Muslish - prejudice versus probability

A very amusing piece by Stephen Colbert about how Muslims get accused of everything (due to the actions of a few) - and how the Western media jump on the anti Islam bandwagon every time a story on an atrocity occurs. And let's be clear - the Norway atrocity was just that - a heinous crime of unspeakable evil. But this joke is about the media. Enjoy


Depending on rights, you should be able to watch one of these. If not hunt down Muslish and Colbert on a video channel. Or go to the Colbertnation website

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Norwegian Muslish Gunman's Islam-Esque Atrocity
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog Video Archive

Green Toilets

An article in the National caught my eye this week - and I think it is a case of green for green sake. The story is of installing solar panels to power toilets in Dubai. But for me the numbers don't work:

About 80 public toilets across Dubai run on electricity, including the fluorescent lights, exhaust fans and small water pumps. This power source will be replaced by solar power in the experimental toilets, Mr Al Fuqae said. He said solar panels installed on the roofs of the test toilets "will match the architecture of the neighbourhood and will save electricity." If the project is approved, Mr Al Fuqae estimated the amount spent on each toilet would be Dh60,000 to Dh80,000.



Even at Dhs60,000, by the time you get to payback, the toilets will require a refit.

Will the plan be approved? Who knows? But I think you should shove it down the toilet. Would you invest in green toilets?

Solar-power proposal for Dubai's public toilets

Ramadan Prayer Times in Dubai and Abu Dhabi 2011

Ramadan Prayer Times in Dubai 2012
Ramadan Prayer Times in Abu Dhabi 2012


The question of when is Ramadan in Dubai and Abu Dhabi is always on everyone's mind in the run up to the holy month. There's usually a moon sighting committee that calls it, but this yearly, we have been given a little more warning that Ramadan will start on the 1st of August 2011.

Many expats new to the region wonder what is Ramadan. We give you a flavour here, but here is a snippet on what is Ramadan:

Why is Ramadan important? Muslims believe that the Quran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammed during this month on the of night of Laylat ul Qadr, which is on one of the last ten nights of Ramadhan - those are the nights when people will be awake all night praying.

And for those of you who want the Ramadan Prayer Times for the UAE - here they are. Other Emirates are plus or minus a few minutes.

Ramadan Prayer times for Dubai 2011



Ramadan Prayer times for Abu Dhabi 2011



We hope your Ramadan is fulfilling.

What is Ramadan?

Arab Summer Hip Hop

Revolutions and music work together and in a great article from the BBC, there is reference to how an underground hip hop movement is becoming the music to this year's Arab Revolution. But the music came after the Arab Spring and talks of it rather than being part of it.



The second wave:

"Hip hop is always something where plain speaking, blunt-speaking, is hard-wired into the genre from the off," says Andy Morgan. But that also made it particularly difficult for musicians in many tightly-controlled Arab states to express themselves. Indeed, until now, hip hop and rap have had only a limited reach within the Middle East and North Africa - principally among Palestinians and in Morocco. But in recent months, hip hop appears to be gaining momentum rapidly in many Arab Spring countries, including Egypt, Libya, and Syria.

Is hip hop driving the Arab Spring

Hell in Yemen

An in depth article on what is going on in Yemen. Entitled Yemen on the brink of Hell, this gives the detail on the human factor of the uprising.



“If anyone says there is a regime in this country, he lies,” Zabara told me before he left. “We are like Somalia now, but we have yet to start fighting.”

The article is from the New York Times magazine and is recommended reading