‘The first phone call you make once you cross the border is one of the most difficult things you will ever have to do,” says Umm Layth who describes herself as a “British Muhajirah living under the Khilafah”.
Thanks to her blog and Twitter feed she is the best-known of a small but growing number of women travelling to join ISIL. She documents her experiences with photos, emotional descriptions of her surroundings and tips to encourage other women to follow in her footsteps.
These women are young, well-educated, from comfortable backgrounds – and yearning to join the “jihad”, to live a more Islamic life under the “khilafah”. Disaffection with their surroundings and an acceptance of the “them and us” western political discourse underpins their desire to uphold the divide.
Youth has always sacrificed home comforts for romanticised struggle. But ISIL is no utopia, and certainly no Islamic state. Its declaration, its principles and its actions bear no relation to any kind of Islamic ideal.
Men flock to ISIL attracted by a culture of violence and belonging that justifies hatred and an outrageous expression of masculinity. Religion seems to be low on their priorities. Take the case of two British men among whose last acts before leaving the UK was to order the books Islam for Dummies and The Koran for Dummies.
The phenomenon has been described as “jihad cool”, but how is a Muslim woman to get involved in such a hyper-male environment? To understand, let’s stop overlaying male western perspectives on these women, and instead stand in their shoes.
The women are attracted by promises to support the men in their jihad, to offer them the comforts of home as wives, to bring up children as the next generation of fighters.
Calling their engagement “sexual jihad” makes newspaper headlines, but puts a passive lens on these women, the same story of submissiveness overlaid on Muslim women generally. But they’re far from passive, they’re proactive in the most warped kind of way. They are giving up home and family to engage actively in a horrific struggle.
Analysts fail to realise that in such an extreme, violent, testosterone-fuelled milieu, if a woman wants to live in the area and join the struggle and gain the glory the male participants gain, then marriage is her only choice, her only safety, her only way to participate.
Of course, the way ISIL treats women is loathesome, yet women continue to join. We’re baffled: we believe women are inherently opposed to violence, but history shows us women can be the blood-thirstiest of terrorists, whether cheerleaders or on the frontline.
These women don’t care about women who are being killed by ISIL. But the men don’t care about the men being killed either. If anything these women are asserting themselves in positions of privilege to impose oppression on other women. Take the Al Khansaa brigade of women in ISIL, enforcing strict laws on other women. As the “chosen” and “privileged”, they care little for “lesser”, “non-compliant”, “deviant” women. It’s the story of the women of imperialist forces throughout history, and the women of ISIL are no different.
Just like the men, these women are trying to create their own culture of “jihad cool”, believing in their righteousness. Let’s not make the mistake of seeing them as passive, sexual objects. Their role and their hatred is just as misguided and toxic.
Shelina Zahra Janmohamed is the author of Love in a Headscarf and blogs at www.spirit21.co.uk
Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances
All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.
Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.
Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.
Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.
Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.
Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
box
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Letstango.com
Started: June 2013
Founder: Alex Tchablakian
Based: Dubai
Industry: e-commerce
Initial investment: Dh10 million
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 300,000 unique customers every month
Company%20profile
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Company%20Profile
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Company%20Profile
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Best Academy: Ajax and Benfica
Best Agent: Jorge Mendes
Best Club : Liverpool
Best Coach: Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Best Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker
Best Men’s Player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Best Partnership of the Year Award by SportBusiness: Manchester City and SAP
Best Referee: Stephanie Frappart
Best Revelation Player: Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid and Portugal)
Best Sporting Director: Andrea Berta (Atletico Madrid)
Best Women's Player: Lucy Bronze
Best Young Arab Player: Achraf Hakimi
Kooora – Best Arab Club: Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
Kooora – Best Arab Player: Abderrazak Hamdallah (Al-Nassr FC, Saudi Arabia)
Player Career Award: Miralem Pjanic and Ryan Giggs
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Company%20Profile
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
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 specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
Infobox
Western Region Asia Cup Qualifier, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the next stage of qualifying, in Malaysia in August
Results
UAE beat Iran by 10 wickets
Kuwait beat Saudi Arabia by eight wickets
Oman beat Bahrain by nine wickets
Qatar beat Maldives by 106 runs
Monday fixtures
UAE v Kuwait, Iran v Saudi Arabia, Oman v Qatar, Maldives v Bahrain
Confirmed%20bouts%20(more%20to%20be%20added)
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The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
RESULT
Esperance de Tunis 1 Guadalajara 1
(Esperance won 6-5 on penalties)
Esperance: Belaili 38’
Guadalajara: Sandoval 5’
Total eligible population
About 57.5 million people
51.1 million received a jab
6.4 million have not
Where are the unvaccinated?
England 11%
Scotland 9%
Wales 10%
Northern Ireland 14%
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
THE BIO: Mohammed Ashiq Ali
Proudest achievement: “I came to a new country and started this shop”
Favourite TV programme: the news
Favourite place in Dubai: Al Fahidi. “They started the metro in 2009 and I didn’t take it yet.”
Family: six sons in Dubai and a daughter in Faisalabad
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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if you go
The flights
Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.
The hotel
Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.
The tour
Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg