SMCCU in Travel Weekly by Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding

Travel Weekly, National 05 Oct 2012, by Richie Kenzie Supplements, page 10 - 3,307.00 cmÂ˛ Australian Magazines Trade - circulation 5,168 (----F--) Media Monitors Client Service Centre 1300 880 082 Copyright Agency Ltd (CAL) licenced copy

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DUBAI

a piii

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DUBAI

Some may pigeonhole Dubai as a glitzy city of skyscrapers, riding its luck on oil-based prosperity, but the reality is different. The emirate is every bit as much defined by its cultural heritage as it is by the feats of construction that have shaped it. In fact, as Richie Kenzie discovered, it's a firm, but tolerant Islamic foundation that really characterises Dubai ...^ es not diesimilar to the scene before the

commencement tif al.., 0111V a glowing orange hemisphere a the SLIII biLS ablWe 010

,himineiMg horizon anti eyes have already

begun to dart areand the coon, Plan. prid, up and then. suddenly anti sharply own- the in.hoitse

[4i1

speakers, ih-c rmagOrnh (sunset) prayer begins to wail

Mots% Elegerl

tiriskl) anti - %Oh ennstritrahle decorum, 'ir. MUtt be said - head lea the vasi army nil' finni stall, This is if kr, the ceremonial evening meal

out_ OnCe Vinipleted. The ravenou, community .1 Mitullinoi who haec gatheierl here ill AXACeer rim,'

and ockoriul facades are

when Mitslims break their darlong fast durIng she holy month of Ramadan. And since I MirreplinUth di ttrcl rl Oli rig the clay, Ire .nty too

c,-cHihduni

Above: puha; o tilernat issci

welostning city

happy to let thaw who ha'rst famed go ii[11. They soon rentro en, their tables wearing expressions of graduid0, and rarrOng plates which support srnalL mountains ..,r rr. Id. I can Karcely hlarne therm /Cs now 7Fi111 ii1 iii thew mole people

%Lae had iinihing pass their Lip, since dann bisike.

"Ifs rustoinar, io clid the fast midi it riate," i

*1*:4

-1

my host Maraika Leas the. Observing others doing the same. E eat one of LIic sticky, overripe offerings- Maraika, the Pk manager rat Adanus, The Paha - home of i he tentcii Asatcer dining quarters where v, are awaiting cell FOCA I pr,C,C,I, ti7 tell ice 3 hill, 171.01e about the land a, Wt. Wait. Afle7 thc crowd ihins, we approach a sedes of tables and , inches, Mierr heaniing stall members await, We air ier.-ci 0 ,Lhoi-a or

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DUBAI

. beef and Lamb. chicken With

.4:191,1 carnal el,

1..., light salads and kiike c mc51J.e tie of Fried onion and rut nrenieml., A

cloFint; glass of poincgrana Le ItIk ci. proffered to help wash down the food. Hack a, the .1,1,1 ILK* in. and find mr3chf Ltimciiiirg chat I 1.1E11 fasted tun: the &aid is

delectable Ina the quaniier proves nversdelming.

Feeling ',the, ghrt4-3.nsi anal stilt dealing mill a ease nl jer lag, I ant eocorted drowsily thuiuglt tho sealing ni.gla air hack to n7 roorn, where I promps7 fall into a light coma.

It Ls after I lake niysellotu oF the Iwtel for a fess hours the nem day chat begin 10 better appreiciale the privations that Muslims stlhirct then1SCI,C5 to in the name of de-rot

Ira about I pm and mt!atriti.;li It siguAli .13 iiiat it ...saints tilling. Cluvide. the temperature it 42 deg-rcLe and the humidity is suffocating.

if knowledge and

V,31.4C Of }Hinge, I retreat to no hotel where sricral rrstaitrailLs are _serving lunch I dine cloistered

understanding are considered a of cultural

he-hind a seriet

:.lourishment, then

liulusiriolts locals working all around. me. Their

A3nbai offers an

Later that night 1 fend niwicat the Sheikh !,101.11Ined Centre tor Cubural Underlancling lS.MICCU) in the tilt] neighhciurhixxl. of Bur flu boa. Here_ within ;I traditional winci tower stnxture 1 alang wirh another ri.0 Wemcns eripati ani given

I admirable level I of sustenance for foreigners

htlartilrigr.. the kind 5s.ni might encounter in a building site. erected as a mark of respect for th413e tasting. 1 reflect on the fact that this is my second.

substantial meal in AiN h.., Returning outside with renewed ,114,./..

ILL notice !IL,

hmiger 111Lisi he crippling.

it crash comse in 115e basics ulIdarn. Partaking

in another sumptuous Ill, I can only begin to fathom litre well received le must he by the bsters.

a most social time /leaf provirirs an

Small iributaries of sweat running di., iny body

npportimiTy For M111.1iP., me illtet end shore [heir

sap rne Of energy at Li rapid puci, Freliiim

daily experiences over a inea]," were aild by the SkICCI: general manager Nasit

crcirckmingsense of guilt and. an even stronger

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DUBAI

Lek: The

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museum is

hciated within *he 18141 cenwry

Ai keel&

Fert

Riqhe Kmar

Right: Spices

tr,dad ri Dubai 155 .nh.irits

Below: Sae. ktpiv. ,'Ror

righT: rhe skirl;

inner eity Dt.rboi 1,11,t Kenze

One of the cultural centre's stated aims is to encourage expats to gain a better understanding of Islam and the local way of life. Looking around, I see native Emiratis and the visiting guests in respectful conversation. In these tumultuous times with religious zealots and hot-headed protesters dominating the news, this oasis of calm is quietly and admirably discharging its social duty. Another illuminating experience follows early the next morning at the city's glorious jumeirah Mosque. Built between 1976 and 1979. it was a gift to the city of Dubai courtesy of the late Sheikh Rashid Bin Saced Al Maktoum. As far as gifts go, this is benevolence indeed. Our tour here ties in with the previous night's visit to the cultural centre and a program called Open Doors, Open Minds. In Dubai, Islam is not just the major religion, it informs the whole way of life. And yet a mere 17% of Dubai's population are native Emiratis, while du majority are a working class of Asian extraction. As well as the proliferation of Indian, Pakistani

and Bangladeshi expats, there is a small, affluent cross section of Westerners here too. It stands to reason then that in this cultural melting pot the dominant religion would look to demystify its customs to the overwhelmingly foreign populace In this spirit, we are led by a Miss Latifa, who is

attired in the flowing jet black burr customarily worn by Emirati women. But it's when she speaks that I am taken by surprise. Instead of the nuanced English of a native Arabic speaker, her words carry the accent of a housewife straight out of EastEndm. "Now the fird pillar of Islam is wot's known as zakat, the giving of ahhhms," she explains. For an hour she addresses our group of fifty in cockney as we sit cross-legged before her on the ornate carpets, like a kindergarten class. Through social programs like Open Doors, Open Minds. Dubai reveals itself as an exemplar of religious tolerance. In fact, the widespread acceptance of foreigners and their customs strikes you as a defining trait of the emirate. While visitors may feel a certain degree of respect for

Islam is expected from them, the same tolerance is reciprocated towards foreign ways of life. Dubai is also notable as a remarkably orderly place. Not in the sense that the rights of the populace are curtailed, as in a dictatorship, but perhaps as a condition of the prevailing religion and a certain inherent civic pride. Crime is non-existent, the roads are as smooth as glass, cleanliness within the city is a paramottnt concern and public infrastructure positively gleams in the desert sun. Even the less salubrious parts of town have a down-at-heel charm about them. But it's the emirate's Islamic foundations that reach you on that most essential level. And if knowledge and understanding are considered a form of cultural nourishment, then Dubai offers an admirable level of sustenance for foreigners. Travellers to the emirate would be wise to acquaint themselves with some of the cultural experiences on offer. As anyone who has enjoyed a much anticipated yiarmeal will tell you, the world feels like a better place with a full stomach.