Religious students attend class at an Islamic seminary in Okara, Pakistan. The US sees the area as particularly important in its fight against militancy.
Religious students attend class at an Islamic seminary in Okara, Pakistan. The US sees the area as particularly important in its fight against militancy.
Religious students attend class at an Islamic seminary in Okara, Pakistan. The US sees the area as particularly important in its fight against militancy.
Religious students attend class at an Islamic seminary in Okara, Pakistan. The US sees the area as particularly important in its fight against militancy.

Taking aim at militant propaganda: US seeks to counter extremist message


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OKARA, PAKISTAN // Sultan Mehmood Gujar was a solid supporter of Islamist militants fighting in Pakistan, Afghanistan and India and even donated money to them, until he attended an innovative 40-day lecture series by a moderate cleric aimed at countering violent extremism.

The course, given to the public at an Islamic school in an area of Pakistan known for being a hotbed of militancy, had a profound effect on the 46-year-old property dealer, convincing him the militants were wrong to claim they were waging holy war, or jihad, justified by the Quran.

"I was shocked to discover that what the militants were doing was against Islam," said Mr Gujar, sitting on the floor at the madrassa in Okara city where the lectures were delivered. "Now I call them terrorists, not jihadis."

Fazal ur Rehman, the cleric who runs the 400-student madrassa, recorded each of the 2-hour lectures he and others gave this past summer and would like to distribute the DVDs to reach a wider audience. But he lacks the money.

The US has created a new unit in Pakistan that aims to leverage such grassroots efforts by working with local moderates to counter violent extremism - the first of its kind set up by an American Embassy anywhere in the world, according to US officials here. The existence of the unit has never before been reported.

Mr Rehman and other clerics attempting to challenge extremism in Pakistan recently met with US Ambassador Cameron Munter in Islamabad, though the 50-year-old Mr Rehman says he has not yet received support from the Americans.

Okara has special significance because it is near the village of Ajmal Kasab, home of the only surviving gunman from the 2008 attacks on Mumbai that killed more than 160 people.

The US chose Pakistan as the site for its new venture because it is home to a vast network of Islamist militants who have been fighting US-led troops in neighbouring Afghanistan for more than a decade.

The three-person unit in the US Embassy public-affairs section was established in July. It plans to work with local partners, including moderate religious leaders, to project their counter-extremist messages and push back against the militants' extensive propaganda machine, said US officials.

It will use TV shows, documentaries, radio programmes and posters. It also intends to ramp up exchange programmes for religious leaders and public outreach to conservative Muslims who previously had little contact with American officials.

"There are a lot of courageous voices speaking out against extremism here in Pakistan," said Tom Miller, the head of public affairs at the US Embassy. "Our job is to find out how we can amplify those narratives."

The unit has just begun ramping up operations, said officials. It was funded with an initial budget of US$5 million (Dh18.4m) that officials hope will grow. Officials declined to provide details on specific programmes they are funding or plan to fund, for fear that publicly acknowledging US involvement would discredit their partners.

That's a major worry in this country where anti-American sentiment is rampant. Any cleric known to be taking US help is likely to be shunned by many. There are other challenges as well. Many among clerics and the public who are considered moderates have mixed views - they often oppose the killing of innocent civilians in Pakistan, but support jihad against US forces in Afghanistan or against neighbouring India. Further complicating the situation is alleged Pakistani government support for some militant groups.

Also, the militants are likely to strike back, as indicated by a recent trip the US ambassador made to a madrassa in Faisalabad city to attend a meeting of moderate religious leaders who denounced suicide bombings and other violence.

Militants responded the next day by calling the Muslim cleric who hosted the event, Yasin Zafar, and warning he could be killed.

The most intensive component of the new US initiative will be a media campaign focused on raising awareness about civilians harmed by militant attacks, said Mr Miller, the embassy public affairs chief. "We are trying to discredit these acts and take away the narrative that the militants are some kind of ideological heroes," said Mr Miller.

Surveys have shown that despite varying levels of support for militant groups within Pakistan, a majority of citizens oppose attacks that target civilians. Militants in Pakistan often deny responsibility for civilian casualties.

Mr Rehman, the cleric who conducted the 40 days of lectures, said he was powerless to compete with the extremists.

"The militants have arms, are trained and have the resources to distribute their literature in bulk quantities," said Mr Rehman. "We are very limited in our ability to distribute material to counter it."

The specs

Engine: 8.0-litre, quad-turbo 16-cylinder

Transmission: 7-speed auto

0-100kmh 2.3 seconds

0-200kmh 5.5 seconds

0-300kmh 11.6 seconds

Power: 1500hp

Torque: 1600Nm

Price: Dh13,400,000

On sale: now

The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

The%20specs
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The%20Afghan%20connection
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Brief scoreline:

Manchester United 2

Rashford 28', Martial 72'

Watford 1

Doucoure 90'

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
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  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Tips to stay safe during hot weather
  • Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
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Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz

Profile of Bitex UAE

Date of launch: November 2018

Founder: Monark Modi

Based: Business Bay, Dubai

Sector: Financial services

Size: Eight employees

Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings

SPECS
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Full Party in the Park line-up

2pm – Andreah

3pm – Supernovas

4.30pm – The Boxtones

5.30pm – Lighthouse Family

7pm – Step On DJs

8pm – Richard Ashcroft

9.30pm – Chris Wright

10pm – Fatboy Slim

11pm – Hollaphonic

 

Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

Price: From Dh98,800

Available: Now

Results:

First Test: New Zealand 30 British & Irish Lions 15

Second Test: New Zealand 21 British & Irish Lions 24

Third Test: New Zealand 15 British & Irish Lions 15

While you're here
In numbers: China in Dubai

The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000

Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000

Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent

Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
EA%20Sports%20FC%2024
%3Cp%3EDeveloper%3A%20EA%20Vancouver%2C%20EA%20Romania%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20EA%20Sports%3Cbr%3EConsoles%3A%20Nintendo%20Switch%2C%20PlayStation%204%26amp%3B5%2C%20PC%20and%20Xbox%20One%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs: 2019 Haval H6

Price, base: Dh69,900

Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder

Transmission: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm

Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km

BABYLON
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Damien%20Chazelle%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStars%3A%20Brad%20Pitt%2C%20Margot%20Robbie%2C%20Jean%20Smart%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

 

 

The candidates

Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive

Ali Azeem, business leader

Tony Booth, professor of education

Lord Browne, former BP chief executive

Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist

Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist

Dr Mark Mann, scientist

Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner

Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister

Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster

 

Napoleon
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