EXCLUSIVE RazomUA: Special report from Doha (Qatar)

Battle for the airwaves: Al Jazeera and the Ukrainian position

The full-scale war found Tarik in Kyiv, but on the seventh day he received a call he could not refuse. The channel Al Jazeera needed a specialist capable, on the level of simultaneous interpretation, of conveying the Ukrainian point of view to a million-strong Middle Eastern audience.

In this special report Tarik spoke about the behind-the-scenes of the information front:

• Breaking the blockade: In the first days Russian diplomats dominated the airwaves thanks to their knowledge of Arabic. Tarik became the one who won back space for the Ukrainian truth, translating official statements and news directly from primary sources.
• Symbol of resilience: It was Tarik’s persistence that helped bring to the main broadcast footage of a Ukrainian soldier who, before dying, shouted "Glory to Ukraine!". This episode became a sensation in the Arab world, conveying the true spirit of our struggle.
• Exposing fakes: When Russian propaganda launched a fake about an alleged "desecration of the Quran by Ukrainians," Tarik personally proved to the channel’s leadership that the video was fabricated. His knowledge of accents helped stop a large-scale provocation.

"Ukraine — the place where I learned to be free"

In Qatar Tarik remains part of the Ukrainian world. Even in the desert he finds space for the sport he calls "a piece of Ukraine," recalling runs along Khreshchatyk and Kyiv stadiums. His children continue to study at a Ukrainian school online, and Ukraine remains the family’s only true homeland.

"My 'self' was fully formed in Ukraine. I was born in the Emirates, I am Palestinian, but it was in Ukraine that I became the Tarik people know. For me this land is sacred, and for it it is worth living and dying"

— Tarik Sarhan in a special report from Qatar

Victory — the absence of fear

According to Tarik, Ukraine has already won because it shattered the enemy’s main instrument — fear. The Arab world today looks to Ukraine as an example of how truth defeats force, and how the will of a people can stop any army.

"We are fighting not for politicians, but for the future of our children. We went through the worst, and now the main thing is not to allow internal disappointment. The truth is on our side, and therefore — victory cannot be taken away"