A man prays at Al Farooq Omar Bin Al Khattab Mosque on April 14 in Dubai. Getty
A man prays at Al Farooq Omar Bin Al Khattab Mosque on April 14 in Dubai. Getty
A man prays at Al Farooq Omar Bin Al Khattab Mosque on April 14 in Dubai. Getty
A man prays at Al Farooq Omar Bin Al Khattab Mosque on April 14 in Dubai. Getty

Ramadan 2020 taught us to be creative – the lesson holds


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Ramadan triggers both excitement and trepidation among Muslims. Trepidation at the physical challenge of not eating and drinking during daylight hours – anywhere from 12 hours, in places near or on the equator, to 18 hours, where I am in London, and even longer, 21 hours, for people who live further north. And excitement because despite physical challenges, it is a joyous month, centred on congregation, togetherness and spiritual reflection.

Last year, when Ramadan began, we were all reeling. It was a strange time. The Covid-19 pandemic was spreading fast. Lockdowns around the world were just starting. And not everyone understood the severity of the virus or how to deal with having to stay put at home.

Suddenly the trepidation went into overdrive – how would we purchase supplies for iftar, what of the people who were sick, how would we cope being locked in together with nowhere to go, having to work and homeschool?

The usual solace and counterbalances to the physical challenges were gone, removing – at least to start with – the excitement. No iftars together, no Ramadan tents, no suhoor parties, no nightly meals with loved ones, no mosques in which to congregate – the traditions, the customs, the memories, nothing seemed to help us navigate this new terrain. For some, the loneliness was intense. This was not Ramadan as we knew it. But slowly a change started to occur.

Instead of Instagram-ready designer outfits and rushing from office to home for iftar, to the mosque, then for suhoor, people started to wonder: could we find the true meaning of Ramadan? The mood lifted and at least people I knew – friends, family, loved ones, colleagues – started drawing on Ramadan’s energy to find light in the darkness.

Instead of congregational prayers at the mosque, photos appeared of people forming lines of prayer, divided by their garden fences. Instead of communal Ramadan tents, neighbours pitched their own small tents in back gardens.

There were no more large iftar gatherings. Instead, mosques – like one London mosque – created lists of vulnerable people who were shielding and marshalled local restaurants to cook for them and convened an army of volunteers and drivers to deliver those fresh hot iftar meals every night for a month to the front doors of the people most at risk.

The lack of formality, the sense of 'keeping it real' and the experience of the patience and struggle remain with us

Zoom iftars became a thing. And one of the great joys was that those who had previously been unable to attend iftars due to disability, isolation or other challenges were included.

Community members took it upon themselves to prioritise mental health needs of their fellow citizens. The Muslim Youth Helpline in the UK launched a #HeroesInHeadphones campaign, highlighting how calls from young Muslims had increased during the pandemic.

One Muslim game developer hosted a virtual suhoor in Nintendo’s Animal Crossing. The Open Iftar project – that usually hosts large tents for anyone and everyone to experience iftar – went online and hosted large scale virtual iftars, along with a #MyOpenIftar pack with a toolkit to create beautiful iftar experiences of their own at home.

Elsewhere in the world, remarkable things were happening. Drive-through Eid celebrations took place in Oslo, Texas and Toronto. As cars queued up, volunteers in full protective kits handed gifts through car windows to children.

Washington’s Muslim community repurposed a car park for people to congregate for socially distanced prayers. Whether this fulfilled the specifics of the rituals of prayer is not the question. It was about how people found a way to be together safely and recreate the joy and community which are so central to Ramadan and Eid.

Devotees break their fast at Jama Masjid mosque on the first day of Ramadan, in New Delhi, India, April 14. AFP
Devotees break their fast at Jama Masjid mosque on the first day of Ramadan, in New Delhi, India, April 14. AFP

In the German city of Wetzlar, local Muslims asked Ikea for permission to use their car park for Eid prayers, which the company allowed, bringing joy to many beyond the Muslim community. As one person on Twitter commented, tongue in cheek: “Big up Ikea. Even the mosques are DIY”.

This humour that emerged from dark times was part of the reinvention of Ramadan. Eid clothes for babies were emblazoned with “My first Cov-Eid” and “Cov-Eid Mubarak!” Organisers at mosques played on words to tell people to stay home rather than go for Eid prayers with hashtags like #QuarantEID.

With everyone at home during Ramadan, humour was also used to point out the struggle women usually face, bearing the lion’s share of housework and preparatory cooking. One tweet said: “No taraweeh this year, so we’re leaving the dishes for the men". There were cheeky complaints about not being able to visit grandparents to collect annual cash gifts or ‘eidi’ah. One person joked “Eid is literally my only source of income. How am I going to survive this year?"

The lack of formality, the virtual mingling, the sense of ‘keeping it real’ and the experience of the patience and struggle remain with us this year. While countries are now at different stages of dealing with the pandemic, the extra challenges, the compromised togetherness, the sense that the pretty pictures of food and the glamorous clothes and the Insta-ready iftar tables still feel irrelevant for the most part. It is as tough this year as it was in 2020, with fatigue and despair having built up over the last 12 months.

But we learnt last year and it still holds true: pandemic or no pandemic, there is immense joy and creativity to be found in Ramadan.

Shelina Janmohamed is an author and a culture columnist for The National

The more serious side of specialty coffee

While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.

The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.

Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”

One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.

Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms. 

RESULTS

2.15pm Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (Dirt) 1,200m

Winner Shawall, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi (jockey), Majed Al Jahouri (trainer)

2.45pm Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,200m

Winner Anna Bella Aa, Fabrice Veron, Abdelkhir Adam

3.15pm Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,200m

Winner AF Thayer, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel

3.45pm Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m

Winner Taajer, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel

4.15pm The Ruler of Sharjah Cup – Prestige (PA) Dh250,000 (D) 1,700m

Winner Jawaal, Jim Crowley, Majed Al Jahouri

4.45pm Handicap (TB) Dh40,000 (D) 2,000m

Winner Maqaadeer, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
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  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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If you go...

Etihad Airways flies from Abu Dhabi to Kuala Lumpur, from about Dh3,600. Air Asia currently flies from Kuala Lumpur to Terengganu, with Berjaya Hotels & Resorts planning to launch direct chartered flights to Redang Island in the near future. Rooms at The Taaras Beach and Spa Resort start from 680RM (Dh597).

How to help

Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
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Key figures in the life of the fort

Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.

Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.

Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.

Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.

Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.

Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae

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Sole survivors
  • 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
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.