LONDON // Support for ISIL is stronger among Arabic speakers in the West than those living at the heart of the zones of conflict, according to researchers who studied months of SOCIAL media messages and online comments.
More than two million blog posts and messages were analysed by Voices from the Blogs, a team of academics from Italy’s Milan university.
They found little trace of the extremists convincing Syrians, with 92 per cent of tweets, online forum messages and blog postings showing clear disapproval of ISIL and its self-styled state covering parts of the country and Iraq.
Favourable comments also represented a minority view in postings originating in other Middle Eastern countries: just under 20 per cent in Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Iraq.
But in Belgium, from which the extremists’ combat in Syria and Iraq has drawn one of the highest proportions of citizens among European countries, supportive views were expressed in 31 per cent of the content analysed.
The researchers found higher levels only in Qatar – nearly 48 per cent – and Pakistan (35 per cent).
Backing for ISIL also appeared in messages and blogs posted in Arabic from the UK (nearly 24 per cent), Spain (nearly 22 per cent) and France and the United States (respectively just under and just over 21 per cent).
The researchers believe they have conducted the world’s first major scientific analysis of Arab speakers’ support for, or hostility to, ISIL. They studied Facebook, Twitter and blog content for more than three months from July.
“We think that these findings confirm one of the main lessons of our analysis,” Luigi Curini, a political scientist and member of the Milan team, told The National.
“The negative sentiment towards ISIS [ISIL] grows as we approach the front line. Indeed, countries located on the frontline – Iraq, Syria – or nearby –Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, but also Israel and Iran – display higher levels of opposition against ISIS.
“The comments are instead less negative in countries located far away from the frontline. This is true both for Arab, for example Qatar, and Islamic countries such as Indonesia, but the same happens in some western countries, for example Belgium.”
Mr Curini felt support for ISIL in Arab-speaking communities located far from the areas of conflict was probably influenced by their detachment from risk of violence, war and retaliation “but also because their civil rights and freedoms are not put in danger by the ISIS advance”.
In contrast, Arab speakers living close to the theatre of combat feared the loss of their own freedom and independence and had closer experience of the violence committed by ISIL.
The researchers concluded that ISIL aggression did not amount to either a religious war or a so-called “clash of civilisations”.
Although 36 per cent of positive comments cited “defending Islam” as a motivation, this was seen by the team as referring to nationhood as well as faith. Twice as many comments and blogs mentioned state-building as talked about revenge against the West.
Moreover, a high minority of negative comments – almost one in three – condemned ISIL for “using the Islamic religion as a shield for pursuing political aims: seizure of power and ruling a state”, Mr Curini said.
One tweet seen by researchers stated: “They are tyrants and have marred Islam. Every day ISIS makes Islam wear the mask of a barbarous sexual monster.”
Mr Curini added: “It is not by chance that the main battlefield, nowadays, involves the Islamic Kurdish people.”
He said one social media message, summarised as “who is with ISIS is also against Islam”, made the point that for many Muslims, the extremists were effectively anti-Islam.
foreign.desk@thenational.ae
Infobox
Western Region Asia Cup Qualifier, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the next stage of qualifying, in Malaysia in August
Results
UAE beat Iran by 10 wickets
Kuwait beat Saudi Arabia by eight wickets
Oman beat Bahrain by nine wickets
Qatar beat Maldives by 106 runs
Monday fixtures
UAE v Kuwait, Iran v Saudi Arabia, Oman v Qatar, Maldives v Bahrain
Rafael Nadal's record at the MWTC
2009 Finalist
2010 Champion
Jan 2011 Champion
Dec 2011 Semi-finalist
Dec 2012 Did not play
Dec 2013 Semi-finalist
2015 Semi-finalist
Jan 2016 Champion
Dec 2016 Champion
2017 Did not play
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
LEAGUE CUP QUARTER-FINAL DRAW
Stoke City v Tottenham
Brentford v Newcastle United
Arsenal v Manchester City
Everton v Manchester United
All ties are to be played the week commencing December 21.
THE DETAILS
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Dir: Ron Howard
Starring: Alden Ehrenreich, Emilia Clarke, Woody Harrelson
3/5
More from Neighbourhood Watch
RACE CARD
6.30pm: Madjani Stakes Group 2 (PA) Dh97,500 (Dirt) 1,900m
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,400m
7.40pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 2,200m
8.50pm: Dubai Creek Mile Listed (TB) Dh132,500 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm: Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (D) 1,900m
10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (D) 1,400m
FIXTURES
Monday, January 28
Iran v Japan, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Tuesday, January 29
UAEv Qatar, Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Friday, February 1
Final, Zayed Sports City Stadium (6pm)
The Prison Letters of Nelson Mandela
Edited by Sahm Venter
Published by Liveright
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Result
Qualifier: Islamabad United beat Karachi Kings by eight wickets
Fixtures
Tuesday, Lahore: Eliminator 1 - Peshawar Zalmi v Quetta Gladiators
Wednesday, Lahore: Eliminator 2 – Karachi Kings v Winner of Eliminator 1
Sunday, Karachi: Final – Islamabad United v Winner of Eliminator 2
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
MATCH INFO
Mumbai Indians 186-6 (20 ovs)
Kings XI Punjab 183-5 (20 ovs)
Mumbai Indians won by three runs
