People gather at the UK's largest open Iftar organised by the Ramadan Tent Project, on the steps of the Royal Albert Hall, London on Wednesday. PA Wire
People gather at the UK's largest open Iftar organised by the Ramadan Tent Project, on the steps of the Royal Albert Hall, London on Wednesday. PA Wire
People gather at the UK's largest open Iftar organised by the Ramadan Tent Project, on the steps of the Royal Albert Hall, London on Wednesday. PA Wire
Shelina Janmohamed is an author and a culture columnist for The National
April 15, 2022
There are a number of ways to measure an inclusive, tolerant society: the ability for anyone to walk freely and safely in public; equality and opportunity in the workplace; and respect for all irrespective of, for example, skin colour, age and gender. But can the extent of a society’s inclusivity and tolerance be gauged simply by wandering around a supermarket? Most definitely.
Buying goods and services has always been an essential part of human existence, from the everyday items of food and clothing to personalised and specialist treats and luxuries. Our lives depend on the essentials, but how we fulfil ourselves depends on the broader range of items and the experience that is wrapped around them when we set out to shop.
If you go into a shop and the products and services you seek are absent, the implicit message is that the way that shop’s owners thinks about individuals is not shaped around you. You have no place in it. It shows that your needs, your lifestyle and the very essence of who you are have not been recognised and is, most likely, not valued. You are excluded. And this sort of exclusion can extend to society at large. After all, if shops in a particular country or even city do not have products you are looking for, there is a good chance this means that manufacturers, product managers, business leaders, marketeers and others have simply not considered your existence. In fact, not even your pound, dollar, dirham or rupee matters in such circumstances.
A shopper at a supermarket in London ahead of Easter. EPA
Growing up in the UK, the implicit and explicit messages I received from many people and institutions around me suggested that my ethnicity and heritage were inferior. I sometimes got the impression that I needed to hide them and even be ashamed of them. The concept of Ramadan was often considered shocking and unimaginable, while Eid celebrations were viewed as an aberration when compared to other mainstream holidays. My hunch is that friends and peers from other minority cultures, backgrounds and religions had similar experiences.
This sense of negativity and exclusion is, sadly, something that is deep rooted for so many.
Imagine, then, my delight when I recently walked into a local supermarket and noticed something I thought was profoundly beautiful. In one aisle were offerings for Ramadan, Easter and Passover all in a row, reflecting the Muslim, Christian and Jewish festivals. That is because this weekend, the Christian world is observing Easter. Ramadan is ongoing with Eid on the horizon. It's also Passover as well as Vaisakhi, which is celebrated by Hindus and Sikhs all over the world. In short, there is a confluence of faiths and festivities – each with its own unique meaning and accompanying rituals.
Being a Muslim, my heart was already bursting with delight that Ramadan was something that had been thought about, and that the practice of fasting was considered important. But I was even happier to see that other faiths were also being recognised, and happier still that these offerings had been placed right next to one another, inside a mainstream British supermarket no less.
It made me think about how in my own lifetime there's been a fundamental shift in attitudes.
Now, some might argue that this is simply the outcome of the commercialisation of religions and their festivals, and that retailers have become wise to new ways of tapping into consumer spend. There is truth to that assertion. However, it should not detract from the point that being recognised in public spaces as integral to society is important. Businesses and brands just need to be mindful that they are supporting and enhancing festivals rather than simply stripping them of meaning and turning them into shopping fests. Consumers, meanwhile, need to keep these businesses honest in doing so.
The Easter Market in Szczecin, Poland, last week. EPA
There is something joyful about the coming together of faiths, their representation and contribution in the public space. Too often, people of faith can face discriminations or prejudice for who they are, and sadly there is a commonality across faiths in such experiences. But in the multiplicity of religions, we should see the uniting factor of people seeking meaning in their lives as well as efforts to do good and work towards societal betterment.
Seeing them celebrated together in the public space, side by side, is a positive step towards improving and maintaining much-needed social cohesion. Religion as a concept has a place on our high streets, in our shops and in our malls. It is not something to be hidden away or ashamed of.
4th Test December 26-30, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
5th Test January 4-8, Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
LILO & STITCH
Starring:Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE) Where: Allianz Arena, Munich Live: BeIN Sports HD Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
Tips for used car buyers
Choose cars with GCC specifications
Get a service history for cars less than five years old
Don’t go cheap on the inspection
Check for oil leaks
Do a Google search on the standard problems for your car model
Do your due diligence. Get a transfer of ownership done at an official RTA centre
Check the vehicle’s condition. You don’t want to buy a car that’s a good deal but ends up costing you Dh10,000 in repairs every month
Validate warranty and service contracts with the relevant agency and and make sure they are valid when ownership is transferred
If you are planning to sell the car soon, buy one with a good resale value. The two most popular cars in the UAE are black or white in colour and other colours are harder to sell
Tarek Kabrit, chief executive of Seez, and Imad Hammad, chief executive and co-founder of CarSwitch.com
Company Profile
Name: Thndr Started: 2019 Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr Sector: FinTech Headquarters: Egypt UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi Current number of staff: More than 150 Funds raised: $22 million
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 268hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 380Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: CVT auto
Fuel consumption: 9.5L/100km
On sale: now
Price: from Dh195,000
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Brief scores:
Toss: Sindhis, elected to field first
Pakhtoons 137-6 (10 ov)
Fletcher 68 not out; Cutting 2-14
Sindhis 129-8 (10 ov)
Perera 47; Sohail 2-18
THE BIO
Ambition: To create awareness among young about people with disabilities and make the world a more inclusive place
Job Title: Human resources administrator, Expo 2020 Dubai
First jobs: Co-ordinator with Magrudy Enterprises; HR coordinator at Jumeirah Group
Entrepreneur: Started his own graphic design business
Favourite singer: Avril Lavigne
Favourite travel destination: Germany and Saudi Arabia
Family: Six sisters
'I Want You Back'
Director:Jason Orley
Stars:Jenny Slate, Charlie Day
Rating:4/5
Europe wide
Some of French groups are threatening Friday to continue their journey to Brussels, the capital of Belgium and the European Union, and to meet up with drivers from other countries on Monday.
Belgian authorities joined French police in banning the threatened blockade. A similar lorry cavalcade was planned for Friday in Vienna but cancelled after authorities prohibited it.
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened. He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia. Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”. Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: SimpliFi
Started: August 2021
Founder: Ali Sattar
Based: UAE
Industry: Finance, technology
Investors: 4DX, Rally Cap, Raed, Global Founders, Sukna and individuals
Key facilities
Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
Premier League-standard football pitch
400m Olympic running track
NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
600-seat auditorium
Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
Specialist robotics and science laboratories
AR and VR-enabled learning centres
Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Volunteers of all ages can submit DNA samples at centres across Abu Dhabi, including: Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec), Biogenix Labs in Masdar City, NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City, NMC Royal Medical Centre, Abu Dhabi, NMC Royal Women's Hospital, Bareen International Hospital, Al Towayya in Al Ain, NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain
Manchester City 4
Otamendi (52) Sterling (59) Stones (67) Brahim Diaz (81)
