Ramadan 2012 with SMCCU

Panoramic View of the SMCCU Business Councils Join Iftar 2012

Annually, the SMCCU celebrates the month of Ramadan by holding evening Iftars at its Bastikiya house where guest are treated to local Emirati dishes and are introduced to the culture, traditions and religious aspects of fasting.  The evening event starts just before sunset, and guests are welcomed to join in breaking of the fast with our local hosts. Dates, arabic coffee and plenty of water are served followed by the evening prayers.  Guests are then served  a traditional meal still cooked in the home of the founder of the programme,”Open Doors. Open Minds.” Mr. Abdullah bin Eisa Al Serkal. The evening includes a stroll through the Bastakiya and a visit to the Diwan Mosque, one of the few masjids open to the public through the SMCCU.  Jones, Lang Lasalle kicked of the start of these events with a private iftar, followed by a collaboration of 7 business councils who packed the Heritage House in Bastakiya patroned by Ahmed Al Serkal.  The American Business Council and Motorola also provided a private events each for their members  and the SMCCU also held several public iftar events during the week.

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6 Year Old Student Reminds us Why Dubai is so Unique

This week the SMCCU had the pleasure of hosting a group of 11 and 6 year old students visiting from a private school in China. The school included the SMCCU as one of its stops to introduce the children to cultures and people from all over the world. During the cultural lunch children were encouraged to ask questions on anything they liked.  A young child, no more than 6 asked, “…..we are from China and we all look the same, why do all of you (pointing to our newest summer intern from Zayed University, and a couple of new volunteers from Sharjah University) have many different colored skins but you are all Emirati?”  After an initial laugh, we talked about the tribes who migrated to this region 100’s of years ago, and how through trade people from different lands settled in this region and became a part of the fabric of the society.  As a volunteer at the centre myself since 2009, this question not only amazed me as it came from a 6 year old, but also sparked a moment of reflection for what this country has established and its ideals, that date back far before Dubai was on the map. Dubai is a bouquet of nationalities, and this concept of hospitality, welcoming and unity through common values, religion, and yes traditions is a symbol of what a civilisation can accomplish through tolerance and openness.

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