If only it weren't Starbucks....! Don't miss the Qatari dude rocking the oud. For those of you unfamiliar with the song "All You Need is Love" (are those of you out there?) then here is the original Beatles version below.
An example of a young Kuwaiti man making a difference in the community. Bravo! This is a press release from the Kuwait News Agency written by Ahmad Al-Rifaie:
Kuwaiti mountain climber Faisal Al-Nakib successfully climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest point in Africa, in an attempt to raise awareness on cancer and how to prevent it.Speaking to KUNA, Al-Nakib said that on July 3, he was able to reach the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro along with seven contestants from different countries, out of a total of 19 who had begun the climb on June 26. He expressed his great joy at having succeeded in reaching the top.
"I was the first to reach the summit, and I was able to endure the harsh climate conditions - the severe cold and the difficulty breathing - during the eight hours of night climbing," he said. He noted that this was a great challenge for him, as Kilimanjaro was 5,895 meters above sea level. "My strong will and strong desire to succeed made me reach the top," he added.
He explained that 70,000 pounds were collected for the Orchid Cancer organization, aimed at raising awareness over this condition. "
Hundreds of men have expressed interest in the anti-smoking drive, including a non-smoker who was ready to start the habit just so he could take part.
Banners in Riyadh are advertising the campaign slogan: "Kicking the habit is on you, and marriage is on us."
In much of the Arab world, the groom alone bears the cost of a wedding.
The charity Purity says participants will complete a seven-day course to quit smoking.
'Sexist'
The name of the grand prize winner will be decided in a draw on 6 August. Twenty runners-up will get free furniture.
The high expense for a wedding means that Arab men often put off marriage until they have saved enough money to take a bride.
Some in Saudi Arabia have criticised the campaign, suggesting it might devalue what they consider a holy union, while others called the concept sexist.
But a spokesman for the charity said the aim was to create a smoke-free family.
"The fact that people are discussing the campaign means we have fulfilled our goal of spreading the word about it," said Salem al-Majdali.
It is estimated about a quarter of Saudi Arabia's 27.6 million residents smoke."(link here)
While I am not that much of a vocal animal rights activist, I've read in the newspapers today that three wild pigs in the Baghdad zoo were killed today amidst fears of swine flu contagion, and that Egypt announced that it is planning on exterminating its entire pig population. Many of these pigs (about 250,000) are reared by garbage collectors in the slums of Cairo, who use the pigs to dispose of organic waste. They belong and are eaten by the Coptic Christian community in these shantytowns. In short, they are a source of livelihood for these people, and they are not being compensated. The UN condemns the slaughtering of pigs as a response to swine flu, and the WHO has made clear that this is an inadequate response to the H1N1 virus as there is no evidence that these pigs were transmitting the flu.
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