DUBAI // He had, as the prosecution put it during his trial, raped and murdered "an innocent angel in the house of God". At the end, as he faced the rifles of a firing squad, there was nothing left for Rashid al Rashidi but to beg for God's forgiveness.
On Wednesday night, after a final visit from his two brothers, the condemned man had little appetite for his last meal, which he barely touched. According to a senior prison official he slept fitfully and woke a few hours before dawn to face his executioners. There were no more visitors.
Al Rashidi showered and performed the ablution before praying. He decided not to eat anything; the food he had only picked at the night before would remain his last meal. "He was fasting when he died," said the official, "and only drank a glass of water before the Fajr prayer call."
As the streets of Dubai hummed with commuters making their way to work, police officers arrived at Dubai Central Jail in the Al Aweer district, where the 30-year-old former boat captain had been held alone in a cell since his first court appearance in 2009, when he had received death threats from other inmates.
Hooded, dressed in a black prison suit and with his arms tied behind his back, al Rashidi was driven the short distance to a nearby patch of land, normally used by police officers for shooting practice.
Though obviously terrified, witnesses say he remained quiet and did not faint, keeping to his feet as he was led to the spot where he was to be shot. There, he asked to be allowed to kneel in prayer one last time; his wish was granted before he was tied to a stake in front of the firing squad.
Exactly 440 days had passed since al Rashidi had shocked the nation by raping and murdering a four-year-old Pakistani boy, Moosa Mukhtiar Ahmed, in the toilets of a mosque in the quiet Al Qusais 3 district of Dubai, where his family had lived for three decades.
There had been a terrible resonance in the timing of the crime, carried out at the end of the 2009 holiday of Eid al Adha, the Feast of the Sacrifice.
A month after the killing, al Rashidi's own lawyer pulled out of the case, condemning his client as an "embarrassment to humanity". His replacement told the court that al Rashidi, born in Bahrain to a mother who died in childbirth, had been abused physically and mentally by his Indian stepmother. His crime, he said, "cannot have been the result of a sane person's actions", but nevertheless he agreed to take him on as a client on the condition that he pleaded guilty.
Yesterday at about 8.30am, with all appeal processes exhausted, al Rashidi faced a nine-man firing squad under the command of Dubai's Attorney General, Essam al Humaidan, whose duty it was to give the order to carry out the sentence of death. At least one of the men was holding a rifle loaded with a blank shot - the so-called "conscience round", designed to prevent any member of a firing squad knowing for sure that he has fired the fatal bullet.
Perhaps equally daunting for al Rashidi as the firing squad, however, was the presence of his victim's family.
Moosa's father, Mukhtiar Ahmed Khudabaksh, had repeatedly pleaded with the authorities to be allowed to witness the execution. It was not certain until the last day that his wish would be granted but yesterday morning the police sent a car to collect him, Moosa's mother Jamala Imdad and two of the murdered boy's uncles.
As the firing squad made ready, Dr Ahmed al Haddad, Dubai's Grand Mufti, asked al Rashidi if he had anything to say. According to a prison official, he replied: "I want God to forgive me for what I have done."
He then asked the mufti to tell the family he was sorry. But there would be no last-minute forgiveness from Moosa's relatives.
In December 2009, a month after the killing, Moosa's father had said that his son's killer "should get a punishment worse than death . I appeal to the police that they should give such a punishment to this man that it sets an example". Yesterday morning, it was clear that the 14 months that had passed since then had neither eased his grief nor lessened his determination that his son's killer should pay the ultimate price.
"I will never forgive him," Mr Ahmed told the mufti.
Throughout the emotional ordeal, his wife's lips could be seen moving as, almost inaudibly, she praised God and recited verses from the Quran.
As required by law, the attorney general then read aloud the charges and the verdict against the condemned man and, a moment before the order to open fire was given, al Rashidi uttered his last words: "I witness that there is no God but Allah and Mohammed is his messenger."
The volley rang out at 8.35am and al Rashidi slumped forward, apparently lifeless. Moosa's father was allowed close to the body to see for himself that justice had been done and then a doctor stepped forward to confirm that al Rashidi was dead. It was 8.37am.
"Now," said Mr Ahmed, "my heart is at ease."
salamir@thenational.ae
The path to the firing squad
- November 27, 2009: Rashid al Rashidi, 30, lures Moosa Mukhtiar Ahmed, four, into a mosque toilet, rapes him and kills him.
- November 28, 2009: Al Rashidi is arrested after fingerprints from the crime scene are matched to him.
- December 8, 2009: Prosecutors say they will seek the death penalty for al Rashidi if he is convicted.
- December 2009: Hamed al Khazraji, a court-appointed attorney, refuses to represent al Rashidi.
- January 2010: Abdullah al Midrib and his father, Abdel Rahman al Midrib, appointed to represent him.
- February 14, 2010: Mohammed al Saadi takes over the defence.
- January 29, 2010: al Rashidi is found guilty in the Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance and sentenced to death.
- April 1, 2010: The Court of Appeal upholds the conviction and sentence.
- June 7, 2010: al Rashidi loses his last appeal at the Court of Cassation
- February 10, 2011: al Rashidi is executed by firing squad.
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
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JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH
Directed by: Shaka King
Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Lakeith Stanfield, Jesse Plemons
Four stars
MATCH INFO
What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
Company%20Profile
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From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Read more from Aya Iskandarani
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Company%20profile
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, Group B
Barcelona v Inter Milan
Camp Nou, Barcelona
Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
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
Museum of the Future in numbers
- 78 metres is the height of the museum
- 30,000 square metres is its total area
- 17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
- 14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
- 1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior
- 7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
- 2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
- 100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
- Dh145 is the price of a ticket
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
GOODBYE%20JULIA
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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.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
'My Son'
Director: Christian Carion
Starring: James McAvoy, Claire Foy, Tom Cullen, Gary Lewis
Rating: 2/5
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
FROM%20THE%20ASHES
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Match info
Wolves 0
Arsenal 2 (Saka 43', Lacazette 85')
Man of the match: Shkodran Mustafi (Arsenal)
The biog
Favourite book: Animal Farm by George Orwell
Favourite music: Classical
Hobbies: Reading and writing
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
What drives subscription retailing?
Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.
The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.
The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.
UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.
That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.
Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now
