Moon not soon
Oh let Saturday be cloudy
So they can't sight the moon
We lose a day of holiday
If Eid begins too soon
Let's hope the sky stays dusty
And hides the moon away
For if Eid starts on Monday
We will get four full days
So they can't sight the moon
We lose a day of holiday
If Eid begins too soon
Let's hope the sky stays dusty
And hides the moon away
For if Eid starts on Monday
We will get four full days
Labels: poetry
149 Comments:
That's brilliant!
SD you stupid whore...EID can never fall on Saturday so fuck you no ones praying for clouds to cover bla bla bla..
Eid will either be on sunday or monday.
SDF,
Go wash your mouth out and don't come back.
SD,
The quality of your 'haters' is really getting worse!
New moon UAE is 0914 on Sunday 22 October 2006. It is therefore completely impossible to see it on Saturday.
It is similarly impossible to see the new moon on Monday 23rd because that would require the month of Ramadan to be 31 days long.
Conclusion: The moon must first be seen on Sunday evening, and therefore Eid must start on Monday. Unless, of course, the UAE government decides to see the new moon on Saturday at sunset...
E&OE
LOL prayers for rain, prayers for clouds. Same difference the moon sighting is more political than religious anyway.
When I mention the moon sighting commitee to my friends back in the developed world, they piss themselves laughing and don't believe that in this day and age something so archaic still happens.
i love the way that something so simple has the business community completely confused, staff can't plan exactly when to go away and relax and the workshy public sector decide to factor in all eventualities and take a few months off just in case.
Sighting the moon has nothing to do with it, nor does the actual astrological timing.
Eid will be called on such a date that the holiday is as long as possible. a posteriori.
eid will definately be on sunday.
Else the govt sector wont get the straight 9 days off. (20th - 28th)
Harsha,
I think that's exactly the point!! A lot of other countries are doing that especially that Saturdays are now off. Pack up your bags people and head for those beaches.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
SD-
Good poem! hehe! I am hoping likewise, too!
To all-those-who-think-there-is-a-conspiracy-behind-the-sighting-of-the-moon:
The sighting of the moon is done by the Ru'yah Committee in Saudia! UAE and the other GCC countries just follow their edicts in this regard. So all this nonsense of the Dubai government being cunning about holidays is just pure hogwash!
Also, even though the committee is known as the "Moon sighting (Ru'yah) Committee", the fact is that Saudis follow scientific/astrological calculations, which is pretty efficient. The problem arises that somehow they just WONT admit that they do so! The reason is pretty obvious to an educated Muslim that I wont allude to for brevity's sake.
It was humanly impossible to have sighted the moon of Ramadhan this time because the new moon was born hours before they declared Ramadhab. The Saudis can spare us the mess if they simply admit that they are following scientific calculation which are pretty much 100% accurate. It gets really pathetic when they INSIST that they spotted the moon with the naked eye when it was CLEARLY impossible in this particular case!
Also, this will save us the headache of waiting for a day before we know of our holidays thereby not affecting our business. Very much like how the Gregorian calendar is done (which is based on solar calculations).
Harsha
Look at todays Gulf News
President clears confusion over holidays
Abu Dhabi: Public sector employees will get a four-day Eid Al Fitr holiday if the first day of Eid falls on Monday, October 23, according to a ministerial decision.
In line with the directives of President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Ministry of Governmental Sector Development announced in a circular issued yesterday that Thursday, October 26, would be added to the regular three-day holiday, if Eid Al Fitr falls on Monday.
However, if Eid falls on Sunday, government employees will get a three-day holiday, from Sunday, October 22 to Tuesday, October 24.
Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Governmental Sector Development, announced that Ramadan 29 and 30 have also been declared a public holiday, according to Cabinet decision 102/29 for 2002.
The ministry expressed, on behalf of all employees and workers of the federal ministries and departments, deep gratitude and thanks to Shaikh Khalifa and His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, for the gesture
Seems like Eid will conveniently fall on Monday. Doesnt this make a fool of the Private Sector????
I couldn't give a shit to be honest - it's farcical. Luckily, I run a business so I have told the staff that they will get Sun-Tues regardless. It allows them to plan and doesn't disrupt the business as much.
Of the subject here, but i have been back in my hometown of Perth for the last 3 weeks and have returned to find that my skype is working? is this only temporary or has there been an influx of commonsense during my hiatus??
damn, "SD F*CKER" dude at the top needs to go suck on some cock man... take a pill dudey!
come on, we all know Eid always falls on a day convenient for the gov' sector!
SD you stupid whore...EID can never fall on Saturday so fuck you no ones praying for clouds to cover bla bla bla..
Hello you nice Muslim man, and your lovely, respectful Ramadan language. Eid starts after they sight the moon, so if we are to get Sunday off, they have to sight it on Saturday.
SD fucker said...
SD you stupid whore...EID can never fall on Saturday so fuck you no ones praying for clouds to cover bla bla bla..
Eid will either be on sunday or monday.
How dare you !!! if you dont like what you are reading then go away - comments like this really show what a low class person that you are, its strange that you have to hide behind and "secret" name so that you are not identified. Please leave the blog alone for those of us who enjoy reading it.
SD, thanks for the poem it made me smile.
Layla
“Hello you nice Muslim man, and your lovely, respectful Ramadan language.”
SD, don’t relate this to religion, though I think that you are doing it on purpose. Otherwise, we will relate all your “nice words” in all your previous posts to your race. This is how you want it; to provoke people by your impolite comments and when someone gets mad of you, you relate it to Islam!
I wonder when you will leave the place and start writing your “secret london diary”?
hatem: if you think I should just sit by when someone misunderstands a perfectly innocuous entry and swears at me and calls me a "whore", then find someone else's blog to read.
If you can't see the irony of someone accusing me of ignorance over Ramadan by hailing expletives at me in Ramadan, then really I could care less if you went and read someone else's blog.
SD, I don’t know for how long you are living here in the middle east, but it will definitely be clear for anyone who lives for a short period to realize how much we love our religion even if we don’t follow it as we should; and how much this subject is sensitive to us. So to criticize people based on their own attitude is up to you, but to relate a personal attitude to religion will make many people (not just me) stop reading your posts. I am not the only muslim here who get offended by your “perfectly innocuous” comments, and I am sure that you are fully aware of this. Being offended by the one who insulted you is like not blaming the one who beats, but blaming the one who screams.
Beating and screaming....is that all you guys think about?
Hatem - you're just looking to be offended. You tell me what's offensive about the poem in this entry. Supply me the relevant verses and hadiths that make a crime to hope for a longer holiday.
I have no respect for the religious sensitivities of someone who calls me a whore and swears at me. That is not appropriate behaviour from anyone of any religious persuasion, let alone Islam, let alone during Ramadan, when we're endlessly being told to moderate our languages out of "respect".
"sd fucker" showed no respect for me, so I have zero respect for him. As far as I am concerned he is an abomination to his religion, and to the human race.
Hi SD,
Dont bother about stupid assholes who has their brain in their knee. We are all with you on your wonderful posts. Keep it up.
Dear Hatem and Layla,
Please go and join a flying school.
Regards
DHS
I am seeing mention here of "astrological calculations" - the correct term is ASTRONOMICAL calculations.
And for your information use of either the moon-sighting committee or the astronomical calculations is perfectly alright....different Muslim countries have chosen one or the other.
Also, as most of the Gulf follows Saudi Arabia's moonsighting committee, they wait for Saudi's announcement.
Now let me try to explain all you
alcoholic adulterers choosing voluntarily to live and die in the Arabian peninsula to avoid paying taxes in your native lands (am using stereotypical language in retaliation to your extensive use of demeaning stereotypes created by your sick and biased medias):
Saudi Arabia is HUGE country- 10th largest in the world I believe (I think we can fit several "great britains" there) and so especially towards the far flung north western regions bordering places like Jordan, it takes time to confirm the sighting of a new moon....there are rural areas as well where due to infrastructural factors, it may be in the later part of the night in UAE or Oman that a confirmed announcement is reached (remember UAE is an hour faster than Saudi Arabia anyway)
Therefore, there is no "conspiracy" to maximize public sector holidays!!!
As far as "disrupting" the work and office schedules is concerned, hey, you chose to live here out of your own free will, so try to experience another culture; NO, you will not see your domination dreams fulfilled in Arabia :)
or was it that some sheikh flying a chopper threw a net at you, trapped you and brought you here to work forcibly in a standard of living that dwarfs what you would be having somewhere in a delapidated city full of pale people with pale morals and pale souls drowning in a tide of materialism? (not being racist but the kind of language you have been using here leaves me with no choice but to retaliate)
So wake up and smell the coffee (or Henieken or whatever it is you drink - the foul smell, ewwww!, the rush to look for a place to relieve your bladders after having that.....priceless to watch!)
So enjoy your stay in the Arabian Peninsula, and remember, not all of us here are camel herd tenders who are mesmerized by you......we know what you are about and what you have tried to do in the last few centuries........you might have found stalwart allies in morons dying to be like you and copying your system elsewhere in Asia and in the expat workforce from that particular country living with you in Arabia, but that surely doesn't mean you have won or will ever win.
Enjoy your tax-free, temporary stay here but don't try to wade into things you have no idea about!
Anon @19:01
God bless you!
Shookran ya Hatem.....:)
I will be trying to get an id soon.....it's sad to see all the sarcasm some of the bloogers use when dealing with topics like Islam and Muslim society.
It is Ramadan now and I came across this blog by chance and some of their posts have broken my heart....and they claim to be champions of tolerance, freedom and mutual respect for others' beliefs and ways of life....but what to do....c'est la vie.
Khaleeji Knight :)
Hey Scum expats bloggers. stop complaining especially when you also get Christmas off as well. if you really wanted to "live" in arabia you would read and ask about other religions and cultures instead of running to your nearest fish n chips and pub for happy hour. Get a life and be opened minded instead of critizing other people / religion especially when you are living in their land /country and making money from them , living a safe life . Just watch Sky TV and you will remember how dangerous it is back home ! kids being raped on their way to school. youth being killed because they are black ... should I go one ?? thank your God and bless your cotton socks because you are living a better life in Arabia than you would be at home or else you wouldn't be here ... wake up and smell the booze , eid is around the corner.
rgds
a brit who thanks God he can afford an internet connection
Hey Scum expats bloggers. stop complaining especially when you also get Christmas off as well. if you really wanted to "live" in arabia you would read and ask about other religions and cultures instead of running to your nearest fish n chips and pub for happy hour. Get a life and be opened minded instead of critizing other people / religion especially when you are living in their land /country and making money from them , living a safe life . Just watch Sky TV and you will remember how dangerous it is back home ! kids being raped on their way to school. youth being killed because they are black ... should I go on ?? thank your God and bless your cotton socks because you are living a better life in Arabia than you would be at home or else you wouldn't be here ... wake up and smell the booze , eid is around the corner.
rgds
a brit who thanks God he can afford a porche 911
u focking arsehole u think a porsche 911 is big news stupid busturd come 2 dubai and buy 3rd hand 1985 limited edition porsche and thank god????u go buy a focking 2006 poster of the car and stick ur pic on it u asshole.
"Just watch Sky TV and you will remember how dangerous it is back home ! kids being raped on their way to school. youth being killed because they are black ... should I go on ?"
Yes, that's a brilliant contrast to the housemaids who get forced into prostitution here and the taxi drivers that gang up on students.
monkwhosoldhisferrari AND BUY A NEW ONE hahahahah
I don't think you understood what i was saying , and you need to study english mate . and no need to be rude especially when you are thick !
hey samuraisam , not everywhere is perfect or paridise, i hope you are not a housemaid that has been forced into prostitution or a student that has been ganged up on by taxi dirvers. The replies on this blog has hit "rock bottom"
People, PEOPLE!!! RELAX will ya?
What's with all the knee-jerk reactions here?
Y'all need to get laid .. and that goes double for Hatem and the depraved individual who started this mess :\ Disappointing behavior from you two.
yeah man rock bottom will be packed with everyone next week all the fasters will be out drinking again. Being in a pub during Ramadan is boring as just white trash , need the babes back, hey once the metro is up and running that station infront of rock bottom will be an interesting site . do you think the train will be running till 4 am or will they stop them so people take cabs and not puke and cause problems on the train ... we will have to wait and see.....
Well ... and I was under the impression that people are relaxed after the vacation season, I guess not ...
Bref, I have a question, maybe Al-republican can answer or any other who knows the answer: Why do we have to wait for the Saudi committee to declare Eid, I thought there is an Awqaf committee in the UAE which would declare Eid ... If not, what does the Awqaf committee do?
Just read about it at the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan and quite curious ... Thank you :)
"hey samuraisam , not everywhere is perfect or paridise, i hope you are not a housemaid that has been forced into prostitution or a student that has been ganged up on by taxi dirvers. The replies on this blog has hit "rock bottom""
So you bring the whole 'safety' aspect into the argument and now you're throwing it out?
It doesn't work that way. You can't just say "not everywhere is paradise", that doesn't make arguments not-existant.
Getting back to the topic about public/ private holidays. It shows from the Gulf News FRONT PAGE reports that people on their high camels cannot decide on the trivial holiday matters that they have to 'consult' the PRESIDENT' and he "clears confusion over holidays". Amazing
samuraisam , mate chill , the UAE is a lot more safe than a lot of places in the world ... that is just a fact , that people like you have to understand. I am sure that is one of the many reasons that you are here to start with. or are you here for the heat and sand ?
three more years of being stuck in traffice !!
http://archive.gulfnews.com/nation/Traffic_and_Transport/10076079.html .
"the UAE is a lot more safe than a lot of places in the world"
That is a tired argument. Though car-thefts and muggings may not be as common as in other places in the world; the UAE certainly lowers its safety level through the undeniable intelligence and skill of its road users.
To DesertNorm, FYI Saudi Arabia is the 13th largest country in the world.
AM you asked: "Why do we have to wait for the Saudi committee to declare Eid, I thought there is an Awqaf committee in the UAE which would declare Eid ... If not, what does the Awqaf committee do?"
AM,
to my knowledge, all the countries in the AGCC have decided that they will follow the Saudi moon sighting committee when it comes to the Eids. The Awqaf Committee's mandate is huge and it is actually a "hilal" committee that would get involved with validating reported moon sightings; Awqaf's mandate is by no means restricted to moon sighting aspects.
As far as I know, it is perfectly acceptable to follow the approach the Gulf countries have adopted. And due to their geographical proximity more likely than not the new crescent is seen in some terriroty or the other controlled by all six states at the same time.
And to that vile anonymous poster at 01:04hrs. who is waiting for the "babes" to return to the scene, I just hope Awqaf ratchets up its activities to closing down deplorable joints like the ones you long to be in;
it will be fun when perverts like him who see nothing wrong with the flesh trade are picked up by Awqaf agents and deported :) ....I think the environment in his country of origin may well encourage women to rent their bodies for money and probably its not seen as a point of concern in his society, government and family which is why he is so comfortable sharing his twisted thoughts.......I wonder if any of his female relatives live in Dubai or come to Dubai on "visit visas"???hmmmm......
Its truly interesting how many of you have a love-hate relationship with this place called the middle east, i mean we all know that every place has its pluses as well as its negatives, I for one, grew sick and tired of having guns pointed to my head, and my car being broken into in the streets of los angeles, I grew sick and tired of dealing with companies exploiting poor mexican immigrants who are not provided with medical insurance who are underpaid and who are physically and emotionally abused by greedy american bosses. So I moved to dubai where i have several friends, and alas, alot of the same problems exist here, of course its less likely for me to get shot on SZR, yet SZR is not safer than the 405 freeway in southern California, its not more dangerous either, crazy asian kids with souped up Hondas make the 405 look like a scene out of F&F LA style. To the angry westerners in here,seriously, if you despise a culture so much thats a personal choice, I just cant comprehend why anyone would want to live in a place where they dislike the people, their culture their weather, their customs and everything that ever came out of that place, why put urself in that position, its really not good for your health, and it just turns you into a bitter hateful person, and this, on the long run, limits your ability to judge fairly, and in turn this limits your ability to learn, which means you become un-informed, thats of course the process you will go through if you are simply an expat out of place. Now for those who have a personal agenda, who are pre-programmed to hate and who have a reason and a goal and who intentionally want to propagate their views, this of course makes you an enemy of this culture. You need to understand that no one accepts outside crticizm easily, and certain people get very defensive when they feel that outsiders want to change their culture. Looking at the US and UK since Sept 11th, people became polarized in a similar way.
SD you keep crying foul whenever someone insults you, but many of your posts are considered insulting to the culture you write about, this is not a failure by them, its your failure to understand that, and your excellent writing skill which makes it a pleasure reasing your blog somtimes are not easily matched by non-native speakers of the English language, some of them resort to vulgarity , and to be honest with you I feel that this is exactly what you are after, its not simply that you want to excerise your right to express your opnions, but you are both well versed and well informed about the culture and you use this combination to trigger people's reactions for whatever reason, I cant speculate here, but I sure hope that your intentions are pure. It would be a shame to one day find out that you are simply an 'enemy' of this culture.
Christ, this place has gone to hell in a handbasket.
I wouldn't blame you if you decide to chuck anonymous commenting, SD. We seem to have a lot of have-a-go-heroes here.
SD you keep crying foul whenever someone insults you
There's a big difference between criticising human rights, or attitudes towards labourers, or hypocrisy, and calling someone a whore.
I agree that many of my posts are not flattering/praising the status quo here. And that some people get upset just by that - because the culture here is not to question and criticise, it's considered rude just to do that, justified or not.
But if anyone can find a post where I have been as rude or offensive as that anon commenter was to me, I will gladly edit or remove it.
I think what really gets me is that it was such a stupid thing to get angry over (particularly as the insulter's point was actually confused/wrong). There are five years of posts here to get wound up about, and he lashes out in an incredibly inappropriate manner for something really neutral and inane.
SD, I think the over-reaction by the commenter who insulted you was due to the history of your continuous sarcasm of the culture, not to this particular poem; and that’s why he gave himself that name just to revenge whenever possible. Don't get me wrong, I also don't like what he said.
One thing I found – not only in you – but in many other “famous” westerns, is that they insult us in public speech, and when we are angry, they just feel sorry that we “didn’t understand what they meant”. Not to apologize, but to feel sorry for us for not understanding!
The last thing I want to say is that – in our religion and culture – we consider the guest to be polite. We don’t expect him to criticize our home in that way (emirate of stone age, etishit, shitihad road, etc, etc, etc…). If he / she doesn’t like what he sees, he speaks politely and privately to the person in charge telling what to change, if he can't, he keeps the opinion to himself until he leaves, but never do it the way you are doing it. This is considered rude in our culture and probably in all cultures, and the proof of my words is the “reader recommendations” that you proudly post on the left hand side of the page.
By the way, I am not a local guy; I am also a guest on this land.
On another note...
Since Eid holidays are meant to celebrate the month of fasting by Muslims. So wouldn't it be hypocritical of our Islamophobic expats here in Dubai to get excited about number of holidays they would get in case Eid falls on Monday?
This guest/host thing is a really bad analogy. Sure, if I'm invited into someone's home to enjoy their hospitality, I'm not going to tell them I hate their decor. And my host is not going to present me with a bill for the meal or whatever.
The relationship between expats and the country they live in is purely an economic one, and if it works properly it benefits both parties. But when we have a situation like now where the price of everything has risen / continues to rise dramatically, while salaries remain static (and the employment law makes it very difficult for people to change jobs to try to improve their lot) then that relationship is in danger of breaking down.
To the 'if you don't like it, feel free to leave' brigade: a lot of people have left or are planning to. And their place is taken by new migrants who know nothing about the local culture and in many cases are not interested in learning about it.
But don't kid yourself about the 'guest' thing. In a commercial relationship, if you don't like something then you do complain about it. Because if you don't then nothing will ever improve.
emirate of stone age, etishit, shitihad road, ibn spud mall, sandland (as if there is no name for the country), sandlanders (again), what else? ask her!
Do you call this complains for improvement?? I didn't that my english is that bad!
Hatem: Do you call this complains for improvement?? No, I call those nicknames! People the world over give things nicknames. Why is this making you so angry?
Keefieboy, it seems to me that SD when she started writing her posts, she thought that her readers will be only her british cheerleaders (like you) who will share with her the sarcasm on the “others”, and just laugh and say amen to what she says. She also assumed that the “others” are not smart enough to understand her british dialects, so if anyone is not happy, then he just doesn’t understand her words; and he is invited to leave this private british blog by these words: “then really I could care less if you went and read someone else's blog.”
You have the right to sneeze, but you don’t have the right to sneeze on my face! Am I making myself clear?
Anon@ 1:04:
Rock Bottom has been heaving with people all during Ramadan, and may I add, Muslims and non-Muslims alike. So has every other pub in Dubai from 7 pm onwards. Places were packed and everyone happily drinking alcoholic beverages.
Furthermore, since I have been here, holidays have always been declared to suit the public/government sector to get as many days off as possible. If it wasnt convenient, the day was just shifted to another day or a few extra days were added to get the maximum day off. So it definitely is a rip off of the private sector, who only gets two days, either Sun/Mon or Mon/Tue!
so if anyone is not happy, then he just doesn’t understand her words; and he is invited to leave this private british blog
But you DON'T have to read this stuff.
What truly pisses me off is (1) how supportive and respectful I have been so many times of things here, including religion - read back - amid the admittedly frequent and often strong criticism there is plenty of praise.
And (2) there are so many truly racist, truly intolerant, truly Islamophobic blogs out there, that it seriously pisses me off that you are giving me this shit.
I've spent the last five years since being here trying to spread the message that women work/women aren't oppressed/arabs aren't all terrorists/there are plenty of moderate muslims/etc etc. Read my entire archives. You'll see.
Yet you just shit on me. Again and again. If anyone is making me truly loathe and despise this region and its people, it's commenters such as "sd fucker" and hatem. Fortunately, I'm not so sucked into racist stereotypes (as you are with your Brit-bashing) as to believe that all muslims or all regional people are as rude, stupid, knee-jerk, offensive and intolerant as "sd fucker" and hatem.
So I'll continue to write my blog for me. Not for other Brits. Not for westerners. Not for muslims. Not for christians. Not for green-skinned purple-eyed Martians. For me. It's MY BLOG.
And like you repeatedly tell us, "if you don't like, go home". ie: to someone else's blog.
You have the right to sneeze, but you don’t have the right to sneeze on my face!
You're the one putting your face here, don't forget that. No one forced you to put in an appearance.
Just note that I said my point of view of what you write, so you called me: rude, stupid, knee-jerk, offensive and intolerant.
Back to top of the page, someone gave you an insult for your point of views.
In BOTH cases you are right, huh? Writing an offensive point of view is right and insulting other is also right. Good.
You have the right to sneeze, but you don’t have the right to sneeze on my face! Am I making myself clear? No, you are not making yourself clear at all: you seem to have your head so far up your stereotypical ideas of what Brit expats are supposed to think that you seeing sarcasm where is only gentle irony, insult where there is none (or none intended), and disrespect where there is plenty of respect. As SD says, if you can be bothered to read through the many years of archives, you will see plenty of posts that are very, very supportive of this country and its people.
If you take offence at her calling Etisalat 'etishit' or Al Ittihad Road 'Shittihad', or the UAE 'the sandlands', then really I would have to question your understanding. Do you have no sense of humour? Or sense of reality? For example, calling Etisalat 'etishit' is by no means the same as criticising the country. Phone-company bashing is a national sport everywhere.
Hatem, I don't know where you come from or why you are so uptight about SD's blog. But your perception of it is far removed from mine that we could be talking about two completely different things.
Khaleeji Nights-
Thanks for the clarification on the nomenclature for calendar calculations. Admittedly, I got it wrong when I said "astrological" in place of "astronomical".
It is great to see that there are serious individuals like yourself and a few others! What saddens me mostly about Westerners is that life to them has become a joke. To them its all about making fun of others and just laughing their age away. And to top it all off they do not care about the sensitivities of others.
I have come to appreciate a lot of SD's posts, but I have also registered my reservations for the poking of fun ad nauseam. I wonder if SD and others ever think of their continuous jokes on Arabs and Muslims as a provocative act? Sure, we can get the hell out of such blogs, but the fact remains that such jokes continue that add to the polarization. Writing requires some responsiblity I feel, especially in these turbulent times.
Finally, to the second commenter (SDF)on this thread. It might be a good idea to apologize to SD. I know that things dont change and you probably feel justified in what you have said, but I believe you are a Muslim. Let us set a good example of ourselves as Rasulullah (SAW) taught us. This one act of yours will actually help break stereotypes held by our westerner friends !
We agree wholeheartedly with Keefie...time to lay down your arms. SD is fully justified to say WHATEVER on this blog. If people take offence to it...tough! There is no justification in getting personal and vindictive. Channel your energies elsewhere!!
Firstly, Ramadan Kareem everyone.
I mean, for f*ck sake what part of humour dont you d*ckheads get????? And no its not the cod fish that comes from the gulf. Your childish attempts at getting attention have worked, and i am quite amazed that you have managed to touch SD but i believe she is probably not pissed at being called a whore, but the low calibre of some of the readers.
And whats with the lame posts from people trying to patch things up? There is nothing to patch up, education is what is required! Listen to Rodney Rude, Richard Prior, Eddie Murphy, or Andrew Dice Clay and learn how people can laugh at themselves and others. Keep on blogging SD, i find you witty and extremely FUNny and in no way racist. Racist!!!! Its just another buzz word like Turn Key Solution, Innovative or Digital. Political correctness, shove it!!
SD, your poem would offend most muslims because,
1) You imply that you don't belive in this 'moon business'
2) You don't like the uncertainity as it affects your holidays, hence you don't like this method
3) You belive the whole thing is a nonsense ( you do not say that in your poem, but thats an assumption that most people would make )
Disclaimer: I am a christian expat.
Anon @ 19:57
Your first and second sentences don’t match. Remove one of them to make us believe in what you write!
Anon @ 22:00
Thank you for your understanding but let me add one more point: our Eid for Ms. secretdubai was not more than one more day off. A typical materialistic thought, away from any emotions, and she gave herself the right to wish our Eid on our behalf. Thanks for the people who supported my point of view to tell SD that I am not “rude, stupid, knee-jerk, offensive and intolerant” that made her hate the region, or… according to her calculations… I will not be the only one!
1) You imply that you don't belive in this 'moon business'
Firstly, it's not a question of whether I "believe" in this "moon business" or not. I'm not a muslim, whether I "believe" or not isn't relevant.
Secondly, for anyone who wants to know my thoughts on the lunar calendar traditions, you can try reading this. To quote myself (if you can't be bothered to click):
"Speaking as a non-Muslim, it would be sad to see this tradition change. Ramadan is a time that realigns the present and the past, based on universals that transcend the change of technology, scientific advances and the pace of modern life. It is a gentle time and a resting time. What does starting a day early or late really matter?
"That the testimony of an old man is as respected and useful today as in ancestral times, is far more significant."
Now, after reading that, try judging again whether I am an offensive, mocking, stupid whore.
Eid Mubarak to everyone
To hatem and others,
You and Dubai have a choice. You can be serious, respected players on the world stage or you can be cute little natives with quaint customs that amuse the tourists.
If you want to be serious and respected, you have to take the good with the bad. There is much that is great about Dubai but there is also much that falls short. Being world-class players means being measured against world-class standards. Criticism, often harsh criticism, comes with the territory.
For example, Etisalat IS a national embarrassment. It's a bloated, inefficient monopoly completely at odds with what Dubai aspires to be. Don't get mad at SD for saying publicly what everyone -- everyone, that is, who isn't making money off of it -- already thinks.
Now if, on the other hand, you want to go the cute natives/quaint customs route, that's your choice. Everyone will be condescendingly respectful of your colorful local culture and give you nothing but praise, much as you might praise a somewhat slow four-year old. But no one will take you seriously.
So let's have no more of this "Guests shouldn't criticize" nonsense. SD is doing Dubai a real service by offering a window into how the rest of the world views Dubai and its institutions. Honest, open criticism is far more valuable than insincere flattery.
The greatest gift that God could give us is to see ourselves as others see us.
SD, let me say that I wrote my opinion of what you wrote, not specifically this poem, but I passed by your blog several times before and I was not happy with many of what I found. I haven’t insulted you in person, and I will not do that. Let me say again that I don’t like what the other guy said, and I can understand how a lady can be hurt by this word. All what I am asking for is not to make other cultures laugh by this kind of criticism of our culture. Speaking in religious issues is very sensitive that we (the Muslims) don’t talk in it unless we know what we are saying and have enough knowledge, so it also hurts when I see someone (Non-Muslim) speaks in a way that I personally see it away from the degree of respect I am expecting. You call Sharjah the stone-age emirate, because it’s the strictest emirate.
Don’t be upset with me, I don’t know you in person and I was not judging you personally.
Secret - through your blog can you invite some fine Brits to this country...you know the well educated, cultured ones that the world always looks up to... gosh it's getting so sad seeing all these prejudiced, jaundiced low cultured types in major positions here..all they do is complain about the local norms...pretend to be high class when they are from the educational underclass back home....gets sooo stifling... will the real brits please come here soon??? please...pretty please???
@Hatem: Reading back through some of your comments on this thread has left me totally bewildered, and I really think it comes down to this: Westerners have been laughing at themselves, their Governments and their institutions for hundreds of years. Nobody gives it a second thought.
But when you say 'don't make fun of our culture', I suspect that you are wrapping Islam up into that model of 'culture'. This is where you and I go our separate ways. In the West we have had separation of church and state for centuries - I can make fun of an Italian without him thinking I'm slagging off the Catholic Church. But you don't seem able to do that. If I criticise your phone company then you take that as an attack on your country and on Islam!
I am seriously interested in knowing more about your attitude to 'criticism' (you say you're not a local). So why don't you get yourself a blog of your own and write a few posts that explain who you are and what your thoughts are? Make sure you tell us all the URL when you've done it. It'll be fun. Oh, sorry, you don't do fun, right?
Anon @23:20
Thanks for the advice, and I appreciate it, but I am not local guy. I am Arabic Muslim expat, who traveled a lot in the western world in the late 90s and saw that every country has its pros and cons. I have been discriminated in some of the western countries because of my race, and that’s why I am happy to be here in Dubai, where the culture and religion is the same as my home country, while the standards are high as in the west. That’s why I was enthusiastic to defend the place and I felt personally offended when I saw this “harsh criticism” as you said. I also believe that civilization curves are not far from sine waves, so I don’t like arrogant attitude from some people who deeply believe that they are superior to the others (nothing to do with SD here). So, it’s difficult for me to know the intention behind a “harsh criticism” if it’s for good or for bad. What I didn’t like in SD’s posts is that they open the door for those people to find a chance to insult us in public. If you go back to previous posts you will find many examples.
Hi Keefieboy,
Maybe my previous comment will answer your questions. I am sorry for making this entire headache to you guys (and to SD of course), but…what to do?
I am not interested in making a blog for my own. It won’t be a good one :)
khaleeji knight, thank you for the clarification :)
It is very interesting to see people fight over a holiday instead of wishing their muslim bloggers / friends etc.. a happy Eid etc, Grow up and get a Life !
Anonymous said...
SD, your poem would offend most muslims because,
1) You imply that you don't belive in this 'moon business'
2) You don't like the uncertainity as it affects your holidays, hence you don't like this method
3) You belive the whole thing is a nonsense ( you do not say that in your poem, but thats an assumption that most people would make )
Disclaimer: I am a christian expat.
Hey there, I am a British Muslim and SD's poem didnt offend me !! thsoe people who have lost their sense of humour maybe will not find it amusing but hey maybe they shoudl stick to Islamic sites and stop reading blogs !!!
In case I am not back before Eid
EID MUBARAK one and all
Kul 'am wa enta bi-khair!
Taqabbala Allahu minna wa minkum.
"aussie70 said...
Anon I agree 02:11. What on earth has happened to the people of Dubai. there is a lot of hate and spite going around. it is a shame as this place used to be much better then it is now !"
Sheikh Zayed passed away in 2004. I really believe that this great man held the country together.
Keefieboy's post @ 00.20 saved me from launching a scathing attack on some of these posts. I commend you for your diplomacy, ability to write and getting your message across without offending or hurting, i call this applying vaseline :). I unfortunately do not have this quality and would of told Hatem & SDF to va fanculo!!.. I can relate to your Italian Christian analogy.
I don't understand why people are getting so aggressive.
1) This is SD's blog and she is entitled to her own opinion
2) It was a friggin poem! I don't think it was meant to show disrespect to anyone!
3) The whole moon sighting on Saturday night is pointless, according to experts, because Eid can only be on Monday: http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/06/10/18/10075615.html
, I think this matter already took more than what it deserves, I just want to align myself properly here, using foul language and vulgarity is inexcusbile, I dont want people to view my comment here as an endorsment of the geniuses who insulted SD
Okay, I'm a western expat, I thought that "poem" was really funny - keep it up SD!
And I don't get why people get so upset! Please explain to me so I can understand.
we surely are going to get eid on sunday because for the last 3 years, the eid in the uae has been declared on the first day of moon sighting, which all of them were wrong. eid will be declared, hatem and sd f**** let her what she wants to say nobody gives so much attention to it..
Dear Ms. SD,
the poem was ok.
(at least for me)
yes, it's YOUR BLOG
- you can say / write
whatever you want and feel
yes, it's not COMPLUSORY
for others to visit / read / reply to any of your postings.
but, a WEBLOG is a dot com
i.e. out there in the world wide web
hence, it's also open
to any JOHN and JANE DOE
to FIND YOUR BLOG
and READ YOUR POSTINGS
hence, (since you have made
the 'Leave Your Comment'
link available),
anyone is also entitle to jot down
a few kind / rubbish / good / bad
words and responses.
hence, it's not FREEDOM
and without ANY RISK
after all
c' est la blog
if you don't like those facts
please take down your blog
and go back to writing diary
the good old days style
thank you and my apology
reality bites..
indians stink ..
Why are some people (like Keefieboy) parroting that UAE is not able to handle criticism?? In this entire thread, I haven't seen a SINGLE UAE national take exception to any of these views!
The actual matter, I think, is jealousy on part of some of the Westerners. As one contributor here put it, they just want all of us to be little funny objects as part of their leisure package as tourists! That is the crux of the matter. A lot of you cannot digest Dubai's success and moreover cannot believe how camel riders are suddenly doing things that you all were once good at. This is exactly why you would trash even a liberal brown person because he just isn't pale enough to be successful!
I can't believe how some of these clowns keep parroting of the hypocrisy of Arabs as if they are models of fidelity! Have you bloody forgotten the blatant hypocrisies of your countries? If Etisalat is so problematic and an impediment in freedom of speech, pray tell us why are websites of opposing ideologies banned in the West? What is all this nonsense of "take off your veils" when you are the champions of freedom of choice?
Finally, Keefieboy, the reason why your people separated from the Church hundreds of years ago was because your religion really was a joke when it came to administration of the state. To you and your ilk, your religion is a laughing matter. To us, our religion is our pride and we take it pretty seriously. Go ahead and make fun of your religion all you want, but when you make fun of ours expect a backlash.
And make no mistake about it, Sirs, you have initiated these provocative acts of labeling us and mocking at us. We are very close to beating the hell out of your collective "Cream" in Iraq and the day is not far when you will hang your heads in shame and will become the laughing stock for all of humanity.
Here is an excerpt of an e-mail from a good friend of mine who was in the UK for his studies:
I am back in Pakistan... The bloody angraiz home office and the department of health introduced new rules by which NHS trusts across Britain stopped employing junior doctors from other than EU...Since merit went out the window, I realized I could nt continue work there so InshAllah I am moving to the Republic of Ireland to complete my training...
Please remember me in your Dua...
This is the hypocrisy of the West! We are too hot to handle for you all, arent we? What a bloody joke!
It is time to blog about the veil ! i think we should have that disscusions sooner than later
Well said, Al-Republican. Little aggressive, but the meaning is delivered. I don’t know why my memory doesn’t help me to count how many countries great britain has invaded (and still) to build their empire on the blood of civilians and the natural resources of lands? Surprisingly, the same people are coming back playing the heroic role of saving us from ourselves!
Oh dear, just when everythone had calmed down a bit, along comes Al-Republican to fan the flames.
Why are some people (like Keefieboy) parroting that UAE is not able to handle criticism??
My comments on this were directed specifically at Hatem. People don't come on here with a flag sticking out of their head!
...your religion really was a joke when it came to administration of the state
Indeed. All religions are. ALL OF THEM.
If Etisalat is so problematic and an impediment in freedom of speech, pray tell us why are websites of opposing ideologies banned in the West?
Please clarify, and remember that 'the West' is not one just one country.
i like camel
Ah, very helpful. Eid Mubarak.
Eid Mubarak people
Finally, Keefieboy, the reason why your people separated from the Church hundreds of years ago was because your religion really was a joke when it came to administration of the state. To you and your ilk, your religion is a laughing matter. To us, our religion is our pride and we take it pretty seriously. Go ahead and make fun of your religion all you want, but when you make fun of ours expect a backlash.
And make no mistake about it, Sirs, you have initiated these provocative acts of labeling us and mocking at us. We are very close to beating the hell out of your collective "Cream" in Iraq and the day is not far when you will hang your heads in shame and will become the laughing stock for all of humanity.
whoo r u to talk of we? are u talking for the rest of peace lving ppl or making them too become terrorists like u? u built up ur country with oil money, and the some asshole likes u suddenly starts getting ideas of blowing up the west? boy o boy what a monkey, u start dancing even before the music starts. are those terrorist dreams of urs still stirring in that loin of urs? dont unleash the monkey without knwing what ur talking about, u stupid good for nothing terrorist pashtun stinking pig. eat ur droppings while u still can, before they are force fed to you by ur pashtun brothers themselves.
Well said, Al-Republican. Little aggressive, but the meaning is delivered.
then it means u didnt get a clue about what the great lunatic republican talks about. he talks of one word and its terror. terror on the west. there are only 2 countries. west and east. east is good. west is bad. cuz sun rises in east pashtunland and sets in west antipashtunland.
he also has wet dreams on blowing up innocent ppl.
I don’t know why my memory doesn’t help me to count how many countries great britain has invaded (and still) to build their empire on the blood of civilians and the natural resources of lands?
thats bcuz u dont know to count. but by the time u learn how to count, al republican and his terrorists ak47 humpers will blow away ur fingers bcuz u dared to count - this is from the WEST. ur wearing a shirt - this is from the WEST. point gun at anus. KABOOM. end of story.
Surprisingly, the same people are coming back playing the heroic role of saving us from ourselves!
first u save urself from terrorists like al republican before he blows you up and maybe himself.
PLEASE DO NOT ALLO REPUBLICAN TO GENERALISE PPL LIKE HIMSELF WITH OTHER PEACE LOVING PPLS>
you f**ckers al republican and hatem I hate you. You think you are developing these deserts on your own and west is unable to tolerate that.. what a joke look everywhere if the west dont come and share their technology in every field you would be peaing in desert. from Oil extraction to building your peaing areas are all the expertise from the west or outsiders.. you have your f**king brains in your knees
save that drops of oil for future or else you know what would happens once your last drop of oil goes off.
al republican has to be finished. come to www.petition.com/kill-republican-and-win-a-free-choitram-10dh-voucher.html
Last two anons - not including me ;) - and 'Al Pashtuno' are culture less than al replublican & team. At least ALR believs in what he says, although I don't agree with most of his views.
SD, I read most of your posts and I know your views on these matters. I always doubt that you are employed by Gvt to build up their image.
-Anon@22
To Anon @ 21 october 2006 20:24.. so what in your terms a culture.. calling someone a whore?? yes?? now who is cultureless you asshole.
Tomorrow 30 Ramadan, Monday is Eid. Happy Eid to everybody, Muslims and Non-Muslims!
it is indeed sad to see the degradation of this debate. The division between the endogenous people of UAE and people who have made UAE their home recently is growing ever larger. I sympathise with secretdubai for being targeted in person in half of the comments above (the half I read anyway).
The east and west are not so different. The locals/muslims above are so protective of themselves and their culture and hate what is being published here (although I dont get why they continue to read it). Equaly, the westreners above (and no doubt someone is going to call me ignorant) are so protective of their values and want everybody to accept them as the standard moral code. Which is not going to happen - neither in UAE or anywhere else.
I like the UK. Been living here for 9 years. I suppose I see the flip side of status que in UAE. I wouldnt call myself a *guest* here and would not require to be treated as so. I get paid for doing what I do and I pay my taxes. I do not get the same rights as a British citizen or a Europian citizen because I am not and I fully accept that. There is so much that I dislike about this country, but there is even more that I like and I focus on those brighter parts. When I point out the things that I really seriously dont get about the westren culture, people disagree, frown, and sometimes get offended. Not so different than what is happening here now. Except its the other way around - exacebated by the fact that the conversation is conducted in English - which obviously not everyone who writes here master.
SD, your wish has come true. Eid's gonna be on Monday. Wish you all a very happy Eid and yes Eid Mubarak to all.
before i go just one more thing... i really enjoy those hate filled comments from all the sides. so all you crazy people keep them coming.
To Anon @ 21 October, 2006 19:50 -
So basically you are admitting that you WORK for us? That is exactly the point I made! That is what is pissing you all off! You are WORKING for us dirty, towel heads! It REALLY hurts your ego I can see :)
Al-Pashtuno, yes we sure can count, dear. 655,000 innocent Iraqis murdered due to your expansionist, terrorist beliefs! It's hard to argue with a fool like you. It is your damn monkeys (quite literally in the case of George "Dubya" Bush) who are INVADING Afghanistan and Iraq! So you are the bloody terrorists! What have we invaded? What are we instigating, dear? Are you forgetting your terrorist forefathers who created the Bastard state of Israel?
And yes you are quite right; we are coming for you and will make you curse the day you were born :)
Finally, to the hindu fundamentalist, Harsha: Seems like your conspiracy theory failed, ma'am. Eid is on Monday and not Sunday. Why don't you just keep your potty mouth shut, Harsha? You have already embarrassed yourself with that stupid propoganda thing about the wonder kid, Mazen! Remember that incident, dear? You really don't give up even though you end up with poo on your face ALL THE TIME!?
Cheers!
Al-Republican has all the makings of a perfect suicide bomber.
Sucks to be you!
@Al Rebublican: you are admitting that you WORK for us? That is exactly the point I made!
Reading your blog gives me the distinct impression that you are Pakistani...
Why don't you just keep your potty mouth shut, Harsha?
From what I've read on this thread (which is all of it, several times) there has been nothing remotely potty-like from Harsha.
Al-Rep, I am glad you finally gave in and got your own blog: it makes interesting reading. In your blog you come across as an intelligent and thoughtful person, although I disagree with most of what you say. But your comments in this thread make you look like, to quote anon@00.06, someone who 'has all the makings of a perfect suicide bomber'.
Eid Mubarak.
Why some of you guys blindly bashing al repub. He has some points. Do you really thinks that all those people killed in iraq/lebanon/afghanistan are terrorists. If they are not and if killing innocent civilian is terrorism who all can be named as terrorists? Come on guys, put forward your arguements instead of screaming.
Al-Pashtuno, yes we sure can count, dear. 655,000 innocent Iraqis murdered due to your expansionist, terrorist beliefs! It's hard to argue with a fool like you. It is your damn monkeys (quite literally in the case of George "Dubya" Bush) who are INVADING Afghanistan and Iraq!
And yes you are quite right; we are coming for you and will make you curse the day you were born :)
y u bloody idiot. u focking gay pashtuni chico, do u realise it is UR OWN NUMBERS U ARE TALKING ABOUT? more than half of that numbers are the innocent children and civilians whose life u snatched away to make way for sadams back entry to his slaughterhouse? apparently u are losing sight of that goal everyday and u keep slaughtering them with ur own crude bombs. have u spoken with any iraqis?all u know are about your illegitimate country u formed to establish a republic now run by retarded general. u want to expand it to the entire region and dance ur way to happines and martyrdom.not gonna happen chico, not with lowlifes whos only option is to kill ppl. speak with any iraqi and he says he respects the freedom but WANTS PPL LIKE YOU OUT. YOU HAVE DESTRYED LIFE FOR NO DAMN REASON.
So you are the bloody terrorists! What have we invaded? What are we instigating, dear? Are you forgetting your terrorist forefathers who created the Bastard state of Israel?
u have not invaded but u partied with war criminals from the baath party. u have KIlLED ppl and u talk of not instigating? focking chico u is as blind as a bat and ur brains are in ur nuts? Y do u talk of israel when u are urself bastards with no proper homeland and u keep fighting for a homeland within a country. mind ur own business asshole.
And yes you are quite right; we are coming for you and will make you curse the day you were born :)
dont talk for everyone. TALK FOR URSELF. DONT USE WE, U STUPID SHITLESS COWARD. I know why u use we.u want we to give u the arms.not gonna happen chico.u can use the knife u cut ur fruits with for ur own private WAR.BEST OF LUCK, PIECE OF SHIT.
Al-Republican has all the makings of a perfect suicide bomber.
Sucks to be you!
nah hes smart he wants others to suicide. he cant do that.he has to keep preachign and enjoy dubai life.if hes so passionate HE SHOULD BE DEAD BY NOW. HE SHOULD BE ONE OF THE 655,000 THE SHAMELESS PIG STILL STAYS ALIVE AND USES THE INTERNET TO PEDDLE HIS BULLSHIT!!!!.
Why some of you guys blindly bashing al repub. He has some points. Do you really thinks that all those people killed in iraq/lebanon/afghanistan are terrorists. If they are not and if killing innocent civilian is terrorism who all can be named as terrorists? Come on guys, put forward your arguements instead of screaming.
have u ever thought how peaceful it would be if radical bastards like republican did not kill 50ppl a day to scare the USthere? IF HE WAS SUCH A SAVIOUR OF PPL WHERE THE FUCK WAS HE WHEN IRAQ WAS UNDER A WAR CRIMINAL? WTF IS HE TALKING ABOUT WHEN HIS OWN COUNTRY IS IN SHAMBLES?
Al-Rep, I am glad you finally gave in and got your own blog: it makes interesting reading. In your blog you come across as an intelligent and thoughtful person, although I disagree with most of what you say. But your comments in this thread make you look like, to quote anon@00.06, someone who 'has all the makings of a perfect suicide bomber'.
he got his own blog but he doesnt talk like terrorist there, there hes the retard general. here hes the real ANIMAL.oink oink.
Anonymous said...
we surely are going to get eid on sunday because for the last 3 years, the eid in the uae has been declared on the first day of moon sighting, which all of them were wrong. eid will be declared, hatem and sd f**** let her what she wants to say nobody gives so much attention to it..
21 October, 2006 12:45
im the same guy who posted the above thing.
this blog only brings sadness, fights,and concludes if you (foreigners) want to live in this country respect the culture and religion or otherwise dont live here and go back to your country where you can live, i cant believe people waste their valuable time here, its better u make a forum sd.. i really feel sorry for al-republican, he/she really should get a life, instead of coming here and sharing his violent thoughts.
i think al-republican is absolutely right in his stance. where is the freedom of speech now? So Whoever speaks against the white dominated western imperialism and their agents and puppy dogs around the world is eventually labelled as suicide bomber and a terrorist. One must not forget the biggest act of terrorism was committed by these peace loving whites against the japs in 1945.
This blog has gone way off the topic and has become a place where people swear at each other and call each other suicide bombers etc , this is not a way decent people should talk to each other shame on you ! if you can't blog with manners and not like people off the street then shut up ! you can stress your opinion with out attacking people and being rude. It seems that dubai has managed to gather scum and this blog has managed to get them to blog ! There is no need to attack anyone religion no matter what it is ! If you can't write anythinh worthwhile then don't. all the best to everyone and happy hoildays , just try and enjoy it even if it is one day . think of the people who work in the services field who have to work so that you can enjoy your holidays
This is Anon@00.06
i think al-republican is absolutely right in his stance. where is the freedom of speech now? So Whoever speaks against the white dominated western imperialism and their agents and puppy dogs around the world is eventually labelled as suicide bomber and a terrorist.
Honey, just because someone has the RIGHT to say stupid things does NOT mean they should.
If he's going to talk trash, people won't mistake him for a rational, peace-loving human being, innit? At least I don't.
Summing up all his verbal vomitus, I believe my conclusion to be on the mark. I'll even bet you my big plate of kunafeh that he's entertained thoughts of joining alqaida a few times in the past.
If I were him, I'd walk in shadows and not be alone outside after dark. Something to tickle those neurons, eh?
Best fishing trip for a while SD. You've got quite a haul here.
SDF I think 'prostitute' is an apropriate way to describe the role expats have here. Whilst locals think we all live the high life and suck the blood out of the country whilst boozing away, the feeling from the expat perspective is one of explotation and making the most of what they have in the time that they are here. Once their usefulness runs out other expats ('prostitutes') will replace them. For many (Jumeira janes, Johns etc) the relationship is a beneficial one for most others the benefits are only short term ESPECICALLY as they approach 60 and have to be put out to pasture.
Anonymous said...
SDF I think 'prostitute' is an apropriate way to describe the role expats have here. Whilst locals think we all live the high life and suck the blood out of the country whilst boozing away, the feeling from the expat perspective is one of explotation and making the most of what they have in the time that they are here. Once their usefulness runs out other expats ('prostitutes') will replace them. For many (Jumeira janes, Johns etc) the relationship is a beneficial one for most others the benefits are only short term ESPECICALLY as they approach 60 and have to be put out to pasture.
22 October, 2006 08:31
From your comment above now explain to me how you come to this conclusion ? how often do you intergrate with locals ? how often do you get the truth from JJ's ? and where does that leave me for example who is married to juat a "normal" uae national, working her ass off to have a decent life ? yet if I worked as a expat then my salary would be 10 times higher ?
One small satiric scribble from SD and look what all we've here!
SD, seriously, was it all that what you wanted? religion bashing, country whapping etc etc...on the auspicious occasion of two festivals together....Diwali and Eid! Thank you all, specially ALR, ALP, SDF, Hatem.
-Vin.
SD,
R u whistling innocently?
-Vin
Firstly, good job Hatem with your posts....
Although I haven't been on this blog for long, let me share my observations:
(1) SD, you claim that you have tried to be "respectful" and promote the image of Arabs/Muslims. I beg to differ. Any neutral person reading many of your blogs (not all, but many) would come to the conclusion that on many occassions you look to actively provoke a tide of antagonistic responses.
(2) As a Muslim, I know that swearing, cursing and indulging in vulgar nonsense is a sin and so I have tried to avoid it during my brief stay on this blog. But those who are "pro-SD" have been using very distasteful language as well. How come no one kicks up a storm about that? While two wrongs can never make right, I urge you to objectively revisit many of your posts: you have been in Arabia long enough and don't tell me that when you write and review your posts and right before posting them, you don't have a cunning smile on your face....you look to provoke, not in all your blogs but in many of them.
(3) For the benefit of all the frustrated Westerner and pro-Western expats here, let me try to tell you something: you do have a very strong tendency to see the world with pre-concived notions. While Christians may not be as concerned or as attached to Christianity in their countries of origin, that doesn't mean Muslims from Palestine to Pakistan are the same!. A few years ago, a disguisting play was run in New York City, that showed Jesus (peace be upon him) as gay (may Allah destroy all those involved in the play!, Amen) and having "relationship" with one of his discipiles! Guess what? Muslims and conservative Christians were protesting outside the play houses. But the play did go ahead. I am sure you know that Muslims love and respect Jesus as a prophet of God and you will NEVER see a Muslim slander Jesus or Moses or disrespecting the Torah or the Bible; sadly as recent events have shown, Christian societies have no problem disrespcting the prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) and the Quran.
Also, the Da Vinci Code, written in the West, the movie produced in the West and a cast of Western Christians involved in the movie.
My point is that just because your societies aren't as attached to religion as they once were, why on earth do you assume that this HAS to be the case everywhere around the world? If you tried to neturally analyze solely this point, you will realize your follies and perhaps understand all this "reaction" that you claim puzzles you.
(4) For some reason, many Western and Eastern non-Muslim expats living in Arabia, have a tendency to link anything negative about our society, to Islam!!! This is ridiculous to say the least. Yes, Etisalat is inefficient, and being lazy and not doing what you promise your customers on purpose is wrong in Islam. But many non-Muslims simply want to try their best to link everything negative that happens here to our religion. To the Western expats who are so fond of mocking us and then claiming that it's all in good fun, calling us barbarians, etc., have you forgotten the KKK, apartheid in South Africa, World War I, World War II (where 60 million lives were lost, and that too is a conservative estimate), and please, Britain has been doing dispicable things throughout history as well....I don't hear your media calling the KKK as Christian extremists??? even though their ceremonies, language etc. is replete with terms borrowed from Christianity and they explicitly talk about the "God-given" white supremacy??
Honestly, SD, I think you suffer from a superiority complex; either that or I have overestimated your intelligence and you really aren't aware of what you do and what you end up doing by blogging what you blog.
Please don't blog with a lousy confrontional attitude, you will find that your stess levels are lower.
To all those people clamouring to end "anonymous" posts and urging "face to face meetings" etc., are you trying to tell me that use of terms like "secret diary", "grumpy goat", 'sex and dubai" etc. is not a brilliant attempt to hide behind the anonomity of the internet???!
Have a nice Eid....and stop living in a world of assumptions.....
where does that leave me for example who is married to juat a "normal" uae national, working her ass off to have a decent life ? yet if I worked as a expat then my salary would be 10 times higher ?
Working her ass off to have a decent life? That's some good shit you're smokin' there, buddy!
I have had enough of this.
I think none of you would be saying any of this crap if you weren't safe, hiding behind your computer screens. Blog comments bring out the absolute worst in people - and if you really want to argue about all this stupid muslim/terrorist/us invading/WW2 history/iraq/isreal/and all the other assorted BULLSH*T that none of you know anything factual about...then you should all give your full names and address and meet at some named location for a good old fashioned debate and fistfight.
(Will I post my name? No way - you would all go over to my blog, which has nothing to do with any of you, and try to destroy it - I don't trust any of you.)
You are all pathetic.
I don't like SD at all. I think she is a real witch...and I have had some choice arguments with her myself over her extreme prejudice and ignorance and blatant stupidity - then I realized that nothing that she or anyone else says on these blogs makes any difference in my daily life whatsoever. And she doesn't care to change her assinine attitude based on my comments, and I don't care what she says to me. And when she is not bashing whatever individual stereotype she has created of whatever individual who is not a clone of herself, sometimes she posts funny or thought provoking information. This blog is for entertainment value only. I even subscribe to the secret. So I stopped arguing and now just read this blog and laugh at all you other losers who haven't figured that out yet. Nobody really cares what any of you say except others like you who are staying up all night, bleary-eyed and enraged, not wanting to read the replies to your replies...but not being able to stand not reading them...then you just keep going and going and going at each other. You probably all work in the same office and don't even know it.
Read this blog, have a laugh, and then get out from in front of your keyboards and get a life.
To "g" : are you hindu and trying to prove that Hindus are superior to Muslims by encouraging a British expat woman to write a funny poem about Diwali and then use the non-bezerck responses (your feeble mind expects) to prove your point? If that is the case, you are truly pathetic and it will just serve to show what many others in Dubai already know about a country in the East.
If you are not Hindu, then, well, then get a life!
Al-Pashtuno-
You really are an ignoramous individual! Your arguments are not only patently flawed, but have gaping holes which illustrate your poor comprehension on not only historical matters, but basic human decency.
Your confused outlook coupled with your retarded verbal diarrhea is something you alone can enjoy.
Keefieboy, you and other may think that I am a suicide bomber, hehe. I guess that makes you feel that I am terribly wrong and misguided. I am just glad that you are able to see the good in me as well. It is for this exact reason that I say to put your idiosyncrasies (like, Oh this guy sounds like a suicide bomber!) aside to be able to understand the spirit of what we Muslims say.
Nice one :)
Anonymous said...
where does that leave me for example who is married to juat a "normal" uae national, working her ass off to have a decent life ? yet if I worked as a expat then my salary would be 10 times higher ?
Working her ass off to have a decent life? That's some good shit you're smokin' there, buddy!
WTF is that supposed to mean ? r u sitting in my shoes ? do you know what we earn as a family ? you know Jack Shit and yet you jump WTF ?????????
Al-Republican, I must say this,
Your writing style is total piss,
Verbose and dull, not very witty
I'd go as far to say it's damnright shitty,
But don't despair, or shout yourself hoarse,
there's a place for ramblings as bad as yours,
a newspaper column, no less, is the bestest place
for you to whine about religion and race
in misinformed rants that lose the plot,
... I hear the Khaeej Times has a slot
Anon @ 22 October, 2006 01:28
Yes you are right .. not just one... that was not enough. One still does not understand the reason for second . Only the Almighty can save the world from these powercrazed abomination.
You people are all a bunch of blazing idiots. You all deserve to have your tiny, one-track religious extremist minds blown from your shoulders by a suicide bomber. Maybe then we'll all get some peace.
I wonder if there would have been all this hoo-ha if a local wrote the poem.
It's a sign of the times. The comments here seem to reflect all the current global tension, which, after 9/11, has been infused with a lot of religious rhetoric. From this blog commentary, an outsider would be forgiven for assuming Dubai is seething with ethno-religious anger. Yet the only real anger I have seen in Dubai has been when I am stuck in all-too-frequent log-jam traffic or some outrageous road behaviour is on display. In a month devoted to patience and greater tolerance than usual, we could all do with a dose.
You really are an ignoramous individual! Your arguments are not only patently flawed, but have gaping holes which illustrate your poor comprehension on not only historical matters, but basic human decency.
Your confused outlook coupled with your retarded verbal diarrhea is something you alone can enjoy.
LOL PPL, its back to calm RETARD GENERAL phase now. kefee boy has made him control himself and he has somewhat controlled his uncontrolable anus of terrorism.
ur counter argument on killing ppl makes a lot of sense.its either KILL or NO KILL.i dont know much on historical matters but ur historical focking shit always comes to the concluison of killing ppl. u talk of hating capitalism and globalisation THEN WHAT THE FOCK ARE U DOING HERE CHICO?
How did u browse here...thru the internet.ORIGIN - WEST. the keyboard u type on.WEST. the mouse u click on is also same.WEST. THE GUN U WILL USE TO KILL INNOCENTS. WEST.
the globe has become a small place after the techonology advances and u WANT EVERYONE BUT YOU to go back to stoneage. Chico, go back to poppy cultivation and buy some sheep from that money and marry them and stay in those focking hills of urs. theres no use of coming here and EATING the diarhea from me. U EAT IT LIP SMACK IT AND COME BACK FOR MORE.
CONCLUSION - u use tools made by the west to wage war on the west. DEVOTE UR LIFE FOR THE PASHTUN COMMUNITY AND START MAKING UR OWN GUNS. hehheheh those guns wouldnt even kill ur beloved sheep. what a shame!!!!!
Khaleeji Knight said:
Muslims love and respect Jesus as a prophet of God and you will NEVER see a Muslim slander Jesus
Muslims deny the divinity of Jesus. To a Christian, this is the ultimate slander of Jesus.
Jesus is The Son of God, a product of the miracle of virgin birth. To a Christian, any writing that denies this fact cannot, by definition, be of divine origin, and any claim to love Jesus but deny His divinity are empty words.
Denying Jesus's divinity is a far greater insut than any possible insult of Mohammed, who was (as any Muslim knows) a human being, and not of divine origin.
However, Christians are able to absorb these insults and cast them off, as they know them to be the product of ignorance. Their convictions are strong enough to withstand misguided and malicious foolishness.
As a former Christian, I know these things all too well.
Anon @22 October, 2006 16:45
Firstly, thank you for writing your opinion without putting words full of “***”...
Secondly, if we consider Jesus as just a prophet, and not the son of God; this is difference in beliefs. Similar to Christians saying that Mohammad is not a prophet at all, but he was just a normal man who copied what Jesus said, added his own words, and called for a new religion. This is all difference in beliefs, and it’s accepted to all of us. The major difference here is that we are discussing why people make fun of each others? Each one of us has his own opinion, religion, belief, way of life, whatever... Fine, but let’s not make fun of each other! That’s the whole point.
Finally, you said that you are former Christian. Did you quit the religion? I think many Europeans quit Christianity when they feel that religion is only in the Church, and it doesn’t interact with their daily life. This is not the case with Muslims, our religion doesn’t end on the Mosque’s door, but it’s applied in all of our life. With all our bad acts, we acknowledge that this is from ourselves and not because of what Islam told us to do. But still, we love our religion, we respect it more than any other thing and we hope that one day comes to us to follow it exactly as we should.
To my understanding, this is the main conflict here that made all this long page: the sarcasm of our way of life means the sarcasm of our religion, because our religion is supposed to be our way of life.
Sorry Zoggy, I though you are anonymous.
Khaleeji Knight.
Well done!
zoggy, if you are so passionate about Christianity, then why are you a "former Christian" now?
Man, some people have a serious reading comprehension problem. I was explaining the passion of devout Christians. I am not passionate about Christianity, I outgrew that.
I was merely seeking to correct a contradiction made by another poster - indeed, perhaps the person commenting did not realize that he/she was making a contradiction.
Here it is in simpler words:
(1) The Muslim says he will not slander Jesus.
(2) The Muslim denies the divinity of Jesus.
(3) To a Christian, denying his divinity is the ultimate slander of Jesus.
So, line (1) above is inherently self-contradictory: the simple act of being a devout Muslim is to insult Jesus in the most profound way possible.
I am not commenting on my own beliefs, merely providing information on a subject I know something about.
If you, as a Muslim or Christian or Jew or Hindu or Buddist, or anything else, wish to live your life in such a manner as to please your god, then it is no business of mine. But understand that assuming the supremacy of your own belief system necessarily involves rejecting (and sometimes insulting) all others. That's what it means to have the certainty of a "true believer."
BTW, I am incapable of having such certainty.
Babe-UAE- you are obviously not a first grade local with the right coloured passport.
ZOGGY, you have just proved that your just a loser...
Hey get over it EID is here !!! happy Eid to all
Zoggy-
I find what you ink very fair and to a large extent balanced. I would like to correct a confusion on your part.
Denial of divinity or prophethood is NOT the same as mocking or slandering the person of a religious figure. Yes, Muslims deny the divinity of Jesus as the "third" of the Trinity as per Christian Categism. But, Christians deny the prophethood of Muhammad (SAW) and Jews deny BOTH Jesus (AS) and Muhammad (SAW).
Such denial is born of religious convictions that are respected by Jews, Christians and Muslims alike. But, the moment any individual from these group starts SLANDERING the character of such pious men then it no longer is about disagreeing on sainthood of successive men of God. I hope you understand this basic difference.
I can respectfully disagree with Christian on Jesus (AS), and I respectfully accept their denial of Muhammad (SAW) as the final Messenger of God. If either of us starts a tirade against any of these religious person then that is a clear act of provocation that needs to be dealt with seriously and severely.
Unfortunately, the West has lost all sense of due respect to not just the Messengers of God, but even God Himself! In the name of "freedom of speech" and "abstract art" they go around degrading and vilifying religious men who are leaders of nations of billions of followers individually!
What if someone's an atheist and believes in the existence of NEITHER of your pious men, eh, Al-Republican?
Best cast them into Media City Lake*!
* - Just Trolling.
Then I will just kill you. You leave me with no options. A no-brainer, you idiot.
So alrepublican you finally proved that you are an extremist. This earth doesn't need people like. you are a poo on this planet. go f**k yourself you dumb fuck.
Kill me, you will? (Talk like Yoda, I can) For the crime of not believing in your version of the Invisible Pink Unicorn?
There are always options beside murder, you extremist twat*.
* - Still Trolling
ZOGGY, you have just proved (sic) that your (sic) just a loser...
It's hard to argue with logic like that.
Someone give Al here a strap-on and send him on his way ..
Eid Mubarak to everyone else!!
I guess these "little" comments to that harmless poem shows us where the allmighty globalisation might go wrong.
Nobody can deny that Dubai wants to be a global player and hence should make some adjustments in some fields (labour laws, equal rights...) - which it endavours to do. However, in this increasingly globalised world, places like Dubai have to stick to their values and traditions, in order not to sink in a globalised blackhole, leaving the country "pure", sanitized, tasteless and a breeding ground for violent reaction from people that will feel left behind.
Al Republican seems to be a frustrated man and I can see why (have a McArabia, u will feel better). Although, I am completely against the coalition's invasion of Iraq ( i hope that every killed american soldier's soul will come and haunt George junior's nights) - I want to remind Mr Al that the actual civil war opposes the shiites to the sunnis in Iraq...tell me why your muslim brothers don't unite themselves and fight the intruder ???
What kind of republican are you, Al?
Disclaimer : I am an atheist of mixed (half arab, half western) background.
it is the mismatched rhyme at the most important point of the poem: the end, that I find thoroughly offensive
Oh lol! Just wait until I feel brave enough to publish some of the even more appalling Dubai doggerel I've got waiting in the wings ;)
Reference to this comment by "me":
Al-Republican said...
Then I will just kill you. You leave me with no options. A no-brainer, you idiot.
23 October, 2006 09:27
This is not the first time Al-Pashtuno has tried to post things by hacking into my account. He has done this previously in another post on this same thread. In fact, he has been hacking/spoofing into accounts of some of the commentors on my blog (such as "creation").
It is very expected from a cheap skate like himself to resort to such dirty tactics :) He lacks stability and the mental capacity to argue intellectually so he is left with such cheap monkey tricks much to the amusement of ... err.. himself. And then some of you cannot see the OBVIOUS mischief of his and believe that the above and the "i like camels" post was mine.
Furthermore, I ask SD as the moderator of her blogs why she is quiet about such practices by this retarded person? You were so quick to ban Balushi, but here is this individual who has been continually abusive and acting like a complete idiot and has been posting comments by hacking accounts. Why not step in here? I guess I ask for too much.
Al-Pashtuno as long as you are able to convince people by posting fake comments from my account, I guess your purpose is being served. But, your childish antics are serving my purpose too. You are proving yourself as a delinquent imbecile who has to resort to such cheap tricks to just make yourself happy.
Cheers!
hacking/spoofing into accounts of some of the commentors on my blog
Actually this was done to my account somewhere else. It seems worrying easy to do on Blogspot - someone comments as "Other", and enters your screen name and blog address as their web page. I recently added a profile pic because apparently this is the only way to prove you are a signed in user. I would suggest everyone else tries the same. It needn't be an actual photo, of course, just something to prove you're signed in.
Marwan-
As a person who seems to be visiting my blogs, I find it weird that you aren't able to decipher Al-Pashtuno's mischeivous post that he is attributing to me. In any case, I thought you all would know by now what kind of language and style I use in my writing.
To Anon @ 24 October, 2006 00:13
Yes, you are quite right about shi'ah-sunni fights in Iraq. However, if you are going to blame this war on the fact that we can't unite to drive out the invaders then you are being ludicrously simplistic in your analyses.
Firstly, remember how people were warning of a "Pandora's box" scenario if America invaded Iraq? What do you think that meant, Sir? Toppling an established government (no matter how evil Saddam was) creates a political vaccuum. Now we have 3 distinct groups trying to fight it out for control of the lion's share. Who instigated this political imbalance?
Similarly, had Israel not backed out of Lebanon, there would have been a similar problem there. The Sinioura Government had collapsed, and the stage was set for opposing ideologies to take over this vaccum. One of the reasons why Israel pulled out of Lebanon was because of American insistence. Had there been a political void as is in Iraq right now, Lebanon would have opened up to the influx of foreign mujahideen (as has happened in Iraq) and the threat of "Fudamentalist, militant Islam" would have come ever so nearer to the bastard state of Israel!
Do you forget how Ayman Al-Zwahiri announced the Sunnis joining in the fight against the Jewish army? Jemaah Islamiyyah (lebanon chapter) had started fighting under hizbullah's command. The Al-Fajr rockets are NOT Irani rockets owned by Hizbullah. They are JI-owned equipment. Had this conflict gone a few months more you would have seen the much feared "Al-Quaida" sending in their own people! Nightmare scenario for Israel and the West!
So things are not as simple as you think them to be. If tomorrow someone knocks over the government in America or UK, the result will be the EXACT same - a political vaccuum created and then a fight within separate entities to get a hold over who fills this void.
Cheers!
SD-
Thanks for that tip! I will go ahead and do that soon.
Till I dont, Al-Pashtuno can have his retarded fun on my account :P
Thanks!
oink oink (?)-
You quoted me right minus the "pig". I didn't use that word for Harsha. That title, I believe, rightly belongs to you.
As for denigrating other religions, I sincerely don't believe in that. I do admit that my comment to Harsha was a bit harsh. I think an apology is in place, so I duly apologize.
But, I hope you can ask Harsha and a few others who attack Islam ad hominem to put a sock in it. When they start this filthy game then they should be willing to take such shots back at themselves. It is absurd to ask just one party to observe decency while arming the other to the teeth to go out with all guns blazing.
Cheers!
this DHS guy is brilliant!:D
Blinkin' 'eck! My head hurts after reading all of that!
All religion is 'essentially' the same: in that they set out a set of rules/ guidlines for a person to live their life.
How/ What/ Who/ God(s) is the root of the respective religion and the basis of learning for each of them.
I have generalised this point on purpose and do not intend on offending anyone with that comment. If you are offended by that, then I appologise.
Each religious group should be able to agree to disagree and respect each others beliefs and faiths. Because there is this apparent inability to live in harmony with one another - and each religion thinking they are right and the others are wrong(we're all guilty of that) - we have conflict... constant conflict, and I'm sick of it.
I want to be able to get up in the morning and feel safe. I want to feel freedom to be able to go where I want without having to watch my back. I want to be able to think what I want and live a true and honest life that is morally right to me - my faith or beliefs are irrelivent to all of you, but a respect of them is totally relevent, as you all deserve my respect too.
This bickering is likened to that which is the root of wars and conflict between fellow countrymen/ women, nations and religions for centuries.
My wish is that people from all faiths and religions can life a life of acceptance. Accept that there are people are different - different in colour, race, religious beliefs, moral understanding - and try not to offend and cause conflict, and if offended, yes - express that (because most unintentional offense is as a result of ignorance) and the offending party express regret and an appology.
To get agitated and to react agressively is counter productive and causes further division where there should not be any.
We are human - this is what unites us, yet we allow us to have our humanity divided by religious teachings/ beliefs and an inability to live a life of acceptance and respect for others. Our governments are as guilty of this as anyone - prticuarly in 'the West'.
I prey this will change. I prey that we can change.
Peace and Love to you all.
NB: I'm not going to check back for comments regarding this, as I don't want to get drawn into the 'debate'.
I shall repeat a comment I made earlier. I appologise if I have caused offense to anyone. Please believe me when I say it was not intentional and accept my appologies.
Anonymous said...
Babe-UAE- you are obviously not a first grade local with the right coloured passport.
22 October, 2006 19:56
YOU ARE NOT EVEN NEAR THE MARK, IF YOU READ MY COMMENTS YOU WOULD NOTICE THAT I AM BRITISH MARRIED TO A LOCAL, HENCE THE REASON AND I HAVE THE RIGHT PASSPORT THANKS IN FACT I HAVE 2 ?? SO WHAT HAS THAT GOT TO DO WITH ME WORKING MY ASS OFF ??????
Post a Comment
<< Home