieh

O

n the evening of December 19, a lorry ploughed through the Christmas market next to the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church at Breitscheidplatz in Berlin, leaving 12 dead and nearly 50 injured. ISIL admitted the attack, saying that the assailant carried out the operation in response to its calls to target citizens of international coalition countries.

President-elect Donald Trump issued a statement blaming the Berlin attack on “Islamists who slaughter Christians in their communities”.

In the pan-Arab daily Asharq Al Awsat, Mishari Al Zaidi wrote that some media had reported that Mr Trump vowed to “wipe out Islamist terrorists from the face of the Earth”. However, they left out an important part of his statement: that the United States would carry out this mission “with all freedom-loving partners”.

According to Al Zaidi, the death toll of terrorism in its ISIL, Al Qaeda and Iran-sponsored versions is highest in Muslim countries such as Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Turkey, Jordan,

Tunisia, Libya, Algeria, Morocco and Indonesia.

This realisation, he continued, is not altered by the increase in terrorist attacks in Europe and other western countries.

“Therefore, the global battle against terrorism should be waged by expanding the base of allies and partners in this war,” he wrote. “Muslims are indispensable to win the war, first to defend their religion and second because they are the most harmed from these crimes.”

Al Zaidi concluded that terrorism is an evil that targets all humanity. “As such, all people should join forces to fight it and understand the big picture, away from any political utilisation.”

Writing in the pan-Arab daily paper Al Hayat, Mohammed Salah noted that throughout the years of religious violence witnessed in the final three decades of the previous century in Egypt, Takfiri ideas have been behind the lack of harmony among socalled Jihadist groups.

But times have changed. “Due to international developments and conflicts, Takfiris have garnered a public from all over the world. Their sympathisers have formed a reserve of suicide bombers who firmly believe that they are headed to heaven while their victims are going straight to hell,” Salah said.

According to the writer, poverty

is not the only driver of extremism nor is lack of education or dictatorship.

“There are many underlying reasons, the most dangerous of which is countries resorting to terrorism, whether openly or in secret, and dealing with terrorists day and night to achieve their political agendas.”

He said that Takfiri ideas were by no means a novelty, and such groups had appeared throughout history.

“In modern times, Jama’at Al Muslimin, known in the media as Takfir wal-Hijra, was by far the most important, or at least a model for other groups,” he wrote.

‘

Jihadists have disappeared and suicide bombers are now at the forefront

Its founder, Shukri Mustafa, was executed in 1978 because of his involvement in the killing of a former Egyptian minister of religious endowments.

But the writer said Mustafa’s ideas did not die with him, “rather, they remained like splinters that penetrated into Egyptian society every now and then”.

He said that the war in Afghanistan offered extremists a favourable environment to transform their “Jihadist” ideas into Takfiri beliefs.

“Every country in Europe that has become party to the regional equation is a target for terrorists and suicide bombers who are not only immigrants from countries devastated by the Arab Spring but are also citizens of the countries they are bombing,” Salah said “One only need look at some reactions vis-à-vis the Berlin or Ankara attacks to notice that some take pride in them and regret that they were not the perpetrators of these crimes.”

The writer added that some countries describe terrorists as “opposition groups” and have even negotiated and coordinated with them to harm other parties.

“Norms are lost, Jihadists have disappeared and suicide bombers are now at the forefront,” he concluded.

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Time for a proper debate about revision of texts extremism Hassan Hassan

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enewed discussions about the need to revisit traditional religious texts that extremists use to justify their practices came to the fore this month after the bombing of a Coptic church in Egypt and the immolation of two Turkish soldiers. The complexity of the effort was typified by a two-hour television debate last week between a cleric and a controversial scholar.

Islam Al Behery, an Egyptian, is widely dismissed by traditionalists for his lack of formal training under religious teachers. Many also criticise him for what they see as a disrespectful way of speaking about revered figures in Islamic history. But his debate with Dr Saad Eldin Helaly, a professor of comparative jurisprudence at Al Azhar, captures the ambivalence some have towards the oldest Sunni learning centre.

On one hand, Al Azhar has established itself as a counterweight to religious and political extremism throughout its modern history. Across the globe, its graduates battle extremism and provide an authentic, pluralistic and moderate form of Islam. At the same time, the establishment has also served as gate keepers against those advocating a more radical and systematic review of archaic texts that extremists still use to justify their ideologies. So, Al Azhar fights on two fronts – against extremism and open scrutiny – and thus presents a solution and a problem.

A major question of the debate on December 19 was the bombing of the Coptic church. During the discussion, Dr Helaly admits that three of the four Sunni schools of jurisprudence contradict the Quran on whether a Muslim who kills a Christian should be punished. All the four schools agree that the killing of an innocent Christian, or any human for that matter, is forbidden, as the Quran unequivocally stipulates. But only one of the schools allows for punitive retribution against a Muslim who kills a Christian.

I was reminded of a court case in Abu Dhabi on which The National reported around this time in 2010. The Court of Cassation rejected the ruling in which two lower courts had sentenced a killer to 15 years in prison, instead of the death penalty, because he was a Muslim and the victim was not. The highest court ordered the case to be tried under the Hanafi school, the only one that calls for the death penalty in such a case, rather than the official Maliki school.

Dr Helaly acknowledged that three of the most authoritative figures in Islamic history made a mistake. He insisted, however, that it was a legitimate human error that did not warrant a full review of traditional texts.

For Mr Al Behery, the existence of such an error means that

a jihadist who does not recognise Egypt’s state laws can rest assured that he does not deserve a punishment in this world. And if there is a fatwa permitting him to target those deemed “crusaders”, he would even expect a reward in the hereafter.

The failure to criticise and tackle such opinions head on is also relevant to the immolation of the Turkish soldiers on Friday. The video was not accompanied by a religious justification for immolation as happened when ISIL burnt alive Muath Al Kasasbeh, a Jordanian pilot, in February last year. If that suggests one thing, it is that the group did not even bother to present one because Muslim clergy had failed to respond adequately to the religious justification that ISIL provided the first time.

What struck me about the case of the immolation is that it is unequivocally forbidden by Prophet Mohammed. In a hadith, he says: “No one punishes with fire except the Lord of the fire.” A brief search shows that established clerics ruled against the punishment.

ISIL can cite the stories of the Prophet’s companions and clerics condemn the group’s act but stop there. The companions are considered religious authorities to be emulated.

The clerics’ failure was not that they failed to condemn the act.

Their condemnation of ISIL would mean little if the sources it used to justify murder remain immune from scrutiny.

Shortly before the murder of Kasasbeh, Jordan’s King Abdullah had called on Muslim leaders to take ownership of the fight against ISIL through a pan-regional strategy to counter extremism. Almost two years later, another immolation of fellow Muslims at the hands of a group that seemingly did not deem it necessary to repeat itself is an indictment of religious clerics. With the passage of time and the failure to tackle such old texts, which often contradict the Quran and the Prophet, such practices will become far more widespread and extremists could build on them to justify other acts.

Much of the reluctance by clerics to go after the sources emanates from a fear that criticism will undermine the integrity of those they consider to be pillars of their religious authority. Al Azhar, to be fair, has sought to ease Muslims’ integration in the modern world.

It has sanctioned practices that fundamentalists consider un-Islamic. This put Al Azhar at odds with rigid religious movements. And for that, it deserves support. On the flip side, it will continue to play the role of a gatekeeper that resists the overhaul of texts that sustain the very movements it seeks to tackle.

Hassan Hassan is a resident fellow at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy and co-author of ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror On Twitter: @hxhassan

UN vote will strengthen the boycott movement palestine Joseph Dana

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fter two decades of relentless settlement building and domination over Palestinian life, Israel has rendered its footprint on the West Bank indistinguishable from the terrain itself. From street signs to motorways, the dividing line between where Israel ends and the West Bank begins has slowly been erased on the ground. The only borders are walls, checkpoints and fences – none of which correspond to the internationally recognised demarcation line that resulted from the 1967 war.

Pessimism is a tempting reaction to just about everything in Israel and Palestine these days.

So what could a toothless United Nations resolution do to reverse the years of colonisation? There have been other resolutions and they never forced any real change. What is different today?

A reasonable question, yet there is some hope on the horizon, even if the short-term future looks bleak. Throughout Israel’s colonisation project in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, Tel Aviv has been shielded from biting backlash by the United States in forums such as the UN. Late on Friday afternoon, however, a crack in the partnership appeared. The US abstained on a Security Council resolution that reaffirmed the illegality of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The resolution itself was nothing new; it merely confirmed decades of international consensus on the conflict. In fact, many an-

alysts felt it was far too little, far too late.

After eight years of snubbing and inappropriate behaviour from Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US president Barack Obama could have done much more to assert the illegality of Israel’s actions against Palestinians to send a clear message to Israel as to who the superpower in the alliance is. But Mr Obama acted with restraint, and that might prove to be a good thing in the long run.

At this point in the conflict, Israel’s greatest enemy is itself.

Throughout the history of similar settler colonial movements, most recently the apartheid government in South Africa, it was the colonisers who ultimately defeated themselves. Hubris and the fatigue of maintaining such a brutal regime ultimately forced the white minority to give up. Global anti-apartheid movements, international boycotts and the resistance of the African National Congress played a role in defeating apartheid, but at the end the regime broke under its own weight. The process took many decades but ultimately the white minority couldn't sustain the maintenance necessary to keep apartheid alive.

If Israel’s colonisation project is to succeed, then emboldening it to continue dominating Palestinians would have a negative effect. That is why Israeli leaders have spun a careful public relations campaign that manipulates the language of peace.

They understand the critical need to have a liberal facade and a “commitment” to peace. Unrestrained colonisation will isolate Tel Aviv, but colonialism with a liberal facade has so far allowed

Israel to entrench its footprint in the West Bank and just about annex Jerusalem.

The late Israeli statesman Shimon Peres, for example, spent a lifetime entrenching Israel’s grip on Palestinian life and land only to open up the Peres Center for Peace and host charitable football games bringing Israelis and Palestinians together.

The Oslo Accords, which Mr Peres helped create, gave Israel a “peace process” to pursue while continuing to build settlements and establish its matrix of control over Palestinian life. It was the ultimate liberal facade, and it has served Tel Aviv’s colonial interests extremely well.

Now, counter-intuitively, Israel will begin the process of destroying itself with help from a new right-wing US ambassador to Tel Aviv. Donald Trump’s choice for ambassador, David Friedman, views the conflict from an extreme rightist position. In public statements over many years, Mr Friedman has sided with the settler movement, dismissed the two-state solution as a “narrative” and referred to liberal Israelis and their Jewish supporters in the US as Jewish guards at Nazi death camps.

With Mr Trump calling for a veto of UN resolutions on Israeli settlements and support for moving the US embassy to Jerusalem, we can expect the next White House to embolden the Israeli right and expose the country’s true aims. After all, the occupation of the West Bank is the largest state project in Israel’s history and has been supported by all governments, left or right.

With a new air of honesty coming to American-Israeli affairs,

last week’s UN vote will certainly breathe new life into nonviolent initiatives such as the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign. Just look at the diversity of countries calling for the resolution: Malaysia, New Zealand, Senegal and Venezuela. The rapturous applause that filled the Security Council chamber after the vote passed is clear evidence that the international community is fed up with Israeli intransigence. Israel’s hysterical reaction since the vote belies its narrative of strength.

European leaders have been warning Tel Aviv for years that the wave of boycott initiatives coming from diverse sectors of civil society are becoming difficult to ignore. As Israel’s largest trading partner, any substantial European boycott momentum has the potential to wreak havoc on Israel’s economy. United Nations resolution 2334 will embolden boycott activists to a remarkable degree.

If Mr Trump and Mr Friedman succeed in half of what they propose for Israel and Palestine, Tel Aviv will quickly isolate itself on the international stage in an unsustainable manner. Mr Friedman is going to remove Israel’s liberal facade at precisely the same time the international community ramps up boycott efforts.

The UN vote was a small crack in the dam, and Israel’s leadership understands that all too well. Whether they can contain their colonial desires and return to the a mirage of liberalism will decide the longevity of their regime. But it will not last for ever in its current capacity.

jdana@thenational.ae

The many names of Maryam reveal our varied history notebook Justin Thomas

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here is something about Mary. Or, in this part of the world, Mariam, Miriam, Maryam or Maryoom – and they are just a few of the English spellings. In the UAE, Maryam has traditionally been the second most popular girl’s name; a close second to Fatima. The many creative ways of spelling Maryam have been encouraged by social media, where everyone needs a unique display name. Looking at the 2016 social media data for the Arab world – using multiple spellings in English and Arabic – we can see that there are at least 41,000 unique Maryams on Twit-

ter alone; 1,600 from the UAE. Behind the popularity, is the woman and the myth. Mentioned in the English translation of the Bible as Mary, Maryam is also the leading figure in an eponymous chapter of the Quran – she is also the only woman mentioned by name in the Islamic holy book. In fact, Maryam is more frequently mentioned in the Quran than the Bible.

Quantitative comparisons aside, Maryam/Mary is venerated and celebrated the world over by followers of both Christianity and Islam. Christian scholars have poetically referred to her as the “rose without thorns”, while within Islamic tradition Maryam is considered one of the four greatest woman of humankind. Some Muslim scholars even controversially sug-

gest that Maryam was a prophet.

Within Christianity extreme adoration of Maryam has been called into question, with the derogatory term Mariolatry (Mary-worship) occasionally being thrown around. One example of this excessive devotion was termed Collyridianism. Collyria is Latin for a thin cake of bread, something the Collyridians are reported to have offered to Maryam within their symbolic rituals. The details of Collyridianism are pretty sketchy, it is suggested that the movement arose in pre-Islamic Arabia, comprised mostly women and was declared heretical by the Roman Catholic church based on the group’s excessive Marian devotions.

Ancient heresy aside, Maryam still seems to have a special power

over the hearts and minds of millions. For instance, no other Biblical figure is so frequently associated with miracles in the modern world. Marian apparitions (seeing visions of the virgin Mary) have been reported everywhere from Guadalupe in Mexico to Kibeho in Rwanda. No fewer than seven popes have claimed to have had Marian apparitions.

In general, reports of supernatural and mysterious phenomena seem to have taken a hit in recent years. For sure, UFO sightings are at an all-time low and, just as camera-phones have become ubiquitous, the Loch Ness monster seems to have become a recluse.

Despite the apparent downturn in paranormal activity, Marian apparitions are enjoying a boom.

Michael O'Neill, author of Explor-

ing the Miraculous, runs a website cataloguing and detailing every alleged Marian apparition over the past 2,000 years; the count currently stands at 2,500 with 500 of these reported in the 20th century alone. The most recent Marian apparition was reported in Atlanta, Georgia this month.

On a more mundane note, we looked at the Zayed University registration database, examining student records going back more than 15 years. The second most popular name among Zayed students when it first opened its doors in 1998 was Maryam (Fatima was first). The second most popular name 15 years later remained Maryam. Despite the UAE’s rapid social and economic development, the veneration of Maryam remains the same.

Maryam, of course, is also celebrated for the birth of her son, Isa/ Jesus.

For many people, December 25 is the date that now represents the anniversary of this auspicious birth. In the Quranic version of this nativity we read: “And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm tree. She said, ‘Oh, I wish I had died before this and was in oblivion, forgotten.’ ” (Sura Maryam, Verse 23).

For me, the appeal of Maryam is that she represents the mother.

Wise, caring and compassionate: rosa sine spina (a rose without thorns). There will always be Maryams.

Dr Justin Thomas is an associate professor at Zayed University On Twitter: @DrJustinThomas