DUBAI // Since Moosa Mukhtiar Ahmed's murder, his family has organised and paid for a meal every Friday for the children of their neighbourhood.
It is, they say, a work of charity in honour of their young son's soul. And his father said that today's feast will be bigger as they celebrate the execution of their son's killer - a moment they say has led to an outpouring of congratulations from around the region.
Family members and relatives in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia began calling Mukhtiar Ahmed Khudabaksh and his wife, Jamala Imdad, early yesterday and congratulating them, Mr Ahmed said.
He said they all praised Allah for his mercy and justice, although he said he could never forgive Moosa's killer.
"This is justice and justice has been served, and I will never forgive him for what he did to my son," Moosa's mother said.
Imdad Hussain, Moosa's maternal grandfather, said his heart was now at peace.
Mr Hussein said that no one from the killer's family had tried to contact Moosa's family and seek their forgiveness.
"We are people with mercy in our hearts, we might have forgiven him," he said.
But Mr Ahmed interrupted, saying, "I don't want to see any of them, and I wouldn't have forgiven him, not then and not now."
The killer has no full brothers or sisters and his parents both died when he was a child. His stepfamily and other relatives declined to comment when contacted yesterday at their villa, not far from where Moosa lived.
A prison official who witnessed the execution said: "Even if the parents of the victim forgave him, the death sentence would still have been carried out."
Nonetheless, he said, none of the officials present expected the family to grant Rashid their forgiveness.
"Imagine to be in their place, and you will know that forgiveness is not among your feelings or vocabulary at that moment, when you see in front of you the man who did these awful things to your son," he said.
salamir@thenational.ae
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
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Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
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Neighbourhood Watch
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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.
Teaching in coronavirus times
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THE BIO
BIO:
Born in RAK on December 9, 1983
Lives in Abu Dhabi with her family
She graduated from Emirates University in 2007 with a BA in architectural engineering
Her motto in life is her grandmother’s saying “That who created you will not have you get lost”
Her ambition is to spread UAE’s culture of love and acceptance through serving coffee, the country’s traditional coffee in particular.
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The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
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The UAE is India’s third-largest trade partner after the US and China
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BULKWHIZ PROFILE
Date started: February 2017
Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce
Size: 50 employees
Funding: approximately $6m
Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait
