Wishing you a peaceable Ramadan

Ramadan Kareem to Sheikh Mo, the UAE family and to all my readers

Some 1.6 billion Muslims around the world today begin celebrating the Holy Month of Ramadan.

With so much turmoil, violence and death around us again this Holy Month, I would like to dedicate this Ramadan to Sheikh Mo -- as we affectionately refer to HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the UAE’s Vice-President, Prime Minister and ruler of Dubai.

Thank you Sheikh Mo for creating a dream I can share. Thank you for keeping this country safe for us to build a home away from home.

It is every adult and healthy Muslim’s obligation to fast -- abstain from eating, drinking and sexual activity from dawn to dusk. But it is also a spiritual journey to avoid immoral behavior, anger and show compassion.

The month of Ramadan is the month in which the Holy Quran was gradually revealed to Prophet Mohammad (PBUP) over a period of 23 years.

I wish Sheikh Mo, the UAE family as well as my readers a blissful and blessed fasting month of Ramadan.

May Allah reward your self-restraint and answer your supplications.

Allah's Apostle said, "When the month of Ramadan starts, the gates

of Paradise are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained."

[Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith no. 123, narrated by Abu Huraira]

Tale of 2 visions: For and against women

Najia Siddiqi  (Photo via Women in Revolution)

On December 9, the UAE Cabinet made it compulsory for corporations and government agencies to include women on their board of directors.

On December 10, the date chosen to honor the UN General Assembly’s adoption and proclamation in 1948 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Najia Siddiqi, Afghanistan's director of Provincial Women's Affairs, was assassinated.

While UAE women are increasingly recognized as active participants in society, their opposite numbers are getting ever more fearful for their lives in such Taliban-dominated countries as Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Sheikh Mo's Twitter page

Sheikh Mo's announcement on Twitter

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashed al Maktoum, or Sheikh Mo as we fondly refer to the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, announced to his more than 1.3 million followers on Twitter: “We have also made a decision to make the representation of women, in all the boards of directors of companies and government entities, compulsory…

"Women proved themselves in many workplaces and today we want them to have a strong presence in decision-making positions in our institutions.”

The UAE joins the likes of Italy, Spain, Norway, Belgium and Iceland, which have introduced board gender quotas and regulations to ensure women are represented on boards of directors.

Prayers before Najia Sididqi's funeral (AFP photo via aljazeera.com)

Najia Siddiqi was shot dead by two unidentified men while commuting on Human Rights Day in a motorized rickshaw in Mehtarlam in Pakistan’s eastern Laghman province. Hanifa Safi, her predecessor at the Provincial Women's Affairs, was killed when a magnetic bomb attached to her vehicle exploded in July.

The Facebook group Women in Revolution says, “This attack, especially on Human Rights Day, shows that those who killed Ms. Siddiqi have no respect for human rights or the safety of the Afghan people… She was a brave woman and we salute her for her unwavering dedication to women’s rights. Her efforts are remembered particularly since today marks the end of the 16 Days campaign for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.”

The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence is an international campaign originating from the first Women's Global Leadership Institute sponsored by the Center for Women's Global Leadership in 1991. Participants chose the dates, November 25, International Day Against Violence Against Women, and December 10, International Human Rights Day, in order to symbolically link violence against women and human rights and to emphasize that such violence is a violation of human rights.

Women in Revolution also feature Fareeda "Kokikhel" Afridi, a Pashtun feminist and women's rights activist in Pakistan who was also shot dead on her way to work in July.

On July 5, 2012, as Afridi left her home in the Khyber tribal area to go to work in Hayatabad a suburb of Peshawar, two motorcyclists, who later escaped, shot her once in the head and twice in the neck. She died in hospital.

Fareeda Afridi (Photo via Women in Revolution)

Afridi was born and raised in the Khyber tribal area, part of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), an impoverished semi-autonomous region in Pakistan's northwest, bordering Afghanistan.

She graduated from university with a master's degree in gender studies. While still a student, she founded with her sister, Noor Zia Afridi, the Society for Appraisal and Women Empowerment in Rural Areas (SAWERA), a women-run NGO promoting women's empowerment in FATA. Afridi was critical of the Pakistani government, the Taliban, and the patriarchal nature of Pakistani society. In June, a month before her killing, Afridi told journalists she was being threatened.

Women in Revolution was initiated to support all people fighting for freedom from oppression. “Our guiding light is the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights -- the first three articles define these as the right to equality, safety and justice.”

Their motto is “We are not here to be silent.”

Their immediate focus is on Syria, intending to provide aid to the Syrian people: to help them survive the winter months first, and then rebuild their country after Bashar al-Assad’s fall.

This is not to forget two teenagers from a conservative and poor area of Pakistan, who have also felt the long arm of the fundamentalist Taliban.

Taliban gunmen shot Malala Yousafzai, 14, in the head on October 9. She survived the shooting and was airlifted to the UK for treatment and the long road to recovery. Hina Khan, 16, is also being threatened and a target.

Malala is a pupil from the town of Mingora in the Swat Valley. She is known as an education and women’s rights activist in the area, where the Taliban have banned girls from attending school.

Hina is also known as an activist for education and women’s rights.

The Khan family is originally from the same Swat Valley area of Pakistan as Malala. It was under complete Taliban control from 2007 to 2009.

Hina and her family were forced to move to Islamabad in 2006 after publicly criticizing atrocities committed by militants.

It is definitely a tale of two visions – one where a country embraces all its citizens and looks to the future; the other ignoring more than half their populations and making violent leaps into the past.

Related posts:

A Nobel Peace Prize for Malala and Hina -- October 29, 2012

The Power of We… for education -- October 15, 2012

16 Days against gender violence -- Nov 25, 2011

Dubai bird to sing Zayed’s name

Congratulations to Princess Haya and Sheikh Mohammad
on the birth of Baby Sheikh Zayed (Photo by Emirates 24/7)

As a sign of the times, the number one birth in the United Arab Emirates was announced on social media platforms Facebook and Twitter.

“Princess Haya and I were blessed with a baby boy… We named him ‘Zayed’,” is how HH Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai welcomed the arrival of his second child with HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein of Jordan on Sunday (January 7).

The announcement on Facebook

Sheikh Mohammad and Princess Haya, who married in 2004, had their first child, Sheikha Al Jalila, on December 2, 2007. (See Dubai sheikha’s likeness to her mom, April 7, 2011)

By Tuesday morning, the good news had been shared 1,407 times on Facebook, with 33,700 likes and 13,322 comments congratulating Sheikh Mohammad and Princess Haya.

Baby Sheikh Zayed is named after the founding father of the UAE, HH Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan (1918-2004), loved, respected and admired by the people of the Emirates and the international community.

The proud parents leave hospital with Baby Sheikh Zayed
(photo Sukar)

I wish baby Zayed well. I will be teaching my little bird to sing his name. Congratulations to his parents, his sister, his family and citizens of the UAE.

Related post:

Dubai sheikha’s likeness to her mom – April 7, 2011

Happy 40th to the UAE

My accolade goes to the Dubai Civil Defense

It is the sixth year I celebrate UAE National Day in Dubai.
 

In the current times of social, political and economic turmoil in the region and the world at large, it is a breath of fresh air to see a country happy, united and supportive of its leaders.

As one of the tens of thousands of expatriates who were lucky to land on the sunny, blissful and safe shores of the United Arab Emirates, I wish the country, its leaders and its people a Happy National Day.

Friday, December 2, marks the formal independence of the UAE from the United Kingdom and the 1971 unification of its seven component emirates – namely, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Al Fujairah.

The seven fellow members of the Federal Supreme Council

The “Spirit of the Union” is derived from the vision and leadership of the father of the nation, the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. It now lives on through UAE President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and their five fellow members of the Federal Supreme Council – Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammad Al Qasimi (ruler Sharjah), Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammad Al Sharqi (ruler of Al Fujairah), Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi (ruler of Ras Al Khaimah), Sheikh Saud bin Rashid Al Mualla (ruler of Umm Al Quwain), and Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi (ruler of Ajman).

Preparations for this year’s National Day got underway on October 24 and culminated on December 2, when celebratory events across the seven emirates marked the 40th milestone.

My friend Yahya Almarzooqi at National Day celebrations

Villas, apartments, offices, gardens, parks, public roads, cars… practically everything is decked out in the colors of the UAE national flag, under the slogan “Spirit of the Nation.”

An Emirati businesswoman went as far as to customize and decorate her BMW X6 with 150,000 individual Swarovski crystals. She had to get special permission from the RTA (Road Transport Authority to drive it. And she also customized her abaya (full story and pictures in 7Days, 28 November 2011).

The Al Manara Civil Defense Station

My accolade on this 40th National Day goes to the Dubai Civil Defense. I wish to thank them for all they will be doing to keep the city and its residents safe as they celebrate the occasion.

I pass the Al Manara Dubai Civil Defense Station on my way home every night. The sight there of the yellow fire engines and rescue cars, always ready to move, is a great comfort. I couldn’t help but notice the proud display of a giant UAE flag and decorations on the center, all through the countdown to December 2.

Lights all over the Station...

... in the colors of the UAE flag

The Al Manara Civil Defense Station, headed by Air Force Major Othman Mohammad Ahli, was inaugurated by HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in November 2010, when Civil Defense teams performed field parades highlighting their readiness to intervene in emergency situations.

The Civil Defense fleet at the ready

Corporal Youssef Hussein shows me the equipment

I was welcomed and given the run of the Civil Defense Station by Corporal Youssef Hussein who spoke with pride of the courage and dedication of the Civil Defense team and its preparedness to answer the dangerous calls it gets. He was also proud to show me the fire engines and other rescue and support vehicles, all fitted with the latest equipment and technology made in the Emirates. (Join me at the Al Manara Civil Defense Station in photos here).

Corporal Hussein says the Station is always pleased to welcome guests, families, children, schools and anyone interested to learn more about the Dubai Civil Defense and its operations. 

The Operations Center van...

... equipped with the latest technology

Among the functions of Civil Defense are to search for victims, rescue and deliver casualties and provide needed help; participate in the rehabilitation of afflicted areas and the resumption of public utilities services; supervise implementation of industrial safety measures in industrial and commercial establishments; and oversee fire preventive measures in private and public institutions.

Happy National Day to the enlightened UAE leadership, to the brave people at Civil Defense and to all my Emirati friends.

“Quack, quack” at Dubai Media City

My new workmates

My company moved offices at the beginning of the month. What could have been -- and usually is -- a stressful chore, was plain sailing and enjoyable.

Mind you, it was a move just across the street, from one building to another, at Dubai Media City. But the relocation gave me some pleasant surprises and new colleagues.

I’ve been working in Dubai Media City (DMC) for nearly six years. We rented our office off-plan while still in London in 2004. After London’s gray skies, Dubai sounded like the ideal place to be. 

Moving from Thuraya Tower to...

... the CNN building

When we finally moved into the new Thuraya Building in 2005, DMC was still a big sandpit with a few buildings completed. You could park your car right in front of the Thuraya Building entrance, on the sand. There were no parking meters, no roundabouts, no asphalted streets, few restaurants and cafés… DMC was a big construction site.

Dubai’s media hub is part of the vision of HH Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum -- UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. DMC groups all media-related businesses, including media and marketing services, printing and publishing, music, film, new media, leisure and entertainment, broadcasting and information agencies…

DMC's butterfly

Under the slogan “Freedom to Create,” the orange (lips), red (eye) and blue (ear) logo, and welcoming butterfly at its entrance, DMC is part of Dubai Holding. It is a tax-free zone where the regulatory environment is governed by TECOM (Dubai Technology, Electronic Commerce and Media Free Zone Authority -- established in 2000).

From the first day, I loved working there and I have made quite a few friends at DMC over the years.

It was great that we were just moving from Thuraya Tower across the street to the DMC Business Center in the CNN building, one of the first three office blocks built in DMC. The Business Center offers fully furnished and serviced business units, ideal for media professionals, start-ups and freelancers.

Cutting across the lake

So, on my first day at the Business Center, I parked as usual and cut across the lawn to discover the most amazing park area with a lake dotted with spewing fountains that you cross by bridge, a pagoda, rock waterfalls, a camel, water lilies and, above all, new amigos: ducks!

The ducks waddling about

They are all over the lawns and lake, doing little work but instead wading, catching fish and just waddling about.

This white duck floats peacefully among the water lilies

Although ducks are made to swim and fly, the DMC ones are happy lazing on the grass banks and shading under the palm and flame trees. They were pleased to pose for pictures and are most entertaining to watch floating gracefully on the water, their webbed feet churning beneath them.

I was told by one of the security guards walking around that there are water turtles, but I haven’t spotted them yet.

DMC's hand-painted silver camel

DMC's silver camel is one of 80 that were part of Camel Caravan, the Gulf's first public art project in 2004 that merged commerce and art with charity. The iconic hand-painted fiberglass camels that are dotted all over the city were auctioned to raise money for children's charities and the development of art and culture in Dubai.

I also wonder what happens to the ducks and how they cope during all the festivals and events that take place on the DMC lawns.

These start with the Dubai Marathon in January, when the finish line is positioned just in front of Thuraya Tower and the hospitality stalls are scattered around the lake. The Dubai International Jazz Festival is staged in February and Taste of Dubai in March. This is a festival with participating restaurants, chefs, performers, exhibitors and sponsors where visitors can sample dishes from 22 of the city’s finest eateries.

In between, there are many more events and it seems stages are constantly going up and being torn down, which makes parking in DMC even more difficult and maybe why I haven't had the occasion to walk around that area.

"Good Morning DMC" June edition on personal finance

One event I do look forward to is the “Good Morning DMC” breakfast on the first Thursday of each month on the ground floor of the CNN building. And I didn’t have to walk far for the June 2 fourth edition. These mornings, organized for the partners by the DMC Business Center, are a good occasion to meet colleagues, network and have an excellent breakfast. The June theme, "Expert Discussion on Personal Finance," was a great success (photos here). 

Unfortunately, with temperatures in the 44 degrees Celsius (111 Fahrenheit) and rising, it is now much too hot to spend time with my new duck friends. But come the cooler months at the end of the year, I could take my laptop out and work under the palm trees and get to know them better.

Meet my new workmates here.