Return to Transcripts main page
Connect the World
Police Investigate Murders of Three Muslim Students in North Carolina; Parting Shots: Remembering the Chapel Hill Victims; Indian Tata Group: From National Giant to Global Power; Indian-UAE Trade; Managing Turmoil; Dubai's Little India
Aired February 12, 2015 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BECKY ANDERSON, HOST: After more than 400 days in prison, two al Jazeera journalists are out, for the time being at least, but their release
in Egypt is bittersweet. I'm going to get you to Cairo tonight and to Doha in Qatar to hear from the network about what's next from the two men.
Also ahead, devastation not seen in Europe for decades. Ukraine now has a new peace plan. We're in Minsk with the details this hour.
And...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's basically incomprehensible to me that you can murder three people over a parking spot.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: A dispute that turned deadly or a hate crime? We get reaction to the murder of three Muslim students in the United States and to
the media coverage of the crimes.
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is Connect the World with Becky Anderson.
ANDERSON: And just after 8:00 in the evening here in the UAE. Welcome.
Out of prison, but not yet in the clear, two al Jazeera journalists jailed in Egypt have been released at the start of their retrial, but they
are due back in court in 11 days time.
Mohamed Fahmy and Bahar Mohammed are accused of supporting the banned Muslim Brotherhood. Their colleague Peter Greste, who had been in prison
with them, was released less than two weeks ago. He's returned home to Australia.
Well, their detention has been a cause celebre around the world with supporters saying the men were only doing their jobs as journalists.
Ian Lee has been covering this case for us from Cairo. And he's there for you tonight. They're out, but their ordeal isn't over yet, Ian.
IAN LEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right, Becky.
It was postponed, the trial is on the 23, but I'll tell you there wasn't a dry eye among family and friends when the judge issued the ruling
that they were to be released. A huge cheer of celebration. People hugging each other.
We're told that Mohamed Fahmy has posted bail, but he hasn't been released yet. They're most likely going to be released on Saturday as it
is too late for the clerical work to happen tonight. And tomorrow is a government holiday. So likely to see them released on Saturday.
Their lawyers, though, were telling the judge that they should be released on the same grounds as Peter Greste was released, that there
should not be a dual standard there. They also have Mohamed Fahmy give a speech to the judge talking about how important his Egyptian nationality
was to him, the nationality he was told he had to surrender in order to be extradited to Canada. He waived the Egyptian flag afterwards.
Now talking to the families afterwards, they say it's not over, but for now they're going to be celebrating, Becky.
ANDERSON: I was hoping that we'd hear from the family there.
We do actually seem to be having some technical issues with you, but important that we get to Cairo. So we're going to leave it there for the
time being. Thank you.
As this case drags on and fails to come to conclusion over the next 45 minutes we'll be looking in more detail about what happens next for these
two journalists. We're going to hear from the head of the news gathering team at al Jazeera English and ask how optimistic she is that the case will
be dismissed when it resumes in 11 days.
And we'll ask whether the network should shoulder any responsibility for the arrest of those journalists.
Well, moving on for you tonight to a conflict in a small corner of Europe that is having a huge impact across the continent and beyond.
It took four nations and a 17 hour marathon negotiation to reach a tentative ceasefire deal in eastern Ukraine. We'll be live in Minsk where
the talks took place in a moment.
First, though, CNN senior international correspondent Nick Paton Walsh has a glimpse of some of the suffering in eastern Ukraine. And we should
warn you, some of the images he and his team have captured ahead of the deal were graphic.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It couldn't have been more central or worse timed. The shell torched the bus driver, killed
three others right at rush hour on the morning peace was supposed to break out.
Blood is now common on Donetsk streets, but not before in the very heart of separatist territory.
Yet separatists, too, are firing shells. These artillery pieces outside Ugugorsk (ph) facing the besieged town of Debaltseve. They clean
and load, a busy day. Rocking the farmland.
This, an SA13 Gopher air defense system, say defense experts Jane's, yet more evidence of the kind of modern firepower the separatists have got
from somewhere.
Nearby, Ukraine uses artillery as well.
These wagons are the front line. On the other side, civilians who have nowhere to run to.
When you cross through here and down into this village you are truly in a no man's land between the two armies, a buffer zone, really, where
locals say the village here is shelled nearly every day.
Sergei (ph) says they fired this morning.
There is little to do here in a village Ukrainian call Want For Nothing beneath Ukraine's positions, but sit and wait for the shells.
Toliya (ph) lost his windows to a blast and points to the north from where he says they're always fired.
Antonina's (ph) husband Yevginy (ph) was killed in November about a week before he turned 65 here in his backyard.
"He said run," she says, "get down in the basement. But he stayed up here and the shell hit."
"He lived for a moment," she adds, "but he died just here and it tore up everything. How can we live?"
Alina (ph) shows us how she and her mother try to live in the basement. Alina (ph) sleeps on the table, her mother in the back.
"When the shelling starts," she says, "we pray and beg for peace."
Her mother, Babaduciya (ph), partially sighted, seems shell-shocked.
"Holding each other's hands, love in the heart," she says, "like the lord says. Those who love we give love to, those who do evil -- come on,
grandchildren, let's love. Everything will be OK."
Down the road is Ukrainian army checkpoint, but the traffic is mostly this way. A tiny village idle where flashes of hell erupt daily.
Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, near Ugugorsk (ph), eastern Ukraine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, we want to turn to the ceasefire deal now aimed at ending the kind of devastation that you just saw there. Senior
international correspondent Nic Robertson joining me from Minsk, Belarus where those ceasefire talks were held.
What are the details of this truce as we know them, Nic, at this point?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A ceasefire comes into affect midnight Saturday into Sunday. There's a sort of a sequencing
beyond that. Once that comes into effect, heavy weapons get pulled back. When that comes into effect, a demilitarized zone between the two sides is
established. Once that comes into effect, that will allow for local elections in the separatist area. Once they are completed that will allow
the Ukrainian government to take greater control over the borders between Russia and the separatist area.
It rely on trust. It relies on that trust -- growing that trust was in short supply at the talks here. 17 hours, marathon session, almost fell
apart in the last couple of hours. The Ukrainian president said there wasn't enough on the table for him. The separatists were saying there
wasn't enough for them either.
But it really wasn't until the talks were over that we had a clear understanding of just how close it came to failure. This is what the
Ukrainian president had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETRO POROSHENKO, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (through translator): I can say that everything was difficult. And in fact various unacceptable
conditions were put to us -- conditions of retreat, of surrender. We did not succumb to a single ultimatum. And clearly defended our position that
a ceasefire by announced without any preliminary conditions.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: Well, the German foreign minister said that not everything that they came to the table to agree was agreed. But the Germans and the
French, Angela Merkel, Francois Holland really seemed to be taking some comfort that they've got a ceasefire. There's a potential for it to be
built on. They hope that this will end some of the suffering that's happening, the bloodshed right now. But there is still a lot of concern, a
lot of ways this can still go wrong on the battlefield -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Yeah, and let's talk about on the battlefield, because as these talks were ongoing and the details of this truce being released, I
want you to hear some sound that we received from CNN's Nick Paton Walsh. Listen to what one of the pro-Russian fighters had to say about that
ceasefire agreement, Nic.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Ukrainians won't have a ceasefire. The Ukraine armed forces, I mean. We can resolve this conflict
in only one way, Ukraine withdraws its armed forces from the territory of the Donetsk Republic. That's the only possible way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: What did separatist leaders represented then in Minsk have to say?
ROBERTSON: Well, they seem to agree that they would accept the terms as they were laid out as far as they went. Again, there were points that
weren't agreed. And quite what the details of those are, we don't know.
So this is a sort of a minimal agreement rather than a maximal agreement.
What was very telling is that President Putin spoke at the end of the talks alone. Normally, any successful negotiating talks you generally have
all sides there represented speaking together, answering questions together. There was none of that.
And of course -- you know, there's great concern in Ukraine and in Europe and in the United States about the role that Russia is playing that
is bolstering the position of the separatists that they're backing -- weapons, ammunition, troops on the ground. And that really didn't come
into question. Russia playing the role of here to help push the talks through yet they have a hand in the battlefield by most accounts, not
theirs, though, Becky, they deny that.
ANDERSON: All right, Nic Robertson is in Minsk for you this evening.
Well, after swiftly gaining ground across large parts of northern Iraq, ISIS is finally on the back foot, according to the U.S.
Peshmerga forces say they have taken vital territory from the terror group, but that territory could still be vulnerable. And the Kurdish
troops face a tense wait for the Iraqi army to rise to the standard needed to secure it.
Phil Black is with them on the front lines and has filed this exclusive report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These Kurdish fighters are holding onto very important ground.
Known as Peshmerga, they say ISIS attacks them every day, sometimes by driving huge truck bombs into their defenses.
(on camera): This is probably the most contested piece of territory in all of Northern Iraq at the moment, because, from this position, the
Peshmerga have effectively cut off ISIS from being resupplied across the border in Syria.
(voice-over): An ISIS outpost is just 800 yards away. For the Kurds, taking and holding at this crossroad is a key objective in their strategy
of surrounding and choking off Mosul, the ISIS stronghold in Northern Iraq.
And it's another sign of the huge progress the Kurds have made in rolling back ISIS initially conquered so easily.
MASROUR BARZANI, KURDISTAN REGIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL: So, we had to drive them out of this entire region.
BLACK: The head of the Kurdistan's security council says the Peshmerga have taken back almost all the ground they can until the new retrained
Iraqi army is ready to take the field.
BARZANI: There are some limitations of how far we can go, because we don't want to create any political sensitivities with the Arabs. And for
the rest of the region, we need cooperation and the Iraqi army to participate.
BLACK: Much of the territory claimed by Kurdish forces has been scarred dramatically by war, homes flattened, villages wiped out.
(on camera): ISIS blew up some of these homes as they retreated. Others, they rigged with explosives to detonate when people returned.
Locals say four were killed here when they opened the front door.
(voice-over): Across this recent battlefield, people have started returning to what's left of their homes, even as the war against ISIS still
rages only a short distance away.
Phil Black, CNN, near Mosul, Northern Iraq.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: We are taking a very short break here on Connect the World with me Becky Anderson. Coming up later in the program, friends and family
hold a vigil to mourn the death of three Muslim students at an American university. We'll explore the possible motive of the killings.
We'll also explore the issues that lead to the imprisonment of three al Jazeera journalists and ask one of the company's executives whether it
did enough to protect them.
Taking a short break. As I say, back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: You're watching CNN. This is Connect the World with me Becky Anderson. Welcome back.
It is 17 minutes past 8:00.
More than 400 days after they were first detained in Egypt, three al Jazeera journalists charged with aiding the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood are
now all out of prison.
Court proceedings remain active against the two released today Bahar Mohammed and Mohamed Fahmy there. Retrial has been adjourned until
February 23.
The third, Peter Greste, returned to his native Australia last week.
Well a short time ago, Mohamed Fahmy's fiancee and brother reacted to the court's decision to grant him bail. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARWA AMARA, MOHAMED FAHMY'S FIANCEE: Now I can relax. It was a very tough year. I'm so exhausted. And he's exhausted. And we want to just go
out, enjoy life.
ADEL FAHMY, MOHAMED FAHMY'S BROTHER: You know, we play by the law. We're going to follow everything and we're going to abide by everything in
the Egyptian law and I'm sure he's been vindicated by this and completely vindicated later on when this case...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, release of these men offers an opportunity to take stock of the circumstances surrounding their detention. Few are better
placed to discuss than Heather Allan who is head of news gathering for al Jazeera English.
Heather, thank you for joining. I know it's been a busy day.
The court has been adjourned until February 23. Are you optimistic that this case will be dismissed at this point?
HEATHER ALLAN, AL JEZEERA ENGLISH: Becky, we are optimistic.
After we had the Court of Cessations, or the Egyptian equivalent of the appeals court, pretty much shred the first trial and go for the retrial
we believe that we were on very strong legal grounds to have everything dismissed. We've always said we were not guilty. It's been our feeling
all along. And this is a very good first step, first Peter being released last week and now Bahar and Mohamed being given bail today.
Plus, all the students being released I think is a really good sign that we're on to something here and we're looking forward actually to going
back to court next week and trying to have all the charges dropped against all of our staff.
ANDERSON: I know that Mohamed Fahmy has renounced his Egyptian citizenship in the hopes of getting deported at this point. Has that been
ruled out as an option?
ALLAN: I think -- I think at this point -- I mean, I'm not his lawyer, but I would say that at this point deportation is not going to be
an option. He's out on bail. And as you heard Adel, his brother saying just before you came to me, they are going to play by the Egyptian rules
and the Egyptian laws. And I don't think they're going to rock the boat at this point. It would be very counterproductive for him to leave Egypt now.
ANDERSON: Heather, with respect, it seems clear that Mohamed Fahmy hasn't been wholly content with al Jazeera's attempts to handle the
situation. In a letter, for example, from prison printed in Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper he wrote the following, "I sailed into the storm with a
sincere crew as we beat ferocious political waves. Unfortunately, several months later it became evident that I had inherited a sinking ship. I
fired many warning flares and SOS messages as captain of this doomed ship, but we kept bobbing in the ocean with no compass or a watchtower back at
headquarters in Qatar to look out for our safe path."
Does the network in any way feel accountable for what happened to these men?
ALLAN: Of course. I mean, I personally I'm the head of news gathering. I'm just has been a huge year for us as well. I mean, you don't
ever see any of your teams go to jail for this long for something they -- they're innocent of and not come away with looking back at what we could
have done differently or perhaps missteps we made along the way.
What I will say is I don't believe that we were ever negligent towards our teams there. We had some issues with accreditation now. We weren't
accredited at the time, but that's not a jailable offense. Usually you get marched to an airport.
There isn't a journalist amongst us that hasn't gone in somewhere and not had accreditation. And that was the only thing actually that we didn't
have was our accreditation.
All the rest of the charges I believe were trumped up. Were we caught up in a bigger geopolitical game? We probably were, but you know as I have
said constantly throughout this year we are a standalone news station just like everybody else. And we're not the state of Qatar. And we don't
pretend to be. We don't have a foreign policy. You know, we have operated in Egypt for -- since al Jazeera English began, which is eight years ago.
So, you know, we're not new to Egypt. It wasn't that we just walked up. We've been operating there.
And when we moved to the Marriott (ph) we were operating -- we were operating in full view.
ANDERSON: Can I just pursue this a little further, then. Just according to the Globe and Mail, the Canadian press association reported
that Fahmy had expressed concerns about the Cairo staff safety months before his detention. The report says he was worried after an item
produced by the team I think aired on al Jazeera's Arabic channel, which was banned in Egypt for alleged Muslim Brotherhood bias. He had given
assurances to sources in Egypt that it would only air, for example, on the English channel. And he's alleged to have emailed this to senior network
officials.
And I quote, "I would imagine that due to the security situation, this action may come back to bite us, he said, the team here was also concerned
regarding this matter." The report says the director of news at al Jazeera English replied, "I will handle this. Thank you for alerting me."
Can you confirm the email exchange took place? And again, if so, how did al Jazeera handle it?
ALLAN: I'm not going to speak for the director of news, but what I can tell you is that everything that the director of news got, he did do
what he said he was going to do is handle it. We are a network. We're a big network. We did ask that (inaudible) didn't air our material.
Can I tell you categorically it never happened? I can't tell you that. But what I can tell you is we asked for it not to happen. We
understand that sensibilities.
But just like CNN we're a big company and you wouldn't know what goes onto your sister channels every single second of the day as much as we
would.
ANDERSON: Yeah, OK.
Well, thank you for clarifying some of that. And we keep these guys in our hopes and prayers and just hope that the next 11 days for them isn't
too traumatic and that that in fact we -- they get the result that they deserve and get out of prison at the next trial, as it were.
All right, Heather, thank you for that.
Coming up in 10 minutes time on Connect the World was it a hate crime or rage over a parking spot that pushed a 46-year-old man to murder three
young Muslim students in the United States. We're going to have the latest on that investigation.
First, though, we're going to show you how the center of the Jordanian capital Amman is getting a thoroughly modern makeover, just moving away
from the news for the moment for One Square Meter. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JOHN DEFTERIOS, EMERGING MARKETS EDITOR: This is the Boulevard, Amman's answer to large-scale projects found in cities like Dubai and
Beirut. Phase 1 in the city's Abdali district will have one million square meters of built up space.
This Kuwaiti financed mall will be the biggest in Jordan.
A Dubai-based developer is finishing this tower next door. It will have 360 apartments, 95 percent of them have already been sold.
Abdali CEO says the project fills a huge void in the capital.
GEORGE AMIREH, CEO, ABDALI: Amman was lacking a defined center, a defined hub with a high-end infrastructure to cater for the future needs of
Amman.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Forum in the old days and the marketplace in nowadays. It's a mixture of things. And this mixture, this mix makes things
happen.
DEFTERIOS: But things started off slowly. The opening ceremony came more than a decade after the masterplan was finalized.
Initial capital nearly dried up during the 2008 financial crisis, then came the Arab Spring.
The Boulevard was dreamed up by King Abdullah and the late Rafik Hariri, the former prime minister of Lebanon who made his fortune with
large-scale developments like this one. It's designed to be a financial gateway into the Levante region.
The development, which will have a hotel tower on one end, and a giant hospital on the other, is designed to position Jordan's role as a safe
harbor.
Montar Habardeen (ph), the chairman of the Boulevard company, says wealthy Iraqis and Syrians have been active buyers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But this place, Jordan, has been the haven for security. So people run from their lives and they come here. Those who are
able and those who are not as able.
DEFTERIOS: The financially able are driving up prices. There's been a more than four-fold increase in property transactions since this idea came
to fore, hitting about $400 million. Residential flats near The Boulevard go for up to $3,500 a square meter, a dear price where per capita income is
about $5,200 a year.
AMIREH: That's a term that a lot of people use, Amman is expensive, Amman is expensive. It's relatively speaking to the region and to the area
that we are in it's moderate. Amman is not that expensive.
DEFTERIOS: So far, just 30 percent of commercial space has been leased out.
Phase 2, another one million square meters, plans to come on market over the next three years.
After initial fits and starts, they want this emerging hub in the Middle East to finish smoothly.
John Defterios, CNN, Amman, Jordan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BECKY ANDERSON, HOST: You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson, out of the UAE for you this evening. The top stories this
hour.
Two Al Jazeera journalists who had been imprisoned in Egypt more than a year have been released. Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed will be free
while they wait for a retrial later this month on charges they supported the Muslim Brotherhood.
A cease-fire has been agreed aimed at ending the fighting in eastern Ukraine. It will begin on Sunday. An agreement was also made to pull back
heavy weapons. If it holds, it could end a conflict that has claimed more than 5,000 lives and strained East-West relations.
Away from those talks, Ukraine has secured a new $40 billion international bailout package. It includes $17.5 billion from the IMF,
with the rest coming from other organizations and countries. The deal should help the war-torn country's nearly destitute economy.
And the UN Security Council has unanimously adopted a resolution cutting off the flow of funds to ISIS. It calls for sanctions against
anyone who buys smuggled oil from the terror group or its affiliates and targets other means of financing, including the trade in antiquities from
Iraq and Syria and ransom payments. More than 35 countries co-sponsored that resolution.
Three Muslim students in North Carolina are dead, and their neighbor has been charged with their murders.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(MUSLIM PRAYER CHANT)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: The internet and social media are abuzz with speculation about the motive of the alleged killer and why there was initially so
little media coverage of the murders. Let's start with CNN's Jason Carroll, who has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (via telephone): I heard about eight shots go off in an apartment.
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A frantic 911 call. Shots fired at an apartment complex near the University of North Carolina's
Chapel Hill campus.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (via telephone): About three girls are -- more than one girl screaming, and then there was nothing.
CARROLL: The victims all Muslims: 23-year-old Deah Shaddy Barakat, his wife of a little more than a month, 21-year-old Yusor Mohammad, and her
sister, 19-year-old Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, all shot, execution-style, a bullet to the head.
Later that night, this man, 46-year-old Craig Hicks, turned himself into police, who soon charged him with three counts of first degree murder.
What triggered the shooting? The suspect's attorney said it was all over a parking spot.
ROBERT MAITLAND, HICKS FAMILY LAWYER: It has nothing to do with anything but the mundane issue of this man being frustrated day in and day
out with not being able to park where he wanted to park.
CARROLL: But the father of the murdered women called it a hate crime.
MOHAMMAD ABU-SALHA, VICTIMS' FATHER: I feel that I have no doubt that he would not have acted this way if they were not clearly Muslims.
CARROLL: A family spokeswoman called for an investigation.
SUZANNE BARAKAT, DEAH BARAKAT'S SISTER: We as that the authorities investigate these senseless and heinous murders as a hate crime.
CARROLL: Hicks, who claims he is an atheist, allegedly posted anti- religious statements on his Facebook page, quote, "When it comes to insult, your religion started this, not me. If your religion kept its big mouth
shut, so would I." CNN cannot independently confirm the authenticity of the post or his Facebook page.
Hicks' wife expressed shock and her deepest sympathy at the killings, but said whatever happened, it was not a hate crime.
KAREN HICKS, WIFE OF CRAIG HICKS: One of the things I know about him is everyone is equal. It just doesn't matter -- it doesn't matter what you
look like or who you are or what you believe.
CARROLL: Barakat was a second-year dental student. His wife was about to begin studies at the same UNC School of Dentistry. Her sister was
also a student at nearby NC State in Raleigh. And Barakat was also raising money.
DEAH BARAKAT, VICTIM: I need your help.
CARROLL: To provide dental care to Syrian refugees in Turkey. His website has raised more than $100,000, most of that donated after
supporters learned of his death.
Jason Carroll, CNN, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: I want to get you some perspective, now, from Ibrahim Hooper. He's communications director for the Council for American-Islamic
Relations, joining us from Washington. Sir, thank you.
Over 6,000 people have signed an online petition asking the Obama administration to declare these shootings a terrorist attack. Now, I know
your national executive director is in Chapel Hill meeting the victims' --
IBRAHIM HOOPER, COUNCIL ON AMERICAN-ISLAMIC RELATIONS: Yes.
ANDERSON: -- family members. Any more detail that they have shared with your organization that might help with a motive at this point?
HOOPER: I think the main detail that the family members shared with us is that this was not the first instance of interaction with this alleged
killer. They say that he appeared at their door on a number of occasions in the past while armed.
So, they -- and they had expressed fear of this individual, using the terms "hater," "hate-filled." That he hated them because of who they were
as Muslims. You have to remember that two of the victims here wore head scarves, or hijab.
And that this individual, as your report indicated, had posted anti- religion, anti-Muslim statements on Facebook. He had posted an image of a loaded weapon that he possessed on Facebook. And the nature of this crime,
I find it hard to believe that three people would be shot in the head, execution-style, over a parking space without other factors --
ANDERSON: Sure.
HOOPER: -- being involved. It is possible that it could have been triggered by a parking issue and be a hate crime. They're not mutually
exclusive.
ANDERSON: Sure. Ibrahim, let me just get you what the US attorney for the Middle East -- for the middle district of North Carolina, Ripley
Rand, had to say on this.
He issued a statement saying, and I quote, "The events of yesterday are not part of a targeted campaign against Muslims. I did want to address
some comments made on social media about that and to make sure people know that this appears at this point to have been an isolated incident." There
has been, though --
HOOPER: No.
ANDERSON: -- an awful lot of concern, it seems, doesn't it, on social media --
(CROSSTALK)
HOOPER: But nobody was claiming --
ANDERSON: -- about --
HOOPER: Yes.
ANDERSON: Sure. Go on.
HOOPER: No one was claiming that it was part of a targeted campaign against Muslims. They were wondering whether this individual was motivated
by hate, and there's strong suspicion that he was.
And it's disturbing to the American Muslim community and the Muslim community worldwide that there are -- seem to be attempts to minimize this
tragedy. To somehow almost excuse it. Oh well, it was just a parking spot, move along, nothing to see here.
Well, three people were shot in the head execution-style by a guy who expressed anti-Muslim views in a time when anti-Muslim hate rhetoric is
just growing exponentially in our society.
Personally myself since the attack on the Charlie Hebdo office, since the recent brutalities of ISIS, I personally have received dozens and
dozens of hate calls, hate e-mails, and a number of threats that have been reported to the FBI. And that's just me. So, you can imagine how this is
being replicated in the larger society.
ANDERSON: Let's just get some sound from the father of the two women who were killed. He told CNN that he believes the murders were a hate
crime. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ABU-SALHA: My daughter, Yusor, honest to God, told us on more than two occasions that this man came knocking at their door and fighting about
everything with a gun on his belt more than twice. She told us, "Daddy, I think he hates us for who we are and how we look."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Very sad. Sir, what happens next at this point, what do you understand to be the next steps to be taken by authorities?
HOOPER: Well, I think the authorities are handling it well, as far as the criminal investigation. He has been charged with three counts of
murder in the first degree. You really can't get much more than that.
And I think what we've seen nationwide is these vigils and events honoring the lives of these two -- three exemplary individuals. The last
Facebook post of the male victim was about helping the homeless people in his area get dental care.
So these were, as one of our people said, the best of America, and we've seen vigils spring up around the country. In fact, this evening in
Washington, DC, there's a vigil in DuPont Circle.
So -- and these are spontaneous things that are just springing up all over. Thousands of people turned out last night for a vigil in Chapel Hill
to honor these victims.
ANDERSON: And we're showing images of that vigil as we speak. Ibrahim, it's a pleasure having you on, thank you, sir.
HOOPER: Thank you.
ANDERSON: As Ibrahim and Jason Carroll reported, Deah Barakat had set up a relief effort of his own for Syrian refugees. He was raising money to
provide dental care in camps that have sprung up in Turkey. He noted on a website he established that even basic supplies at clinics are stretched,
facing as many as 1500 patients a month.
If you want to get involved, we've set up a link to Barakat's fundraising page. You can find that at cnn.com/impact, cnn.com/impact.
Parting Shots, I want to leave you with some of the scenes of grief in Chapel Hill and efforts to remember the three students as they were. A
makeshift memorial has come together at the university where Deah Shaddy Barakat was studying. Students are mourning the loss of Barakat, his wife,
and his young sister-in-law.
The shootings occurred inside the married couple's home, now a crime scene, with flowers placed in remembrance. Flowers, too, outside the
School of Dentistry, where Deah will not get the chance to graduate. A community in mourning caught completely off guard by the murders that took
three of their own.
On this and any other topic making news, the team at CONNECT THE WORLD wants to hear from you, facebook.com/CNNconnect. Of course, you can always
tweet me @BeckyCNN. That is @BeckyCNN.
From the team here in the UAE, it's a very good evening.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NATARAJAN CHANDRASEKARAN, CEO, TATA CONSULTANCY SERVICES: There's a solution for all problems is fair economic activity.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN DEFTERIOS, HOST: Tips from Tata. This week on MARKETPLACE MIDDLE EAST, the CEO of the Indian giant's consultancy arm talks about
doing business in the region.
Also, we take you on a tour of Dubai's Little India.
From cars to consulting, software to steel, India's Tata Group has gone from being a national giant to becoming a global powerhouse. It
produces a stream of products that caters to the rising masses of the emerging world, but also shakes up markets in richer places.
But it's Tata Consultancy Services, or TCS, that's really making inroads around the world, especially in the Middle East.
I met the company's chief executive in Saudi Arabia as he partnered up with GE and Saudi Aramco in launching the country's first all-female
business center.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHANDRASEKARAN: We have about 265 female professionals now serving both Aramco and GE. And some of the work that we do are pretty domain-
intensive: HR, finance and accounting, regulatory reporting, procurement. And these processes are being supported by these women for 38 countries.
DEFTERIOS: It's quite a radical change for Saudi Arabia. We wouldn't have this conversation five years ago, to think that a giant Indian player
came in and has an all-female workforce.
CHANDRASEKARAN: Yes, probably not. But I think it's -- it's a beautiful opportunity, great for Saudi Arabia, great opportunity for all
these female professionals, and it's good for the economy. It's about progress and growth.
DEFTERIOS: In fact, this economy is starting to open up. It was first the foreign-direct investment from companies like yourselves. And
then, you see that the capital market's opening up. That's quite a shift to suggest that foreign investors are welcome -- on a limited basis, but
still welcomed into the stock market. How do you see that as part of the progression of this economy?
CHANDRASEKARAN: Clearly, these are signs that this market is opening up. The kingdom is opening up, and I think these are good. These are
going to drive more investments and more economic growth actually in this region.
DEFTERIOS: So, it makes it less dependent just on Saudi capital, they don't have to go to the foreign markets to raise money. This is the
benefit of opening up?
CHANDRASEKARAN: I think capital is not an issue in Saudi for them. I think it is about integration. It is about job opportunities. It is about
global trade. So, it's not just about capital. I don't think it's about capital. It's about everything else.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DEFTERIOS: The CEO of TCS on doing business in Saudi Arabia. We'll hear more from him a little bit later in the program.
We know that Tata is one of the largest Indian conglomerates, but certainly not the only one doing business right here in the Middle East and
North Africa. In fact, trade between India and the six Gulf states tops $160 billion, and about half that total comes from right here in the UAE.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DEFTERIOS (voice-over): The traders of Dubai's old port in the creek load their wooden dhows as they have for centuries. Today, India, with a
population of 1.25 billion people, has emerged as the UAE's largest trading partner.
SHEIKHA LUBNA AL-QASIMI, UAE MINISTER FOR FOREIGN TRADE: Geographically, it is our neighbor. It is not that far. In terms of
logistics, it's very accessible. So, it is a natural trading partner for the United Arab Emirates.
But going through history before -- the route for the Silk Road actually used to pass all the way from East Africa through the United Arab
Emirates all the way to India. So, it has a historical background when it comes to this particular relationship.
DEFTERIOS: Over the last decade, trade rose from just $4.3 billion in 2003 to $75 billion in 2013, representing an annual growth rate of 33
percent. Indian companies use the modern port of Jebel Ali in Dubai, the region's largest, as a re-exporting gateway to Africa, Europe, and the
United States.
But relations go deeper than hard goods. The Indian expat community is the UAE's largest at 2.6 million, making up about 30 percent of the
total expat population. Dino Varkey is group executive director of GEMS Education, a private school group founded by an Indian family.
DINO VARKEY, GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, GEMS EDUCATION: The rich history of trade between India and the UAE has always been there. And for
the political leadership on either side to develop those strong, sustainable partnerships, well, I think now is a very opportune moment.
DEFTERIOS: Since winning the election in May last year, India's prime minister, Narendra Modi, has talked of expanding ties from South Asia to
the Middle East and North Africa. The six Gulf states are a good place for him to focus his attention. With a GDP over $1.5 trillion and a population
of just about 43 million, Saudi Arabia makes up nearly half that total.
The sovereign funds of the Gulf states are seen as potential investors to help in rebuilding India's creaking infrastructure, which is in need of
at least a trillion dollars.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DEFTERIOS: The relationship between India and the Middle East is not all about trade and investment. Up next, we take you on a tour of Little
India, right here in Dubai on MARKETPLACE MIDDLE EAST.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DEFTERIOS: Welcome back to MARKETPLACE MIDDLE EAST and our special look at the relationship between India and the Middle East. Tata, of
course, is one of the biggest Indian players, and it has a big stake in this region. But of course, the Middle East is facing a lot of turmoil, so
I asked the CEO of Tata Consultancy Services, Natarajan Chandrasekaran, how to deal with this sort of climate.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHANDRASEKARAN: So, in general, if you look at the world at large, there are issues in different parts of the world. Every now and then, we
have all kinds of economic, political, and operating kind of issues. So, that in general is always. But the best solution for all problems is fair
economic activity.
DEFTERIOS: It's very interesting, though. You're using Saudi Arabia as your hub for the Middle East and North Africa. Most people would kind
of opt for a lower-cost market, but you have a lot of confidence this can be delivered.
CHANDRASEKARAN: Yes, this can be delivered. And we really are present in many of the other countries in this region, so it's just not
that we only operate from Saudi Arabia. We have a center here in Riyadh, but as things progress and as we see business opportunities, we will
continually evaluate and then see how we access talent in each market and what are the cost structures.
At the end of the day, we should be able to attract talent, regional talent, and offer a solution and a value proposition and also make money.
(LAUGHTER)
CHANDRASEKARAN: So, the combination of all these factors drive growth.
DEFTERIOS: You like security, you like predictability, you like business openness that would represent Dubai. So, you're picking very
carefully in a region that's going through a lot of turbulence.
CHANDRASEKARAN: We have a presence in Dubai, we have customers in Bahrain, customers in all the countries in this region. And so, I think we
will do it in a collaborative way, but definitely here, this center is part of that.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DEFTERIOS: Natarajan Chandrasekaran, once again, of Tata Consultancy Services.
We know that India and the Middle East has a long-standing relationship. It's an important leg on the Silk Road. But it's not all
about trade and business, as Amir Daftari found out in Dubai's Little India.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
AMIR DAFTARI, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hustle and bustle. Saris and spice. You may think this is Delhi or Mumbai, but
you'd be wrong.
DAFTARI (on camera): Away from the images of Dubai that are known around the world exists a place that is rarely seen. Welcome to Meena
Bazaar.
DAFTARI (voice-over): This neighborhood is no more than a jumble of three roads, but for much of the Indian community in the UAE, it's home
away from home. I wanted to explore more. Tirth Galani is the general manager of Regal, a textile shop that's been in the area for decades. So
who better to show me around?
DAFTARI (on camera): What is it about Meena Bazaar that makes it so attractive?
TIRTH GALANI, GENERAL MANAGER, REGAL: Initially, a lot of people came, Indians they came here for trading. Minerals, textiles, and spices.
DAFTARI: Textiles and spices.
GALANI: From India.
DAFTARI: From India?
GALANI: Yes.
DAFTARI: OK. Why here?
GALANI: Again, this place is -- most Indians stay here, and nearby to Deira.
DAFTARI: OK, so Deira the creek --
GALANI: Yes.
DAFTARI: -- so the traders would come there and bring their --
(CROSSTALK)
GALANI: Not all business happening in Deira.
DAFTARI: Ah. And bring their goods here.
GALANI: True.
DAFTARI: OK. And so, what was the first goods to come here?
GALANI: Textiles. And spices.
DAFTARI: Textiles. Textiles and spices.
GALANI: Yes.
DAFTARI: So, Indians would come here to buy their textiles.
GALANI: That's right, yes.
DAFTARI: How many different textile stores are there? I see a lot.
GALANI: More than 600.
DAFTARI: So, I hear some of the best Indian food in the whole of the Middle East --
GALANI: Yes.
DAFTARI: -- is here in Meena Bazaar, correct?
GALANI: This where I eat, and this is one of the best restaurants --
DAFTARI: OK.
GALANI: -- for Indian food.
DAFTARI: What do they serve? From which part of the country?
GALANI: This is a good representation.
DAFTARI: OK, so the more spicy.
GALANI: Yes, more spicy.
This is ice bowl, made of ice. In the middle, you can put any kind of --
DAFTARI: So, it's like a popsicle, like an ice lolly.
GALANI: That's true. That's true.
DAFTARI: So, you get the ice there.
GALANI: Yes, like that.
DAFTARI: OK. Oh, you stick -- what is that, a straw?
GALANI: Yes. It's just a straw. Let's have a try.
DAFTARI: That's beautiful. And what is this last one?
GALANI: Orange. This is pineapple, this is orange. This is coconut.
DAFTARI: Orange, chocolate. You're going to mix it all?
GALANI: Yes.
DAFTARI: It's too much!
GALANI: Suck it.
DAFTARI: Oh. Mmm. Mmm. It's cold.
GALANI: Yes.
DAFTARI: Mmm.
A lot of gold shops. And jewelry shops.
GALANI: That's true. Recent as last five years, a lot of gold people have come in Meena Bazaar.
DAFTARI: Why? Why is that?
GALANI: A lot of Indians stay here. Indians love gold like anybody.
DAFTARI: They love gold. Indians --
GALANI: They love gold.
DAFTARI: So, why do they love gold so much, and why do they love gold in Dubai so much?
GALANI: Dubai, main reason is, again, you get a pure gold.
DAFTARI: Pure gold.
GALANI: And the rate is more reasonable compared to India's
DAFTARI: It's cheaper than India as well.
GALANI: Cheaper, cheaper than India.
DAFTARI: So, there's a big difference between the new Dubai, with its skyscrapers and flashy cars than there is Meena Bazaar.
GALANI: Again, Meena Bazaar is all markets. You can see all the old buildings. Most of the Indians stay here. They love staying here. It's
reasonable. Everywhere to go, you can do shopping at reasonable prices.
DAFTARI: And you live here?
GALANI: Yes, very much.
DAFTARI: Do you travel to -- around the Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall?
GALANI: Yes, very much. Very --
DAFTARI: Oh.
GALANI: On the weekends, we go there. But we love this place like anything.
DAFTARI (voice-over): And it's that level of love that ensures there's a little corner of the UAE that will be forever India.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DEFTERIOS: Amir Daftari taking a tour of Little India for us here in Dubai. And that's all for this edition of CNN MARKETPLACE MIDDLE EAST.
I'm John Defterios, thanks for watching. We'll see you next week.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
