More than three decades ago, Jerusalemite Abed Al Samih Abu Omar, a collector and antiques dealer, arrived in the US with a collection of traditional embroidered Palestinian thobes and jewellery for a cultural exhibition.
Each one of the 80 garments told a different story of its homeland. The plan was to exhibit them at a gallery in Washington, DC, but the venue had closed when the four trunks containing the collection arrived in the US capital.
"He [Al Samih] was sitting at the hotel not knowing what to do. When we knew about it, we went to visit and look at [the collection]. We could not forget how beautiful and how unique the pieces were," Maha Rabie, who was one of a group of women who went to see the thobes in 1987, told The National.
Amid the confusion over what to do, the women decided to buy the collection, one of them even mortgaging her house to fund the purchase. They formed the non-profit Committee for the Preservation of Palestinian Heritage and began to host fund-raisers, find donors and dedicate their time to exhibiting the collection.
But the plan had always been to return the thobes home, and now, after more than 30 years, their journey back to Palestine has begun.
The curators learnt of the Palestinian Museum in Birzeit after watching an interview with its director on television two years ago and offered to return the collection.
The museum is “an independent institution dedicated to supporting an open and dynamic Palestinian culture nationally and internationally”.
But the journey has been far from straightforward – returning the thobes has a price tag of about $40,000. A crowdfunding campaign was launched to raise the money for the return.
The clothing items are decades old – most were made before the Nakba in 1948 – and many are in delicate condition. What drove the cost up is the insurance for the pieces, with experts saying the collection is worth more than $250,000, according to Samer Makhlouf, manager of resources mobilisation at the Palestinian Museum.
“For me, it’s a very emotional and a very interesting thing on a very personal level because this is part of my identity and this is my heritage,” he said.
Mr Makhlouf says the lasting image in his mind is of his grandmother, a farmer, wearing a thobe as she went about her day-to-day life.
“It’s part of my history, part of my identity, part of who I am and therefore it is important for us to protect, preserve and also present these thobes.”
He feels it is important to show them to his children, “because, you know, the whole concept of heritage is that you need to move it from one generation to another to protect it and keep it".
For Dr Adila Laidi-Hanieh, the personal connection to the thobes goes back to the early 1990s. The director general of the Palestinian Museum was at that time a master's student at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service.
As part of the efforts to show the collection in the US, a few of the thobes were displayed at the university during the period.
Twice a week, on her way to class, Dr Laidi-Hanieh would pass through the corridor where the thobes were on display. But she understood their significance only many years later.
“The corridor, on the left-hand side, you had all these offices, and on the right-hand side you had a glass gallery with Palestinian dresses there. They were there for many years and I never understood what these dresses were doing there. Never,” she said.
“I completely forgot about the whole thing and lo and behold, after 30 years, I am responsible for bringing these dresses back to Palestine. Isn’t that crazy?”
The plan was always to return the dresses, but circumstances never allowed for it. In the US, Ms Rabie said the exhibition was quite popular, especially during the First Intifada in the late 80s and early 90s.
“It has been with us for a while and it is sad to see it go but we’re very excited that it’s going to go where it’s going to be appreciated and enhanced and preserved.”
With tensions over Palestinian statehood showing no signs of diminishing, she believes it is more important than ever to preserve cultural symbols.
“With the proper presentation, people can get an education about how those colours were mixed, how those materials were made, what stories the dresses tell.” According to the curators, it is possible to tell where a dress was made based solely on its colours.
For Mr Makhlouf, the driving force behind the campaign to return the thobes, the mission takes on an even greater meaning given the tumultuous events of 2020.
“I have to tell you, because despite all the negativity that is happening due to Covid, due to the political situation, this was the thing that pushed me to get out of bed, out of my house in the morning and go out and work enthusiastically in order to achieve something.”
ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Jack Butland, Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope
Defenders: John Stones, Harry Maguire, Phil Jones, Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier, Gary Cahill, Ashley Young, Danny Rose, Trent Alexander-Arnold
Midfielders: Eric Dier, Jordan Henderson, Dele Alli, Jesse Lingard, Raheem Sterling, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Fabian Delph
Forwards: Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, Marcus Rashford, Danny Welbeck
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How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
'Avengers: Infinity War'
Dir: The Russo Brothers
Starring: Chris Evans, Chris Pratt, Tom Holland, Robert Downey Junior, Scarlett Johansson, Elizabeth Olsen
Four stars
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Mobile phone packages comparison
Results
2.30pm Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m
Winner Lamia, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.
3pm Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,000m
Winner Jap Al Afreet, Elione Chaves, Irfan Ellahi.
3.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,700m
Winner MH Tawag, Bernardo Pinheiro, Elise Jeanne.
4pm Handicap (TB) Dh40,000 2,000m
Winner Skygazer, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
4.30pm The Ruler of Sharjah Cup Prestige (PA) Dh250,000 1,700m
Winner AF Kal Noor, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.
5pm Sharjah Marathon (PA) Dh70,000 2,700m
Winner RB Grynade, Bernardo Pinheiro, Eric Lemartinel.
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
Three tips from La Perle's performers
1 The kind of water athletes drink is important. Gwilym Hooson, a 28-year-old British performer who is currently recovering from knee surgery, found that out when the company was still in Studio City, training for 12 hours a day. “The physio team was like: ‘Why is everyone getting cramps?’ And then they realised we had to add salt and sugar to the water,” he says.
2 A little chocolate is a good thing. “It’s emergency energy,” says Craig Paul Smith, La Perle’s head coach and former Cirque du Soleil performer, gesturing to an almost-empty open box of mini chocolate bars on his desk backstage.
3 Take chances, says Young, who has worked all over the world, including most recently at Dragone’s show in China. “Every time we go out of our comfort zone, we learn a lot about ourselves,” she says.
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Specs%3A%202024%20McLaren%20Artura%20Spider
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.0-litre%20twin-turbo%20V6%20and%20electric%20motor%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMax%20power%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20700hp%20at%207%2C500rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMax%20torque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20720Nm%20at%202%2C250rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Eight-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E0-100km%2Fh%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.0sec%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETop%20speed%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E330kph%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh1.14%20million%20(%24311%2C000)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
box
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Letstango.com
Started: June 2013
Founder: Alex Tchablakian
Based: Dubai
Industry: e-commerce
Initial investment: Dh10 million
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 300,000 unique customers every month
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE)
Matches can be watched on BeIN Sports
RESULT
Bayern Munich 3 Chelsea 2
Bayern: Rafinha (6'), Muller (12', 27')
Chelsea: Alonso (45' 3), Batshuayi (85')
Indian construction workers stranded in Ajman with unpaid dues
Veil (Object Lessons)
Rafia Zakaria
Bloomsbury Academic
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
Torbal Rayeh Wa Jayeh
Starring: Ali El Ghoureir, Khalil El Roumeithy, Mostafa Abo Seria
Stars: 3
