Tag Archives: opinion
No arrest in front of families for minor crimes in Sharjah
No arrest in front of families for minor crimes in Sharjah Ahmed Shaaban / 1 June 2013 The Sharjah Police have been told not to arrest anyone guilty of a minor crime in front of their families, as the first in a series of suburban majlises (councils) in Sharjah opens. Shaikh Sultan interacts with citizens after inaugurating the majlis at Mughaidar in Al Tala district of Sharjah on Thursday. — Wam His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, who inaugurated the majlis at Mughaidar in Al Tala District on Thursday morning, said the councils were to be a safe haven for people to approach officials directly about their concerns. “We have always been dreaming of such outskirts majlises, and only today the dream has come true with the Mughaidar majlis, the first in a series to follow.” He added that the rationale behind such councils is to more efficiently fulfil people’s needs in terms of property, housing and other similar issues. “We…want these councils to enhance communication between officials and all members of the society.” Shaikh Sultan said there were many critical grounds behind the institution of these councils. “We’d like to protect people’s dignity, particularly home, in front of their wives and children.” Some people may make mistakes or do something wrong and hence the law enforcement bodies get involved, and arrest the wrongdoer in front of his family members. “Such kind of disgrace is not acceptable and does dishonour people.” Dr Shaikh Sultan said this should not happen in the case of minor crimes, such as bounced cheques or failure to pay loans or debts. “These are not big crimes such as murder, robberies and being a fugitive.” The police have been instructed never to storm any person’s house or arrest them before their family in these minor cases and violations. “Instead, the people in charge of these suburb councils need to interfere and talk to all parties concerned to amicably find a way out.” Shaikh Sultan said some people got angry about bad odour rising from their neighbours’ houses because of the sheep and cattle they were raising. “The suburban councils must interfere to protect neighbours’ rights and (there is) no need for police to interfere,” he said, indicating that people may also submit their comments and suggestions to the competent and prudent officials there to make the process more effective. Present at the inauguration were Shaikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, and Shaikh Abdullah bin Salem bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah. – ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com Sultan to chair pan-Arab Council of Elders The Sharjah Declaration on Family Cohesion, recently issued by the Arab Family Organisation (AFO), called for setting up of a council of elders and a centre for social studies to create a pan-Arab database for family researchers. The council will be chaired by His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah. Members of the new council will be selected from Arab countries in consultation with Shaikh Sultan, according to the declaration which was issued this month by the board of trustees of the AFO’s Arab Family Award, at a meeting in Sharjah. The declaration urged stakeholders to study the effects of globalisation on Arab families in preparation for drawing up an Arab strategy to protect the families from destructive thought. It also called for tapping the capabilities of the United Nations agencies involved in the achievement of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to reinforce national capabilities in this regard. The declaration recommended a review of development strategies so as to eliminate social backhandedness, poverty, diseases and illiteracy, in rural areas in particular. It also recommended a review of social policies to make them more compatible with MDGs. It urged for the development of national statistics centres including the improvement of technical capabilities. A media strategy to promote the values of Arab families through cultural and educational programmes was demanded by the declaration. The declaration called for the launch of a charter of honour for Arab TV channels as part of efforts to promote the values of Arab families and culture. It underlined the importance of concerted efforts by the Arab media and educational institutions to formulate a pan-Arab vision for preserving standard Arabic language and the sublime values of Islam The declaration thanked the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, for his support to work for families in the UAE. It also thanked Dr Shaikh Sultan for extending his patronage to the AFO and congratulated Lt-General Shaikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, on winning the AFO’s Personality of the Year for Family Cohesion and Social Security award for 2013. — Wam Continue reading
Learn always and take Dubai with you, students told
Learn always and take Dubai with you, students told Sarah Young / 1 June 2013 The need for lifelong learning and to connect with others in order to secure a better future was the message to students graduating from the Dubai International Academy. The academy’s fifth cohort of 105 students from 29 different countries graduated on Thursday evening at the American University of Dubai auditorium. Mohamed Ali Alabbar presenting the certificate to a student, as Abdul Rahman Nasser, executive Director for customer relations at the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, and other graduates look on during the ceremony at Dubai International Academy. — KT photo by Mukesh Kamal Chief guest Mohamed Ali Alabbar, chairman of Emaar and the Dubai Events Council, told students they were entering the world at a “very interesting moment of time on earth — a moment filled with optimism and positivity”. The fact students had received more than 300 admissions across 16 countries, and 11 scholarships, showed the quality of their education and their potential — but he encouraged them not to forget their “base” and that they had come from Dubai. “Take the way of life, the way of being in this incredible city everywhere you go. It’s very rare anywhere on earth any student or individual will be able to live, play, learn and create friendships in an environment with over 200 nationalities interacting so positively.” He encouraged them to be “proof” to the rest of the world that they came from such a place where different religions, languages, and cultures could coexist in harmony. The future of the world depended on what they did, and they should never stop challenging things, or learning, he said. “The environment changes every second of the day so your knowledge (becomes) null and void… (but) if you challenge and learn all the time you will be unstoppable.” American University of Dubai president Dr Lance de Masi also told students continuous learning was more important than ever now. The 21 st century had gone “topsy-turvy”, but one thing was certain: “human destiny depends on education”. Half of what students learnt today would no longer be true in 20 years, and at least half of what they would know in 20 years had not yet been discovered. However, just as a car was nothing without petrol, knowledge was nothing without character — and without a conciousness of something bigger than each individual, he reminded them. “Each time you share with your fellow man a specific strength you possess, you build a sense of community necessary to keep the planet turning…without connectedness, globalisation is a sham.” He encouraged the students not to be afraid of their potential, but to “live from the inside out, keep learning, look every fellow man in the face, and use your education to serve this world well”. This was the first year students had been admitted to Princeton in the US, and Cambridge in the UK, and also the first year in which two females — Xanita Saayman, 17, and Sana Rizvi, 18 — had been made valedictorian. Both passionate about the sciences, Saayman will be studying biochemistry in Canada next year, with the aim of moving into pharmaceutical or genetic research, while Rizvi will be studying medicine in the United Kingdom. Saayman said most of their cohort would study overseas, mainly in the US and Canada. The academy had prepared them well for independent study, and while they would miss the city they had lived in for four years, they were looking forward to what changes the future held, she said. sarah@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
Shaikh Khalifa congratulates nation on top efficiency rank
Shaikh Khalifa congratulates nation on top efficiency rank (Wam) / 31 May 2013 The President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, praised the efforts of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and Their Highnesses Members of the Supreme Council and Rulers of the Emirates and the people of UAE for achieving top ranking in government efficiency and social cohesion. The UAE is reaping the rewards of empowerment by achieving global recognition thanks to its wise vision and policies, government excellence, and the efforts of UAE citizens, Shaikh Khalifa said, commenting on the UAE No 1 ranking top in Global Competitiveness Handbook 2013 issued by International Institute of Management Development in Switzerland. “On this day, we remember with great appreciation the late Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and his brothers, the founding fathers of the UAE. We all feel that the seeds sown by our founding fathers, and cared for by their sons and grandchildren, have helped realise this remarkable achievement,” Shaikh Khalifa said. Shaikh Khalifa described the international recognition the UAE had received as a testimony to the leadership capabilities of Vice -President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum who is credited with stimulating national energies and developing government performance and practices to the highest international standards. “We salute Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and his government team on both local and federal levels for the achievements made and for the motivation they provided to the masses inside and outside the UAE. They have proven that the welfare of the citizens of the country is the government’s ultimate goal. The achievement made by the UAE in social cohesion is yet another example that we are on the right track on building the future.” Shaikh Khalifa went on to say: “what has been achieved so far is not a coincidence. It is an outcome of a solid foundation, a fruit of shura, justice, rule of law and savvy economic plans. It is a culmination of empowering people, family values, openess to the wold and balanced foreign relations.” He concluded by saying that maintaining such achievements require protection and elavation of national identity, the value of work, the sense of participation, the empowerment of women and youth, developing education, technology and abilities and maintaining strong military and security capabilities to defend the nation’s achievements. Continue reading
