E-magazine takes aim at female stereotype

Inspired by the creator of a comic book, 'Sail' has no celebrities and no fashion and is a cross between Cosmopolitan and The Wall Street Journal.

Iman ben Chaibah, the first woman to set up an e-magazine in the UAE, edits her publication from home in Dubai.

DUBAI // It was while listening to a lecture by a Kuwaiti comic book author that Iman ben Chaibah had a moment of clarity and decided that she had to do something. Dr Naif al Mutawa was addressing an audience at Dubai's Capital Club when he said he created the characters in his comic book The 99 to reclaim Islam from the "militants who took it hostage" on September 11, 2001.

"He said he began writing when he saw the way people were judging Muslims and the Middle East from a stereotypical standpoint," said Miss ben Chaibah. "He wanted to redress the image that Islam was violent and hateful. "It suddenly struck me that I was facing a similar problem. The idea most foreigners have of Emirati women is that we were rich and lazy, only interested in fashion and designer labels and not able read or think for ourselves.

"I realised I had to use my writing to change that stereotype." On March 1, two weeks after hearing Dr al Mutawa speak, the 25-year-old IT product manager launched her own e-magazine. Sailemagazine.com is believed to be the second such entity in the UAE and the first to be set up by a woman. "People said I wouldn't be able to do it. They thought it would be too much work, but I was determined. I knew it was what I had to do."

As the editor-in-chief of Sail Magazine, which is published online once a month in English, Miss ben Chaibah has three rules: no fashion, no celebrities and only content that provides "value" to the reader.  "By 'value' I mean I want people to be inspired and I want people to think," she said. "Of course, I'm not denying that our generation likes fashion and popular culture, but my focus was to create something more intellectual, but not so highbrow it would be inaccessible."

Aiming for something between The Wall Street Journal and Cosmopolitan, recent articles have focused on how to be successful, the constraints of office hours and the impact of social media. There is also a regular feature that highlights an Emirati of notable achievement. Ali Al Saloom, a cultural consultant, Mishaal al Gergawi, the commentator and columnist, and Fatima al Noaimi, a young businesswoman, have been profiled so far.

"I want to show there are so many Emiratis with so much potential out there that people need to know," said Miss ben Chaibah. "We are a minority in our own country, so why not give them a platform for promotion?" That said, Miss ben Chaibah stressed that the magazine was not exclusively by Emiratis for Emiratis. "That was my starting point, but I obviously had wider audiences in mind," she said. "It is in English for a start; if I wanted an exclusive and introverted publication I would have gone for Arabic."

She hopes, however, to publish an Arabic version within six months. "That's why I chose the name 'Sail'," she said. "In English it gives the impression of a journey on water, a sail is what takes you from place to place. But in Arabic the word means a stream of water, so it gives the same connotations. "Through the magazine I am carrying ideas and bringing people to a place where they appreciate reading and writing."

While she works full-time, Miss ben Chaibah spends much of her free time on the magazine. The last few days of every month she sits in her bedroom at her family's home in Mirdif, pulling together pieces from regular contributors and writing editorials. She sources her own images and relies on her friend - and executive editor - Shaima al Tamimi for proofreading and creative input. So far, she has no idea how many readers she has, because she does not require online registration. And she does not derive any income from the venture.

"The whole idea is that anyone can read it, and I encourage people to leave their comments and feedback," she said. "I want this to be an interactive platform for the community." @Email:[e-mail]