RTA Launches “Accepted Fasting, Safe Road” Campaign

Starting early August 2010, the Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) rolled out Accepted Fasting & Safe Road Campaign to educate drivers on the appropriate methods of averting traffic accidents; which tend to increase in numbers during the holy month of Ramadan.

Engineer Hussain Al Banna, Director of Traffic, RTA Traffic & Roads Agency, congratulated the public on the advent of the holy month of Ramadan, and stated that the main focus of Accepted Fasting & Safe Road Campaign was to address the changes accompanying Ramadan such as the sleepless nights and fatigue impacting the attitudes of motorists, and reiterated RTA’s commitment to ensure the safety of road users and educate them during public events throughout the year.

Al Banna reflected on last Ramadan (2009); which had seen 239 traffic accidents that resulted in 16 fatalities; a 12% drop in fatality rate and 20% drop in traffic accidents compared to the previous Ramadan; which witnessed 298 traffic accidents resulting in 18 mortalities. “We hope not to have any traffic mortality this Ramadan, particularly noting that Ramadan this year coincides with the summer where many families are still having their annual vacations abroad,” commented Al Banna.

He continued: “The afternoon period, which witnesses the end of the working hours in many public & private institutions, accounts for the biggest share of traffic accidents & fatalities compared to other hours of Ramadan day. Statistics reveal that the afternoon (between 01:00 pm and 03.00 pm) accounts for 18% of the accidents recorded during other times of the day as it witnessed 44 traffic accidents resulting in 3 fatalities out of 16 death cases, and 52 injuries out of a total of 206 injuries”.

“The change in the sleeping and working habits impairs the focusing ability of fasting motorists; which is clearly manifested in the time of returning home where concentration drops to the minimum, thus impacting the ability of drivers to take appropriate decisions in time. Hence motorists need to exercise more caution when travelling from and to their homes to avoid traffic accidents,” noted Al Banna.

“The Campaign, which targets all motorists, is run in cooperation with Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC) where Ramadan awareness leaflets are distributed in all ENOC stations as well as other locations in cooperation with RTA’s strategic partners, driving institutes and some auto dealers & tire companies. The Campaign uses all available media channels to deliver awareness messages to the public such as RTA’s Variable Message Signs, releases & awareness flashes in radios and local papers, and the distribution of the campaign’s printed leaflet in RTA’s customer service centers, vehicles testing & registration centers and some public transport stations in Dubai,” added Al Banna.

RTA’s Director of Traffic urged motorists to take sufficient rest before driving and advised them to stop to take a break if they feel exhausted, drowsy or yawning frequently, pointing out that a brief break might help the driver complete his journey.

He also called on drivers who hear Maghreb Azan while driving to stop at the nearest petrol station or grocery to take a light Iftar – even if it simply consists of water and few dates – before resuming travelling.

Al Banna noticed that most traffic accidents that usually take place during Ramadan were attributed to the lack of leaving safe distance between vehicles. Therefore he called on every motorist to leave a sufficient distance from the vehicle ahead and to turn on the vehicle’s air conditioner as the hot weather gives a feeling of fatigue & exhaustion. He concluded his remarks asking drivers to ensure that the seat-back is in an upright position and have their heads up to ensure correct posture while driving.

DHCC To Host Lecture On Importance Of Healthy Fasting During Ramadan

Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC), a member of TECOM Investments, today announced it will host a special lecture on the principles behind the Holy Month of Ramadan and the importance of healthy fasting.

Prominent Islamic preacher Sheikh Dr Ahmed Al Kubaisi and Dr. Nasir Nawasreh, General Physician at The JCI-accredited City Hospital, will lead the lecture on 19 August at 11.00am in the Dubai Knowledge Village Auditorium. The event will be open to the public.

Dr. Ayesha Abdullah, Executive Director of Dubai Healthcare City, said: “We are delighted to host the Dubai Healthcare City special Ramadan lecture that will be led by Sheikh Dr Ahmed Al Kubaisi. The Holy Month of Ramadan is a time for fasting, reflection, devotion and humility. It is also an opportunity to adopt healthier lifestyles – a topic Dr Nasir Nawasreh will highlight in his lecture.”

Registration for the lecture that will be held in Arabic can be done on DHCC’s Facebook page or by emailing info@dhcc.ae.
 

Dubai Religion

Islam is the official religion of the UAE and is integral to the local culture. The Arabic word “Islam” literally means “submission to God,” and the core of the faith is the belief that there is only one God (Allah) who should be worshiped. And, in a line of prophets who included Adam, Abraham, Noah, Moses, John the Baptist, David, and Jesus, Mohammed was the last and most definitive. Muslims believe that Christianity, Judaism, and Islam are all essentially the same, but that the messages from the earlier prophets have been distorted and that Mohammed was chosen by God to revive, refine, and purify His message.

The main sources of Islam are the Koran (or Qur’an)—the revelations Mohammed received during his lifetime and Mohammed’s own actions, the Hadith. Mohammed was born in Mecca (in present-day Saudi Arabia) in 570 and began to receive revelations from God, via the angel Gabriel, around 610. These continued until his death in nearby Medina in 632. The illiterate Mohammed would pass on each revelation to his scribes, who would then input them as a particular verse in the Koran.

The Arabic word qur’aan means “recitation,” and Muslims regard the holy book’s contents as the word of God. The Koran’s 114 chapters were not revealed in the order presented, and in fact many were patched together from passages received by Mohammed at different times in his life. The year before he died, however, Mohammed finally recited in its entirety the order in which these original verses were to stay. The Koran provided a basic framework for Islam, but it didn’t go into specific detail: Of 6,616 verses, only 80 concerned issues of conduct. For more practical guidance, Muslims referred to Mohammed’s actions and words while he was alive, even though he never claimed any infallibility beyond his intermediary status. The prophet’s actions and words were remembered by those who knew him and passed down through Muslim communities. The five pillars of Islam are drawn from the Koran and the Hadith, and are the basic religious duties and cornerstones of the faith.

• Statement of Faith (shahadah) “I testify that there is no god but God, and Mohammed is the Messenger of God.” If you say this with absolute sincerity, then you have become, or are, a Muslim.

• Prayer (salat) Prayer must be performed five times a day, preferably within a mosque, though in the modern world many Muslims make this effort only for the midday prayer.Since the Islamic calendar is a lunar one, the day, and the first prayer, begins at sunset. Prayers follow in evening, dawn, midday, and afternoon. The exact times for these are set in advance by the religious authorities and published in local newspapers. In the past, muezzins would climb to the top of the mosque’s minaret and call the faithful to prayer, but today it is mostly prerecorded and played over electronic speakers. Prayer involves specific rituals, the most important being the act of purification. This is achieved by rinsing out the mouth, sniffing water into the nostrils, and washing the face, head, ears, neck, feet, and (lastly) hands and forearms. Even if there is no water available, one must go through the actions.

• Alms (zakat) It is believed that alms-giving purifies the heart of greed, while receiving charity purifies it of envy. The Islamic tolerance toward begging is drawn from this.

• Fasting (sawm) Fasting takes place during Ramadan (see below), the ninth month of the lunar cycle.

• Pilgrimage (hajj) Every Muslim who has the means is bound by duty to make the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in his/her lifetime. This usually takes place in the 12th month.

RAMADAN Ramadan the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar is when Mohammed received the first of his revelations from God. Muslims observe a strict fast during the entire month originally modeled after similar Jewish and Christian practices and use the time for worship and contemplation. During the day, all forms of consumption are forbidden including eating, smoking, drinking, and any form of sexual contact. However, this is only the outward show of what is intended as a deeper, spiritual cleansing and strengthening of faith. One Hadith says, “There are many who fast all day and pray all night, but they gain nothing but hunger and sleeplessness.”

All Muslims who have reached puberty are expected to observe the fast. It is generally accepted that the elderly and the chronically ill are exempt, as are those who are sick or traveling, mothers who are nursing, and menstruating or pregnant women, all of whom are encouraged, for every day of fasting missed, to provide a meal for one poor person who is breaking their fast. Children are not required to fast, though some families encourage them to do so for part of a day or for a few days during the month.

At the end of the day the fast is broken with a light meal followed by the sunset prayer, which is then followed by an evening meal called the iftar. Muslims are encouraged to share iftar with family, friends, and neighbors as well as the poor and non-Muslims. The fast is resumed the next morning, traditionally when “you can plainly distinguish a white thread from a black thread by the daylight.”

The last 10 days of Ramadan are considered especially important, and many Muslims retreat to their mosque or other community centers for prayer and recitations of the Koran. Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Power) is a special night of prayer commemorating Mohammed’s first revelation. It is believed that this is when heaven is open to the faithful and God determines the course of the world for the following year.

When the crescent of the new moon of the 10th month rises, Ramadan ends with Eid al-Fitr (Feast of Fast Breaking). The feast lasts for 3 days and is a time of both religious significance and social festivities.

Non-Muslims should be aware of the daytime fast taking place and attempt not to eat, drink, or smoke in front of those who are fasting. Many Dubai hotels offer in-house daytime meals to accommodate their non-Muslim guests, but restaurants that open during the day are typically cordoned off with curtains.

Business activity is slower during Ramadan, and local labor laws require companies to shorten the working day by 2 hours during this period. Everything changes at sundown, however, when the city comes to life. Muslims pack restaurants throughout town for the breaking of the fast. Make a reservation, as getting a table can be difficult. After dinner, Dubai continues to sparkle, with shopping centers, shisha cafes, and Ramadan “tents” filling up in celebration of the holy month.