Community groups have answered the call to help less fortunate Indian expatriates separated from family and friends during Ramadan.
Iftar gatherings by non-resident Indian communities in the UAE not only offer opportunities to exchange seasonal greetings, but also help unite organisers of benevolent programmes back home.
Bearys Welfare Forum (BWF) Abu Dhabi is one organisation using Iftar effectively to get its message across to the community.
Bearys are a distinct Muslim community from the coastal Indian state of Karnataka, who also speak a language called Beary.
Like several other Indian communities from the west coast, they are among the earliest expatriate communities to reach the UAE in search of trade and employment opportunities.
Aptly, the word Beary means trade - the main occupation of the community.
At a recent Iftar as hundreds of Bearys, both men and women, sat around tables filled with dates, fruits, snacks and juice glasses, waiting eagerly for the Maghreb call –an appeal was launched to help others in India.
“We are planning to hold a mass marriage ceremony in January in Mangalore and your support will go a long way in ensuring its success,” said Mohamed Ali Uchil, the president of the group.
The plan is to help co-ordinate a wedding for 25 couples. Mass marriage is one of the social causes closest to Mr Uchil’s heart.
Established in 2006, his organisation has so far co-ordinated six such programmes, helping more than a hundred Muslim couples into marriage.
Crippling poverty, the practice of ‘dowry’ where grooms demand money from a prospective bride’s parents, and extravagant customs associated with weddings have made a daughter’s marriage a considerable burden for many Beary parents.
“The un-Islamic practice of demanding dowry from girls’ parents prevalent in the Beary community has become a social menace,” Mr Uchil said.
“Unable to fulfil these demands, many parents are not able to marry their daughters off until they become 35 or 40.
“Our campaign against this practice has created some awareness, but we still have a long way to go.
“For a majority of Beary parents finding suitable alliance for their daughters has become a big burden.
“There are also unmarried men who need some financial support to start a family life.
“Our volunteers back home identify the deserving couples and enlist them for the mass marriage.”
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Read more:
The delights of an Abu Dhabi Ramadan and Eid night market
My Ramadan: Indian expat makes final journey from UAE easier for relatives of deceased
Kanji broth from south India adds unique flavour to Dubai iftar
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Building toilets for families with no access to sanitary facilities is another welfare initiative from the BWF over the past 12 years.
In the absence of toilets, people, especially in rural households, are forced to relieve themselves in the open.
Many suffered health problems because they wait for the nightfall before they answered nature’s call.
“We have built 136 toilets for poor families in the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and in the neighbouring Kasaragod in Kerala state,” Mr Uchil said.
The organisation is also seeking to bridge barriers with other Indian communities of diverse religious and linguistic backgrounds.
“Iftar is an occasion to foster peace and understanding among different communities,” Mr Uchil said.
“We always invite members from our fellow-Indian communities from the coastal districts such as Abu Dhabi Karnataka Sangha, Saheban Abu Dhabi, representatives from Bunts and Billava associations in the true spirit of harmony and togetherness.
“We also chose tolerance as the theme for this year’s Ramadan lecture.”
The mood of the evening was captured succinctly by scholar Maulvi Sahir Hudaivi, who while delivering his lecture, quoted the Quranic verse that highlighted the values of fraternity and universal brotherhood:
“O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise (each other).
“Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you.
“And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things)”. (Al-Hujurat 49:13)”
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Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
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Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
Bio:
Favourite Quote: Prophet Mohammad's quotes There is reward for kindness to every living thing and A good man treats women with honour
Favourite Hobby: Serving poor people
Favourite Book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite food: Fish and vegetables
Favourite place to visit: London
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
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HAJJAN
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All about the Sevens
Cape Town Sevens on Saturday and Sunday: Pools A – South Africa, Kenya, France, Russia; B – New Zealand, Australia, Spain, United States; C – England, Scotland, Argentina, Uganda; D – Fiji, Samoa, Canada, Wales
HSBC World Sevens Series standing after first leg in Dubai 1 South Africa; 2 New Zealand; 3 England; 4 Fiji; 5 Australia; 6 Samoa; 7 Kenya; 8 Scotland; 9 France; 10 Spain; 11 Argentina; 12 Canada; 13 Wales; 14 Uganda; 15 United States; 16 Russia
