Ask Ali: Take it as read that Arabs have a bookish history

Arabs do a lot of reading. The Quran, for example, is read almost daily, starting from the earliest age.

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Dear Ali: I have been told that Arabs aren’t interested in reading books, but after visiting the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, I was surprised to see so many Arabs of all ages buying and reading books. I even met some Emirati authors who were signing their own books. Is it just a recent trend that has developed or has the interest always existed in the Emirati community? FA, Abu Dhabi

Dear FA: It’s interesting how people create stereotypes based on a couple of examples. Arabs do a lot of reading. The Quran, for example, is read almost daily, starting from the earliest age when children are learning how to read.

Arabic literature, and especially scientific manuscripts, were written by Arabs and later translated to other languages. It’s true that some Arabs didn’t read much in the past because not everyone was literate. Usually, at social gatherings, those who knew how to read would read out aloud from written stories and newspapers.

Writing a book was always prestigious, and today we have even more opportunities to publish. There are several local publishing houses run by Emiratis, and they always support new authors.

Unfortunately, we do face a challenge in encouraging more of the younger generations to read, because technology has become a more popular part of their lives. This is why the Government has revealed a new focus of development this year, with reading as the main priority.

Last year, innovation was our main theme; this year, it’s reading, so we will encourage more and more of the younger generations to read and to value it more.

With the Emirati publishing houses, we’re witnessing more new authors releasing their books, so we hope this new trend will catch the attention and dedication of people to encourage them to start reading and enjoying the benefits. After all, reading is the food and water for our brains and hearts.

Don’t miss the fantastic Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, which takes place at Adnec until May 3.

Dear Ali: Why can’t Muslim men marry non-Muslim women? JW, New Zealand

Dear JW: Actually, Muslim men are allowed to marry Jews, Christians and Muslim women, according to Islamic law.

However, they’re not allowed to marry those who don’t believe in the same God, such as those who follow Buddhism or Hinduism, which we see as faiths and not religions.

If a Muslim man wants to a marry a Buddhist woman, for example, then the woman would need to convert to Islam for the marriage to be considered valid.

These are religious rules that exist in some form in many religions, yet not all worshippers follow them. In our region, however, we follow the principles of Sharia when it comes to getting married.

Couples have to register their marriage, and will be asked if the woman or the man is Muslim. If the woman is not Muslim and she is marrying a Muslim man, then the marriage can’t be registered. Other regions have civil marriages, but those aren’t available in our society.

On the other hand, a Muslim woman is only allowed to marry a Muslim man as per Islamic teachings.

Ali Al Saloom is a cultural adviser and public speaker from the UAE. Follow @AskAli on Twitter, and visit www.ask-ali.com to ask him a question.

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