Ramadan Pictures

Every year the Boston Globe publishes its fave Ramadan photos. They're all great - and show Ramadan being celebrated around the globe. Here our favourite, but check them all out:

Ramadan Prayer Times 2011

"Arabs are not used to being told what to do"

Hat tip to Geoff Pound. The UK Tourism Authority are providing advisory ahead of the 2012 Olympics, "as part of its campaign to help enhance cultural awareness, avoid misunderstandings and boost performance in caring for customers"

here's what it says about Emiratis:

Remember Arabs are not used to being told what to do.
Visitors from the United Arab Emirates can take great offence if you appear bossy. They appreciate being looked after by staff who have been trained to understand Arab culture. For example, it is culturally insensitive to ask an Emirati whether they want bacon with their eggs or to include a half bottle of wine with the table d’hote menu.

Is that really how Emiratis are perceived?

In other culturally insensitive news, the onion provides the funniest satirical take down on muslim generalisation as terrorists:

Gentries, 48, said he had absolutely no interest in exposing himself to further knowledge of Islamic civilization or putting his sweeping opinions into a broader context of any kind, and confirmed he was "perfectly happy" to make a handful of emotionally charged words the basis of his mistrust toward all members of the world's second-largest religion."I learned all that really matters about the Muslim faith on 9/11," Gentries said in reference to the terrorist attacks on the United States undertaken by 19 of Islam's approximately 1.6 billion practitioners. "What more do I need to know to stigmatize Muslims everywhere as inherently violent radicals?"

Man Already Knows Everything He Needs To Know About Muslims
Visit Britian

Million Dollar Bill

Abu Dhabi may be known for its billions, but for one teller, being asked to change not one, but two million dollar bills into smaller denominations:

A man has been arrested after a woman was tricked into trying to change two souvenir US$1 million notes at the UAE Central Bank. The 44-year-old suspect, AB, from Ivory Coast, convinced the woman that the notes were being used in currency markets and told her to exchange them in return for 30 per cent of their value, police sources said. The notes were, in fact, issued by the US-based World’s Millionaires Club as a souvenir for selected members and are sold at nominal prices. They do not have a value of US$1m.

Apparently the suspect is claiming that he actually believed that notes were real.

Woman asked bank to change fake US$1 million bills