.: The Red Brick – Dubai College's Student Newspaper :.

 Only after two recent typhoons has the international community been reminded of Japan’s continual plight in the wake of natural disasters – highlighting our ignorance (or reluctance) to provide sustained aid in the essential recovery process.

 On March 11, 2011, Japan was struck by a devastating earthquake and subsequent tsunami. The magnitude of the disaster was unquestionable – 9.0 on the Richter scale, 24,000 dead and billions of dollars in damage.

 There was a certain shock value in watching twenty foot waves pummel a house. Our hearts lent themselves to victims and our hands reached for wallets. But as the images fade, we forget and carry on with our lives and our troubles. Of course, this is understandable. Who wants to live the worries of someone else when there’s perfectly enough at home? But at that moment, when the waters recede and the last are pulled from under debris, the greatest struggle begins – towards normalization. In Japan, this has continued for the past seven months and it’s already seen one prime minister go.

 Yet 80000 people still live in temporary housing.

 What many people fail to realize, is just how tough the road to recovery is. Aid is difficult to administer and does not reach everyone. The political situation in Japan has only recently stabilized. And even now Japan’s fragile economy peeters on the edge.

 But what of the victims? What of the people who have to live in such difficult conditions without an end in sight? Isn’t this where the international community has an obligation to intervene? We’re not talking about hundreds of rescue teams or billions of pounds in aid. But simply, experts in logistics and disaster management, people to help plan recovery and distribute aid. Incidentally, of the 22 countries that pledged aid after the disaster, not one of them sent disaster management personnel to Japan. Surely a truly concerned nation would be interested in providing sustained assistance that could help Japan rebuild in the long run, not just a politically correct spontaneous reaction.

 The Japanese people are suffering. And they are not receiving coverage. Sadly in today’s ridiculously fast world, Networks and Publishing houses have to resort to more eye catching news in order to make the largest possible impression on viewers in the shortest amount of time. But sometimes what isn’t in the news involves some of the most pressing issues today. Japan’s need is undoubtedly pressing – typhoon Talas (killed 90) and typhoon Roke (killed 11) have battered an already stagnant recovery, and with much of typhoon season left to go, still more damage could be done. In a country beaten and bruised, a fragile hope dangerously flickers. And now there is a fear no one is listening. We have to remind the Japanese that we, the international community, are there for them – and that they are neither out of sight nor out of mind.

1918: the year women in Germany, Canada and Austria got their vote.

1928: the year women in England got their vote.

2015: the year women in Saudi Arabia are finally given the right to vote and stand for election.

In 2015, women in Saudi Arabia will get the vote for the first time in the nation's history

Almost a century after the first women in Europe were given the vote, King Abdullah - the 87 year old monarch of Saudi Arabia – has granted women the ability ‘to run as candidates in the municipal election’ and the ‘right to vote’. This is seen as a big step for many, as the fundamentalist state of Saudi Arabia has been depriving women of basic civic freedoms that others are able to enjoy all over the world. In Saudi Arabia, women’s rights are governed by the Wahhabi school of Sunni Islam and Islamic law (Sharia). However, in recent years this has been criticized due to its radical interpretation of laws over issues such as the right to drive and the demand that a male is to accompany a woman on any trip outside of the confinements of their household.

Due to this law and the administrative vacuum, women are also not allowed to drive cars or even obtain a drivers license. There was even a campaign to issue these driving licenses which involved women taking control of the driving wheel; however with the protection of a male guardian at hand. This had little effect with authorities, which complained that the women were provoking them, which led to the arrest of many campaigners.

However, surprisingly, King Abdullah is proving to be sympathetic to the pledge of the Saudi women; for example he backed the establishment of a non-segregated university and has discussed plans to appoint women to senior positions. Sadly, even though 60% university students are women, only 10% of those in the workforce are- which clearly underlines the fact that they are unable to lead the life of a educated women in the modern world.

Some pivotal changes have started in the last few months, the most important and influential being the launch of the Arab Spring; a revolutionary wave of demonstrations and protests occurring in the Arab world. This has paved the way for others who are unhappy with their social situation and seek political change. This, along with domestic pressure for women’s rights is seen to have prompted this change in the political system. The King now claims that ‘Because we refuse to marginalize women in society in all roles that comply with the Sharia, we have decided, after deliberation with our senior ulama (clerics) and others… to involve women in the Shura council as members, starting from next term”.

Many may argue that this as only small step for womankind, however, this could inspire hope in the minds of many more Saudi Arabian Women who will continue their fight towards equality. Any change, however small, can only be viewed as a good sign.

According to the annual statistics released by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in Dubai, there has been a noticeable drop in the number of Britons arrested in the UAE. Perhaps it was the effect of the British Consul visit to schools (like Mandy who visited DC in April) or the impact that the arrests had on the headlines back home, but undeniably British behaviour in the UAE has improved.

The number of Britons arrested on drug-related offences in the UAE has fallen by 79%, whilst the number of arrests overall (including drug-related offences) fell by 18%. One million Britons visit the UAE each year, however, last year they were most likely to be arrested in the Emirates than anywhere else, second only to Thailand. In response to this, the British Embassies in the UAE increased their outreach programme activities, providing educative talks at schools such as DC, advice through the media and travel advice published in British newspapers.  As a result, the UAE has moved into seventh place as Britons travelling abroad are now most likely to be arrested in Spain and the US, highlighting the raised awareness that Britons have when on holiday here.  

Clearly the message has finally got through… When living abroad, Britons need to respect the local laws and culture.

The People's Princess

Diana, Princess of Wales, was killed after her car crashes in a Paris underpass. The driver and herfriend, Dodi Al Fayed, were also killed in the collision in a tunnel under the Place D’Alma in the centre of the city after the Princess’ car was being pursued at high-speed by photographers. Dodi Al Fayed – son of Harrods owner, Mohammed Al Fayed – and the chauffeur were killed at the scene but Princess Diana and her bodyguard were cut from the wreckage and rushed to hospital where they later died.

September 1^st 1939: Germany declares war on Poland

German forces attacked Poland across all frontiers as its planes bombed all major cities – including the capital, Warsaw. The attack came without any warning or declaration of war. Britain and France were forced to mobilise their troops and declare war on Germany on the 3^rd September 1939 after Hitler ignored their separate ultimatums, demanding the withdrawal of German troops from Poland – World War II had begun. 

Lennox Lewis

September 2nd 1965: Birth of Lennox Lewis, English professional boxer and 1988 Olympic Gold medallist

Around 335 people – half of them children – died after a 3-day siege at a Russian school came to a bloody end; the exact number will probably never be known as 100 people are still listed as missing. Many of the bodies were so badly burned that they were deemed unrecognisable. The siege began early on 1^st September when a group of masked men and women, wearing bomb belts, stormed into the school, opening fire in the courtyard where students had gathered for a ceremony to mark the beginning of the school year. The attackers demanded the release of fighters seized in neighbouring Ingushetia in June during a raid on the region, threatening to blow up the school if troops stormed the building. An agreement was reached to remove the bodies of the dead yet as the troops drew closer to collect them, there were two loud explosions and then automatic gun-shot as heavily armed soldiers ran towards the building. The shooting went on for several hours as witnesses stated that piles of dead bodies could be seen in front of the gym doors. The only hostage-taker to be captured alive, Nur-Pashi Kulayev, a Chechen carpenter, was sentenced to life imprisonment in May 2006.

September 4^th 1985: Titanic wreck captured on film for the first time

The first pictures of the Titanic were released over 73 years after the liner sank with the loss of over 1,500 lives

September 5th 1698: Russia’s Peter the Great imposes a tax on beards

September 6^th1915: First Tank is produced

Little Willie

In  1915, a prototype tank nicknamed Little Willie rolls off the assembly line in England. Little Willie was far from an overnight success. The British developed the tank in response to the pre-existing trench warfare of World War I. In 1914, a British army colonel named Ernest Swinton and William Hankey, Secretary of the Committee for Imperial Defence, championed the idea of an armoured vehicle with conveyor-belt-like tracks over its wheels that could break through enemy lines and traverse difficult territory. The men appealed to British navy minister Winston Churchill, who believed in the concept of a “land boat” and organised a Landships Committee to begin developing a prototype. It weighed 14 tonnes, got stuck in trenches and crawled over rough terrain at only two miles per hour. However, improvements were made to the original prototype and tanks eventually transformed military battlefields around the world.

Hajj is truly unique. As the world spins and time ticks at frantic pace, the heart of one city remains unperturbed. Just as the planets orbit the sun, just as electrons orbit the nucleus, people orbit the Kaaba in unity – with the belief in One God, the Creator of the Universe. Hajj is a pillar of Islam that has continued uninterruptedly from the very dawn of human history. Six thousand years ago, the Prophet Ibrahim rebuilt the Kaaba in the valley of Makkah, the very place that Muslims of the 21^st century will pray this November.

Why is Hajj so essential in Islam? Islam is based upon ideals of peace and brotherhood. Hence, this is the place where beliefs are put into action. In Hajj, worldly success or fame makes no difference. This is a place where Kings and paupers are equal – humbly dressed in white cloth with the intention to worship Allah. People of all race, age, creed and class bow down in synchrony towards the House of God, and there is silence as millions of people, each with their individual situations and weaknesses,  focus on Allah. Indeed, many feel that Hajj is the true human experience. Over centuries, Mecca has always held the largest annual congregation of people with this very intention to worship Allah, for His Help and Mercy in this world and the hereafter. As Islam is the fastest growing religion, this annual congregation will continue to flourish in the future.

What is remarkable is the spiritual transformation that many feel after their experience from Hajj. Malcolm X, America’s Civil Rights activist, well known for his racial and segregationist ideas underwent a complete change after his experience in Makkah.

“During the past eleven days here in the Muslim world, I have eaten from the same plate, drunk from the same glass, and slept on the same rug – while praying to the same God – with fellow Muslims, whose eyes were the bluest of blue, whose hair was the blondest of blond, and whose skin was the whitest of white. But we were all participating in the same ritual, displaying a spirit of unity and brotherhood that my experiences in America had led me to believe never could exist between the white and non-white.”

Aside from the spirituality of Hajj, many have examined intriguing scientific facts. Firstly, many may question – ‘Why is the Kaaba positioned in the heart of Mecca?’ Recently it has been discovered that Mecca is the ‘Golden Ratio point’ of the world. The Golden Ratio – or the number 1.618 which is the superior design number of mathematics famously examined by Leonardo Da Vinci, is present in the heart pulse, the aspect ratio of the DNA spiral and even in the special design of numerous galaxies. It is truly intriguing that Mecca is the ‘Golden Ratio’ point of the world – from the North Pole and the South Pole, the map of Longitude and Latitude, and the difference from Mecca and the Solstice line.

Indeed, Hajj is a curious experience; one where the heart is purified from all evils, where unity of the human race is felt, and where a true spiritual connection with Allah is experienced.

Iman Tahir

Here are some famous personalities that you probably didn’t know were Muslims!

Frank Ribéry
He’s a French football player who also plays for the German club Bayern Munich. Ribéry converted to Islam, as his wife, Wahiba, is a French national of Algerian descent. After converting, Frank Ribery changed his name to Bilal Yusuf Mohammed, however he continues to put “Ribery” on his football shirt.

T-Pain
He is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor. He was born a Muslim (his parents are Muslim too) and his real name is Faheem Rasheed Najm. T-Pain is friends with another Muslim hip-hop artist, Afnanymous, and is signed onto the record label Konvict which is run by Akon (see below.)

Yusuf Islam
He is often known by his former stage name Cat Stevens and is probably the most famous Islamic covert. He is a singer and song writer and also an educator and philanthropist. After converting, he auctioned all of his guitars away and gave the proceeds to charity. He left his music career to devote himself to charity work and educational causes in the Muslim community.

(From top left, clockwise) T-Pain, Franck Ribery, Mike Tyson, Shaquille O'Neal, Yusuf Islam, Akon.

Akon
He is an American singer-song writer , rapper record producer and philanthropist who is originally from Senegal, having been born a Muslim. His name is actually Aliaune Damala Akon Thiam and has referred to Islam in his lyrics, for example in his song “Senegal” (which you can listen to below) he says “”Everything we do is for Allah.”

Senegal by Akon (With Lyrics) – YouTube

Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson is an American boxer. He adopted the Muslim name Malik Abdul Aziz, after his conversion to the Nation of Islam. He did this to mirror the actions of his hero Muhammed Ali.

Shaquille O’Neal
He is an American NBA basketball player who plays for the Boston Celtics. O’Neal has also released four albums, starred in many films and has his own reality show. “Shaq” is a Muslim through his step father and hopes to make the holy pilgrimage of Hajj soon.

By Sara Haider and Dalia Adib