Abu Dhabi: His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, on Thursday visited an Afghani carpet-seller, whose act of refusing to sell a picture of Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, went viral in a video last year.
In a series of tweets, Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed posted pictures of his visit to Musa Khan’s shop in Abu Dhabi’s Mina Zayed market.
“This is Baba Zayed… two words spoken spontaneously by an Afghani carpet-seller whom I was very pleased to meet today,” Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed said in a tweet.
He was referring to the words repeatedly spoken by Khan in the video that went viral in October last year.
“This is Baba Zayed. This picture is not for sale,” Khan said repeatedly in response to an Emirati man’s persistent offer to buy an old photo of Shaikh Zayed in Khan’s shop.
In his tweet, Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed said: “These words are moving, and through them he expressed his love for Zayed and the founding father’s high stature in his heart. A man came into his shop offering to buy a picture of Shaikh Zayed, and even though the man was insistent, the shop-owner vehemently refused. It is indeed a story of loyalty, forged by Shaikh Zayed’s humanity.
“Through a philanthropic approach set by Shaikh Zayed, the UAE is setting a global model for tolerance and coexistence. This approach has won the hearts of millions around the world. There are many people around the nation who harbour love for us and coexist with us. They share our dreams and aspirations, and to them we say: The UAE is your second home,” tweeted Shaikh Mohammad.
Gulf News published an interview of Khan on October 23 last year in which he said: “I will not sell this picture even for a million dirhams.”
He could not express his feelings when Gulf News contacted him after Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed’s visit on Thursday.
“It was a big surprise for me. I cannot express my feelings,” he said.
Khan said Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed entered his shop and asked: “Where is the picture of Baba Zayed… where is Musa Khan?”
“He then asked me why I do not want to sell Baba Zayed’s picture. ‘I saw you in a clip and you refused to sell the picture’,” Khan said Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed told him.
“I told him I love Baba Zayed … I pray for his soul every day... I love Baba Zayed and all his family.”
Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed also asked about Khan’s father who went to Afghanistan as he was not keeping good health.
“My father is supposed to return to the UAE next month,” Khan said.
His father Abdul Khader had started the carpet business in Abu Dhabi 40 years ago.
Khader and his partner had bought 10 pictures of Shaikh Zayed in 1980. Some of them were kept in the partner’s shop in Al Ain and others in Abu Dhabi.
“This black and white picture has been in the shop since its opening in 1994 when Shaikh Zayed ordered the establishment of the market,” Khan said earlier, adding that it was unacceptable for the owners, partners and employees of the shop to sell the picture as their love for Shaikh Zayed is priceless.
