Ask Ali: On Muslim men's beards



Dear Ali: Why do the majority of Emirati men have very trimmed beards or stubble as opposed to Muslim men from other countries who have much fuller beards? JH, Birmingham, UK

Dear JH: A lot of Emirati men, especially those in the larger cities and who are in business or work in governmental positions, prefer a short, trimmed beard as a fashion choice or are simply following an employer's grooming rule. There are such rules, for instance that Emirati employees of governmental institutions should wear local dress at work.

What kind of beard and hairstyle we wear is a personal choice. In the cities you will see mostly the "city boys" with trimmed beards, and also some long-bearded men. But in the villages and the more remote areas, you often will see men with long hair and natural beard growth.

Dear Ali: It's my dream to visit Dubai - I've loved it since childhood - but is a single young woman allowed? Also, I believe Dubai is safe. If I walk alone at midnight no one will disturb me, right? LL, Azerbaijan

Dear LL: The government decides who will be allowed to enter a country and it formulates its policy in visa rules. I can assure you there is no law in the UAE that says single women are not allowed in.

Still, it is an open secret that sometimes the authorities ardently scrutinise visa applications. If, for example, there had been repeated violations of UAE law by a specific group of people, they would try to prevent further disrespect of our law by denying entry permits to people in that group.

A suggestion: why not get a tour operator to arrange your stay, including the visa?

It is safe to walk alone at midnight in the UAE's cities. Dubai, like New York, is "the city that never sleeps". The transportation system is operating, the lights on the main roads are on 24/7, and people are always about. We are blessed with safety in our country and that includes being out and about at midnight.

Dear Ali: I lived in Dubai in 2002-2003 and worked for a production company in Media City. This company did not provide me with medical insurance. I became quite ill and required expensive medical care. I left Dubai abruptly, leaving behind a huge debt. I would like to return one day. What can I do about this situation? Shouldn't my employer have been responsible for ensuring that I had been provided with medical insurance? Could I sue for damages? RL, Toronto

Dear RL: You need legal assistance, but the bills are yours and you are responsible.

Even after 10 years there still could be an open claim against you, depending on to whom you owe the money, how much it is and if a case against you was formally reported. On the other hand, a statute of limitations may have been reached.

UAE labour law states that employers shall provide medical insurance to their employees, and no residence visas are issued without proof of such insurance.

Of course, an employment contract is a contract between two parties, who are supposed to agree on terms and conditions. For you to hold your former employer responsible for not providing you with insurance depends on the conditions agreed to in your contract.

Language lesson

Arabic: Mahrajan

English: Festival

Nothing says celebration more than the word "festival". If you are planning to go to one with a friend, you would say "Aba aseer al maharajan", which means "I want to go to the festival".

Scorecard

Scotland 220

K Coetzer 95, J Siddique 3-49, R Mustafa 3-35

UAE 224-3 in 43,5 overs

C Suri 67, B Hameed 63 not out

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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher:  Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5

Thank You for Banking with Us

Director: Laila Abbas

Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum

Rating: 4/5

Dark Souls: Remastered
Developer: From Software (remaster by QLOC)
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Price: Dh199

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'My Son'

Director: Christian Carion

Starring: James McAvoy, Claire Foy, Tom Cullen, Gary Lewis

Rating: 2/5

Anxiety and work stress major factors

Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.

A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.

Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.

One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.

It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."

Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.

“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi. 

“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."

Daniel Bardsley

Match info

Deccan Gladiators 87-8

Asif Khan 25, Dwayne Bravo 2-16

Maratha Arabians 89-2

Chadwick Walton 51 not out

Arabians won the final by eight wickets

TV: World Cup Qualifier 2018 matches will be aired on on OSN Sports HD Cricket channel

Race card

1.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,200m.

2.15pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,200m.

2.45pm: Handicap Dh95,000 1,200m.

3.15pm: Handicap Dh120,000 1,400m.

3.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,400m.

4.15pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,800m.

4.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,950m.

The National selections:

1.45pm: Galaxy Road – So Hi Speed

2.15pm: Majestic Thunder – Daltrey

2.45pm: Call To War – Taamol

3.15pm: Eqtiraan - Bochart

3.45pm: Kidd Malibu – Initial

4.15pm: Arroway – Arch Gold

4.35pm: Compliance - Muqaatil

The story in numbers

18

This is how many recognised sects Lebanon is home to, along with about four million citizens

450,000

More than this many Palestinian refugees are registered with UNRWA in Lebanon, with about 45 per cent of them living in the country’s 12 refugee camps

1.5 million

There are just under 1 million Syrian refugees registered with the UN, although the government puts the figure upwards of 1.5m

73

The percentage of stateless people in Lebanon, who are not of Palestinian origin, born to a Lebanese mother, according to a 2012-2013 study by human rights organisation Frontiers Ruwad Association

18,000

The number of marriages recorded between Lebanese women and foreigners between the years 1995 and 2008, according to a 2009 study backed by the UN Development Programme

77,400

The number of people believed to be affected by the current nationality law, according to the 2009 UN study

4,926

This is how many Lebanese-Palestinian households there were in Lebanon in 2016, according to a census by the Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue committee

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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