Sometimes bigotry is blatant. Sometimes it is subtle. And sometimes it is the inevitable result of the system within which we operate. Recently I experienced this for myself when going through London's Heathrow airport – but I am deeply grateful for what I learned. It gave me yet another opportunity to understand how racism operates. And perhaps, just perhaps, it will give certain authorities in the UK a chance to address entrenched bias – if only in a small way.
As part of my work, I travel a great deal. I have been stopped and pulled aside on quite a few occasions by different authorities. I am of mixed race and I have a beard – that is usually enough for certain types of racial profiling. If the authorities have a chance to look at my British passport, it does not take them long to realise that I am indeed of mixed race and half Arab in ancestry. That clearly raises other red flags for them – even when they are loathe to admit it.
I have been stopped in countries within the wider Arab world region and in the West, but let me be clear: I am not one of those who suffers at airports or is usually treated badly, as many people are. I benefit immensely from enormous privileges in life. But I do sometimes get stopped – and it is usually when I am not in the UK. Hence when I did get stopped in Heathrow, I decided to take it very seriously indeed.
Where we do have privilege, we ought to use it for the purpose of holding power to account, because we can. Others do not have that choice
The officer was fair-skinned and as I looked around in the security stop area, I saw that no one who had been stopped was white. They were all people of colour. As the officer stopped me, I simply said: “What a surprise." That obviously riled him, because he insisted on knowing what I meant by that. So I told him: “I hardly find it surprising that you stop a man with a beard who looks non-white.”
The officer became rude and more aggressive, claiming that I had a chip on my shoulder. When I calmly responded that I did not and researched counter-terrorism for a living, he became more agitated. He said it was "very troubling" that I researched or taught this subject. As I responded to him with the word "mate", he became very annoyed, responding: "It’s not mate, it’s officer". I replied: “Okay, officer. It’s Dr Hellyer, by the way.”
I am not sure if that is what caused a change in his attitude. Or if it was looking at my passport. Or if the penny dropped that as a senior associate fellow at a London think tank, I work in Whitehall, next door to the Ministry of Defence. Or perhaps he realised he had been out of line and remembered that he was actually in the service of the public, rather than citizens such as myself being in his service. I have no idea. But he definitely changed his attitude and became more polite as he searched my bags.
The officer then tried to explain why he was so aggressive to begin with, saying that I had accused him of being racist, which he took offence to. And seeing as he had relaxed his attitude a bit, I decided to respond in kind.
“I'm not calling you racist personally," I said. "But let's imagine, just for argument's sake. I am not looking at you. I am looking at the system you operate within. And you have been polite, so let me say this: can you possibly entertain the possibility that there is some unconscious bias that led you to stop me, as opposed to someone you identified as white? Look around. No one else who has been stopped is white."
I have no idea why the officer decided to change his attitude. But I do know that he did. Was it class-related? Perhaps. In 1941, the author George Orwell wrote that Britain was “the most class-ridden society under the sun”.
A friend of mine put it well when he said: "Implicit bias is something we need to examine and discuss openly if we are going to make any progress at all in just about any field – racial or otherwise."
It is delicate – and people are quick to assume you are calling them racist by forcing them to confront the uncomfortable reality of their own biases. If they cannot admit that they have biases informed by race – even if they are not racist – they are not part of the solution.
In the aftermath of this, Heathrow airport contacted me – if only to say that responsibility for the incident lay with Border Force, an agency that comes under the UK's Home Office. On its part, Border Force got in touch with me not long afterwards, saying that they were investigating and would get back to me within 20 days. They assured me that my complaint was being taken seriously and that a full response would be sent to me once the investigation was complete. All of this was after I had tweeted about the experience in a thread that went viral.
There were some who argued I should simply accept an apology and leave it at that. But such behaviour is not about me personally, nor that officer specifically. It is about a system that exists and the scores of nameless people who are subjected to abuse because of it. Where we do have privilege, we ought to use it for the purpose of holding power to account, because we can. Others do not have that choice. And unless we take the opportunity to do so, others will continue to be abused. I hope that Border Force and others realise the importance of addressing that.
Dr HA Hellyer is a senior associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Company%20Profile
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Biog
Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
Father of two sons, grandfather of six
Plays golf once a week
Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family
Walks for an hour every morning
Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India
2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business
No more lice
Defining head lice
Pediculus humanus capitis are tiny wingless insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. The adult head louse is up to 3mm long, has six legs, and is tan to greyish-white in colour. The female lives up to four weeks and, once mature, can lay up to 10 eggs per day. These tiny nits firmly attach to the base of the hair shaft, get incubated by body heat and hatch in eight days or so.
Identifying lice
Lice can be identified by itching or a tickling sensation of something moving within the hair. One can confirm that a person has lice by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs or lice. Head lice are most frequently located behind the ears and near the neckline.
Treating lice at home
Head lice must be treated as soon as they are spotted. Start by checking everyone in the family for them, then follow these steps. Remove and wash all clothing and bedding with hot water. Apply medicine according to the label instructions. If some live lice are still found eight to 12 hours after treatment, but are moving more slowly than before, do not re-treat. Comb dead and remaining live lice out of the hair using a fine-toothed comb.
After the initial treatment, check for, comb and remove nits and lice from hair every two to three days. Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 10 minutes.Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay.
Courtesy Dr Vishal Rajmal Mehta, specialist paediatrics, RAK Hospital
Other simple ideas for sushi rice dishes
Cheat’s nigiri
This is easier to make than sushi rolls. With damp hands, form the cooled rice into small tablet shapes. Place slices of fresh, raw salmon, mackerel or trout (or smoked salmon) lightly touched with wasabi, then press, wasabi side-down, onto the rice. Serve with soy sauce and pickled ginger.
Easy omurice
This fusion dish combines Asian fried rice with a western omelette. To make, fry cooked and cooled sushi rice with chopped vegetables such as carrot and onion and lashings of sweet-tangy ketchup, then wrap in a soft egg omelette.
Deconstructed sushi salad platter
This makes a great, fuss-free sharing meal. Arrange sushi rice on a platter or board, then fill the space with all your favourite sushi ingredients (edamame beans, cooked prawns or tuna, tempura veggies, pickled ginger and chilli tofu), with a dressing or dipping sauce on the side.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Cricket World Cup League Two
Teams
Oman, UAE, Namibia
Al Amerat, Muscat
Results
Oman beat UAE by five wickets
UAE beat Namibia by eight runs
Namibia beat Oman by 52 runs
UAE beat Namibia by eight wickets
Fixtures
Saturday January 11 - UAE v Oman
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
PROFILE OF STARZPLAY
Date started: 2014
Founders: Maaz Sheikh, Danny Bates
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment/Streaming Video On Demand
Number of employees: 125
Investors/Investment amount: $125 million. Major investors include Starz/Lionsgate, State Street, SEQ and Delta Partners
Fixtures:
Wed Aug 29 – Malaysia v Hong Kong, Nepal v Oman, UAE v Singapore
Thu Aug 30 - UAE v Nepal, Hong Kong v Singapore, Malaysia v Oman
Sat Sep 1 - UAE v Hong Kong, Oman v Singapore, Malaysia v Nepal
Sun Sep 2 – Hong Kong v Oman, Malaysia v UAE, Nepal v Singapore
Tue Sep 4 - Malaysia v Singapore, UAE v Oman, Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu Sep 6 – Final
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BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
Brief scores:
Southampton 2
Armstrong 13', Soares 20'
Manchester United 2
Lukaku 33', Herrera 39'
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
The Florida Project
Director: Sean Baker
Starring: Bria Vinaite, Brooklynn Prince, Willem Dafoe
Four stars
