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999Society and Security Monthly

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Contacts

Ministry of Interior United Arab Emirates

Consultative Board

Maj.Gen. Khalil Badran

Lt.Col. Thani Al-Shamsi

Editor-in-Chief

Major Awad Al-Kindi

Editor

Issam Al Sheikh

Associate Editors

Bassel Souraya

Omar Hamza

Art Directors

Souliman Hajer

Hisham Abdul Hameed

CONTENTSIssue (475) July 2010

Who takes the blame?..................................................Cultural mosaic..............................................................Quad biking.. a fatal pastime?.......................................Beyond spinsterhood.....................................................Battered women need a voice......................................Escape To Apocalypse...................................................Caught in the act!..........................................................

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President His Highness SheikhKhalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan , in thepresence of the Vice President andPrime Minister and Ruler of Dubai,HH Sheikh Mohammed bin RashidAl Maktoum, met at Al Rodah Palacein Al Ain with the British PrimeMinister David Cameron, who was ina short visit to the UAE.

Sheikh Khalifa welcomed theBritish Prime Minister and hisentourage, praising the historic rela-tions between the UAE and the UKin all fields The meeting discussedways to boost the ties of co-operation

and friendship between the twocountries in different fields, awhilethe two leaders also exchanged viewson the latest developments in theregional and international arenas TheUAE President emphasised the keen-ness of the UAE to support the peaceprocess in the Middle East in accor-dance with the relevant internationalresolutions.

For his part, Cameron said he waspleased to be making his first visit tothe UAE, since becoming BritishPrime Minister, and at meetingSheikh Khalifa.

Cameron hailed the developmentand growth being experienced by theUAE in all areas, making mention ofthe wise and balanced policies of theUAE leadership that had enabled thecountry to occupy a distinguishedposition at the regional and interna-tional level.

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Issue (475) July 2010

News

Khalifa receives British Prime Minister

Names Saeed bin Zayed asAbu Dhabi Ruler’s Representative

President H.H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has issued, inhis capacity as Ruler of Abu Dhabi, an emiri decree appointing H.H.Sheikh Saeed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as Representative of the Rulerof Abu Dhabi.

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Vice President and Prime Ministerof the UAE and Ruler of Dubai H.H.Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid AlMaktoum met Queen Elizabeth II ofBritain on the sideline of the EnglishDerby at Epsom Racecourse.

Present were H. H. Sheikh Ham-dan Bin Mohammed bin Rashid AlMaktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai,HRH Prince Haya bint Al Hussein,wife of Sheikh Mohammed and H.H.Sheikh Majed bin Mohammed binRashid Al Maktoum, Chairman ofDubai Culture and Arts Authority.

Queen Elizabeth praised the AlMaktoum for their engagement in thedevelopment of the British horse rac-ing sports through their strong partic-ipation in these meetings especiallythe English Derby.

Mohammed bin Rashid meets Queen Elizabeth

Vice President and Prime Minister ofUAE and Ruler of Dubai His HighnessSheikh Mohammed bin Rashid AlMaktoum has praised UAE standinginternationally in the global Competi-tiveness Report.

UAE’s performance in the nineparameters remained out standing and it

ranked high on the world map in vari-ous fields.

Lt.General H.H. Sheikh Saif binZayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Min-ister, Minister of Interior, H.H. SheikhMansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, DeputyPrime Minister, Minister of PresidentialAffairs, and Mohammed bin Abdullah

Al Gargawi, Minister of CabinetAffairs, Chairman of Emirates Compet-itiveness Council were also present.

Sheikh Mohammed praised theprogress made by the UAE internation-ally, providing an incentive for moreefforts and hard work to achieve greateraccomplishments in the coming years.

Reviews UAE performance on GlobalCompetitiveness Report

Mohammed bin Zayed receives President of Chechnya

General/ H.H. Sheikh Mohammedbin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu DhabiCrown Prince and Deputy SupremeCommander of the UAE ArmedForces has commended President HisHighness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed AlNahyan the Higher Commander ofUAE Armed forces’ keenness to mod-ernise the country’s Armed forces andits training and educational institutionsto be at par with the world’s leadingmilitary academies and to provide theUAE Armed forces with the highlyqualified personnel as well as enrich-ing the march for development.

Sheikh Mohammed hailed the vitalrole being played by the Armed Forcesin protecting the achievements of thecountry. He also cited the great atten-tion given to developing humanresources in the field of training andcapabilities development as well as

raising the scientific and operationalefficiency.

This came during a ceremony heldto celebrate graduation of the 19thbatch of officers from the College ofCommand and Staff here.

The event was attended by H.H.Sheikh Tahnoun bin Mohammed AlNahyan, Abu Dhabi Ruler’s Represen-

tative in the Eastern Region, Lt. Gen-eral H.H. Sheikh Saif bin Zayed AlNahyan, Deputy Prime Minister andMinister of Interior, Sheikh Nahyanbin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister ofHigher Education and ScientificResearch, Sheikhs, senior officers andmembers of the diplomatic Corpsaccredited in the UAE.

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General H.H. Sheikh Mohammedbin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince ofAbu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Com-mander of the UAE Armed Forcesreceived President Ramzan Kadyrovof Chechnya who was visiting thecountry.

Sheikh Mohammed welcomedKadyrov and discussed with him waysto strengthen bilateral ties between thetwo friendly countries. They alsoreviewed topics of mutual interest, aswell as latest regional developments.

Kadyrov said he was impressed withthe progress achieved by the UAE inall fields and expressed his country’sdesire to further strengthen coopera-tion with the UAE.

The meeting was attended byMohammed Mubarak Al Mazrouei,Under Secretary of the Abu DhabiCrown Prince’s Court, and Omer SaifGhobash, UAE Ambassador to Russia.

Witnesses graduation of 19th batch of Collegeof command and staff

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Discuss with Prince Nayef stronger UAE-Saudi relations

H. H Lt. General Sheikh Saif binZayed Al Nahyan, Deputy PrimeMinister, Minister of Interior andHRH Prince Nayef Bin Abdul Aziz,Second Deputy Prime Minister andMinister of Interior of Saudi Arabiadiscussed ways to further relationsbetween the two countries in all areas.

The discussions at the Conferences

Palace in Jeddah were a continuationof high level meetings between thetwo countries to promote relationsamong member states of the GulfCooperation Council (GCC).

Present at the meeting were Minis-ter of Economy Sultan bin Saeed Al-Mansouri, Minister of Labour SaqrGhobash, , Minister of State for For-

eign Affairs Dr Anwar MohammedGergash, Deputy Minister of Presi-dential Affairs Ahmed Juma AlZa’abi, Secretary General of theOffice of H.H the Deputy Prime Min-ister and Minister of Interior MajorGeneral Nasser Al-Khraibani Al-Nuaimi and UAE Ambassador toSaudi Arabia Al-Asri Al-Dhaheri.

Saif bin ZayedReceives theUS Secretary of HomelandSecurity

H.H. Lt.General Sheikh Saifbin Zayed Al Nahyan, DeputyPrime Minister and Minister ofInterior, received in FairmontBab Al Bahr Hotel in Abu Dhabi,Janet Napolitano, the UnitedStates Secretary of HomelandSecurity.

They discussed several impor-tant issues that have mutualinterests to both countries.

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The Higher Committee for ChildProtection at the Ministry of Interiorhas formed five sub-committees toconduct a study on new security check-up measures on foreigners arriving inthe country to ensure that those enter-ing the UAE do not have a childmolestation record.

The study will look into developingmethods of monitoring the use of IDcards by parents and documenting therecords of the Internet in universities,schools and cyber cafés.

The Higher Committee for ChildProtection which is presided over byMajor General Nasser LekhraibaniAl Nuaimi, General Secretary of theOffice of the Deputy Prime Ministerand Minister of Interior, formed fivespecialised committees to carry outthe plan.

Major General Al Nuaimi lauded thesupport of Lieutenant General ShaikhSaif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, DeputyPrime Minister and Minister of Interi-or, for setting up the The Higher Com-

mittee for Child Protection over adetailed and specific strategy that willachieve its objectives of protectingchildren against abuse and assault,especially through the Internet.

Necessary pre-cautions need to betaken by nationalsand expatriatesbefore leaving thecountry on vaca-tion to avoidmishaps occurringas a result of thefailure to abide by safety rules, a sen-ior official has said.BrigadierMohammed Saleh Baddah, ActingDirector of Media and Public Rela-tions at the Ministry of Interior,stressed that certain precautionsshould be taken to avoid dangers,including the disconnection of allelectrical appliances, switching of air-conditioning, locking the cooking gascylinder and locking all doors andwindows to avoid burglaries. Homesshould not have inflammable materi-als in them.“It is advisable that a trust-ed person should be assigned to visitthe place every now and then toensure safety”, said Brig.Baddah.People travelling by roadshould also take all precautions neces-sary for road safety. He said the carshould have a fire extinguisher and afirst aid kit, and travellers shouldavoid overloading the vehicle.

M in i s t r y h i gh l i gh t spre - t rave l p recaut ions

New entry screening measures aim at child protection

Major General Humaid Mohammed Al Hadidi, Director General of SharjahPolice, attended the graduation ceremony of two specialised courses on mod-ern methods of employee performance assessment.

The courses were organised by the Federal Police School in Sharjah, in coop-eration with the Officers Training Institute of the Ministry of Interior. Officersfrom various police departments in the country took part in the courses.

“The tasks handled by Federal Police School in Sharjah are very importantand worth all praise. Through these training courses, we aim to strengthenhuman values and inculcate the principles of total quality in the minds of policestaff”, said Maj. Gen. Al Hadidi.

Sharjah Police Chief attends graduationceremony

Police News

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RAK Police training course graduationThree training courses organised by Ras Al Khaimah Police concluded recent-

ly. The courses were held from June 6 to 10, following directives of the Ministryof Interior, under the supervision of His Highness Major General Sheikh Taleb binSaqr Al Qasimi, Ras Al Khaimah police chief.A total of 23 officers from differ-ent police administrations in the country attended the ‘Strategic Plans Preparation’course. The ‘Skills In Dealing With The Public’ course was attended by 37 police-men, and the ‘Time Management’ course was attended by 41 police staff.

‘Accident Scene’ training course concludes in FujeirahA ‘traffic accident scene’ training course organised by Fujeirah Police con-

cluded recently. A total of 21 police staff attended the course, held from June6 to 10.The graduation ceremony was attended by Colonel Mohammed RashidNayei, Deputy Director General of Fujeirah Police. The contents of the courseincluded traffic accident investigation skills.Certificates were presented to theattendants of the training course at the end of the graduation ceremony.

Major General Khalil Dawood Badran, Director Generalof Finance and Services at the Abu Dhabi Police, has hon-oured teams of excellence for their outstanding perform-ance.The Office of the Director General – Finance and Ser-vices, Strategic Planning Section affiliated to the DirectorGeneral – Finance and Services, managers of the HealthServices Administrations, Sports Clubs, Financial Affairsand Project Management, were honoured for achieving theISO 9001:2008 certification.

The Administration of Purchases and Warehouses washonoured for updating the world’s quality certificationfrom Lloyds Register Quality Assurance.

Maj Gen Badran expressed his appreciation for the dis-tinguished achievements that came as a result of the direc-tives of His Highness Lieutenant General Sheikh Saif binZayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister ofInterior, to upgrade performance and achieve excellence inpolice work.“The teams have been keen on achievingexceptional results, and what has been achieved shows thehigh level of cooperation among the various sections”, saidMaj Gen Badran

Four finance sections receive praisefor Quality and ISO recognition

Dubai Police has received the 2009 Excellence Awardin e-commerce from Tejari, the leading online B2B mar-ketplace for emerging markets, from a wide spectrum ofgovernment departments. The award was given for DubaiPolice’ distinguished applications in e-commerce.

The award was received by Lieutenant General DhahiKhalfan Tamim, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police. Itwas presented by Suhail Al Banna, Interim CEO of Tejari.The event was attended by senior officials from DubaiPolice and Tejari.

The Purchases Division at the General Directorate ofServices and Equipment at Dubai Police completed 86 percent of purchase transactions through Tejari.

“Tejari transactions have been very transparent andcredible, and this facilitated our work in a secure environ-ment”, said Lt. Gen. Dhahi.

Mr. Al Banna extended thanks to Dubai Police for theirefforts and cooperation. “With partners like DubaiPolice, Tejari will continue to be the leading online B2Bmarketplace among companies in the Middle East”, hesaid.

Dubai Pol ice receives e-commerceexcel lence award

HOPAS team hon-oured at Ajman Pol ice

The team introducing the com-prehensive employee performanceevaluation system called‘HOPAS’ at Ajman Police havebeen honoured by Colonel ObeidMohammed Al Suweidi, Directorof Administration and Finance.The honouring ceremony wasattended by senior officers.

Col. Al Suweidi presented cer-tificates of appreciation to all teammembers and wished them successin their work.

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Issues

Pedestrian accidents in theUAE increase year on year,and traffic officials say these

accidents are among the most seri-ous, as they lead to fatalities andserious, ife-threatening injuries. Thefault lies with both the motorist andthe pedestrian; the former for mis-takes, inattentiveness and loss ofcontrol over the vehicle, and the lat-ter for not abiding by traffic rulesand regulations and failing to usepedestrian crossing.

“The strategic objective is toreduce the number of fatalities ingeneral, including deaths caused byknock-down accidents. By the endof 2009, 12 deaths occurred per100,000 of the population. In 2008,the rate was 17.8 per cent”, saidLieutenant General Mohammed SaifAl Zafeen, Director of Dubai TrafficPolice Department.

The official said his departmentorganises traffic safety campaignsthat aim to enhance the rights ofpedestrians in Dubai. He said the

‘Cross the Road Safely’ awarenesscampaign started around a year ago,and some 300 employees took part.“We received letters of thanks fromcompanies praising our efforts ineducating their staff. The results ofthe campaigns were reflected in thenumber of knock-down accidentsthat fell to 537 in 2009 from 754accidents in 2008”, said Lt. Gen. AlZafeen.

Traffic cops issue fines againstpedestrians who cross the road fromspots not designated for pedestrians,especially on highways. In 2009,

police fined more than 11,000offending pedestrians.

Lt. Gen. Al Zafeen said bringingthe fatality rate in knock-down acci-dents is a challenge but not impossi-ble. “It requires a lot of effort, butmost efforts need to be made bypedestrians as the majority of fatali-ties are blamed on the pedestrians;they need to protect themselves,first and foremost”, he emphasised.

The police official noted thatpedestrians from some nationalitieslack the ‘road safety culture’ neededto prevent accidents. “They are notaware of the simplest of traffic safe-ty principles. This has led to manylosing their lives or sustaining seri-ous injuries. Traffic authoritiesspare no efforts in raising awarenessof the principles of traffic safety inthe minds of these people”, he said.

Pedestrian bridges in Dubai, saidLt. Gen. Al Zafeen, have become anexcellent means to cross roads. Nev-ertheless, some pedestrians continueto cross the roads from danger-

Who takes the blame?Jaywalkers taking deadly risks and reckless motorists share the blame for pedes-trian accidents

By Amira Al Raisi

Al Zafeen

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ous spots. A plan is currently under-way, in coordination with the Roadsand Transport Authority, to buildmore pedestrian bridges on high-ways, he revealed.

Colonel Hussein Ahmed AlHarthi, Director of Traffic andPatrols at Abu Dhabi Police, urgedmotorists to reduce speeds whenthey approach pedestrian crossings.“They should also give priority topedestrians and be more attentive inareas where there are large numbersof pedestrians, like the IndustrialArea, shopping centres and residen-tial areas”, he said.

Thanks to safety efforts, knock-down accidents in Abu Dhabi fell inthe first quarter of 2010 to 139 acci-dents, compared to 184 accidents inthe corresponding period of lastyear. Fatalities also fell to 24 from31. Injuries declined to 24 from 33cases, said Col. Al Harthi.

The official said inattentivenessand speeding were the main causesof accidents involving pedestrians.However, he said many pedestriansare to blame for accidents, as inDubai, they cross the roads fromspots not designated for pedestriancrossing and they fail to use pedes-trian tunnels or bridges.

Col. Al Harthi said parents haveto pay extra attention to the protec-tion of their children, particularlythose playing football or ridingbicycles in neighbourhoods.

“We are continuing our efforts tocrackdown on motorists who ignorepedestrians’ rights. At the sametime, we will not tolerate pedestri-ans crossing the roads from spotsnot designated for pedestrian cross-ing”, warned Col. Al Harthi.

His Excellency Ahmed bin ShbeibAl Dhahiri, member of the Federal

Ahmed bin ShbeibAl Harthi

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National Council (FNC), said thatone of the main causes of accidentsinvolving pedestrians was the disre-gard by some motorists to pedestri-ans’ rights. “We have to protectpedestrians’ rights to use the roadthrough the media… penalties arenot the solution, but we need to gen-tly pass the message that to protectpedestrians’ rights is a civilisedmanner that should be encouragedand rewarded”, he said.

Farhan Saleh, a resident, saidknock-down accidents increased innumber in the recent past, particu-larly on external roads that have nopedestrian crossings. “Areas on theoutskirts of the city, like Al Bahia,

Bani Yas, Al Samha, Mussaffah andothers, need pedestrian bridges ortunnels. That will help save lives”,he said.

Saif Al Maheiri blamed pedestri-ans for knock-down accidents forfailing to cross the road from desig-

nated crossing points, posing threatsto their lives. “Despite the use ofhigh fences on road dividers, somepedestrians jump over them andcross the road. They don’t realise theseriousness of their actions”, said AlMaheiri, adding that pedestrianbridges or tunnels represent the keysolution.

Shihab Al Merri said accidents canbe curbed through the unfalteringcommitment to traffic rules and regu-lations by motorists and pedestrians.“In some suburbs of the city, there areno pedestrian crossings, and thatforces pedestrians to cross the roadfrom dangerous spots”, he said.

Farhan Saleh Saif Al Maheiri

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Issues

Expatriates from more than 200nationalities, with cultural andsocial tapestry that may or may

not tally with local traditions and val-ues, live in the UAE. Sometimes, dif-ferences and contradictions come tothe surface, loud and clear, when itcomes to violations involving theexpression of intimacy, in public.

Western newspapers every now andthen splash controversial headlinesabout tourists or residents who haveviolated the law of the land, tellingstories that show total ignorance ofcultural differences and inflame theseincidents. Willingly or otherwise,these newspapers cause considerabledamage to the image of the UAE.

Violations of UAE laws in recentmonths and years have brought to thesurface the importance of making thelaws and culture of the UAE clear toforeigners.

Foot patrols

Community Police patrols on foothave been active in various neigh-

bourhoods, explaining to expatriates,in languages other than Arabic, theirrights and duties while living in theUAE, said Lieutenant ColonelMubarak bin Muhairoom, Director ofCommunity Policing in Abu Dhabi.

“Following instructions from HisHighness Lieutenant General SheikhSaif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, DeputyPrime Minister and Minister of Interi-or, the role of Community Policinghas been enhanced, enabling theteams to interact with non Arabicspeaking expatriates and explaining tothem the culture of the UAE”, said theofficial.

“Through this interaction, theobjectives of Community Policing arecommunicated correctly and easily toexpatriates. That reflects positively onefforts to strengthen relations with thepublic, and to integrate these peoplein society to bolster the environmentof security and stability”, Lt. Col.Mubarak added.

Tourism Police

Tourism Police Division has alsobeen active in delivering police mes-sages. Lieutenant Colonel Ahmed binDarwish Al Gomzi, Director of thedivision, said a number of services areoffered to tourists, including an intro-duction to the traditions and values ofUAE society.

“A tourist has the right to enjoy thefacilities available, and at the sametime has to abide by the laws of theland. The Tourism Police Divisionhas printed many pamphlets in Eng-lish and Arabic and distributes themamong tourists at the various airportsin the country. We have plans to

Cultural mosaicA more direct approach in informing expatriates in the UAE will help themrespect local law and culture.

By Lara Al Zarasi

Bin Muhairoom Al Gomzi

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extend the distribution effort toinclude hotels and tourist sites, as wellas to print pamphlets in other lan-guages. For example, we are printingin German to reflect the large numberof tourists from Germany visiting thecountry”, said Lt. Col. Al Gomzi.

The Tourism Police Division alsohas a project to make these pamphletsavailable at embassies in the countryto help them iexplain the laws of theUAE.

The pamphlets provide advice toforeigners on how to avoid violations,explaining to them that offences likenudity on beaches and at public parks,sexual harassment of women andother offences.

All expected

Dr. Khalid Raafat Ahmed, profes-sor of international law at ImamMalik Shariah and Law College inDubai, said it was natural that viola-tions occur in a country that has ahuge expatriate population.

He said practices by foreigners inthe UAE are governed by legal princi-ples including the country’s rights inregulating the treatment of foreignersbeing an internal matter in whichother countries have no right to inter-fere. That’s why country has the fullfreedom in identifying the rights andduties of foreigners and the rules thatgovern the relations with them in

accordance with its own laws. UAEnationals and expatriates need to obeythese laws.

“When a country enacts its legisla-tion, it practices its sovereignty on itsterritory and on those living in it,whether nationals or expatriates. Therights of the country is limited only bysome restrictions imposed by interna-tional law, like the minimum foreign-ers’ rights… the country also abidesby the international conventions itsigns, and the UAE has been keen onemphasising that in its constitution”,said Dr. Ahmed.

Another principle is the respect ofthe rights and freedoms of foreigners,which is protected by the UAE consti-

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tution, as explained in clause 40. For-eigners, at the same time, have toabide by the UAE laws and regula-tions and to respect the general order.“That’s made clear in clause 44 of theUAE constitution”, he underlined.

Ambiguity?

Dr. Ahmed said the law is veryclear, but ambiguity shrouds the com-mitment by foreigners to respect the‘general order and public norms’.

“Respecting the general order andpublic norms is not restricted to for-eigners but is also applied on UAEnationals. To make it simple, the‘general order’ idea is an intrinsic ele-ment in the realm of law, and it refersto regulations that individuals cannotviolate and is aimed at protecting theintrinsic principles of society whetherthey are economic, social or politi-cal”, explained Dr. Ahmed.

In that context, the Executive Coun-cil in Dubai issued the ‘Public Norms’order that explains the social normswhich nationals and expatriates aswell as visitors to the country shouldrespect, including the culture, religionand traditions of the country. Theorder was communicated to all gov-ernment departments as well as pri-vate companies operating in Dubai.

The document bans some practicesin public between men and women,like kissing, hugging, sexual harass-ment and others.

Violations could land the offendersin jail and get them deported from thecountry. The order bans nudity onbeaches and at swimming pools.Nudity is prohibited in all parts of thecity, and violators could face jail anddeportation. “Any country has theright to penalise foreign offenders anddeport them, whether they are visitingthe country or residing permanently.Deportation is a legal procedure forforeigners staying legally if they com-

mitted a violation, as explained in lawNo. 13 of 1996”, said Dr. Ahmed.

The UAE, said the professor, hasthe right to defend its national identi-ty, traditions and religious beliefagainst any threats. “It has all thepowers that enable it to deport for-eigners who do not respect its historyand culture… there is a huge differ-ence between coexistence among cul-tures and the clash of cultures andcivilisations”, stressed Dr. Ahmed.

Muslims and non-Muslims

From an Islamic point of view, Dr.Abdul Hakeem Othman, professor ofContemporary Jurisprudence, said thatMuslim scholars have stressed that

Muslims and non-Muslims in a Muslimstate have the same rights and duties,with some differences.

“But if this is the principle in a Mus-lim state, we could face objections thatnon-Muslims are subjected to the samepenalties as Muslims, and this could beinterpreted as unfair. We can say that aMuslim in a non-Muslim state isrequired by Islam to follow its rules andobey its laws, and when he or she com-mits a violation, they are penalised. Sowhy cannot a non-Muslim in a Muslimstate be treated in the same way? That’swhy a non-Muslim has to respect theMuslim code of ethics in a Muslimstate, because that is good for them, andfor us”, stressed Dr. Othman.

Dr. Othman.Dr. Khalid Raafat

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Issues

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Accidents involving bikes in theUAE claimed 16 lives lastyear. A total of 161 people

were injured. Quad nikes can be fun,but if not used properly can be a majorcause of these accidents.

The popularity of quad bikes hasincreased in recent years. ColonelKhamis Ishaq Mohammed, Directorof the Traffic and Patrols Division atAbu Dhabi Police, said: “Quad bikesare cheap, easy to ride and have goodfuel economy. They are fast and canreach places inaccessible by othervehicles because they are light inweight and small in size”.

Quad bikes are allowed in sanddunes, unpopulated areas, agriculturalareas, race tracks and specialisedclubs, said Col. Khamis. They are notallowed in areas where quad bikes arenot permitted to be used, militaryareas, marksmanship fields, residen-tial areas, nature reserves, main roadsand internal arteries and at petrol sta-tions.

The official said there is an environ-mental, social, psychological and eco-nomic damage caused by the inappro-priate use of quad bikes.

“The authorities face the challenge

of confronting this damage. The envi-ronmental impact is caused by theexhaust of these quad bikes, the nois-es they create and the pollutioncaused by engine oils. They alsocause damage when quad bikes areused on seasonal plants”, Col. Khamisexplained.

The social impact is evident in thefatalities registered last year. “Acci-dents bring dangers to the family unitwhen a bread winner dies and leavesbehind a family. Accidents in manycases cause permanent disabilities”,said the official.

The economic impact is manifestedin the medical treatment costs paid totake care of the injured, and to dealwith material damage that occurs as a

result of accidents involving quadbikes.

Col. Khamis said quad bike acci-dents can be curbed through a numberof measures, including tighter moni-toring by police patrols, fixed andmobile speed monitoring devices andcameras attached to traffic lights.However, he highlighted that aware-ness campaigns through the media,exhibitions and road shows also rep-resent an effective means to reducethis kind of accident.

There are also laws in place toguide the use of quad bikes in thecountry. Mahmoud MohammedAbdul Qadir, a traffic expert at theSecurity Research and Studies Centreat Abu Dhabi Police, said: “The lawthat applies to motorbikes also appliesto quad bikes, in addition to article 16of the Traffic law that has certain con-ditions including the use of a hel-met… any quad bike used with nonumberplates or an exhaust silencer isconfiscated”, he said.

The expert said the minimum agefor obtaining a licence is 17 years, andthe applicant should undergo a med-ical check-up and take all tests.

“Most (quad bike) riders have

Quad biking.. a fatal pastime?Quad biking in the UAE becomes a nuisance when joy riders break the rules.

By Bassel Souraya

Khamis Ishaq

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no licence of any kind. There is noinsurance cover as insurance firmsrefuse to provide such insurance.When an accident occurs and the riderruns away, it is very hard to find outwho the driver was as the quad bikedoes not have numberplates. At (ille-gal) quad bike races, there are dangersfaced by spectators”, Abdul Qadirsaid.

A legal controversy remains overthe registration of quad bikes as safe-ty features in these bikes are not well-defined. Insurance companies declineto provide covers because of the highpercentage of potential dangers asso-

ciated with quad bikes.Abdul Qadir said quad bikes should

be subjected to licensing proceduresin the light of best practices in othercountries. He said a committee ofexperts should be tasked with study-

ing the issue and defining the neces-sary legal framework for licensingquad bikes.

Many readers spoke to 999 aboutthe dangers they see in quad bikes.

Jamal Abood Al Jaedi, director ofgovernment communications at Khal-ifa University, said: “Quad bikes arevery dangerous if they are not usedproperly in designated areas”.

Mohammed Saif Al Balushidescribed this phenomenon as‘uncivilised’. He added: “It exposesthe rider to incalculable dangersbecause of the failure to take safetyprecautions”. Another reader, Ibrahim

Manar IbrahimAbdul Qadir

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Safety TipsMohammed Ben Sulayem, Vice President of Interna-

tional Automobile Federation (FIA) and President of theAutomobiles and Touring Club of the UAE(ATCUAE), has given some safety tips to quad bike rid-ers.

1- Educate yourself on safety.Know more about bikes to be able to ride them and teach your children.Read the owner’s manual and attend a safety training session.

2- Age and weight.People below 18 years of age should not operate a quad bike. However,younger individuals can ride quad bikes under proper instruction.

3- Choose the appropriate quad bike.Select the appropriate quad bike that suits your experience and capability.

4- Get safety equipment and protective gear.This includes a bike helmet. Choose the one that fits properly. Other safety

equipment includes eye protectors, gloves and proper shoes.

5- Test the bike before riding.This testing includes tyre pressure, metal wheels, acceleration and cables,brakes, clutch, ignition system key, engine switch-off key, lights, engineoil, fuel (make sure you have enough fuel in the tank), transmission mech-anism, stability of fixtures, tool box and water (make sure that you carrywith you enough water).

6- Driving instructions.General driving instructions include proper positioning of the hands on thesteering column and of the feet as well. That will enhance your balance.Ascending hills in an inappropriate way can cause imbalance and the over-turning of the quad bike. You should be able to transfer your body weightupwards and control the quad bike in a way that would not let it turn over.In ascending hills, you have to choose a straight route that has fewestobstacles. Transfer your body weight backwards and follow transmissionand brakes guidelines for safe ascending.

7- Where to use the quad bike.Obey the law in choosing the areas where quad bike use is allowed. Avoiddangerous areas.

8- Instructions for safe driving.- Don’t ride the quad bike alone, but be in a group of two or more quadbike users. - Carry a mobile phone.- Don’t ride your bike while under the influence of medicines.- Stop when you feel tired.- Don’t have a passenger with you.- Carry out maintenance service regularly on the quad bike.- Carry a first aid box with you.- Use your common sense.

9- Additional advice.- Don’t ever buy fake products, whether for the quad bike or the safetygear.- Don’t make the exhaust sound too loud. Plan your trips accurately andefficiently and abide by the rules of the land. Before starting your jour-neys, check the weather conditions. Avoid dangerous maneuvers. Respectother road users.

Al Nuaimi, said quad biking is good,provided that they are licensed to beused. “Quad bikes should not be usedin neighbourhoods. I ride quad bikesin the deserts only”.

Manar Saaddine Ibrahim saidyoungsters like quad bikes and theiruse has become a popular pastime.“But these quad bikes now representa danger and many young peoplehave died in accidents involving thesemachines. When I complain againstthe nuisance caused by quad bike rid-ers, police act fast and by doing so,they also protect youngsters’ lives”.She said.

22


Cover story

23


The world has marked the 20thanniversary of the Internet, aspeople around the globe wait-

ed to see whether or not the endgamebetween China and Google wasapproaching. The crisis broke outrecently when Google officialsannounced the existence of a plot byChina to hack into its systems anddeclared that it has left China due tothese censorship issues.

The crisis, unimaginable in 1990when the Internet came into exis-tence, is one of tens of cyberspacewars, whose architects are govern-ment system engineers or fromgroups, causing temporary shutdownof some services or closure of web-sites. An Australian non-governmentorganisation recently sent out mes-sages on Australian governmentwebsites to protest against govern-ment plans to set up a filtering sys-tem and to ban pornographic web-sites. The organisation regarded themove by the government as a ìfla-grant violation of the freedom ofexpressionî.

Catastrophic attack

In a report, UK Government’sCyber Security Operations Centrewarned of a potentially “catastroph-ic” cyber attack on Britain.

The report warned cyber attackswill become increasingly difficult totrace as hackers become more adeptat covering their tracks. The docu-ment also warned dependence on theInternet to provide public serviceswill soon “reach a point of noreturn”.

It said: “A successful cyber attackagainst public services would have acatastrophic impact on public confi-dence in the government, even if theactual damage caused by the attackwere minimal.”

It suggests this will mean that “anyinterruption of broadband accessbecomes intolerable and will haveserious impacts on the economy andpublic well being.”

It continues: “A successful cyberattack against public services wouldhave a catastrophic impact on publicconfidence in the government, even

if the actual damage caused by theattack were minimalî.

The report predicted a future wherewars will be fought digitally, withattacks being launched throughcyberspace: “States are likely toincreasingly see the cyber domain asan area in which to wage war.

ìThe increasing sophistication ofcriminal cyber tools and the avail-ability of cheap, fast broadband willmean states are able to achieve theiraims by hiring criminal botnets tocarry out DDoS or other attacks ontheir enemies’ infrastructure.”

In 2009 social networking sitesincluding Twitter and Facebook werehit by DoS attacks which left themcrippled for hours.

Cyber Cold War

A study by Internet security com-pany MacAfee said that the ‘CyberCold War’ launched against comput-ers around the world is threatening tobecome the biggest security threat inthe coming decade.

The cyber holocaustSecurity risks threaten critical e-infrastructure of governments and countries

By: Lara Al Zarasi

2424

About 120 countries are develop-ing ways to use the Internet as aweapon to target financial markets,government computer systems andutilities, McAfee said in an annualreport.

Intelligence agencies already rou-tinely test other states’ networkslooking for weaknesses and theirtechniques are growing more sophis-ticated every year, it said.

Governments must urgently shoreup their defenses against industrialespionage and attacks on infrastruc-ture.

“Cybercrime is now a globalissue,” said Jeff Green, senior vicepresident of McAfee Avert Labs. “Ithas evolved significantly and is nolonger just a threat to industry andindividuals but increasingly tonational security.”

As the world marks the 20th

anniversary of the Internet, 999opens the dossier of e-crime to shedlight on this issue.

Information Management Art

Security information is critical forcombating cyber crime, said Lieu-tenant General Dhahi KhalfanTamim, Commander-in-Chief ofDubai Police. ìInformation is the cor-nerstone of success for any securitytask, whether conventional or elec-tronic. Proper planning and continu-ous support contribute to combatingany penetrationî, he said.

The police official said the UAEhas been using state-of-the-artdevices to curb crime. He said infor-mation management is an art thatbrings about success in securityoperations.

“Cyber crime is difficult to stop”policemen are not giving up, andthey are always alert to confrontcrimes committed on the Internet.ìThe danger posed by these crimes is

that it comes from organised interna-tional gangsî, Lt. Gen. Dhahi under-lined.

Staff Lieutenant General Obeid AlHeeri Salem Al Kutbi, Deputy Com-mander of Abu Dhabi Police, saidhacking can be curbed through a con-stant monitoring of e-criminals anduncovering their methods.

“Abu Dhabi Police have beeninvesting in technical assets and inhuman cedres, to be able to confronte-crime challenges”, he stressed.

He said cybercrime is a globalissue that threatens the infrastructureof any society and efforts should becoordinated globally to confrontsuch criminal activities.

Cyber restraints

HE Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim,Director General of the TelecomRegulatory Authority (TRA), saidthere are electronic regulations thatprotect societies against cybercrime,and the UAE is one of the first coun-tries in the region to put togetherlegal regulations in this regard.

He cited federal law of 2006 oncomputer crimes which has articleson various aspects of cybercrime.

He said: ìThe TRA, through theUAE Computer EmergencyResponse Team (aeCERT), is bring-ing out the procedures booklet –Information Security Policy thatidentifies the policies that should befollowed as part of the systems ofany institution or company to protectthe digital infrastructure againstcybercrimeî.

Preventive Measures

Mr. Al Ghanim said no system canprovide a complete security solution,as the process involves multi-layersystems, and electronic solutions arepart of them.

He said he expects corporate enti-ties to invest early in preventive andsecurity measures to protect informa-tion infrastructure at the beginning ofany project design. This, he stressed,is very important to minimise anyfuture threats.

“There are strong and weak pointsin electronic security systems. Wecannot talk about strong and weakpoints as each electronic securitysystem is designed to be strong

against any security threats. Whatshakes a system is the application ofthe system as part of securityprocesses” this means the applicationby human elements is what leads toweaknesses in a given systemî, heexplained.

He added: “Unfortunately, all elec-tronic systems can be penetrated, andsome systems are much stronger thanothers. Hacking can happen as aresult of human error or the wrong

Dhahi Khalfan Al Kutbi


25


application of security systems”what we have to do is to make earlyinvestments in the protection of digi-tal infrastructure to minimise or pre-vent cybercrimeî.

The TRA chief said ‘cyber securi-ty fences’ are the security valves ofthe future. ìFirewalls constitute a partof multi-layer protection systems,and represent a tool that can be usedin an integrated electronic security

system, and they cannot be dependedupon completely as a security valveagainst electronic crimeî, he said.

Richard Clarke, a security expertand a former senior White Houseadviser, said that many countries hadthought of using cyberspace for war-fare and for peace, including Russia,China and the UK. He said thatcyberspace was not restricted to gov-ernment activities as many illegiti-

mate groups use it and get involvedin piracy on the Internet that bringthem billions of dollars.

Clarke, a partner in Good HarborConsulting, warned that duringwartime, cyber attacks have thepotential to reach out from cyber-space into the physical dimensionand cause giant electrical generatorsto shred themselves, trains to derail,high-tension power transmission

lines to burn, gas pipelines toexplode, aircraft to crash, weapons tomalfunction, funds to disappear andenemy units to walk into ambushes.

Cyber warriors can still engage inmalicious activity. Espionage incyber space is very hard to detect,highly efficient and not restricted togovernment targets. ìIndeed cyberwarriors are engaged in industrialespionage on a massive scale. Someestimates put the amount of stolendata in the thousands of terabytes —ten times the amount of informationstored in the US Library of Con-gressî, he said.

Clark underlined there are manyexamples of the seriousness of theuse of cyberspace in criminal activi-ties. He said one example was that ofJohns Hopkins University whichfaced an espionage operation, dis-covered two hours after the comple-tion of the theft of research.

The United Nations has beenworking on the setting up of anorganistaion to be tasked with enact-ing laws to streamline this sector,said Clarke. He added that terrorismstill depends on cyberspace for thetransfer of money and recruiting ter-rorists, and has not yet to stage a sab-otage attack. That is why organisa-tions to keep peace and penalisecyberspace law violators are needed,he stressed.

. Warning that cyber war is thenext threat to the GCC and particu-larly the UAE national security as theUAE is the biggest user of the Inter-net in the Middle East, Clarke arguedphysical defences akin to borderssuch as firewalls will remain essen-tial, but given the high levels ofcross-border connectivity in cyberworld, new approaches for cybersecurity must include the internation-al diplomatic dimension. He said theUAE depends heavily on the Inter-net, and the net use is larger than thatof Iran, Turkey or Egypt.

International Cooperation

Michael Kozak of the FBI and cur-rently works for the Los AngelesPolice Department as a PolygraphUnit Chief said the task of criminalintelligence is to gather, analyse anddistribute information to monitor andprevent any criminal activity.

He said the information gatheredby specialised centres in the FBI is

checked by specialist detectives. Tostop cybercrime, Mr. Kozak said, anintegrated model need to be con-structed in which laws and relationsamong countries should be respect-ed, so that when an incident happens,the exchange of information on sus-pects should be facilitated. ìInterna-tional cooperation is very importantfor the success of any securityprocessî, he asserted.

26


Al Ghanim Michael Kozak

Digital WMDsUS company, Symantec, has identified the most dangerous threats againstthe Internet. They include malicious codes, crime software, botnets, mali-cious compound codes and viruses.

Malicious codes:

Most cyber attacks these days aim to steal data quietly to make profit,unlike attacks in the past that aim to destroy data. Malicious code is a newbreed of Internet threat that cannot be efficiently controlled by convention-al antivirus software alone. In contrast to viruses that require a user to exe-cute a programme in order to cause damage, vandals are auto-executableapplications.

Crime software:

Software that is designed to deceive online and steal information fromconsumers and corporations.

Botnets:

They are robotic programmes that give ‘attackers’ an illegal control overcomputers and transform them to “enslaved computers”. A botnet is a jar-gon term for a collection of software agents, or robots, that runautonomously and automatically. The term is most commonly associatedwith malicious software, but it can also refer to a network of computersusing distributed computing software.

Malicious compound codes:

They have specific functions in their initial form, but are designed toupdate themselves with new, more damaging potential. Malicious com-pound codes usually expose confidential information that can be used instealing IDs and in credit card theft.

Viruses:

They are programmes or pieces of code that are loaded onto the comput-er without one’s knowledge and runs against one’s wishes. A simple virusis dangerous because it can quickly use all available memory and bring thesystem to a halt, and can also be used for espionage.

28


Aproject to train education pro-fessionals on safety and pre-ventive measures in the serv-

ice of the community is one of thestrategic initiatives launched byDubai Civil Defence Department.The plan is to extend the project to thewhole UAE.

The project has achieved remark-able success in Dubai and became a

sustainable project. Educational insti-tutions have become partners in theprotection against dangers in theworkplace and in the community.

The ‘train the trainers’ initiative fol-lowed directions from His ExcellencyLieutenant General Rashid Thani AlMatroushi, Acting Commander-in-Chief of Civil Defence in the UAE.Thorough studies involving contribu-

tions from the Knowledge and HumanDevelopment Authority (KHDA) inDubai, Ambulance Services Centreand members of the teaching staff atschools in Dubai.

“This has created a fertile environ-ment to bring about the success of theinitiative”, said Lt. Gen. AlMatroushi. “The Ministry of Educa-tion, in all its institutions and schools,

Safety for allA comprehensive strategic project to ‘train the trainers’ on safety is being spear-headed in the UAE by Dubai Civil Defence.

By Mahmoud Hamad

Trends


29

are a guaranteed strategic partner ofthe Civil Defence in all the Emiratesto protect individuals and society as awhole against all dangers, whether interms of providing all safety precau-tions at the buildings of educationalinstitutions, or in spreading awarenessabout safety and preserving safety atschools, home, on roads and publicplaces as well as through joint effortsin organising volunteering initiatives.The Ambulance Service Centre inDubai is our field and training part-ner”, he added.

Lt. Col. Al Matroushi said the CivilDefence authority has been keen onenhancing its role in all communityactivities “to ensure our noble mes-sage is delivered, so that lives andproperty can be protected and theenvironment preserved at all times”.

He said the authorities believe inthe importance of methodologicaltraining for individuals and teams infire safety and first aid. The trainingalso covers confronting multiple dan-gers and safety awareness. “Our train-ing strategy is built on the premisethat training should be extended tobecome a communications bridgewith students and their families”, heexplained.

The partnership with educationalinstitutions in the various regions ofthe UAE, said Lt. Gen. Al Matroushi,is the cornerstone of preventive meas-ures and volunteering initiatives insociety.

Lieutenant Colonel Abdullah binSaif Al Shamsi, Director of Civil Pro-tection Division at Dubai CivilDefence, said the project aims at pro-viding teaching staff with the neces-sary training that enables them todeliver the safety messages and skillsin the right way to students. It alsoenables teachers to act in a right anddisciplined way at times of emer-gency before the arrival of civildefence teams.

The first phase of the project,asserted Lt. Col. Al Shamsi, hasshown the importance of cooperationof the Knowledge and Human Devel-opment Authority, the Training Cen-tre of Tulaitila School and the Ambu-lance Service Centre in providing theappropriate working environment.

“That helped us in presenting thetheoretical and practical contents oftraining to participants in the trainingcourses, in addition to the impressiverole played by Al Hamriyah CivilDefence Centre in supporting traineesduring practical sessions”, Lt. Col. AlShamsi emphasised.

More training courses will be heldthis year to reach the desired objec-tives of the first phase of training, hesaid. Coordination meetings will also

be held to streamline all trainingmaterial involving all civil defencedepartments in the country.

“That will be in line with the feder-al government’s strategy, the strategyof the Ministry of Interior and themedia and preventive awareness planendorsed by the General Headquartersof Civil Defence”, Lt. Col. Al Shamsipointed out.

A total of 26 training courses wereorganised up tol May this year, inwhich 363 of male and female teach-ers and school staff in Dubai receivedtraining. The project’s team includeslecturers Shihab Al Sayed Badawi(project director), Yasser Abdul Latif,Ali Obeid Al Saher Al Kutbi, AhmedHasan Ahmed and Shaimah ShihabMurad.

Al Matroushi Al Shamsi

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Focus


31

Spinsterhood is a never endingtopic, but a difficult situationemerges when the woman in

question is abandoned by her broth-ers and sisters after the deaths of theparents. The government, in such asituation, intervenes in certain cir-cumstances to lend a helping handto women in need of financial assis-tance and to provide them with pro-tection.

An investigation into spinster-hood in the UAE has led 999 to twocases that are different from con-ventional stories; the stories of Aliaand Fatima.

Alia says she was 15 years oldwhen her hand was sought in mar-riage for the first time. She refusedto get married because she wantedto continue her studies to become amedical doctor. After high school,she pursued her higher studies atuniversity. ìAt the age of 30, I stillrefused to get married and my father

encouraged me in that rejection ofmarriage. Later, those who proposedto me were married people, and Irejected them, telling myself Iwould not accept to marry that wayafter the long wait!î.

When she reached the age of 45,Alia no more had men seeking herhand in marriage.

ìAt that point I realised that theobjective of my father to reject allthe men was to keep me with him

and benefit from my salary. Afterthe death of my father, may his soulrest in peace, and after all my broth-ers got married, I started living withmy brother and his wife in myfather’s home which was renovated.I always fall victim to the maliciousplans of my brother’s wife who cre-ates disagreements between mybrother and I to force me to leavethe house. But I have no place togoî, Alia said.

Fatima says she was not ashamedof the word ‘spinster’. ìBeing aspinster is not a barrier in my life.The cause of my spinsterhood is myfocus on my studies and status insociety. There were certain ‘specifi-cations’ in the husband I wanted toshare my life with, and these ‘specs’increased in number as I grew old-erî.

Fatima’s social standing andfinancial status are much better thanmany ‘spinsters’. ìThat means I

Beyond spinsterhoodHow can women who remained single beyond the conventional age of marriagedeal with the burdens of life?

By: Amira Al Raisi

Mariam Al Roumi

32


could live in a nice house and spendlavishly. But other women could notcontinue their studies and are notworking women. They need shelterand an income, particularly whenthe parents are no more alive andthe brothers and sisters are marriedand busy with their livesî, she said.

HE Mariam Mohammed KhalfanAl Roumi, Minister of SocialAffairs, told 999 that the word‘spinster’ or ‘old maid’ is used inthe wrong contexts. ìThere has beenno distinction between delayed mar-riage and spinsterhood. In mostcases, the talk is about delayed mar-riages, and marriages are normallydelayed because of various factorsincluding that women opt to pursuehigher studies, the high costs ofmarriage and the conditions thatsome women attach to marriagerelating to new family life require-mentsî, said the minister.

She added: ìWe at the Ministry ofSocial Affairs give attention tonational women in need and providethem with services. The ministrysince 1972 has been giving socialassistance to unmarried women whohave no jobs, no income and nofinancial supporter, in accordancewith the social welfare law. The lawtransforms women who are recipi-ents of welfare to participants in thedevelopment process through train-ing them and preparing them for thejob marketî.

Al Roumi said there are pro-grammes and initiatives launched bythe ministry in recent years to helpwomen join the job market. She saidFederal law No. 2 of 2001 regardingwelfare has specified two categoriesof ‘unmarried women’: the first hasto do with women in the 18 – 35 agegroup, have no income and nofinancial supporter. The second cat-egory is for women in the 35 – 60

age group who are not married andhave no source of income. Socialassistance is provided in accordancewith certain conditions.

According to Al Roumi, the num-ber of unmarried women in the UAEwho receive social aid is 2,904women. They receive a total amountof Dh162 million annually.

In 2007, the number reached3,405 women. ìBut the numberdeclined after some women receiv-ing social aid were united with theirfamilies who already receive wel-fareî, explained the minister.

Accurate figures at the federallevel about unmarried women arenot available, said Al Roumi, andthe reason for that is the lack of aunified age group that helpsdescribe spinsterhood. However, the2005 census showed that unmarriedwomen in the 25-29 age group con-stituted 28 per cent. The percentagein the 30-34 age group goes down to14 per cent, and reaches less thanone per cent in the 45-49 age group.

ìThis shows that delayed marriageis the result of some positive causeslike pursuing higher education.Other causes are the high costs ofmarriage and high dowries. Thereshould be solutionsî, said Al Roumi.

The UAE government has beenproviding the means to decent livingto women who have not got married.The objective of achieving anappropriate standard of living for allnationals was incorporated in the2008-2010 strategic plans and pro-grammes of the federal government.

ìThe federal government’s strate-gy launched by His HighnessSheikh Mohammed bin Rashid AlMaktoum, Vice President and PrimeMinister of the UAE and Ruler ofDubai, with the blessings of Presi-dent His Highness Sheikh Khalifabin Zayed Al Nahyan. The aim is totransform the perception of socialwelfare to social development andto find employment for 54 per centof the social welfare beneficiaries,about 18,000 male and femalenationals.

Social researcher Mariyam AlFazari says spinsterhood threatensGCC societies. ìMany women underthe age of 20 live in terrible fear tillthey manage to get marriedî, shesaid.

She said marriage age is delayed

in many countries in the Muslimworld because of high dowries, andparents’ ignorance about the dan-gers associated with that. ìIslamencourages parents to make mar-riage of their daughters easy andsimple, and should avoid any thingthat would complicate the life of

Mariyam Al Fazari


33

young married people like loansî,said Al Fazari.

One of the practical solutions tothe problem of spinsterhood givenby late President Sheikh Zayed binSultan Al Nahyan was the setting upof the Marriage Fund with a Dh100

million capital, from the donationsof businessmen and wealthy indi-viduals, offering financial assis-tance to national men marryingnational women.

ìUAE tribes have also been unan-imous on reducing dowries and mar-

riage costs, and taken obligatorydecisions to ban excessive spendingon weddings. The tribes have beenworking to encourage a return toauthentic Arab and Muslim mar-riage traditionsî, concluded AlFazari.

Focus

34


35


Many cases of violence againstwomen go unreported aroundthe world, and the UAE is no

exception. The role the laws of thecountry play in the protection ofwomen against domestic violence iscritical, experts say.

A survey conducted by the FamilyDevelopment Foundation covering3,000 cases showed that the number ofdomestic violence cases reported tocourts of law was low, making up justfour per cent of the total number ofcases.

However, domestic violence cases inthe local community not reported to theauthorities constituted 40 per cent ofcases in the Eastern Region (Al Ain),41 per cent in Abu Dhabi and 52 percent in the Western Region, with anaverage of 42 per cent (1,260 cases).

Dr. Hussain Sarhan, Family Guid-ance consultant at the Family Develop-ment Foundation, said that 504 ofthese cases involved physical violence,227 sexual violence and 529 psycho-logical violence.

“The survey is part of the founda-tion’s efforts in providing psychologi-cal, social and legal assistance towomen”, said the official.

Another statistical report on the caus-es of divorce related to domestic vio-lence, conducted last year, shows that

312 divorce cases were the result ofdomestic violence, and that 40 per centof divorce cases were of individualsyounger than 30 years of age. A total of312 families and at least 600 childrenwere exposed to the adverse effect offamily disintegration.

“Women need support, because thestability of the woman’s life means thestability of the family unit”, said Dr.Sarhan.

Dr. Karima Eidan, professor of psy-chology at UAE University, said thereare many threats encountered bywomen, the most serious of which iswhat she called ‘masculine violenceagainst women’, and ‘the discrimina-tion practised by men against women’.

“Masculine violence is that of thefather, the brother and, at a later stagein life, the husband, as well as by col-

leagues at the workplace and by theson. The woman has to confront allthese types of violence against her”,said Dr. Eidan.

The protection against violence, saidDr. Eidan, comes from the home andthe school. “We have to teach womentheir social and legal rights and explaintheir duties. We should not let thewoman be the shadow of the man, whomay be good or bad, walking in lifewithout an objective”, she said.

“I am shocked at husbands who beattheir wives and break their bones,thinking that they impose their controlin that way. Such husbands forget thatplanting hatred in their wives will makethem lose their respect and trust”, saidDr. Eidan.

Women, said the UAE Universityprofessor, should be very careful inselecting their husbands. “The pre-mar-riage period of getting to know eachother is very important for couples andthat period should be prolonged toenable the man and the woman to knoweach other well and exchange ideas”,she noted.

Women speeding up the marriageprocess because of the fear of becom-ing an old maid, Dr. Eidan underlined,make a very serious mistake. “To becalled a divorced woman is even worsethan the old maid title. This is in

Putting an end to ‘masculine violence’ against women is a collective responsibility

By Lara Al Zarasi

Battered women need a voice

Dr. Hussain Dr. Karima

36


addition to the problem of children whoare brought up in inappropriate socialenvironments. How can we imagine ahouse where a husband beats his wife,and their children watch that everyday? How can a mother defend herchildren if they are beaten, and she can-not even defend herself when subjectedto violence”, Dr. Eidan asked.

From her experience, Dr. Eidan methundreds of women who spoke abouttheir problems. “I cannot forget the faceof that one woman who was brutallybeaten by her husband. When she wastaken to hospital to have her woundsstitched and treat bruises and fractures,she lied and told investigators she hadfallen in the bathroom. It was her jeal-ous husband, suffering from psycholog-ical disorders, who beat her violently.She never lodged a complaint withpolice because, she said, she loved himso much!”, Dr. Eidan said.

She warned that the psychologicalfatigue a woman subjected to masculineviolence manifests itself in organic dis-eases such as back pain, colon, stomach,blood pressure and diabetes. Other con-ditions include psychiatric disorderslike depression and anxiety. “The effortof psychiatrists and social workers hasbeen to save what could be saved , aswe try to enable women and children toadapt to their environ-ments to ensure psycho-logical and social stabili-ty”, she said.

The UAE law hasgiven the necessary pro-tection to women againstdomestic violence. Dr.Mustapha Al Taher,legal researcher at theSecurity Research andStudies Centre of Abu Dhabi Police,said the UAE legislator had given pro-tection to women, whether in terms ofbanning and criminalising the act oftrafficking in them, enslaving them,violating their freedom, forcing them towork against their will or in exhaustingtasks and under unfair conditions orforcing them to work as prostitutes.

The law, said Dr. Al Taher, hasimposed stiff penalties against perpetra-tors in cases of kidnapping women andviolating their freedom. Article 344gives life imprisonment to those whounlawfully kidnap or detain women,and capital punishment if the act leadsto the death of the victim.

Federal law no. 8 of 1980 regarding

employment relations and its amend-ments has given special protection towomen, particularly clause 27 thatbans night duty for women, and clause29 which bans dangerous and exhaust-ing tasks for women, or jobs that poserisks to health or are ethically damag-ing.

In the draft law of the Ministry ofLabour to amend the current law, aclause is enacted to avoid discrimina-tion between men and women inemployment. “This stresses the princi-ple of equality in payment for samejobs handled by men and women”, saidDr. Al Taher.

As to efforts to combat prostitutionand sexual exploitation of women, arti-cle 354 states that any person whoforces a woman to engage in sex isgiven capital punishment, and theforceful act is considered so if the ageof the victim is below 14 years at thetime of the crime. Article 355 gives lifeimprisonment for the attempt to com-mit the crime, and article 358 givesimprisonment of not less than a year to

the person who commits an indecentact with a female, even if it is not inpublic.

Dr. Al Qarashi Al Bashir, dean of theShariah Faculty at the University ofSharjah, said the protection of womenstarts with the awareness of the com-munity about Shariah rules that givewomen their rights in full. He warnedthat “some communities apply tradi-tions sometimes as a way to violatewomen’s rights”. He cited the exam-ples of the failure of some communitiesin consulting women about marriageand depriving them of their inheritance,among other violations.

“The responsibility for women’sinability to get their lawful rights is ajoint responsibility involving men,women and the society as a whole.Ignorance about teachings of Islam thatorganise relations in society and theaccumulation of problems are amongthe reasons leading to the current situa-tion, which becomes a time bomb thatneeds to be defused”, said Dr. AlBashir.

Dr. Al Taher

38


Focus

39

Issue (472) April 2010Issue (475) July 2010

The phenomenon of suicide inArab communities in generaland in Egypt in particular is

assuming a clear social dimension; itis no more an individual expression ofdespair or the result of depression, buthas become an issue closely associat-ed with socio-economic conditions.

An alarming revelation came in theform of statistics showing that morethan 54,000 Egyptians attempted toend their own lives last year. Theshocking figure was released by theInformation Decision-Making Sup-port Centre affiliated to the EgyptianCabinet.

Cairo came first among Egyptiancities in the number of individualsattempting to kill themselves, fol-lowed by Qaliubiya. In the third posi-tion came Giza and Suez. The cities atthe bottom of the list are Assiut andSohag.

Dr. Hashem Bahri, professor ofpsychology at Al Azhar University,said: “Embracing materialism andturning away from religious valuesand ethics have led many to differentforms of depression, some of whichare serious enough to push people tosuicide”.

Statistics show that the majority ofthose who committed suicide weremen. Jobless people topped the list.Among women, most of them whocommitted suicide were housewives,taking the extreme step because ofmarital differences and difficult eco-nomic conditions.

People in the age group of 14 to 40constituted more than 78 per cent ofthose committing suicide.

“There has been an imbalance in theEgyptian mindset. Suicide is an

escape from attempting to confrontproblems and solving them. Somepeople are not satisfied with whatthey have, even if they have a lot ofmoney. If people are poor, they natu-rally do not have enough to meet theirneeds, so some of them find suicide asthe easiest escape route to get rid fromthe troubles of life”, explained Dr.Bahri.

He warned that depression had beenspreading fast among Egyptians. “Ifthis is not treated properly, suiciderates will increase to get closer to pre-vailing rates in large European coun-tries”, he said.

Dr. Ahmed Khairi Hafez, professorof psychology at Ein Shams Universi-ty, attributed the increase in the num-ber of suicide cases to depression,failure to understand facts related to apsychological disorder and neglectingpeople with psychological disorders.

Other causes leading to suicideinclude the deteriorating living condi-tions, dissatisfaction with life,absence of ethics and the failure toconfront problems in the right way, hesaid.

Dr. Hafez underlined that someyouth may resort to suicide as a

means to attract attention to theirproblems, especially the inability tomeet the financial demands of mar-riage because of high dowries andabhorrent living costs. He called onparents to be flexible and understand-ing when it comes to dowries andmarriage expenses.

But suicide should not be diagnosedin a collective manner, said Dr. AbdulRaoof Al Dhaba’a, professor of soci-ology at the Faculty of Letters, JanoubAl Wadi University.

“Each case has its circumstancesthat would lead to suicide. Each sui-cide is an individual case”, hestressed.

The phenomenon, said Professor AlDhaba’a, has two dimensions; the firsthas to do with the person attemptingor committing suicide, and the otherwith external pressures.

He called for the setting up of amonitoring centre to scrutinise thephenomenon. “What we have at themoment is just statistics. And yet, wehave observed that the rate is rising.That is very clear, and the causes arealso clear”, said Professor AlDhaba’a.

From a religious viewpoint, Islamforbids suicide. Sheikh Abdul MutiBayoumi, member of the IslamicResearch Complex at Al Azhar, saidthe person coming suicide, before tak-ing his or her life, kills his beliefbecause suicide is a transgressionagainst God Al Mighty Who says inthe Holy Quran: “And that it is HeWho causes death and gives life”. (44,Al Najm).

Sheikh Bayoumi said the phenome-non was a direct result of weak beliefin God.

Escape to ApocalypseIncreasing anxiety grips Egypt as the rate of suicide attempts continues to rise.

By Reem Mohammed in Cairo

Dr. Hashem Abdul Muti


Culture

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Shukri Suweidani is a Syrian callig-rapher and artist, who’s been in lovewith Arabic calligraphy since the1980s. He’s derived his creativestrength from Arabic calligraphy, andthe Holy Quran has been his spiritualcompass and timeless friend.

In an interview with 999, Suwei-dani lashed out at the excessive andinappropriate use of letters in calligra-phy, describing it as a betrayal ofartistic taste.

Excerpts:

Q. Where do you derive yourartistic creativity?

A. My first motive to be creative isto project the Quranic word and wis-dom at a level that reaches out to itssublime and enlightening position. Ithink I have not done enough on thisfront, but I read a lot and acquire thetools that transfer me to a status whichenables me to serve the Holy Quranthrough what I have mastered or whatI am trying to improve. Inspiration isjust a small part of the creative expe-rience, complementing the tools andpersistence. All these elements makeup the full picture.

Q. This means the Holy Quran isyour source of creativity, doesn’t it?

A. We are a nation that has beenformulated by the Holy Quran, which

is its essence and the core of its civi-lization throughout the ages. We werea nation with no knowledge, and theHoly Quran has opened for all fountsof wisdom. We triumphed when theHoly Quran was our guide; but look atus now when we have neglected it. Ihave been honoured by writing thewords of the Holy Quran, and withinfew years I wrote it. My hope is to be

able to write it many times. The HolyQuran is the map of my soul, myfriends and my remedy. I live with theHoly Quran.

Q. Types of Arabic calligraphyare diversified. What are the differ-ent types and how did this art start-ed?

A. During the time of ProphetMohammed (PBUH), Arabic calligra-phy was simple, just like the cultureitself. People involved in improvingwere very few. A lot of develop-ments took place following the needthat sprang to write the Holy Quran,and also to organise the army and theaffairs of the treasury. In theAbbasid period, the first foundationswere set up on clear engineeringprinciples by Abu Ali bin Miqla, aminister at the time, and others whofollowed him. Naskh, Thuluth,Rehan and Kofi types had mainlines, and integrated series followedand they spread to all parts of theIslamic world, taking regionalforms. The latest was Al Ruqa’afrom which Al Diwani and the clearAl Diwani sprang in the 19th centu-ry. There is a big heritage about themanners, rules and practices of cal-ligraphy that make us proud of ouridentity.

Renowned Arabic calligraphist believes more attention should be devoted to thisart in the Arab world, but reassures enthusiasts the writing with beautiful pen-manship will never disappear into oblivion.

By Khalid Al Dhanhani

Photos: Mohammed Ali.

Calligraphic letters ‘a cluttered mess’

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Q. What is the type of calligraphythat you use in your works?

A. The clear Thuluth, as it is sub-lime and astonishingly flexible. Otherlines are beautiful, too.

Q. What are the art schools thatinfluenced you?

A. When I fell in love with Arabiccalligraphy in the 1980s, I looked foran institute or a school in Damascus,but my search was in vain. One of theold practitioners promised to teachme, but two years with him gave menothing. I later embarked on a slowlearning process that helped meachieve my objective.

Q. How can Arabic calligraphycatch up with modern lifestyles?

A. Arabic calligraphy has alwayscaught up with modernity. Interactionwith the needs of the nation hasalways been there. Each era has hadits requirements, and each Muslimregion has its Arabic calligraphy thatis appropriate for its people andwhich represents their aspirations.Arabic calligraphy will catch up withmodern lifestyle if it is taught inschools and institutes. Exhibitionsshould be organised to support Arabiccalligraphy creativeness, and thoseworking seriously in the field shouldalso be supported.

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Q. Are you afraid that Arabiccalligraphy will vanish?

A. As long as the Holy Quran ispreserved, Arabic calligraphy willbe fine. We build museums for artsmade by others. We build operahouses and import singers anddancers. But when we hold an Ara-bic calligraphy exhibition, afterstruggles, we cannot find buyers!

Q. Using letters in Arabic cal-ligraphy pieces of art is a newtrend. What do you think aboutit?

A. Using letters is just a reflec-tion of experiences by some West-ern artists. Away from useful andwise words and verses from theHoly Quran, the treatment of lettersin an exaggerated manner, by artistswanting to convince us of these let-ters’ artistic value, actually down-grades our artistic taste. Only goodworks of art will remain.

Q. But formative artists are usu-ally accused of steering away fromtheir environment and the causesof Arab and Muslim nation. As anartist, how can use deal with thecauses of your nation, throughyour works?

A. I am not a formative artist. I amjust a calligraphist. My mission is tolearn, teach and produce Arabic cal-ligraphy lines. It is a very difficultmission; I have spent long timelearning, and I think I need 50 moreyears to learn more. Preserving theArabic language and Arabic calligra-phy requires a commitment and sac-rifices. We have responded to thestupid works of some Europeanpainters who insulted ProphetMohammed (PBUH), through artis-tic works that were exhibited in Den-mark’s greatest museums as well asin other European countries. We arecontinuing to develop our tools andartistic expressions in a way thatsuits modern tastes, without adverse-

ly affecting art’s foundations andprinciples.

Q. The UAE hosts many festi-vals, forums and exhibitions. Havethese events been useful in takingArabic calligraphy to the hearts ofpeople, particularly the youth?

A. These events are beautiful,promising and oriented, but theyhave not helped Arabic calligraphyto spread as much as they provided amarket for non-Arab calligraphistson a seasonal basis. Till now, there isnot even one institute that teachesArabic calligraphy or Islamic orna-ments. There is not a single, genuineartist who depends in his or her sub-sistence on the revenues of the saleof works. Besides, the prices of Ara-bic calligraphy works are too lowcompared to what professional foot-ballers or singers get, if we assumedthat artists were able to sell onepiece, after a long and painful roundof bargaining!

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He is an ambitious citizen ofthe UAE, who aspires to beexceptionally successful in

many fields. He is one of the youngnational leaders capable of shoulder-ing their responsibilities in the serv-ice of the young nation.

Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Ahmed AlKhazimi was honoured by His High-ness Sheikh Mohammed bin RashidAl Maktoum, Vice-President andPrime Minister of the UAE and Rulerof Dubai. The honouring event, at thegraduation of the first batch of the

UAE Government Leaders Pro-gramme, was attended by His High-ness Lieutenant General Sheikh Saifbin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy PrimeMinister and Minister of Interior andHis Highness Sheikh Mansour binZayed Al Nahyan, Deputy PrimeMinister and Minister of PresidentialAffairs. The event was held at Emi-rates Place Hotel in Abu Dhabi inApril.

Lt. Col. Dr. Al Khazimi is head ofthe International Conventions andConferences at the Department of

International Cooperation, Ministryof Interior.

ìI consider myself to be very lucky,having joined the first batch of 58nationals of the UAE GovernmentLeaders Programmeî, said Lt. Col.Dr. Al Khazimi. ìThe 18-monthtraining and development was veryexciting, and it included training andworkshops in the UK, Australia,Canada and New Zealandî, he added.

He stressed that the honouring byHis Highness Sheikh Mohammed binRashid Al Maktoum was an accolade

Thrilled and honoured to join‘Future Leaders’

By Mahmoud Zaher

People


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Lt. Col. Dr. Ahmed AliHasan Sultan Al Khazimi wasborn in Murbeh, in the emi-rate of Fujeirah, in 1972. Heis married with six children(three boys and three girls).He received the Ministry ofInterior appreciation medal offirst degree in 2009 forobtaining his Ph. D., and themedal of sincere service fromthe Ministry of Interior in2003. He also received otheraccolades, including the pres-tigious The Sheikh RashidAward for Academic Excel-lence.

In his police career, Lt. Col.Dr. Al Khazimi worked atvarious departments beforebeing promoted to head of theInternational Conventionsand Conferences at theDepartment of InternationalCooperation, Ministry of Inte-rior.

of which he’s proud, and it also giveshim a great responsibility towardsserving the country and furtherupgrading the working standards ofthe Ministry of Interior.

Lt. Col. Dr. Al Khazimi was alsohonoured along with three otherMinistry of Interior staff at the Gen-eral Directorate of Strategy and Per-formance Development of the Gen-eral Secretariat of the Office of HisHighness Lieutenant General SheikhSaif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, DeputyPrime Minister and Minister of Inte-rior. The three other officers areLieutenant Colonels Aziz HamoudAl Ameri, Faisal Sultan Al Shuaibiand Humaid Al Maheiri.

The instructions of LieutenantGeneral Sheikh Saif to all staff, saidLt. Col. Dr. Al Khazimi, have beenbehind the achievements realised bythe Ministry of Interior on all fronts.ìWe now have a modern policeforce that has strategic and scientif-

ic planning, catching up with thelatest in police work and sciencesî,he underlined. ìOne of the greatestmoments was when Lieutenant Gen-eral Sheikh Saif received me in hisoffice; I submitted a copy of my Ph.D. degree to himî, he added.

Since joining the fifth batch of thePolice College, Lt. Col. Dr. AlKhazimi has been keen on develop-ing his skills. He attended more than20 training courses in the UAE andabroad, in addition to taking part inconferences and workshops andrepresenting the UAE as memberof official delegations. During hisstudy, he received a medal ofappreciation of first degree for hisoutstanding performance. He grad-uated in 1993 and pursued higherstudies to obtain his MA in lawfrom the University of Cairo in2000, and then his Ph. D. in consti-tutional law from the University ofLondon in 2008.

People

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Salem Mohammed AbdullahAl Dhahmani was born inFujeirah in 1982. His poetic

talent showed signs of maturity atearly age, and he attributes it tothe enchanting nature of the emi-rate, located on the serene EastCoast of the UAE.

Salem works at the Police Sta-tions Division of Fujeirah Policein Habhab, and his main task isentering data. His handicap wascaused by Polio, the childhooddisease.

ìMy childhood was very nor-mal; My family (parents and fivechildren) never made me feel Iwas different. They have alwaysbeen understanding and helpedme overcome all obstaclesî, hesaid.

The natural diversity of theemirate of Fujeirah, said Salem,has positively affected hislifestyle. ìIt has inspired me andsharpened my poetic talent. ìPo-etry has also been a method toexpress my sufferingî, he added.

Salem has been physicallychallenged since childhoodbecause of Polio. ìAt school nearour home at Al Bathna area, Istudied with normal children andI faced no difficulty in the learn-ing process, nor did I have anissue with coming to school. Iexcelled at school and was anoutstanding student in grade 12î,

he stressed.After high school, Salem

joined an education centre of theMinistry of Interior for the phys-ically challenged. After obtaininga degree in secretarial studies, hedecided to work and help changethe stereotype about physically-challenged individuals. Thedegree changed his life. Salemjoined the Information Technolo-gy Division of the General Direc-torate of Fujeirah Police.

ìWorking with Fujeirah Policehas opened doors in front of me,which were closed. Work hasgiven me the opportunity to con-tribute to society and achieveself-fulfillment. The most impor-tant thing is that I have been ableto serve my country that hasgiven us a lot. I have also knownmany peopleî, he said.

On the work environment atHabhab police station inFujeirah, Salem said: ìWork atthe station never stops, and theteam is very cooperative and pro-vides perfect services to the pub-lic smoothly. Our officers give usall help, but are also very meticu-lous when it comes to perfectingtheir dutiesî, he explained.

Salem is planning to pursuehigher studies and obtain adegree that will enhance his pro-fessional performance and enrichhis life.

Openingclosed doorsBy Khalid Al Dhanhani


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Caught inthe act!By Amani Al Yafaei

Satirical by instinct is how hedescribes himself and has donesince he was a young boy.

Khalifa Ahmed Malik Al Shihialways looked at things from a pecu-liar angle, and found in cartoons themethod to express his ideas, obses-sions and aspirations.

Khalifa, who works for the AbuDhabi Police, remembers an incidentwhen he was ‘caught’ by his teacherin the classroom drawing variousshapes on the pages of a book. ìApleasant surprise it was: the philoso-phy teacher was not angry at me. Heactually showed immediate admira-tion for what I was doing and encour-aged me to continue with this hobbyand asked me to send my drawings tomagazines and newspapersî, saidKhalifa. ìBut he asked me to focusmore on the curriculumî, he added.

Khalifa always loved to read news-papers and magazines, and he wasattracted most to cartoon pages. Histalent was so clear in drawing paint-ings of his teachers while they per-formed their duties at school. ìThatwent fine till I was caught in the actby the philosophy teacherî, said smil-ing Khalifa. ìBut things went well asthe teacher was so supportive, and hegave me all encouragementî.

The teacher’s advice was very use-ful; Khalifa sent some of his works tovarious publications in the country,and they got published.

Khalifa found that his hobby wasvery useful in his job at Abu DhabiPolice which he joined some 11years ago.

He joined the Generate Directorateof Central Operations. ìAfter officialworking hours, I listened to the

inquiries and complaints of staff andtransformthese complaints into ideasand cartoonsÖ that brought a smileon the face of every one who saw thedrawingsî, he said.

Khalifa’s drawings have been pub-lished in Al Ittihad newspaper and onlocal and GCC websites, and thatencouraged him to do more.

He believes this hobby is his life.His ideal is the late Palestinian car-toonist Naji al-Ali.

Khalifa’s biggest dream is to havechildren who will see his works,learn from him and compete withhim. His wife keeps a record of hisworks, and colours them. He alsodreams of always bringing smiles tothe faces of all people and transfer-ring his drawings to caricature char-acters and, at a later stage, to animat-ed cartoons.

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Flashback

A girl from Emirates Scouts presenting flowers to a traffic policemanin appreciation of Abu Dhabi Police efforts in enhancing road safety.

A policeman from the Vehicle Licensing Department of Abu Dhabi Police explaining to

a resident the correct way of fixing the numberplate on her car.

A traffic policeman organising traffic on a road in Abu Dhabi.

Perspectives

Ali [email protected]

The bitter harvestFigures do not lie. In the face of figures, we are exposed; if the figures are on our side,

we would brag and get arrogant; otherwise, the figures would cripple us and drag usaway from the pursuit of perfection.

Anything one does is threatened by flaws, but flaws are not necessarily the result ofill-preparedness or doing too little.

The Arab Thought Foundation (Al Fikr Al Arabi), recently published its secondreport on the development of Arab culture. It’s a very important report for governmentofficials involved in culture, education, the media and creativity in general in the Arabworld. In fact, we all need to read this report thoroughly.

The report says that government annual spending on a university student does notexceed US$800 in countries like Egypt, Syria, Morocco and Jordan. It is aroundUS$1,800 in Lebanon and Tunisia, and some US$8,000 in Saudi Arabia. The amountgoes to more than US$10,000 in Israel and France, while it’s around US$22,000 in theUnited States.

The report adds that the problem of financing has dented the performance of Arabuniversities; the growth of a given institution is not compatible with the average growthof financial allocations. The numbers of teachers, usually sent to Western universitiesfor higher education, has declined, and this trend has been replaced with ‘local’ educa-tional programmes. Universities have been unable to finance educational and research‘leaves of absence’ for its teaching staff outside national borders. Self-generating initia-tives at universities in the Arab world almost do not exist, though such initiatives con-tribute greatly to the quality of education and to the enhancement of administrative andfinancial independence in educational institutions in countries like the United States, theUnited Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Turkey.

The report says Arabic websites do not reflect the richness of Arab culture and her-itage. There are also weaknesses in educational portals, digital libraries and literatureand folklore websites. These very weaknesses in the contents of scientific search web-sites are coupled with the absence of interactive platforms in the websites of the min-istries of culture and government-run websites. Among a thousand website that are themost visited worldwide, there is only one Arabic website, and it is about cinema.

The cultural thought in Arab media takes a critical stance vis-à-vis Western culture,especially the American, springing out of the premise that ‘materialism controls life inthe West’ and that the political and ethnic diversity in the West reflects in its essence aneconomic condition that is dependent on the class system.

In addition, the relationship between culture and the political leadership in the Arabworld is very perplexing, and there is insistence by the intelligentsia in the press thatthey are detached from the political authority, even if they were officially part of it. Theintelligentsia make a separation between their cultural contribution and their ‘posts’ ingovernment, and there is a perceptible controversy among the intelligentsia and Arabcultural institutions about the freedom of exchanging information, swinging betweenthe necessities of human rights and national security and social stability requirements.This all comes at a time the media revolution has affected life in the Arab world to avery large extent. However, dialogue in Arab society has been enhanced, but tensionsremain, posing a question about the controversy of dialogue manners in our contempo-rary culture.

According to the report, what distinguishes the interest in the international worldorder is the attention being devoted to civil society and the position of development inArab thoughts, activities and institutional agendas. Nevertheless, despite the sympo-siums held in 2008, the contribution made remains meager as there was a stress on the-ory and Arab universities continued to retract their role in knowledge, though they need-ed to provide the basic environment for scientific research.

These are some of the important points included in the report. They give us an ideaabout the Arab cultural grounds today, in a world that pays unequivocal attention toinformation, education, the media and creativity. Let’s hope that the coming report willbe void of items that could make our stomach ache even worse.

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