In the last gestures of worthless lives, three men committed mass murder at Istanbul airport and the BBC naturally devoted much time and countless words to the atrocity.
Two words absent from the BBC’s coverage, except when attributed to an outsider or perhaps uttered mistakenly by a reporter, were terrorist and terrorism.
Now, the vast majority of people would have no difficulty in applying those terms to each perpetrator and his crime.
But the BBC’s strict policy, while recognising “the existence and the reality of terrorism”, says the T words are “best avoided”.
This, it hastily adds, is “not because we are morally neutral towards terrorism, nor because we have any sympathy for the perpetrators of the inhuman atrocities which all too often we have to report, but because terrorism is a difficult and emotive subject with significant political overtones”.
Any self-respecting media outlet makes choices on style according to philosophy, location, linguistic preference and even an editor’s whim.
And it is instructive to recall that for the Germans occupying France in the Second World War, resistance fighters were terrorists, an insult echoed by the Nazis’ compliant French puppets.
In the context of modern-day attacks at airports, on trains, in planes, at holiday resorts or in the street, the BBC approach seems extraordinarily indulgent.
The UN designates ISIL a terrorist organisation and the extremists themselves are not always squeamish about the term; the goal, after all, is to terrorise populations and governments, forcing harsh responses that alienate Muslim communities and perhaps deliver moderates into their hands.
Can we be sure ISIL carried out the Istanbul attack? There has been no admission of responsibility, though this is routine when it is suspected of exporting terror to Turkey, and there is no immediate linkage between it and the dead attackers.
Until credible admissions are made or connections established, the most that can be said is that the slaughter bore the hallmarks of ISIL massacres in Lebanon, France, Belgium, Tunisia and beyond.
As the group loses ground in its self-declared caliphate, it turns increasingly to supporters outside Syria and Iraq, or travelling from there, to attack foreign civilians.
Soft targets require no great operational skill or courage, unless we charitably take into account the terrorists’ own death wish.
There seems no shortage of young, overwhelmingly male volunteers ready to swallow ISIL’s twisted Islamic narrative, one flatly rejected by respected Muslim scholars, and move from low-life delinquency to terrorism.
Jihadists in conflict zones, often western-born, urge those unwilling or unable to follow to take their war against humanity into the streets of their native countries. Sometimes lines of communication between ISIL commanders and terrorists overseas are strong, but a simple text message may be enough to spur a lone wolf into action.
Here, we encounter a sharp distinction between ISIL and the terrorist campaign waged in the UK by the IRA until a shaky peace was found at the end of the 20th century.
The IRA killed numerous uninvolved civilians but was conscious of the effect this would have on passive Catholic sympathisers.
Such casualties were often caused in error or the IRA simply lied, claiming security forces were given ample warning to clear affected areas.
Today, there is no act of violence so heinous as to be beyond ISIL’s intent. Far from worrying about civilian deaths, the overwhelming desire is to ensure as many as possible, driving a terrible wedge between communities.
This is what makes the BBC’s policy hard to defend. At the very least, we owe it to the families of those butchered by depraved fanatics – whether in Beirut or Paris, Istanbul or Brussels – not to be mealy-mouthed when searching for appropriate words.
Colin Randall is a former executive editor of The National
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
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THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
The view from The National
The%20trailblazers
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Company Profile
Founder: Omar Onsi
Launched: 2018
Employees: 35
Financing stage: Seed round ($12 million)
Investors: B&Y, Phoenician Funds, M1 Group, Shorooq Partners
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
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NYBL PROFILE
Company name: Nybl
Date started: November 2018
Founder: Noor Alnahhas, Michael LeTan, Hafsa Yazdni, Sufyaan Abdul Haseeb, Waleed Rifaat, Mohammed Shono
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Software Technology / Artificial Intelligence
Initial investment: $500,000
Funding round: Series B (raising $5m)
Partners/Incubators: Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 4, Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 6, AI Venture Labs Cohort 1, Microsoft Scale-up
Company%20profile
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Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Fourth Arab Economic and Social Development Summit
As he spoke, Mr Aboul Gheit repeatedly referred to the need to tackle issues affecting the welfare of people across the region both in terms of preventing conflict and in pushing development.
Lebanon is scheduled to host the fourth Arab Economic and Social Development Summit in January that will see regional leaders gather to tackle the challenges facing the Middle East. The last such summit was held in 2013. Assistant Secretary-General Hossam Zaki told The National that the Beirut Summit “will be an opportunity for Arab leaders to discuss solely economic and social issues, the conference will not focus on political concerns such as Palestine, Syria or Libya". He added that its slogan will be “the individual is at the heart of development”, adding that it will focus on all elements of human capital.
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
Confirmed%20bouts%20(more%20to%20be%20added)
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Five expert hiking tips
- Always check the weather forecast before setting off
- Make sure you have plenty of water
- Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
- Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
- Take your litter home with you
French Touch
Carla Bruni
(Verve)
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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QUALIFYING RESULTS
1. Max Verstappen, Netherlands, Red Bull Racing Honda, 1 minute, 35.246 seconds.
2. Valtteri Bottas, Finland, Mercedes, 1:35.271.
3. Lewis Hamilton, Great Britain, Mercedes, 1:35.332.
4. Lando Norris, Great Britain, McLaren Renault, 1:35.497.
5. Alexander Albon, Thailand, Red Bull Racing Honda, 1:35.571.
6. Carlos Sainz Jr, Spain, McLaren Renault, 1:35.815.
7. Daniil Kvyat, Russia, Scuderia Toro Rosso Honda, 1:35.963.
8. Lance Stroll, Canada, Racing Point BWT Mercedes, 1:36.046.
9. Charles Leclerc, Monaco, Ferrari, 1:36.065.
10. Pierre Gasly, France, Scuderia Toro Rosso Honda, 1:36.242.
Eliminated after second session
11. Esteban Ocon, France, Renault, 1:36.359.
12. Daniel Ricciardo, Australia, Renault, 1:36.406.
13. Sebastian Vettel, Germany, Ferrari, 1:36.631.
14. Antonio Giovinazzi, Italy, Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari, 1:38.248.
Eliminated after first session
15. Antonio Giovinazzi, Italy, Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari, 1:37.075.
16. Kimi Raikkonen, Finland, Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari, 1:37.555.
17. Kevin Magnussen, Denmark, Haas Ferrari, 1:37.863.
18. George Russell, Great Britain, Williams Mercedes, 1:38.045.
19. Pietro Fittipaldi, Brazil, Haas Ferrari, 1:38.173.
20. Nicholas Latifi, Canada, Williams Mercedes, 1:38.443.
SPECS
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