The founder of Islamic Relief Worldwide brought more controversy to the charity after he referred to the persecuted Yazidi people as "devil worshippers".
Dr Hany El Banna, who is also chairman of the UK's Muslim Charities Forum, posted a video on Twitter of a lecture he gave titled "Money doesn't buy you class", in which he made the remark in September.
It was filmed only weeks after IRW's entire board was forced to step down when it was revealed that senior figures posted anti-Semitic comments and support for Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood.
Barely five days before the talk, IRW announced that the UK's former attorney general Dominic Grieve was heading an independent commission to monitor the conduct of the charity's trustees and senior executives.
Former chief executive Tayeb Abdoun, resigned after posting anti-Semitic remarks, publishing his support for the Muslim Brotherhood and quoting the founder of Al Qaeda. Islamic Relief also announced that its current chief, Naser Haghamed, would step down in January because of "health reasons”.
Members of the Yazidi community, which has faced genocide at the hands of ISIS, reacted angrily to Dr El Banna's words.
Ahmed Khudida Burjus, deputy executive director of Yazidi aid charity Yazda, said the comments inflamed the sense of persecution.
"I'm shocked," he told The National. "We have been subjected to these comments from religious groups and politicians but for it to come from a person linked to an aid group like IRW is a shock. It is very difficult to understand and this is why it is difficult to stop the genocide when the system is against the Yazidi people.
“IRW has given funds to the region to help the Yazidis and other minorities and people like Dr El Banna are damaging this organisation. Saying these things is discriminating, it’s not good. I’m just shocked that a humanitarian has said this.”
Executive director of the Counter Extremism Project think tank, David Ibsen, described it as reprehensible.
"It is outrageous for the founder of one of Britain's largest charities to slander people in this manner," he told The National.
“Unfortunately, Dr El Banna’s comments did not occur in a vacuum. He is only the latest in a series of high-ranking officials from IRW in the past six months to publicly make derisive comments about other religious and ethnic groups.
“IRW’s entire board resigned over the summer. Almoutaz Tayara shared an anti-Semitic cartoon and praised the terrorist group Hamas, calling its leaders “great men” who responded to the “divine and holy call of the Muslim Brotherhood”. Despite these incidents, hatred has continued to flow from the board.
“It is troubling that so many board members feel safe to publicly share these comments on social media.”
Dr Rakib Ehsan, research fellow at think tank the Henry Jackson Society, said Dr El Banna’s comments were akin to the views of ISIS.
"These scandals have exposed prominent figures of Islamic Relief Worldwide as being rotten to the core," she told The National.
“IRW founder Hany El Banna’s labelling of Yazidis as ‘devil worshippers’ would find much agreement among genocidal ISIS militants who sought to wipe out the minority group in northern Iraq.
“This follows former IRW interim-chief executive and veteran employee Tayeb Abdoun’s resignation over his anti-Semitic incitement to violence on Facebook. The humanitarian relief agency appears to contain those who are anything but humane in their worldview.”
IRW defended Dr El Banna’s comments, made a few minutes into a 36-minute recording of part of a lecture, in which he spoke of non-Arabs’ contributions to humanity.
"Viewed in full and in context, this video is a history lecture on the positive contribution of a diverse range of Muslims and non-Muslims to the development of Middle Eastern civilisations," IRW told The National.
“It makes passing reference to how a number of groups are commonly referred to in the region to identify and introduce them. It references the contribution these groups have made to society and to civilisation, encouraging mutual respect.”
Dr El Banna co-founded the organisation in the English city of Birmingham in 1984. It was designated a terrorist group by the UAE in 2014.
The Muslim Charites Forum said Dr El Banna has been at the forefront of galvanising aid for the Yazidi people.
"Dr El Banna is a respected humanitarian and teacher," a representative for the trustees told The National.
"This video is a history lecture on the Middle East, appreciating the contributions and the diversity of people within Middle Eastern civilisations – nothing in it is said with malice or judgment because that is not what teachers do.
"While many ignored the suffering of the Yazidi community during the recent crisis in the Middle East, Dr El Banna encouraged charities to respond with urgency and humanity."
IRW took swift action when the material posted by Mr Abdoun emerged. A Swiss newspaper first reported he had published a picture on Facebook with a knife and a thumbs-up sign after three Israelis were murdered by Palestinians in Jerusalem.
“Regrettably one of our directors admitted to operating through an undisclosed social media account in which he posted anti-Semitic and other offensive and unacceptable comments in 2014,” IRW said.
“He has resigned with immediate effect, accepting that he has let IRW down and fallen below our expected standards. He also expressed his deep regret for any offence caused to the Jewish community and for causing harm to our organisation and its reputation.
“Any hate speech, and within that any expression of anti-Semitism, is in violation of our code of conduct and against everything that Islamic Relief stands for.”
In July, IRW trustee and director Heshmat Khalifa quit the board after being challenged about social media posts labelling Jews the "grandchildren of monkeys and pigs" and deriding Egypt's president.
He also called the militant Palestinian organisation Hamas “the purest resistance movement in modern history”.
In another incident, Abdul Mannan Bhatti, an IRW fundraiser, deleted his Facebook account after posts with regular quotes from Sayyid Qutb, a founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, were highlighted.
According to its latest accounts, published in September, IRW received £565,000 ($749,000) last year and £1,082,000 in 2018 from Qatar Charity, an organisation closely linked to Muslim Brotherhood leader Yusuf Al Qaradawi, who lives in Doha.
Last month, IRW announced that its chief executive, Mr Haghamed, who has been at the helm for the past five years, will step down in January.
The IRW’s independent inquiry is also due to report back in January.
Presently, IRW is facing a global backlash over the incidents with parliamentarians around Europe demanding that governments suspend funding and review their relationships with it.
German aid alliance group Aktion Deutschland Hilft has suspended Islamic Relief Germany's membership until December 2021, with the charity's funding now frozen.
In Sweden, aid agency Sida said it would look at the allegations as it reviewed its contract with Islamic Relief.
The UK’s Disasters Emergency Committee, which raises millions of pounds for relief in countries such as Yemen, is due to re-examine the role of IRW, while the UK’s aid watchdog, the Charity Commission, has an ongoing compliance case against IRW.
Don't get fined
The UAE FTA requires following to be kept:
- Records of all supplies and imports of goods and services
- All tax invoices and tax credit notes
- Alternative documents related to receiving goods or services
- All tax invoices and tax credit notes
- Alternative documents issued
- Records of goods and services that have been disposed of or used for matters not related to business
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Draw for Europa League last-16
Istanbul Basaksehir v Copenhagen; Olympiakos Piraeus v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Rangers v Bayer Leverkusen; VfL Wolfsburg v Shakhtar Donetsk; Inter Milan v Getafe
Sevilla v AS Roma; Eintracht Frankfurt or Salzburg v Basel; LASK v Manchester United
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
At Everton Appearances: 77; Goals: 17
At Manchester United Appearances: 559; Goals: 253
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
MATCH INFO
Liverpool 0
Stoke City 0
Man of the Match: Erik Pieters (Stoke)
What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
ICC T20 Team of 2021
Jos Buttler, Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, David Miller, Tabraiz Shamsi, Josh Hazlewood, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mustafizur Rahman, Shaheen Afridi
Lowest Test scores
26 - New Zealand v England at Auckland, March 1955
30 - South Africa v England at Port Elizabeth, Feb 1896
30 - South Africa v England at Birmingham, June 1924
35 - South Africa v England at Cape Town, April 1899
36 - South Africa v Australia at Melbourne, Feb. 1932
36 - Australia v England at Birmingham, May 1902
36 - India v Australia at Adelaide, Dec. 2020
38 - Ireland v England at Lord's, July 2019
42 - New Zealand v Australia in Wellington, March 1946
42 - Australia v England in Sydney, Feb. 1888
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The 12 breakaway clubs
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Company%20Profile
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Porsche Macan T: The Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 265hp from 5,000-6,500rpm
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Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Speed: 0-100kph in 6.2sec
Top speed: 232kph
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
On sale: May or June
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Autumn international scores
Saturday, November 24
Italy 3-66 New Zealand
Scotland 14-9 Argentina
England 37-18 Australia
McLaren GT specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 620bhp
Torque: 630Nm
Price: Dh875,000
On sale: now
Wenger's Arsenal reign in numbers
1,228 - games at the helm, ahead of Sunday's Premier League fixture against West Ham United.
704 - wins to date as Arsenal manager.
3 - Premier League title wins, the last during an unbeaten Invincibles campaign of 2003/04.
1,549 - goals scored in Premier League matches by Wenger's teams.
10 - major trophies won.
473 - Premier League victories.
7 - FA Cup triumphs, with three of those having come the last four seasons.
151 - Premier League losses.
21 - full seasons in charge.
49 - games unbeaten in the Premier League from May 2003 to October 2004.
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
Company profile
Date started: January, 2014
Founders: Mike Dawson, Varuna Singh, and Benita Rowe
Based: Dubai
Sector: Education technology
Size: Five employees
Investment: $100,000 from the ExpoLive Innovation Grant programme in 2018 and an initial $30,000 pre-seed investment from the Turn8 Accelerator in 2014. Most of the projects are government funded.
Partners/incubators: Turn8 Accelerator; In5 Innovation Centre; Expo Live Innovation Impact Grant Programme; Dubai Future Accelerators; FHI 360; VSO and Consult and Coach for a Cause (C3)
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
What is tokenisation?
Tokenisation refers to the issuance of a blockchain token, which represents a virtually tradable real, tangible asset. A tokenised asset is easily transferable, offers good liquidity, returns and is easily traded on the secondary markets.
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
