Turkish novelist Elif Shafak's book of essays, Black Milk, uses the idea of milk as a metaphor connected to postpartum depression. The title came from her grandmother, who warned her that if she cried too much, her milk would turn black and sour and she would not be able to feed her baby.
This week’s Arabic Word of the week, laban, has powerful resonance around the world as the first substance we consume after birth.
Laban in classical Arabic means milk. It is used across the Arab world and in various dialects as well as, sometimes, dairy products.
Laban comes from the verb labeena, derived from the three Arabic letters lam bah noon. As a verb, labeena has several meanings. Two of the most common meanings are connected to the process of presenting milk. The first refers to the process of any female mammal producing milk for her offspring. The other meaning refers to any person presenting or offering milk to someone else.
Laban can also refer to sap or liquid that comes from a tree, known as laban of the tree.
While laban refers to milk, colloquially in many Arabic dialects it can also refer to yogurt and other fermented milk products.
In the Levant region – in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and some parts of Iraq – laban can refer to yogurt or labneh, the strained yogurt-like cheese. In North Africa, and specially in Morocco, it can refer to buttermilk. It is also pronounced in various ways including lban, lben and leben.
There is also the Arabic word, haleeb, which refers specifically to milk and not any other milk-based products. However, haleeb has a different linguistic source, halab, which means to express milk.
Laban is a staple in Arabic cuisine and has a rich history in the region’s culture. It is used as a base for sauces, dips, as a key ingredient in many drinks, as well as both savoury and sweet dishes. Some popular Arabic dishes that include laban are kibbeh labanieh, or meat dumplings in yogurt sauce; kousa bil laban, or zucchini in yogurt; fatteh, a layered dish with yogurt and shish barak, meat dumplings in yogurt.
Laban is also mentioned in the Quran. It is presented as a divine sign of purity with strong spiritual significance for its provision to humanity. The concept of milk is used to show God’s power and creation, highlighting how it is produced within mammals bodies', separate from other liquids.
Poacher
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War
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
Company profile
Name: Steppi
Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic
Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings
Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year
SPECS
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BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
Wonka
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What is Diwali?
The Hindu festival is at once a celebration of the autumn harvest and the triumph of good over evil, as outlined in the Ramayana.
According to the Sanskrit epic, penned by the sage Valmiki, Diwali marks the time that the exiled king Rama – a mortal with superhuman powers – returned home to the city of Ayodhya with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman, after vanquishing the 10-headed demon Ravana and conquering his kingdom of Lanka. The people of Ayodhya are believed to have lit thousands of earthen lamps to illuminate the city and to guide the royal family home.
In its current iteration, Diwali is celebrated with a puja to welcome the goodness of prosperity Lakshmi (an incarnation of Sita) into the home, which is decorated with diyas (oil lamps) or fairy lights and rangoli designs with coloured powder. Fireworks light up the sky in some parts of the word, and sweetmeats are made (or bought) by most households. It is customary to get new clothes stitched, and visit friends and family to exchange gifts and greetings.
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ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures
October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA
