India and Pakistan celebrate their independence days this week, only a day apart, but for one Dubai family the dates have even more significance as they celebrate both.
India celebrates its 76th year of freedom from British colonial rule on August 15, a day after its neighbour Pakistan marked its liberation from the British in 1947.
Mumbai-born Abidanisa Ayub Siraj was a teenager when she moved to Pakistan after marriage in 1962.
Now her family in Dubai embraces both its Indian and Pakistani roots with ties on either sides of the border.
From childhood we were told half our family lives in India and half our family stays in Pakistan
Khalid Siraj,
Dubai resident
The great-grandmother says affection and love for both countries keeps the bond between family members strong.
“India is still home for me and Pakistan became my home because my husband was from Pakistan and my children are Pakistani,” the 75-year-old told The National.
Her late husband Ayub Siraj was also born in Mumbai. But his family moved to Karachi after the 1947 Partition, when British colonial rulers drew a border to split the country, displacing 15 million people in the process.
After her husband got a job in Dubai in the steel fabrication business, the Siraj family shifted to the UAE in 1973 where four of their eight children were born.
One of her daughters is married to an Indian, four of her 15 grandchildren are Indian and the rest are Pakistani. She also has four great-grandchildren.
“I will always say good things about India and Pakistan because they gave me a lot of love,” she said.
“I was showered with affection in both countries and I teach my children also to respect others.
“I feel we must all live in harmony together.”
Live in peace
The UAE is home to many families with Indian and Pakistani heritage who often celebrate festivals and landmark events together.
More than a million Pakistanis live in the Emirates and the number of Indians recently exceeded 3.5 million.
The Siraj family have more than 130 relatives in the Emirates and stay in touch with relatives in India and Pakistan on the phone or when they visit the UAE.
The family flies Indian and Pakistani flags from their cars and watch independence day celebrations on television from both countries.
Her daughter Aaliya Siraj, 54, a Pakistani citizen, is married to an Indian.
Aaliya finds herself in the minority when the cricket teams face off as her children who are Indian join their father in supporting them.
“We put up flags of both countries,” the Dubai resident said.
“My children naturally support India and as for me – who wouldn’t want their country to win?
“But I tell them I’m happy both ways because I really am happy seeing my children celebrate.”
Her Indian husband Sayed Pasha, 59, remembers flag-hoisting ceremonies in India on Independence Day from way back when he was at school.
“India is like my mother. How a son feels about his mother, that’s how I feel about India,” he said.
“We have family from India and Pakistan and our celebrations are together, side by side, harmoniously.
“My children naturally love India because they are Indian but they also love their uncles and their family from Pakistan.
“We just ask them to respect all.”
Brotherly ties
India and Pakistan have fought three wars since becoming independent.
Relations between the countries are usually tense, with friction between political parties and tough visa regulations making it difficult for families to visit the other side of the border.
Abidanisa Siraj’s youngest son Khalid was among those born in Dubai and shares the philosophy of brotherly ties.
“From childhood we were told half our family lives in India and half our family stays in Pakistan,” the 45-year-old Pakistani citizen said.
“We have family in Mumbai, Bangalore, Karachi, Lahore and Dubai.
“We celebrate each other’s festivals and big events. We put the flags of both countries on our cars and meet together.
“I tell my children there is always a deep connection with India because it’s their grandmother’s land and their grandfather was born there.
“We have to remember our roots whatever the cross border politics and tensions – that should not get in the way of understanding people.”
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Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Moon Music
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"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.
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1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
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Best Actress Maha Alemi, Sofia
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Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
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It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
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The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
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The specs
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The five pillars of Islam
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
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Karwaan
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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
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- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
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Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
