Ramadan
Is it not true, that with communications , transport and the ubiquitous internet that we are all now global citizens playing in a global market. We live and work in different countries; we travel to foreign lands to conduct business.
Our children grow up seeing the world as a small place where a trip or visit to anywhere on the globe is no more than a sleep away. Countries and their people have had to all learn to live within cultural melting pots of cultures, to understand cultures and their uniqueness.
It was once said by a native American Indian that 'You need to walk a mile in another man's moccasins to truly understand him ' We all need to cultivate tolerance and seek to immerse ourselves in the fabric of different cultures.
Here in Dubai we live in a truly diversified place, many cultures and many religions. I came across a marvelous book called 'Children of the sun by Piyu Majumdar and Paul Thuysbaert' which shows an amazing look at life for children brought up here in the gulf. Especially significant was a poem written for Ramadan. It brought tears to my eyes and I thought that by sharing it, new mothers would benefit from seeing what a privilege it is to bring a child into the world here in Dubai.
Ramadan
The sun sinks down low
And the long day is done
With dates and fresh fruit
Our Iftar has begun
All day we have fasted
With joy in our hearts
For pure thoughts and deeds
Set this fair month apart
We feel for the hungry, the helpless and weak
And master our hunger, our thoughts and our speech
When the sun sinks down low
And the day's at an end
We break bread together
With family and friends
Ramadan Kareen to all my muslim friends.
