When he set out in December last year to raise funds for the children of the Dubai Centre for Special Needs, 25-year-old Emirati Jalal Bin Thaneya did what comes to him naturally — walk for a cause. He had already undertaken such endeavours thrice before: His first walk was across the seven Emirates in 2007. His second was a climbing tour de force of Emirates Towers in 2008 and then in 2009, he crossed the Rubh Al Khali (Empty Quarter) on foot.
Bin Thaneya’s feet have always lent him excellent support as he has powered on to raise funds for organisations supporting people with special needs. A graduate in business studies from the Middlesex University, Dubai, the campaigner in Bin Thaneya came to the fore in his college years. As he puts it, “The pursuit of academics alone raised the challenge of doing something else with my life.”
So he charted a course for himself that was inextricably linked with movement. Because, people with special needs — the section of society he is deeply concerned about — are the most challenged by the issues of movement and mobility, among other things.
Bin Thaneya’s endeavours are not for the faint-hearted. And when he accomplishes one, he raises the bar for the next. His recently concluded mission — a walk to Makkah, Saudi Arabia, from Ruwais, Abu Dhabi, over a staggering 2,000 kilometres — was yet another example of this young man’s indomitable spirit.
The journey of 2,000 kilometres was covered in 50 days (from December 11, 2011, to January 29, 2012), over varied terrain and in constantly changing physical and mental conditions. But in the end, it was worth it.
Back in Dubai, Bin Thaneya picks a few of the more memorable moments of his remarkable journey as captured in the photographs taken by his vehicular back-up man, Yahya Al Hoot.
My shadow is my only companion! This photograph says it all — about the extreme kind of desolate landscape one can encounter. Strangely though, it is this very quality that also helps man become one with nature. I am not pushing myself through the landscape; I am one with it, part of it. What does one hold on to when walking thorough such emptiness? I held on to faith. I thought of all the people before me who had walked this land with less than what I was carrying on my person. How did they manage?
There is no real need to connect with anyone in this kind of emptiness. Did I want to hear a human voice? No. Friends and family would call me from time to time and I would say hello and that I am fine but that was it. I felt no need to have a conversation. The only connection I really wanted to make was with God. When walking such stretches, it is best not to look ahead. If you look to the far end of the road, it can be a terrifying experience. The thought of 1,900 kilometres more to go is more daunting than completing the next 5 kilometres.
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This photograph is kind of an extension of the previous one. The camera pulls back to show you the big picture. Can you see me? I am just a speck. I would keep telling Yahya, “Go far into the distance and then take a picture.” Sometimes even I need to see the big picture of where I am. When he showed me this photograph, I realised how beautiful the whole scene looked — it is almost like a painting. For me this photograph works at a symbolic level. It puts things in perspective. My presence in this landscape is nearly insignificant. Everything is timeless here: the sun, the sand, the air, the setting … I am the only temporal entity passing through it.
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I think I am looking sad in this photograph because I have taken my boots off. I look downbeat. When you wear boots, you can look menacing in a way that alludes to invincibility. It is all the effect of the shoes. They give you so much power when you put them on.
When I have my boots on, I feel completely in control.
Here, I decided to take them off for a while to feel the earth beneath me.
In the background is a gas station. I bumped into a guy here who told me how dangerous the Al Harad highway is. Many people, he said, had come to a sad end on this road. Throughout my trip, this was a constant refrain of people. Every time someone said depressing and negative things, I felt charged and happy. In my mind, my voice went, “Let’s go, let’s go.” It only made me more determined to complete my mission. After all, for a spark to be born, you need a negative and a positive charge.
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I am with two police officers, about 200 kilometres after the gas station. They were fascinated with my decision to walk all the way to Makkah. They had never seen anyone do it. But these men were full of encouragement.
Despite the negative comments of many, I also met people who were tremendously supportive of my walk. This kind of adulation, however, has never made me believe that I am some kind of a hero. In fact, I don’t subscribe to the concept of heroism because it makes you stand apart from the rest. I feel every individual is capable of great deeds; he has to only discover it in himself. When people told me how happy they were for me, I believe they were voicing their own hopes of wishing to do something similar. I had the means and the resources to undertake such a mission but not all people do. So when they cheer me on, it is as if they are cheering on their inner ambition.
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Ah, symbolism rears its head again! This ‘Exit’ sign worked in many ways for me. It was telling me that after this there will be no turning back.
I like this photograph and what it signifies. Life always offers us choices. If you start something and don’t want to finish it, you can always quit. But sometimes, choosing to quit is not an option. I was in good spirits when I reached this sign. The journey was going well for me. It was 9am, I was well on my way along the Al Harad highway and looking at this sign, I realised that it was telling me to complete my mission.
This is another amazing photograph taken by Yahya. I remember thinking at the time that he was turning out to be quite a photographer!
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I am at an archaeological site. I don’t know what era it belongs to or who were the people who lived here. But it was beautiful even if in ruins. It was also extremely well preserved, clean and calming. I spent about an hour just sitting among the ruins, wondering about the people who had once lived here. Who were they? What was life like then? Where did they all go? There on the very sands I was sitting on, people had once lived, laughed, ate, slept and cried. The silence of a bygone era can be heard in these ruins.
Of course, everything eventually comes to an end but there is an essence of a civilisation or a culture that lives on for eternity. It felt good to have come across these ruins.
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This is another Yahya composition. This one is through the doorway of an abandoned home. It looked very old, probably more than 100 years old. There was nothing inside to suggest who once lived there. Inside, it was cool, dark and extremely quiet. I lay down on the cool sands, resting, sleeping for a while, next to the limestone walls. The time spent here revived my spirits.
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It is about 3.30pm. The sun is relenting just a bit in its heat. Once again, I am just a speck. The road is now a two-way thoroughfare. You can see just how long it is. There is traffic, elements and me, all sharing the same space and trying to do their own thing, go their own way. Many of the motorists would turn their heads to look at me. Some of the expressions I caught on their faces seemed to suggest that they had just chanced upon a mad man! Who in their right mind would be walking along such endless highways?
There is no shelter or shade to indulge your body or mind on these roads for miles and miles. It was hot skies over your head and the haze of dust and sand rising off the road. When my feet needed rest, I would sit in the sand a little away from the road and watch the world go by. I guess they watched me in turn.
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Nightfall in the desert, the headlights of a car and me in the spotlight! Night or day, the essential nature of the highway remains the same. It is always dangerous. Still I believe that walking at night is easier because it is much cooler than daytime and somehow I seem to cover distances faster. The other side of the coin is that you need to focus more during the night. I also tend to think more deeply after sunset, though that need not hold true of city nights. I feel city lights and city nights are less natural.
I walked many nights on this mission and I did not feel any fear. I am not scared of the dark. On the contrary, walking at night makes me naturally fall in rhythm with nature; it is as though I become a part of it more easily.
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I am in Ihram, three days away from Makkah.
This was difficult, this stretch. I had about 145 kilometres to cover. It was very hot, very difficult. The attire is comfortable but it’s not for climbing mountains and crossing varied terrain. Being in Ihram called for me to contain my emotions, keep my mind calm and disciplined. Many times people would stop me and ask me many questions and though I wanted to just carry on and finish my journey, being in Ihram meant cultivating patience.
I was the only guy in Ihram walking such distances.
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This is one of my favourite photographs. I had finally reached my destination.
This photo was taken before I entered the Masjid Al Haram. I had reached the night before and wanted to perform Umrah straight away but Yahya said, “Don’t push it. Take rest, sleep the night and do it in the morning with a calm mind.”
Performing the Umrah was an extremely emotional experience for me. I cried; it was so uplifting and humbling at the same time.
I had co-walked to Makkah to do my bit for the children with special needs, but here, in front of God, I was the one with a special need — that he should bless me so I could complete my Umrah successfully. I had walked all these miles and through nights and days for this. I felt blessed.
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