UAE | General

Impatience spoils the mood at iftar tent

Red Crescent volunteers manning an iftar tent for labourers in Satwa were caught by surprise when some of those waiting for a free meal outside got a little impatient and decided it was time for self-service.

  • By Sunita Menon, Staff Reporter
  • Published: 23:15 September 2, 2008
  • Gulf News

  • People break their fast outside an iftar tent put up by the Red Crescent Authority for blue-collar workers behind the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Satwa.
  • Image Credit: Karl Jeffs/Gulf News

 

Dubai: Red Crescent volunteers manning an iftar tent for labourers in Satwa were caught by surprise when some of those waiting for a free meal outside got a little impatient and decided it was time for self-service.

Video: Free Iftar tents for Dubai's workers

The tent was one of four erected by the Red Crescent Authority (RCA) across the city for blue-collar workers.

Twenty volunteers from the Kerala Youth Cultural Centre (KYCC) and RCA officials had a tough time controlling people who starting flocking around the tent in Satwa from 5.30pm on Monday.

Security guards posted at the entrance to the tent tried to ensure that the workers kept queues but things got out of control at around 6.15pm when some workers started pushing to get into the tent. This led to utter chaos.

Once inside the tent, the workers started taking portions from cartons containing oranges, dates and buttermilk. Volunteers who had until then been handing out the food in an orderly fashion were taken aback by the commotion inside the tent but tried to serve out platefuls of steaming lamb biryani as best as they could.

Such was the chaos inside the tent that none present were able to hear the Maghrib Adan (call to sunset prayer and an indication of the end of the fast) and the workers were seen asking each other whether or not it was time to break their fast.

A handful of workers seated at the far end of the tent did not bother to stick to the rule and tucked into the food no sooner than had they a plateful served out. Some others were heard demanding water, while others complained at the top of their voice that they hadn't been served food. A malfunctioning air-conditioning system inside the tent made matters worse. Several of the lights also didn't come on and many of the workers were seen having their iftar in the dark.

Speaking to Gulf News, the workers said they were happy about the iftar gesture but said in almost one voice that things would have been much better if delays in getting inside the tent had been avoided.

"I waited outside the tent until 6.15pm and I could see that some workers had already taken their seat inside the tent. Some people rushed into the tent because they were not sure they would get a seat," said Ahmad Dua, a Bangladeshi.

"There was so much noise inside that I just did not bother to enquire about the Adan and started having my iftar. The food was excellent," he said.

Jang Baksh, a Pakistani, said: "I did not get water but I kept my composure. The food was good but it was rather hot inside the tent. I would like to come here for iftar every day."

With beads of sweat streaming down his face and neck, Gulam Ali Mohammad Khan, an Indian, said: "The food was excellent but the facilities left much to be desired. I think the number of people who turned up for iftar far exceeded what the RCA had anticipated. It is only the first day of Ramadan and I am sure that things will get better from here on."

Abbas Mohammad Mousa, an RCA volunteer who was supervising the distribution of iftar, agreed that things did not go according to plan. "We were expecting around 500 people but I think there were double that number. Things became rather sticky with the air-conditioning and lights not fully installed. We are sure to get things running tomorrow."

Mousa said he had asked volunteers to allow entry to the tent ten minutes before the stipulated time to avoid a similar situation.

The RCA has also put up iftar tents near the Hyatt Regency, near the fruit and vegetable market in Al Aweer, and in Al Quoz.

 

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