Greetings once again from Dubai!

I’ve had a busy couple of days here, but have managed to take a few more pics by getting up early and having a bit of a wander around parts of the city that I have never been before. Before I get into that, I wanted to give you an overview of the “UAE” take on the cartoon furore currently dominating the headlines.
In contrast to riots in Iran, Syria and Lebanon, the local religious establishment, though condemning the insult to Islam, seem to be taking a softer, more considered view:

UAE scholars call upon Muslims to be forgivingBy Muawia E. Ibrahim 11 February 2006

ABU DHABI — As the rage continues around the world over the publication of blasphemous cartoons in some European newspapers, scholars in the UAE called upon Muslims to be forgiving and others to respect Islam, in order to avoid further violence.
In a unified Friday sermon yesterday, Imams at mosques across the country — while expressing their strong objection to blasphemous cartoons — said it would be wiser if Muslims could forgive to avoid a conflict between cultures.
"While others should respect our religion and refrain from any such acts, we — as Muslims — should take the course of forgiveness," urged the scholars.
"Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in the way that is best," the Imams quoted from the Holy Quran.
They quoted another verse in which the Almighty Allah told the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him): "So by Mercy from Allah, (O Muhammad) you were lenient with them. And if you had been rude, and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you."
The scholars cited a number of occasions on which Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) had set an example for forgiveness, as a wise way of coming to terms with the other, which won him the respect of all, including his foes.
Departing from the text of his written address, the Imam of the Shaikh Khalifa Mosque in Abu Dhabi, Shaikh Mahir Al Sofi said for the sake of tolerance and the respect shown by many in the West, Muslims should forgive this time.
He said in recent times, there have been many testimonies by non-Muslims about Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him), what indicates it is not everybody's idea about him.
Citing a few examples, Shaikh Sofi, who is a senior preacher at the now Auqaf Authority, said: "Recently, German historian Hart, who is a non-Muslim, placed Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) No. 1 in his book titled "The Greatest Hundred in History."
To write his novel book, Michael H. Hart has reportedly searched history, seeking for men who had the greatest influence on mankind.
"The most amazing thing about the selection of this author, though he is a non-Muslim, is that he has placed Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) as No. 1 — the first of his "100!", he noted.
Shaikh Sofi also cited another testimony by the famous Russian writer Tolstoy.
The issue of the cartoons was debated in many parts of the Muslim world yesterday, with scholars strongly objecting to their publication and describing it as an insult to Islam.
In Saudi Arabia, Shaikh Abdul Rahman Al Sudais, Imam of the Grand Mosque in Makkah, denounced what he described as a "serious insult" .
"What kind of freedom of expression is this?" he asked, while addressing the thousands of worshippers.
He said by doing so, the West itself is inciting violence and inviting terrorists to strike. He said the culprits in this case should be brought to justice in order to ensure respect for religion.
Shaikh Sudais' call comes on the heels of a proposal to hold an emergency meeting of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) to deal with the issue.
The proposal was made last week by Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki who called the publication of the cartoons an "organised assault".
OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu stressed that "Islamic nations will not tolerate such insulting acts," and welcomed Mottaki's proposal on holding an emergency session.

As I mentioned in an earlier entry, mass demonstrations don’t seem to be the done thing here:

Protest rumours fail to translate into action

By Tim Newbold 11 February 2006

ABU DHABI — An expected protest against the blasphemous cartoons failed to happen yesterday evening in Abu Dhabi.
Abu Dhabi had been awash with rumours over the weekend that thousands of Muslim residents were to again take to the streets.
It had been expected that a march would be staged on the corniche following Friday prayers. Residents exchanged a flurry of text messages and emails about organising a protest but the speculation failed to translate into action.

Between meetings, and terrifying, “pick a lane” taxi rides, I had a walk around the “old town” section of Dubai. It's the original settlement site of the city, and is, essentially, a small “refurbished” (maybe rebuilt?) collection of buildings designed to show how people lived before relentless building and skyscrapers changed the city forever.

It seems people who visit or live in Dubai have little interest in the past (the place was deserted). It’s a shame, because there were some interesting things to see and hear. The area is essentialy a museum, but also has a functioning mosque, and daycare center. The call to prayer from the minarets is always haunting, but seemed a little more poignant echoing as it did, over the empty lanes and courtyards. I met a couple of local people lounging away the day under an awning, and over tea, they explained the functioning of the wooden towers you see in the pictures. Ingenious in design, they act as wind funnels , creating a kind of “mechanical air-conditioning”. I sat in a room cooled in this way and it was remarkable how the blazing heat outside was channeled into a cool movement of air throughout the room…this technology is centuries old. Maybe we can learn something from this amazing use of architecture (?)

Above is the famous Burj Al Arab hotel. It's become something of a symbol of Dubai, and caters to the hyper rich. Rooms are reported to cost $1000’s a night, but the cost of construction was so great, that even if it was full for the next 100 years, it will still won't break even.
http://www.burj-al-arab.com/


That’s it for today’s report.

Tomorrow I have a day of form filling and standing in line to finally get the work visas for the guys we’re hiring to work here.


I hope all is well and everyone's happy and healthy

Terry