Dear Ali: I would like to go shopping the traditional way. I'm referring to the pieces that some the local women wear at home – I've heard it called taqa or bou taira. I would also like to know where would be the best place to buy local textiles? MS, Sharjah
Dear MS: I just finished talking to my mother, "Umm Ali", to double-check if the places I used to go with her are still there. So this information can be credited to my mum.
First of all, our local Emirati textiles are no different from our camels. Why? They all have names, as per certain elements. For example, if the textile, or taqa as we refer to it, has circles on it, we call it bou teela; if it has a bird shape on it, we call it bou taira (taira means “bird”). All come in different colours on the same piece, but there is also sayah, which is the name of the textile that comes in one colour. Additionally, there’s what we call atlas – this textile comes in four or more different colours.
These all used to be tailored to make mekhawara or jalabiya, our tailored dress. In our culture, these dresses come in various colours, which means the ladies also have to choose a matching shayla, or what is called mishmar – headwear that isn’t necessarily black, but comes in different colours. These are used more as housewear.
Also when going out to the desert, a picnic and so on, it’s not taken as an official dress, but it is an official social style since a long time ago.
Where can you find all of these? Well, you’re in Sharjah, so you can find these items at the Old Market or Souq Al Arsa.
Some of the most unique ones are in Dubai’s Souq Al Ras and Souq Al Jumla. Ask around about them. There really are no other better traditional souqs to find some real textiles in all of the country.
By the way, when women visit these souqs, they don’t just buy one piece of dress textile and headgear – they basically purchase a darzan, which means 12 pieces, and the price is usually Dh120.
Dear Ali: What’s your take on abortion? Does your culture approve of it? GA, United States
Dear GA: Abortion is considered a sin in Islam, and the UAE law equates it with a murder, although it will only be considered murder when the foetus reaches 120 days old (17 weeks).
There’s a belief in Islam that a soul is grown inside the foetus when it’s 120 days old, while other scholars say that’s the case at 40 days old.
It’s strictly forbidden to kill any soul for no reason in Islam, but the UAE law does state that if there’s a valid reason for an abortion, for example if the pregnancy causes the mother’s life to be threatened or there is evidence that the baby will be born with fatal deformities and will not survive, then it’s not considered a crime to have it aborted. Again, it would only be allowed before the 17-week mark.
Abortion for any other reason is forbidden in Islam, particularly in the case of adultery, which can lead to unwanted pregnancies. In the United States, for example, there are some states that forbid abortion, so it’s not only Islam that forbids it – as you can see, it’s somewhat of a global issue.
Yes, in our culture this subject is brought up from time to time, but it’s always associated with negative thoughts. But our society is aware of the issue and understands that it can happen.
Ali Al Saloom is a cultural adviser and public speaker from the UAE. Follow @AskAli on Twitter, and visit www.ask-ali.com to ask him a question.
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