August 16, 2005
clerical error
DUBAI — Magic! The magician astonishes, and awes. The astonished audience erupts. But the laughter is sheepish. In their minds, the question: How did he do it? Or, did we see something that wasn't there? A sleight of the hand? May be. Illusion? Could be. There's no answer that comes pat, on the dot. Scherson is from Santiago, Chile. His business card says he is a 'Close-up Magician'. He doesn't astonish the world from a stage. He does it standing right next to you. At times he comes down on his knees to do the trick on you. He makes you part of the act. (Khaleej times reporter : Sushil Kutty)
Another magical disappearing act: where is Bakri?
Syrian-born Bakri, founder and spiritual leader of the now defunct Al-Muhajiroun organization, is one of Britain's best known - many would say notorious - radical Muslim clerics. Bakri told the Saudi-owned pan-Arab daily newspaper Asharq al-Awsat that he had arrived in Sharjah after spending three days in Beirut. (7DAYS Staff Reporter)
The chief of police in Sharjah yesterday issued a forceful denial of claims that Muslim cleric Omar Bakri Mohammed, who faces the prospect of treason charges in Britain, had landed in the emirate. Yesterday Brigadier General Ali Saleh Al Mutawa, commander in chief of Sharjah Police told 7DAYS: "This man is blacklisted and is banned from entering the UAE. "He did not enter Sharjah airport, and he is not anywhere in Sharjah. His name is in the computer and he would be arrested automatically. That never happened.". (7DAYS Staff Reporter)
Scherson says his magic is not sleight of hand or "tricks". He creates an illusion to astonish the audience, and he does it effortlessly and instantly. (Khaleej times reporter : Sushil Kutty)
Last night there were no reports of Bakri being seen anywhere in the Emirates, sparking speculation that Bakri may have deliberately tried to mislead people over his whereabouts.. (7DAYS Staff Reporter)
In anycase, Bakri would have had no trouble getting a taxi straight away from the Sharjah airport into town, the trip being a distance more than 5-kilometres.
Another magical disappearing act: where is Bakri?
Syrian-born Bakri, founder and spiritual leader of the now defunct Al-Muhajiroun organization, is one of Britain's best known - many would say notorious - radical Muslim clerics. Bakri told the Saudi-owned pan-Arab daily newspaper Asharq al-Awsat that he had arrived in Sharjah after spending three days in Beirut. (7DAYS Staff Reporter)
The chief of police in Sharjah yesterday issued a forceful denial of claims that Muslim cleric Omar Bakri Mohammed, who faces the prospect of treason charges in Britain, had landed in the emirate. Yesterday Brigadier General Ali Saleh Al Mutawa, commander in chief of Sharjah Police told 7DAYS: "This man is blacklisted and is banned from entering the UAE. "He did not enter Sharjah airport, and he is not anywhere in Sharjah. His name is in the computer and he would be arrested automatically. That never happened.". (7DAYS Staff Reporter)
Scherson says his magic is not sleight of hand or "tricks". He creates an illusion to astonish the audience, and he does it effortlessly and instantly. (Khaleej times reporter : Sushil Kutty)
Last night there were no reports of Bakri being seen anywhere in the Emirates, sparking speculation that Bakri may have deliberately tried to mislead people over his whereabouts.. (7DAYS Staff Reporter)
In anycase, Bakri would have had no trouble getting a taxi straight away from the Sharjah airport into town, the trip being a distance more than 5-kilometres.
August 14, 2005
all in the family
Refering again to a June 19th story of interest in Dubai-based newspaper, 7DAYS, Daad Mohammed Murad Adul Rahman, father to 68 children is reported to be head of the biggest family in the UAE.
Daad told 7DAYS that despite the large number of kids that he has, each one gets due attention and care and their share of daily pocket money - dhs5 in the morning and dhs10 in the evenings. Hmm, 68 times 15 is... 1020 dhs a day. Hmm, times that by 365 & that'd be... 372300 dhs per year - approximately 31000 dirhams a month. Hmm... can't imagine where he'd have been financially if he had had an only child.
Daad also told 7DAYS: “My life is dedicated to my children. Once they grow I help them find a job, arrange their marriage and build new houses for them,” said Daad. Sultan, a four year old says: “Baaba is good. He never beats us. I help him to walk and get his stretcher. He has only one leg and needs help.” “We are all given mobile phones too and the bill is footed by Babaaji,” he added.
Hmm... Wonder if Babaaji Daad ever once, in his making of all these children, considered the cost of a box of male contraceptives?
Daad told 7DAYS that despite the large number of kids that he has, each one gets due attention and care and their share of daily pocket money - dhs5 in the morning and dhs10 in the evenings. Hmm, 68 times 15 is... 1020 dhs a day. Hmm, times that by 365 & that'd be... 372300 dhs per year - approximately 31000 dirhams a month. Hmm... can't imagine where he'd have been financially if he had had an only child.
Daad also told 7DAYS: “My life is dedicated to my children. Once they grow I help them find a job, arrange their marriage and build new houses for them,” said Daad. Sultan, a four year old says: “Baaba is good. He never beats us. I help him to walk and get his stretcher. He has only one leg and needs help.” “We are all given mobile phones too and the bill is footed by Babaaji,” he added.
Hmm... Wonder if Babaaji Daad ever once, in his making of all these children, considered the cost of a box of male contraceptives?
August 13, 2005
shalimar the clown
Commenting on the completely segregated life styles that were lived by three young Leeds-resident Muslims who became the rucksack bombers of London on July 7th, Slaman Rushdie is quoted in yesterday's 7DAYS (a budding, nicely writ daily that is still free at all gas stations and can be found in many public areas here) as saying:
"What is needed is a move beyond tradition - nothing less than a reform movement to bring the core concepts of Islam into the modern age, a Muslim Reformation to combat not only the jihadi ideologues but also the dusty, stifling seminaries of the traditionalists, throwing open the windows of the closed communities to let in much-needed fresh air."
I'm not sure what a Muslim reformation would look like but it will be interesting to see what comes about in the next few years or even months as even Rushdie jumps back on the band wagon calling for big changes to one of the world's largest religions/sects (depending on your view of pre-reformist Islam).
Anyway, Rushdie is working on his next book, the article tells us: "Shalimar the clown", a tale of a Muslim teenager who is guided by a radical Mullah to become an Islamic terrorist. I initially thought: “Great! I can hardly wait to read it!” Then I remembered that I live here in the UAE and that I will probably have to wait quite a long time to read it, actually, and will also probably have to be out of country when I do. Maybe Rushdie could do all us expats living in Islamic countries a service and put some Arabesque designs on the cover and perhaps present the title in an arabic-style caligraphy. That way the book would blend in much better over here and I wouldn't tell, promise. Even though the market for it here would, I'm sure, be small, perhaps he might consider a limited run just for people like us? Perhaps.
In a completely different train of thought, people still living in the Emirate of Sharjah will not have to wait long at all now for a taxi to honk their extremely pleasant sounding horn at them repeatedly until they are forced into becoming the next fare. 7days tells us that Sharjah will now be getting its FOURTH taxi company; “Al AF Dalya". Just what Sharjah needs, 850 MORE spanking new blue and red metered Chevy Optras cruising its roundabouts. Wednesday night Rolla road travellers on their way to Ajman Marina, will welcome the extra beeping-and-stopping-every-2-metre blue-n-reds with the usual patient Rolla road travellers smiles, I’m sure.
"What is needed is a move beyond tradition - nothing less than a reform movement to bring the core concepts of Islam into the modern age, a Muslim Reformation to combat not only the jihadi ideologues but also the dusty, stifling seminaries of the traditionalists, throwing open the windows of the closed communities to let in much-needed fresh air."
I'm not sure what a Muslim reformation would look like but it will be interesting to see what comes about in the next few years or even months as even Rushdie jumps back on the band wagon calling for big changes to one of the world's largest religions/sects (depending on your view of pre-reformist Islam).
Anyway, Rushdie is working on his next book, the article tells us: "Shalimar the clown", a tale of a Muslim teenager who is guided by a radical Mullah to become an Islamic terrorist. I initially thought: “Great! I can hardly wait to read it!” Then I remembered that I live here in the UAE and that I will probably have to wait quite a long time to read it, actually, and will also probably have to be out of country when I do. Maybe Rushdie could do all us expats living in Islamic countries a service and put some Arabesque designs on the cover and perhaps present the title in an arabic-style caligraphy. That way the book would blend in much better over here and I wouldn't tell, promise. Even though the market for it here would, I'm sure, be small, perhaps he might consider a limited run just for people like us? Perhaps.
In a completely different train of thought, people still living in the Emirate of Sharjah will not have to wait long at all now for a taxi to honk their extremely pleasant sounding horn at them repeatedly until they are forced into becoming the next fare. 7days tells us that Sharjah will now be getting its FOURTH taxi company; “Al AF Dalya". Just what Sharjah needs, 850 MORE spanking new blue and red metered Chevy Optras cruising its roundabouts. Wednesday night Rolla road travellers on their way to Ajman Marina, will welcome the extra beeping-and-stopping-every-2-metre blue-n-reds with the usual patient Rolla road travellers smiles, I’m sure.
August 01, 2005
Deficit
I have slowly and methodically painted my world a differnet color only now I have stepped back and looked and seen that it is red. I frown a raised eyebrow frown, considering. What have I done? What is it that I have done? I'm in the red. I'm in the UAE, earning quite a sizeable chunk o change and: I'M IN THE RED!
And that's just it isn't it. It is the question one asks looking at the half of a life the knowledge of how to keep gainfully employed no matter what the news or unions may say or do to us, no matter what jealous paranoid souless colleagues might try to undermine us with. Knowing too when and how to call a spade a spade and when to more diplomatically call a spade, a shovel knowing full well the two terms are absolutely interchangeable in reference to mine fields of character deficit - it is a learned thing already.
And....
And that's just it isn't it. It is the question one asks looking at the half of a life the knowledge of how to keep gainfully employed no matter what the news or unions may say or do to us, no matter what jealous paranoid souless colleagues might try to undermine us with. Knowing too when and how to call a spade a spade and when to more diplomatically call a spade, a shovel knowing full well the two terms are absolutely interchangeable in reference to mine fields of character deficit - it is a learned thing already.
And....
