My very own unusual perspective as an American expat living and working in The Sand Box.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
13 comments:
Anonymous
said...
As I understand it, they eat a huge meal and go to malls, coffee shops and movie theaters into the wee hours of the night, every night. Party time!
Actually, after Isha prayer there is the Taraweeh prayers that typically last till 12 or 1 am. So no, most mosques are so full for this prayer that I sometimes have to pray in the parking lot of the mosque.
2. there is the tahagug prayer, where you pray 1/2 an hour before your fast, that is at 4 am.
So must muslims are too tired to "party"
As for your whole expats make up 80%... Yes, FOREIGNERS do make up 80% of the UAE. BUT 70% of that 80% ARE MUSLIM.
All the Jordanians, Syrians, Egyptians, 1/2 the Lebanese, 1/2 the Indians, Pakistanis...
The non-muslims in the UAE make up LESS THAN 25% of the population.
YOu already DID disrespect me by labeling me an archaic term as "Local."
You said it though, he was an IMMIGRANT. The US has naturalization. We do not. You can live here forever, but cant be from here. and that is the difference.
the US HAS AMERICAN MUSLIMS. We do not have non muslim Emaratis. 100% of the UAE CITIZENS are Muslim. and a country's laws must work for its CITIZENS not the hired help.
You called the US YOUR country. It's that guys country too. YOU allowed that. YOU allow 10 million MUSLIMS to be AMERICAN
by 2050 FIFTY MILLION AMERICAN CITIZENS will be Muslim.
We have no non-muslim Emaraties as I said. If you dont like our laws made by us for us, not you, then leave. The reason why you cant get away with saying anything to us is we are citizens of this country. you are not. you arent a 2nd class citizen, no, even lower, you arent even a citizen. you are a foreigner.
if you dont want to leave, as a non-muslim, YOU CAN BE KILLED and the murderer would ONLY spend ONE MONTH in jail and would pay 30K USD to your family.
YOUR life in a Muslim country is worth only 30K. live with it.
al-emarati.com
We have a post about Ramadan on there for your information.
Oh, also, Christianity and Islam are MORE different than the same.
One believes that God is ONE. not born, and no child.
One believes that God was so weak that he needed a kid.
Now Islam and Judaism, yes, VERY VERY similar.
Oh, and the cabbie calling your money filthy... A muslim is not supposed to deal with Alcohol. IN ANY WAY>
Including handling, transporting, stocking, even touching a bottle.
You can now maybe understand why the bulk of UAE citizens want ALL bars closed here. We would actually prefer a country a bit closer (but not all the way) to what the KSA is.
So why is Alcohol available here? Greed. Most bars/hotels are owned by Shaikhs or people of power. and once you make a certain amount of money, thats all you see. You forget your background, beliefs... money is your new God.
if you dont want to leave, as a non-muslim, YOU CAN BE KILLED and the murderer would ONLY spend ONE MONTH in jail and would pay 30K USD to your family.
YOUR life in a Muslim country is worth only 30K. live with it.
It seems you do yourself and your beliefs an injustice by such hateful statements to wish another person dead. It only reinforces the FALSE impression that the world has that Muslims are intolerant thugs. As Salamu Alaykum, I wish YOU no harm.
a country that doesnt know what it was supposed to be anymore, or where it's going.
Lately, I agree with this statement!
Oh, and the cabbie calling your money filthy... A muslim is not supposed to deal with Alcohol. IN ANY WAY> Including handling, transporting, stocking, even touching a bottle.
He DID take me to my hotel with the bottles for my filthy money. Blame him, not me!
So why is Alcohol available here? Greed. Most bars/hotels are owned by Shaikhs or people of power. and once you make a certain amount of money, thats all you see. You forget your background, beliefs... money is your new God.
Blessing...I sincerely hope that the people who read Ace's blog know that you are the exception to the rule, and that no all muslims, Emiratis, Arabs, etc. are as shallow, narrow-minded and ignorant as you are. You are a real disgrace...
All religions teach us to love one another and to treat each others like equals...And I truly believe that, at their base, all religions were tolerant and fair...It's people's interpretations that have made them what they are today...
I sincerely doubt that the Holy Koran really disagrees with driving someone who has alcohol with them to a hotel...That is pure bullshit, and this is the sort of crap that's giving Muslims and Arabs a bad rap in Western countries.
Like Ace said, why can't we all just get along...and if you can't be nice, then you can mind your own business and I can mind my own...but do not try to belittle or disrespect others, and do not try to impose your opinion on others.
DS, Thanks for the back-up. I did some clicking and found out that "A Blessing in Tragedy" is a wannabee with a penchant for fast cars and a secret love for the USA. She seemed to spend a lot of time there. She is not even Emirati, her mom is Welch and her dad is of unknown origin.
Her initial comments about my life being worth $30K USD at the hands of Muslim assassins had me going a little bit but I think she just might having a "bad day"!
Sir, please re-read my comment, I never said I WANT YOU dead or I WISH YOU harm. In fact if you were even in the right in any altercation I might see I would be on your side. BUT I stated the fact. Your life is worth 30K here. and a month is jail. Nothing more or less. Thats a fact. You show some arrogance thinking that I care enough about you, someone I dont know, to threaten you.
And I'm not a woman. If you checked carefully you would see that 1. That blog has about 3 or 4 contributers. and 2. Some of the posts in my name were emailed to me by others. We have on About Us page an email address for submissions.
That article you commented on was posted by Ms. Firefox... you can think of her as the blogs hippy. She's also British, so she's our western voice on there. ------------------------------ I sincerely doubt that the Holy Koran really disagrees with driving someone who has alcohol with them to a hotel...That is pure bullshit, and this is the sort of crap that's giving Muslims and Arabs a bad rap in Western countries. ------------------------------
This shows your ignorance of Islamic law. only about 1/4 of laws come from the Quran. The other 3/4s come from the Sunna in forms of Hadiths (The prophets words and actions) then from Ijma'a and Qiyas.
from wikipedia:
Most encyclopedias define sharia as law based upon the Qur'an, the Sunnah, and classical fiqh derived from consensus (ijma) and analogy (qiyas).
The Quran only gave that drinking alcohol is not permissible. THe hadith gave TEN instances or people connected with Alcohol that is haram:
Hadith - Al-Tirmidhi #2776, Narrated Anas ibn Malik
Allah's Messenger cursed ten people in connection with wine: the wine-presser, the one who has it pressed, the one who drinks it, the one who conveys it, the one to whom it is conveyed, the one who serves it, the one who sells it, the one who benefits from the price paid for it, the one who buys it, and the one for whom it is bought.
He who CONVEYED. Meaning he who moves it. even if it's in the hands of another person.
So before you call bullshit, READ AND RESEARCH what you are talking about.
I have NEVER added my own spin on ANYTHING. I state pure facts. That is a sahih turmuthi hadith. It is Shari'a law of sunna.
According to Sunan Ibn-I-Majah Volume 3, Book of Intoxicants, Chapter 30 Hadith No. 3380. It was reported by Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: "God’s curse falls on ten groups of people who deal with alcohol. The one who distills it, the one for whom it has been distilled, the one who drinks it, the one who transports it, the one to who it has been brought, the one whom serves it, the one who sells it, the one who utilizes money from it, the one who buys it and the one who buys it for someone else."
ABIT sure does get around...not sure what she does for a living - must be one of those government workers in the UAE with too much time on her hands, and a bit over tired and hungry from fasting this Holy Month.
Anyway - I may have read it wrong, you mentioned working hours as 8 am to 2 pm. Actually, labor law states a 2 hour reduction in hours. So if you work 9 am to 6 pm with a 1 hour unpaid lunch, you now would work 9 am to 3 pm (2 hr reduction per LL and 1 hour reduction as you are not taking lunch).
It is, of course, different for all jobs based on their original starting hours.
ABIT, perhaps you can share with us what the Koran says about the word Tolerance?
Actually Im a branch manager for NBAD. This you would know if you read my blog.
Working for a bank = less pay and more work than a govt job. So why do I do it? The Govt is THE MAN, and I still have a hint of my punk upbringing to not want to work for the MAN yet.
ABIT, perhaps you can share with us what the Koran says about the word Tolerance?
No, I couldnt, because as a pessimist and a very angry guy I like to focus on the opposite. You can ask a Muslim Hippy (They exist sadly) and they'll give you the opposite side of the coin.
Yes, tolerance IS called for, BUT one MAJOR pre requisite for me to be tolerant to a non-muslim in a muslim country is NOT being met in the UAE.
You get a prize if you know what it is!
"A Blessing in Tragedy" is a wannabee with a penchant for fast cars and a secret love for the USA.
Didnt I already tell you that Firefox is British?
I however am not, and what is it that I "wannabe?". and I am Emarati and owner of that blog (The others are contributers, one British, one Pakistani, and one... Im not sure what) and the 550 hp charger is MINE, not hers. lol. She wouldnt know how to drive that thing.
Ill give the US that, they can build a mean car (with a bad motor) that I had to replace with a better one (But still American)
So you get a thumbs up for your cars (Even though technically it's made in Canada)
I was born in the Southeastern U.S. and lived in a typical middle-class family. I found out at an early age that I craved excitement and doing things "outside the lines".
I was a party animal in High School and College and really enjoyed myself, I consider having fun a worthwhile life goal to this day.
I had a short career as a military officer right out of college because I didn't want to start sitting at a desk at such a young age.
What followed that was a series of boring technical jobs and marriage and settling down. Despite my urges for excitement and fun,I can be very responsible when I want to.
I was good with that for several years but the old urge for change became too strong so I got divorced early in 2008 (mutual agreement-no kids). Soon after that I received an offer to work in the Middle East(Abu Dhabi, UAE) I was there for almost 4 years and had many adventures which you can read about on my other blog Abu Dhabi Dispatches at http://expatuae.blogspot.com/
I am back in the US now and am living in Las Vegas. I always had a feeling I would end up here someday.
Posts
13 comments:
As I understand it, they eat a huge meal and go to malls, coffee shops and movie theaters into the wee hours of the night, every night. Party time!
Actually, after Isha prayer there is the Taraweeh prayers that typically last till 12 or 1 am. So no, most mosques are so full for this prayer that I sometimes have to pray in the parking lot of the mosque.
2. there is the tahagug prayer, where you pray 1/2 an hour before your fast, that is at 4 am.
So must muslims are too tired to "party"
As for your whole expats make up 80%... Yes, FOREIGNERS do make up 80% of the UAE. BUT 70% of that 80% ARE MUSLIM.
All the Jordanians, Syrians, Egyptians, 1/2 the Lebanese, 1/2 the Indians, Pakistanis...
The non-muslims in the UAE make up LESS THAN 25% of the population.
YOu already DID disrespect me by labeling me an archaic term as "Local."
You said it though, he was an IMMIGRANT. The US has naturalization. We do not. You can live here forever, but cant be from here. and that is the difference.
the US HAS AMERICAN MUSLIMS. We do not have non muslim Emaratis. 100% of the UAE CITIZENS are Muslim. and a country's laws must work for its CITIZENS not the hired help.
You called the US YOUR country. It's that guys country too. YOU allowed that. YOU allow 10 million MUSLIMS to be AMERICAN
by 2050 FIFTY MILLION AMERICAN CITIZENS will be Muslim.
We have no non-muslim Emaraties as I said. If you dont like our laws made by us for us, not you, then leave. The reason why you cant get away with saying anything to us is we are citizens of this country. you are not. you arent a 2nd class citizen, no, even lower, you arent even a citizen. you are a foreigner.
if you dont want to leave, as a non-muslim, YOU CAN BE KILLED and the murderer would ONLY spend ONE MONTH in jail and would pay 30K USD to your family.
YOUR life in a Muslim country is worth only 30K. live with it.
al-emarati.com
We have a post about Ramadan on there for your information.
NO Emarati wants to be in the US. other Arabs go because the US is better than their homelands.
The US has ZERO Emarati Immigrants. That tells you something huh?
I was educated (partially) in the US. It is a hell hole. a country that doesnt know what it was supposed to be anymore, or where it's going.
Syrians, Iranian,... yes, they go to the US, or Canada... because their countries are hell holes. the UAE, or Qatar, very different story.
Oh, also, Christianity and Islam are MORE different than the same.
One believes that God is ONE. not born, and no child.
One believes that God was so weak that he needed a kid.
Now Islam and Judaism, yes, VERY VERY similar.
Oh, and the cabbie calling your money filthy... A muslim is not supposed to deal with Alcohol. IN ANY WAY>
Including handling, transporting, stocking, even touching a bottle.
You can now maybe understand why the bulk of UAE citizens want ALL bars closed here. We would actually prefer a country a bit closer (but not all the way) to what the KSA is.
So why is Alcohol available here? Greed. Most bars/hotels are owned by Shaikhs or people of power. and once you make a certain amount of money, thats all you see. You forget your background, beliefs... money is your new God.
Sad but true.
if you dont want to leave, as a non-muslim, YOU CAN BE KILLED and the murderer would ONLY spend ONE MONTH in jail and would pay 30K USD to your family.
YOUR life in a Muslim country is worth only 30K. live with it.
It seems you do yourself and your beliefs an injustice by such hateful statements to wish another person dead. It only reinforces the FALSE impression that the world has that Muslims are intolerant thugs. As Salamu Alaykum, I wish YOU no harm.
a country that doesnt know what it was supposed to be anymore, or where it's going.
Lately, I agree with this statement!
Oh, and the cabbie calling your money filthy... A muslim is not supposed to deal with Alcohol. IN ANY WAY>
Including handling, transporting, stocking, even touching a bottle.
He DID take me to my hotel with the bottles for my filthy money. Blame him, not me!
So why is Alcohol available here? Greed. Most bars/hotels are owned by Shaikhs or people of power. and once you make a certain amount of money, thats all you see. You forget your background, beliefs... money is your new God.
Sad but true.
Hypocrisy is rife in any religion.
Can't we all just get along?
Blessing...I sincerely hope that the people who read Ace's blog know that you are the exception to the rule, and that no all muslims, Emiratis, Arabs, etc. are as shallow, narrow-minded and ignorant as you are. You are a real disgrace...
All religions teach us to love one another and to treat each others like equals...And I truly believe that, at their base, all religions were tolerant and fair...It's people's interpretations that have made them what they are today...
I sincerely doubt that the Holy Koran really disagrees with driving someone who has alcohol with them to a hotel...That is pure bullshit, and this is the sort of crap that's giving Muslims and Arabs a bad rap in Western countries.
Like Ace said, why can't we all just get along...and if you can't be nice, then you can mind your own business and I can mind my own...but do not try to belittle or disrespect others, and do not try to impose your opinion on others.
DS,
Thanks for the back-up. I did some clicking and found out that "A Blessing in Tragedy" is a wannabee with a penchant for fast cars and a secret love for the USA. She seemed to spend a lot of time there. She is not even Emirati, her mom is Welch and her dad is of unknown origin.
Her initial comments about my life being worth $30K USD at the hands of Muslim assassins had me going a little bit but I think she just might having a "bad day"!
BTW, Love your blog!!!
Sir, please re-read my comment, I never said I WANT YOU dead or I WISH YOU harm. In fact if you were even in the right in any altercation I might see I would be on your side. BUT I stated the fact. Your life is worth 30K here. and a month is jail. Nothing more or less. Thats a fact. You show some arrogance thinking that I care enough about you, someone I dont know, to threaten you.
And I'm not a woman. If you checked carefully you would see that 1. That blog has about 3 or 4 contributers. and 2. Some of the posts in my name were emailed to me by others. We have on About Us page an email address for submissions.
That article you commented on was posted by Ms. Firefox... you can think of her as the blogs hippy. She's also British, so she's our western voice on there.
------------------------------
I sincerely doubt that the Holy Koran really disagrees with driving someone who has alcohol with them to a hotel...That is pure bullshit, and this is the sort of crap that's giving Muslims and Arabs a bad rap in Western countries.
------------------------------
This shows your ignorance of Islamic law. only about 1/4 of laws come from the Quran. The other 3/4s come from the Sunna in forms of Hadiths (The prophets words and actions) then from Ijma'a and Qiyas.
from wikipedia:
Most encyclopedias define sharia as law based upon the Qur'an, the Sunnah, and classical fiqh derived from consensus (ijma) and analogy (qiyas).
The Quran only gave that drinking alcohol is not permissible. THe hadith gave TEN instances or people connected with Alcohol that is haram:
Hadith - Al-Tirmidhi #2776, Narrated Anas ibn Malik
Allah's Messenger cursed ten people in connection with wine: the wine-presser, the one who has it pressed, the one who drinks it, the one who conveys it, the one to whom it is conveyed, the one who serves it, the one who sells it, the one who benefits from the price paid for it, the one who buys it, and the one for whom it is bought.
He who CONVEYED. Meaning he who moves it. even if it's in the hands of another person.
So before you call bullshit, READ AND RESEARCH what you are talking about.
I have NEVER added my own spin on ANYTHING. I state pure facts. That is a sahih turmuthi hadith. It is Shari'a law of sunna.
I'd like an apology.
Another translation:
According to Sunan Ibn-I-Majah Volume 3, Book of Intoxicants, Chapter 30 Hadith No. 3380.
It was reported by Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: "God’s curse falls on ten groups of people who deal with alcohol. The one who distills it, the one for whom it has been distilled, the one who drinks it, the one who transports it, the one to who it has been brought, the one whom serves it, the one who sells it, the one who utilizes money from it, the one who buys it and the one who buys it for someone else."
ABIT sure does get around...not sure what she does for a living - must be one of those government workers in the UAE with too much time on her hands, and a bit over tired and hungry from fasting this Holy Month.
Anyway - I may have read it wrong, you mentioned working hours as 8 am to 2 pm. Actually, labor law states a 2 hour reduction in hours. So if you work 9 am to 6 pm with a 1 hour unpaid lunch, you now would work 9 am to 3 pm (2 hr reduction per LL and 1 hour reduction as you are not taking lunch).
It is, of course, different for all jobs based on their original starting hours.
ABIT, perhaps you can share with us what the Koran says about the word Tolerance?
Actually Im a branch manager for NBAD. This you would know if you read my blog.
Working for a bank = less pay and more work than a govt job. So why do I do it? The Govt is THE MAN, and I still have a hint of my punk upbringing to not want to work for the MAN yet.
ABIT, perhaps you can share with us what the Koran says about the word Tolerance?
No, I couldnt, because as a pessimist and a very angry guy I like to focus on the opposite. You can ask a Muslim Hippy (They exist sadly) and they'll give you the opposite side of the coin.
Yes, tolerance IS called for, BUT one MAJOR pre requisite for me to be tolerant to a non-muslim in a muslim country is NOT being met in the UAE.
You get a prize if you know what it is!
"A Blessing in Tragedy" is a wannabee with a penchant for fast cars and a secret love for the USA.
Didnt I already tell you that Firefox is British?
I however am not, and what is it that I "wannabe?". and I am Emarati and owner of that blog (The others are contributers, one British, one Pakistani, and one... Im not sure what) and the 550 hp charger is MINE, not hers. lol. She wouldnt know how to drive that thing.
Ill give the US that, they can build a mean car (with a bad motor) that I had to replace with a better one (But still American)
So you get a thumbs up for your cars (Even though technically it's made in Canada)
Sir, I'm wondering why you took the post down. This is your blog and you have every right to your opinion.
Since you allow comments I challenged parts of that opinion. No harm in that.
I dont think however that you should have removed the post.
See my next posting, I removed the blog as it provoked some emotions that I didn't want to stir up in this sensitive time of the Lunar Year.
My comments were meant more for the Western expats than the Muslim citizens here.
ABIT, I really do appreciate your comments as they expose me to the sensitivities of the citizens of my host country.
As I said, us expats get jaded due to the lifestyle here and we forget where we live sometimes!
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