Rarely has the cancellation of a political programme caused such a furore. The news that the US cable channel MSNBC is axing “The Mehdi Hasan Show”, which went out on weekends over the past three years, has made headlines around the world (including in this newspaper), and provoked a string of superlatives from across the spectrum to describe its host.
The conservative commentator Charlie Sykes, also an MSNBC contributor, has called Hasan “a once-in-a-generation talent” and “the most gifted interviewer in US media”. In Britain, where Hasan grew up and started his career, the left-wing columnist Owen Jones posted on X: “There's no better interviewer than Mehdi Hasan: forensic, razor-sharp, an encyclopaedic knowledge.”
I can’t list all the tributes, but they are fully justified. Hasan’s combative but highly informed grilling of figures such as the Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev, former US national security adviser John Bolton and Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy have helped to illuminate the facts and educate viewers. While his shows haven’t topped the ratings, clips have gone viral on social media, frequently being viewed many millions of times. It would be fair to say that his legions of fans around the world regard him as almost uniquely uncompromising in demanding truth from power.
We need more Mehdi Hasans, not fewer. He’ll still appear as an on-air commentator and guest host on MSNBC, but he deserves – and will surely soon regain – his own show, probably on another platform.
It must also be said that he is one of the most famous Muslim voices in the English-language global media ecosystem. It would be limiting, and unfair to Hasan’s great talents, for that to define him; but it is both significant and important. And early on in his career, it did come close to defining him, as I observed when we were colleagues at Britain’s New Statesman magazine in 2009.
At the time, among the array of regular columnists in what we still called “Fleet Street”, only two were Muslim: Yasmin Alibhai-Brown at the Independent, and Ziauddin Sardar at the Statesman. I knew and admired them both, but there was a lot of Islamophobia about in Britain – the 2005 London bombings were fresh in the collective memory – and Ms Alibhai-Brown, in particular, received a lot of abuse, not least because she compounded her religious and ethnic minority statuses with the unforgivable sin of being an outspoken woman.
So for New Statesman editor Jason Cowley to bring in Hasan, who had previously been a TV researcher and producer, as the magazine’s leading political writer was a brave hire; and to some, it was controversial, precisely because he was Muslim. When he and I both published articles calling for greater understanding of religion, especially Islam – which was truly needed in a bitterly divided time – we were attacked so vociferously and viciously that I questioned the wisdom of writing on the subject. Hasan got it far worse, but to his credit he never backed down.
Hasan has presented a valuable example of a Muslim in the West who is as articulate, educated and progressive as anyone, but will talk about his faith when he wants to
It wasn’t long before he was making regular appearances on TV shows such as the BBC’s flagship “Question Time” and making an immediate impression with his fluency, controlled passion and command of the facts. The move to presenting his own shows, first on Al Jazeera English and then MSNBC, was no surprise. Friends and foes would have to acknowledge that his skills as an interviewer and debater are of the highest order.
At the same time, he has never shied from talking about his faith. That, perhaps, has been a little unusual – but I don’t think it should be. In fact, one of the reasons I say we need more Mehdi Hasans is that I don’t believe anyone should have to “fit in” by keeping quiet about their religion (not that anyone has ever accused Hasan of keeping quiet about anything).
Religion is of huge importance – of centrality, to many – to billions on the planet. The Pew Research Centre predicts that the percentage of people with religious affiliation is set to increase by 2050, with Muslims nearly catching up with Christians as an overall percentage worldwide. In North America and Europe, Muslims are minorities that have already broken through “glass ceilings” in politics, entertainment and public life in general. But, in my view, while Christians (of course, as the majority), Hindus, Buddhists, Jewish people and others can speak freely about their beliefs, there is an unspoken preference for Muslims not to do so, or at least not so much.
That’s why I think Hasan has presented a valuable example of a Muslim in the West who is as articulate, educated and progressive as anyone, but will talk about his faith when he wants to – and demonstrate that it is entirely consistent with his values as a Briton, as a US citizen, as a man of the liberal-left and as a broadcaster searching out objective truths. That is what I believe should be normalised.
When young people across the continents watch global media on whatever platform, they have a variety of figures to inspire them, from CNN’s Christiane Amanpour and The National’s own Gavin Esler, to Simone Heng (formerly of Virgin Radio Dubai and CNBC) and even YouTubers like Mr Beast.
Many parents of Muslim children like my own two boys may also be glad, however, that they have role models with which they can feel another connection: that titans of the airwaves and internet also have names such as Fareed Zakaria, Mishal Husain, Haslinda Amin and, yes, Mehdi Hasan. And if my old colleague Mehdi can do it, maybe they can do it too – be all of who they are, wherever they are.
CHELSEA SQUAD
Arrizabalaga, Bettinelli, Rudiger, Christensen, Silva, Chalobah, Sarr, Azpilicueta, James, Kenedy, Alonso, Jorginho, Kante, Kovacic, Saul, Barkley, Ziyech, Pulisic, Mount, Hudson-Odoi, Werner, Havertz, Lukaku.
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
MORE ON THE US DEMOCRATIC PRIMARIES
Scoreline
Liverpool 3
Mane (7'), Salah (69'), Firmino (90')
Bournemouth 0
TWISTERS
Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Starring: Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Anthony Ramos
Rating: 2.5/5
Turkish Ladies
Various artists, Sony Music Turkey
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
The Bio
Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”
Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”
Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”
Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”
Top investing tips for UAE residents in 2021
Build an emergency fund: Make sure you have enough cash to cover six months of expenses as a buffer against unexpected problems before you begin investing, advises Steve Cronin, the founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com.
Think long-term: When you invest, you need to have a long-term mindset, so don’t worry about momentary ups and downs in the stock market.
Invest worldwide: Diversify your investments globally, ideally by way of a global stock index fund.
Is your money tied up: Avoid anything where you cannot get your money back in full within a month at any time without any penalty.
Skip past the promises: “If an investment product is offering more than 10 per cent return per year, it is either extremely risky or a scam,” Mr Cronin says.
Choose plans with low fees: Make sure that any funds you buy do not charge more than 1 per cent in fees, Mr Cronin says. “If you invest by yourself, you can easily stay below this figure.” Managed funds and commissionable investments often come with higher fees.
Be sceptical about recommendations: If someone suggests an investment to you, ask if they stand to gain, advises Mr Cronin. “If they are receiving commission, they are unlikely to recommend an investment that’s best for you.”
Get financially independent: Mr Cronin advises UAE residents to pursue financial independence. Start with a Google search and improve your knowledge via expat investing websites or Facebook groups such as SimplyFI.
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THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch automatic
Power: 169bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh54,500
On sale: now
What is hepatitis?
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, which can lead to fibrosis (scarring), cirrhosis or liver cancer.
There are 5 main hepatitis viruses, referred to as types A, B, C, D and E.
Hepatitis C is mostly transmitted through exposure to infective blood. This can occur through blood transfusions, contaminated injections during medical procedures, and through injecting drugs. Sexual transmission is also possible, but is much less common.
People infected with hepatitis C experience few or no symptoms, meaning they can live with the virus for years without being diagnosed. This delay in treatment can increase the risk of significant liver damage.
There are an estimated 170 million carriers of Hepatitis C around the world.
The virus causes approximately 399,000 fatalities each year worldwide, according to WHO.
