DUBAI // Going without cigarettes during Ramadan is harder than giving up food or water, according to Shabir, a 43-year-old taxi driver from Pakistan. He and other smokers are calling it quits from dawn to dusk during the holy month.
While the ban on smoking in public places will deter nicotine addicts from lighting up during the day, most said they plan to resume the habit as soon as the sun goes down. According to Dr Omer al Saleh, a fiqeh studies professor at Sharjah College of Sharia and Islamic Studies, "The Sharia forbids anything that can be detrimental and orders its avoidance. There can be no doubt that smoking is considered part of that."
"It's hard, but what can you do?" said Prabhat Thapa, 25, from Nepal, a pack of Marlboros tucked into his chest pocket at midday. "We have to respect the religion of this country." Mr Thapa smokes a pack a day, but said he will not try to sneak in a single cigarette before the end of the fasting period. Marvin Ore, 26, from the Philippines, said he would stop taking his usual cigarette after lunch to avoid trouble. "I'm afraid my boss will catch me," he said. "It's only one month."
Some smokers will not have to change their habits at all. Smoking is permitted throughout the Al Quoz warehouse office where Natalie Antliff, an 18-year-old from Britain, works as an interior designer. She smokes 20 cigarettes a day. "It's all western people," she explained. During the weekends, she said, "I'll stick to where I'm safe to light up and probably spend more time at home." Amir Hussain, a 39-year-old retail manager from Britain, said his office provides a room for smokers year-round - partly to prevent employees from littering the entranceway, where they used to smoke, with cigarette butts.
George, 34, from Lebanon, said he will go through his usual two packs a day in a cafe near his workplace that allows it. He may smoke even more during Ramadan, he said - as many as three or four packs a day - because he can no longer take his usual coffee breaks. Lighting up is permitted as soon as the daily fast ends, of course. Many people prepare by buying their nicotine right before sunset, said Kalyan Paul, the store manager at Smoker's Centre in the Mall of the Emirates.
Instead of popping in throughout the day as they do most of the year, he said, customers tend to arrive in a rush in the late afternoon. They stock up on Cuban cigars, Marlboro cigarettes and grape-flavored shisha tobacco. The water pipe is popular during Ramadan as a social activity for the iftar gatherings. "It's lighter [than cigarettes]," said Aziza Zaylachi, a 23-year-old flight attendant from Morocco, who left the shop around 4pm with mint-flavored shisha tobacco in hand for later that night.
The water pipe can prove an obstacle for smokers who are trying to use the month to quit. Omar, a 32-year-old Emirati working in real estate, has tried giving up his half-pack-a-day habit before. He said during Ramadan this year he plans to try quitting again. But he will smoke shisha for several hours each night with his friends. "And shisha is 10 times worse than cigarettes," he said. "If a person breaks his fast by smoking, he cannot benefit from his fasting," said Dr al Saleh.
"It is your willpower and strength that enables you to not only reduce smoking, but also quit completely." His advice? "Use the month of fasting to strengthen your willpower to get rid of this bad habit, which both Muslims and non-Muslims avoid." chuang@thenational.ae
HIV on the rise in the region
A 2019 United Nations special analysis on Aids reveals 37 per cent of new HIV infections in the Mena region are from people injecting drugs.
New HIV infections have also risen by 29 per cent in western Europe and Asia, and by 7 per cent in Latin America, but declined elsewhere.
Egypt has shown the highest increase in recorded cases of HIV since 2010, up by 196 per cent.
Access to HIV testing, treatment and care in the region is well below the global average.
Few statistics have been published on the number of cases in the UAE, although a UNAIDS report said 1.5 per cent of the prison population has the virus.
SPECS
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COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
WHAT FANS WILL LOVE ABOUT RUSSIA
FANS WILL LOVE
Uber is ridiculously cheap and, as Diego Saez discovered, mush safer. A 45-minute taxi from Pulova airport to Saint Petersburg’s Nevsky Prospect can cost as little as 500 roubles (Dh30).
FANS WILL LOATHE
Uber policy in Russia is that they can start the fare as soon as they arrive at the pick-up point — and oftentimes they start it even before arriving, or worse never arrive yet charge you anyway.
FANS WILL LOVE
It’s amazing how active Russians are on social media and your accounts will surge should you post while in the country. Throw in a few Cyrillic hashtags and watch your account numbers rocket.
FANS WILL LOATHE
With cold soups, bland dumplings and dried fish, Russian cuisine is not to everybody’s tastebuds. Fortunately, there are plenty Georgian restaurants to choose from, which are both excellent and economical.
FANS WILL LOVE
The World Cup will take place during St Petersburg's White Nights Festival, which means perpetual daylight in a city that genuinely never sleeps. (Think toddlers walking the streets with their grandmothers at 4am.)
FANS WILL LOATHE
The walk from Krestovsky Ostrov metro station to Saint Petersburg Arena on a rainy day makes you wonder why some of the $1.7 billion was not spent on a weather-protected walkway.
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Results
Light Flyweight (49kg): Mirzakhmedov Nodirjon (UZB) beat Daniyal Sabit (KAZ) by points 5-0.
Flyweight (52kg): Zoirov Shakhobidin (UZB) beat Amit Panghol (IND) 3-2.
Bantamweight (56kg): Kharkhuu Enkh-Amar (MGL) beat Mirazizbek Mirzahalilov (UZB) 3-2.
Lightweight (60kg): Erdenebat Tsendbaatar (MGL) beat Daniyal Shahbakhsh (IRI) 5-0.
Light Welterweight (64kg): Baatarsukh Chinzorig (MGL) beat Shiva Thapa (IND) 3-2.
Welterweight (69kg): Bobo-Usmon Baturov (UZB) beat Ablaikhan Zhussupov (KAZ) RSC round-1.
Middleweight (75kg): Jafarov Saidjamshid (UZB) beat Abilkhan Amankul (KAZ) 4-1.
Light Heavyweight (81kg): Ruzmetov Dilshodbek (UZB) beat Meysam Gheshlaghi (IRI) 3-2.
Heavyweight (91kg): Sanjeet (IND) beat Vassiliy Levit (KAZ) 4-1.
Super Heavyweight ( 91kg): Jalolov Bakhodir (UZB) beat Kamshibek Kunkabayev (KAZ) 5-0.
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
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Tips on buying property during a pandemic
Islay Robinson, group chief executive of mortgage broker Enness Global, offers his advice on buying property in today's market.
While many have been quick to call a market collapse, this simply isn’t what we’re seeing on the ground. Many pockets of the global property market, including London and the UAE, continue to be compelling locations to invest in real estate.
While an air of uncertainty remains, the outlook is far better than anyone could have predicted. However, it is still important to consider the wider threat posed by Covid-19 when buying bricks and mortar.
Anything with outside space, gardens and private entrances is a must and these property features will see your investment keep its value should the pandemic drag on. In contrast, flats and particularly high-rise developments are falling in popularity and investors should avoid them at all costs.
Attractive investment property can be hard to find amid strong demand and heightened buyer activity. When you do find one, be prepared to move hard and fast to secure it. If you have your finances in order, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Lenders continue to lend and rates remain at an all-time low, so utilise this. There is no point in tying up cash when you can keep this liquidity to maximise other opportunities.
Keep your head and, as always when investing, take the long-term view. External factors such as coronavirus or Brexit will present challenges in the short-term, but the long-term outlook remains strong.
Finally, keep an eye on your currency. Whenever currency fluctuations favour foreign buyers, you can bet that demand will increase, as they act to secure what is essentially a discounted property.
England ODI squad
Eoin Morgan (captain), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Tom Curran, Alex Hales, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.
UAE's role in anti-extremism recognised
General John Allen, President of the Brookings Institution research group, commended the role the UAE has played in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism.
He told a Globsec debate of the UAE’s "hugely outsized" role in the fight against Isis.
"It’s trite these days to say that any country punches above its weight, but in every possible way the Emirates did, both militarily, and very importantly, the UAE was extraordinarily helpful on getting to the issue of violent extremism," he said.
He also noted the impact that Hedayah, among others in the UAE, has played in addressing violent extremism.
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Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
