Twenty-two years, four countries, five schools and two universities later, national identity for me is a murky concept. I don’t adhere to the values of one country but rather adopt a more generalised, acclimatised set of principles.”
Valerie Osouf, the director of L’ Identite Nationale, that screened last week at the fifth anniversary celebrations of Documentary Voices, a non-profit film initiative in the UAE, explored the concept by working with immigrant prisoners in her home country France.
“There is a law in France where some prisoners are deported after serving their sentence. However, some of them who are sent back cannot even speak their mother tongue as they have grown up in France. I wanted to explore what it meant to be French, the criteria for it: was it religion or where one was born or economic participation or demographic.”
Closer home, we see a spectrum of nationalities in the UAE, with some having spent their entire lives here. But, unlike other countries, the UAE government does not grant citizenship to long-term residents. On the eve of the UAE National Day, The weekend tabloid! speaks to some of them to learn what national identity means to them and how it fits in this desert country.
ASRAR AHMAD MOHAMMAD
WHO AM I?
“In this day and age, I think the very idea of national identity is becoming redundant,” said the 21-year-old Tanzanian from the Zanzibar area who has lived in Sharjah all her life. “Growing up in this cultural melting pot and being exposed to such different people — I went to school with Americans, Armenians, Sri Lankans and Sudanese — I have developed a global perspective.
“My mother always instilled in me Tanzanian African values but we also adopted from the Emirati culture because we are of an Arab descent.”
WHY I LOVE THE UAE
“As a single mum, I do not think my mother would have enjoyed the opportunities she had here back home. I also love the malls of Dubai and hanging out at Dubai Marina and JBR. Everyday there seems to be something new happening and it’s a very exciting place to live.”
MEHREEN NABEEL
WHO AM I?
“I came to the UAE as a two-month-old baby, went to school, met my husband Nabeel, who has also grown up here, and gave birth to my daughter, who is 2 now, in Sharjah. Since our families are also settled here, we call the UAE home,” said the 25-year-old Pakistani. “I belong here and I have never felt otherwise. I plan on raising my daughter with a fusion of Dubai’s multicultural and Pakistan’s traditional ones since that’s how my parents raised me.”
WHY I LOVE THE UAE
“Some of my favourite memories include driving to Abu Dhabi during the National Day holidays to see the decorations and the fireworks. I also remember how we would go to the Ajman beach to eat shawarmas. We just moved from our home of 22 years in Ajman — my siblings and I grew up there and that’s one of the sweetest times of our lives.”
NIHAL FAHIM
WHO AM I?
“I think everyone who has grown up in the UAE will say the cultural distinctions and barriers are at a minimum,” said the 22-year-old Egyptian who was born and raised in Abu Dhabi, graduated from the American University of Sharjah, and works now in Sharjah. “We are all connected by a common background thus we are all moving towards a more globalised world. Having been exposed to so many different things while growing up, my mentality is so different compared to those who grew up in Egypt. I feel I am more open-minded.”
WHY I LOVE THE UAE
“As a girl, I enjoy the safety and security I feel in the UAE. I can come home at 2am and not have to worry. However, I do not enjoy the National Day celebrations so much. I prefer staying at home as the streets are too noisy.”
BHARATBHAI SHAH
WHO AM I?
“I am a true Bhartiya (Indian) — this is in spite of living outside India for 65 years and being offered the USA, Britain, North Yemen and South Yemen passports. I drive the Indian-made Fiat Padmini and everything I use, from toothpaste and shaving cream to clothes, is Indian,” says the 81-year-old resident of Dubai.
WHY I LOVE THE UAE
“I love life in the UAE because it is a combination of many different factors. Firstly, the security aspect — in the UAE people are good so you can even sleep with your door open. Next, the civil structure and administration is noble here. The government operates in an organised manner and the infrastructure is very good. Law and order is prevalent. Also irrespective of your religion, the government allows you to celebrate any cultural or religious festival. I enjoy celebrating Navaratri. Next, the government is generous as we don’t pay income tax. Wherever I go, when I land in Dubai I tell my wife ‘Yallah we have reached home’”.
COLM MCLOUGHLIN
WHO AM I?
“Nationalism is a vibrant concept that I think will never grow old,” said Colm McLoughlin, the Executive Vice Chairman of Dubai Duty Free. “I am an Irishman and even though I have lived here for 29 years, I believe that it is important to promote and foster a nation’s history. The Irish community is a small one of about 5,000 people but yet the Dubai Irish Society, which was started in 1974, is the oldest one. I celebrate Irish national day on St Patrick’s Day every year.”
McLoughlin is a former Chairman of the Dubai Irish Society, former President of the Dubai Celts and former Captain of the Dubai Irish Society Golf. He was instrumental in setting up the popular Irish Village.
WHY I LOVE THE UAE
“I love the weather in Dubai except for the hot months. The work atmosphere is satisfactory and being part of the inception of Dubai Duty Free and transforming it to one of the best in the world has been a good experience. I have enjoyed the support and freedom Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum has given me at the workplace and the effort of my staff has been terrific.
“People say that they miss the old times but these old times have been replaced by new, amazing things. The transformation has been positive. Issues such as traffic as a result are worth it. Dubai Duty Free has grown from a revenue of Dh70 million in our first year to an expected Dh6 billion this year. The off-spin of these developments has been job creation, money repatriation and better education for the children of the expatriates. This is true for all other organisations, such as Emaar, Nakheel, Emirates Airlines and Gulf News too. I read somewhere that there are 190 nationalities living in Dubai and it is an amazing example of how culturally diverse people can get along.”
DEDRA STEVENSON
WHO AM I?
“National Identity is the inherent pride for your country. I consider myself a naturalised Emirati since I have lived here for more than 20 years in a local family and have my kids are Emirati,” said American Dedra Stevenson who is married to an Emirati, and is the author of the children’s trilogy The Hakima’s Tale. “Imagine you have two children — one who was born to you and one you adopted. You will love them both equally. That’s how I feel about the UAE and US — I love and I am proud of them both and might just love my adopted home a smidge more. I guess this is so because my family is here and it is inevitable that my future is here. I strive to bring up my children with the best of both worlds: American and Emirati. I try to instil in them the great American work ethic — to work hard, try hard and to be the best. This goes hand in hand with the vision of His Highness Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the erstwhile ruler of UAE, to stand out, think outside of the box and to pursue dreams.”
WHY I LOVE THE UAE
“My favourite thing to do in Dubai is taking my kids to Dubai Mall, especially since they have the Organic Café there, as we like to eat healthy. We also really enjoy the cultural events at Madinat Jumairah and the Pavilion at Downtown Dubai is a nice addition.”
LUCILLE ONG
WHO AM I?
“National identity is the heart and soul of a person,” said Lucille Ong, a stalwart of the Filipina community and chairperson of the Philippines Business Council. “Every one of us needs to trace our roots, a place to begin our journeys from, something to identify with and hence nationalism will never die out. I have lived in Dubai longer than I have in my home country but that does not take away the fact that I am a Filipina. When I moved here, I did not come with a long term plan of becoming an immigrant and I think that is one reason we all hold on to our roots. I am thankful to the UAE for the opportunities it has given me: it has opened doors in my career and made me evolve as a person.”
WHY I LOVE THE UAE
“I love meeting people and Dubai is the perfect place to do so. I take this as a chance to educate people about the Philippines and dispel any misconceptions they may have. I have also made lifelong friends here — living away from home you grow closer to friends and they become family. I have lived in Dubai since 1979 and it still continues to surprise me”
