There can be little doubt that the timing on the eve of Eid for a suicide bomb attack on the second holiest site in Islam was deliberate. But even more so than the other terror attacks during the holy month in Turkey, Bangladesh and Iraq, the decision to target the faithful at the Prophet's Mosque in Medina puts into stark relief the yawning gap between the attackers' twisted misinterpretation of Islam and the true message of the faith.
As we all know, Ramadan is a time for reflection, for being mindful of our blessings and the plight of the less fortunate, and for bringing ourselves closer to the values for which Islam stands. Eid in particular is supposed to be a time of celebration and family. None of those values can be found in the decision to attack the Prophet’s Mosque just as the faithful broke their fasts. A Shiite mosque in Qatif in eastern Saudi Arabia was also attacked as the maghrib prayer was called, while in the early hours of the same day another suicide bomber blew himself up outside the United States consulate compound in Jeddah.
It was only through the zealousness of the security that the attackers’ goal of a high death toll was thwarted. Four members of the security staff in Medina paid with their lives to keep the bulk of the worshippers safe, while two Saudi policemen were injured in the attack in Jeddah.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, was quick to denounce the attacks in Saudi Arabia as also being an attack on us because the goals were to "spread fear, takfir [brand others as infidels] and incite strife". One could extend that point to other recent attacks, such as on Istanbul's main airport and on the Baghdad market where up to 200 were killed in total. For Eid in Iraq this year to be a time of mourning and burials instead of celebration exposes as a lie the attackers' supposed religious justifications.
The goal behind this attack in Medina and those that preceded it was wanton carnage, cynically intended to provoke more bloodshed because that aids the attackers’ agenda. Just as that philosophy is anathema to Islam, so too our response needs to pursue the opposite of the attackers’ goals. If they seek discord and violence in our communities, we should favour dialogue and tolerance. Achieving that will be the true repudiation of their agenda and spread the real message of the faith.
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
Cry Macho
Director: Clint Eastwood
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Dwight Yoakam
Rating:**
RESULT
Al Hilal 4 Persepolis 0
Khribin (31', 54', 89'), Al Shahrani 40'
Red card: Otayf (Al Hilal, 49')
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
A Cat, A Man, and Two Women
Junichiro Tamizaki
Translated by Paul McCarthy
Daunt Books
Bridgerton%20season%20three%20-%20part%20one
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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EA Sports FC 25
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Fixture and table
UAE finals day: Friday, April 13 at Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
- 3pm, UAE Conference: Dubai Tigers v Sharjah Wanderers
- 6.30pm, UAE Premiership: Dubai Exiles v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Premiership – final standings
- Dubai Exiles
- Abu Dhabi Harlequins
- Jebel Ali Dragons
- Dubai Hurricanes
- Dubai Sports City Eagles
- Abu Dhabi Saracens
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Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
RESULTS
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Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Company%20Profile
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Tomb%20Raider%20I%E2%80%93III%20Remastered
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Getting there
The flights
Flydubai operates up to seven flights a week to Helsinki. Return fares to Helsinki from Dubai start from Dh1,545 in Economy and Dh7,560 in Business Class.
The stay
Golden Crown Igloos in Levi offer stays from Dh1,215 per person per night for a superior igloo; www.leviniglut.net
Panorama Hotel in Levi is conveniently located at the top of Levi fell, a short walk from the gondola. Stays start from Dh292 per night based on two people sharing; www. golevi.fi/en/accommodation/hotel-levi-panorama
Arctic Treehouse Hotel in Rovaniemi offers stays from Dh1,379 per night based on two people sharing; www.arctictreehousehotel.com
ASHES FIXTURES
1st Test: Brisbane, Nov 23-27
2nd Test: Adelaide, Dec 2-6
3rd Test: Perth, Dec 14-18
4th Test: Melbourne, Dec 26-30
5th Test: Sydney, Jan 4-8
Jawan
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EXPATS
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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5