The Emirati author Maitha Al Khayat’s children imagine her as a superhero when she’s wearing a shayla. The 35-year-old, who wears the veil by choice, says her kids are proud of their mother’s modest attire.
“I’m like Batwoman,” says the mother of four with a laugh. She is well-known for her children’s book I Love My Dad’s Long Beard and her new story, I Love My Mum’s Pretty Veil, has been launched as a reading app, with the support of twofour54’s creative lab. The app – which portrays veiled women from around the world and their children’s pride in them– was launched last month at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair.
“The idea came during a reading session and workshop I was conducting a few years back at a school,” explains Al Khayat. “I was trying to get the children to help me write a new book and they suggested I talk about a mum and her veil. I encouraged them to draw their mummy and imagine them wearing the veil, asking them why they love it so much. Most of the opinions were that they were so proud of their culture. One child said they can count the beads on their mother’s veil. For another, it looked like a piece of art.”
The author worked with animators, graphic designers and the Abu Dhabi-based company Pixel and Paper to convert her pencil sketches into an app. Not produced as a conventional story, the bilingual reading app conveys the poetic ideas of children from different nationalities through illustrations and text, with embedded activities to improve their technology skills while reading.
“Children from various countries will find their mothers portrayed in it,” says Al Khayat, who lent her voice for the app. “But it isn’t only about the kids. The book encourages families from around the world to view the veil in a different light and see how proud we are of our culture.”
Mothers from the UAE, Palestine, Oman, Egypt, Sudan and Indonesia are depicted in the app, each wearing different types of veils, accompanied by their children’s insights.
“For instance,” says Al Khayat, “the Indonesian child sees her mother’s shayla as a cloud and imagines herself riding it and learning the alphabet. I have also represented a woman who wears a black abaya in the book. She represents an international woman and can be from anywhere – Tunisia, the US or the UAE. For some people, black signifies mourning but I wanted to show that it is also a formal and elegant colour.”
Al Khayat hopes that the app will help change misconceptions associated with women who opt to cover up: “It isn’t about promoting the veil as much as it is about promoting the love of identity. A majority of women are proud of wearing the veil. And I am so happy that it isn’t just the mothers but even the children who think that way.”
The reading app also offers interesting facts about each country featured in it, says Khayat.
“An Egyptian mum is depicted in a cotton plantation. Not many people are aware that Egypt is not just about the pyramids. In fact, it has been the supplier of cotton to the world for decades.”
I Love My Mum’s Pretty Veil is available for download on iTunes.
aahmed@thenational.ae
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UAE jiu-jitsu squad
Men: Hamad Nawad and Khalid Al Balushi (56kg), Omar Al Fadhli and Saeed Al Mazroui (62kg), Taleb Al Kirbi and Humaid Al Kaabi (69kg), Mohammed Al Qubaisi and Saud Al Hammadi (70kg), Khalfan Belhol and Mohammad Haitham Radhi (85kg), Faisal Al Ketbi and Zayed Al Kaabi (94kg)
Women: Wadima Al Yafei and Mahra Al Hanaei (49kg), Bashayer Al Matrooshi and Hessa Al Shamsi (62kg)
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
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David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
World Cup final
Who: France v Croatia
When: Sunday, July 15, 7pm (UAE)
TV: Game will be shown live on BeIN Sports for viewers in the Mena region
UAE players with central contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Adnan Mufti, Mohammed Usman, Ghulam Shabbir, Ahmed Raza, Qadeer Ahmed, Amir Hayat, Mohammed Naveed and Imran Haider.
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
Day 4, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Lahiru Gamage appeared to have been hard done by when he had his dismissal of Sami Aslam chalked off for a no-ball. Replays suggested he had not overstepped. No matter. Two balls later, the exact same combination – Gamage the bowler and Kusal Mendis at second slip – combined again to send Aslam back.
Stat of the day Haris Sohail took three wickets for one run in the only over he bowled, to end the Sri Lanka second innings in a hurry. That was as many as he had managed in total in his 10-year, 58-match first-class career to date. It was also the first time a bowler had taken three wickets having bowled just one over in an innings in Tests.
The verdict Just 119 more and with five wickets remaining seems like a perfectly attainable target for Pakistan. Factor in the fact the pitch is worn, is turning prodigiously, and that Sri Lanka’s seam bowlers have also been finding the strip to their liking, it is apparent the task is still a tough one. Still, though, thanks to Asad Shafiq and Sarfraz Ahmed, it is possible.
The biog
Hobby: "It is not really a hobby but I am very curious person. I love reading and spend hours on research."
Favourite author: Malcom Gladwell
Favourite travel destination: "Antigua in the Caribbean because I have emotional attachment to it. It is where I got married."
Zidane's managerial achievements
La Liga: 2016/17
Spanish Super Cup: 2017
Uefa Champions League: 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18
Uefa Super Cup: 2016, 2017
Fifa Club World Cup: 2016, 2017
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Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
How Beautiful this world is!
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BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5