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Dubai opens window to priceless Islamic legacy
Dubai opens window to priceless Islamic legacy Staff Reporter / 19 March 2014 Offers preview of Aga Khan Museum, the first Islamic art showcase in N. America. Michelangelo. Leonardo da Vinci. Velazquez. Cezanne. Van Gogh. Sir Joshua Reynolds. Jackson Pollock. Name the artists famed worldwide and you won’t find a single Islamic artist among them, that is, not one known to the man on the street. “Most people can’t name a single Muslim artist. I find this terrible,” says Henry Kim, curator and historian. Shaikh Nahyan (3rd from R) at the preview of the Aga Khan Museum at the Ismaili centre in Dubai. He is flanked by Shaikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman of The Emirates Group, Arif Lalani, Ambassador of Canada to the UAE, and other officials — KT Photos by Juidin Bernarrd Though Islamic art has been flourishing for over 1,400 years spread over a vast canvas stretching through Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia, its amazing beauty and diversity is yet to gain the recognition it deserves. But come autumn and the lacuna will be addressed as the Aga Khan Museum, the first museum in North America devoted solely to Islamic art, opens in Toronto. The sprawling museum, designed by Japanese Fumihiko Maki, will display over 1,000 artefacts from the personal collection of the Aga Khan and his family. “It will be a proud destination for Muslim and non-Muslim visitors, showcasing the art, science, music and philosophy of Islamic culture,” adds Arif Lalani, Canadian ambassador to the UAE and Canada’s Special Envoy to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. A tour of the Aga Khan Museum The Aga Khan Museum, says Henry Kim, its director and CEO, would promote art and culture of the Muslim world and build bridges between cultures. Besides the museum, the three-pronged project also has a park designed by Vladimir Djurovic and an Ismaili Centre planned by Charles Correa. Nearly 1,700sq m space has been kept aside for both permanent and temporary exhibitions. The objects on display are as various as the Holy Quran in different scripts, illustrations of classics like Firdausi’s Shah-Nameh (The Book of Kings), carpets, jade ware and exquisite ceramic art that shows the influence of China. Muslim explorers and navigators left an indelible mark on history. The museum pays a tribute to them, especially through its display of astrolabes, the navigating tool used by sailors of all religions to find their way by calculating planetary positions. The preview has an exquisite bronze astrolabe made in the 18th century by Qazi Ali of Iran. A special place will be given to the section of art pieces called In search of artists. The art here is all signed by the artists and Kim hopes it will help familiarise the audience with Muslim artists as well. There will also be a Garden of Ideas section, focusing on different countries. Since the Aga Khan Museum plans to bring the sights, rhythms and sounds of Islamic culture as well, Japanese architect Fumihiko Maki has created a state-of-the-art elegant auditorium that can seat 350 people and will host regular performances. sudeshna@khaleejtimes.com With Dubai being a cultural hub, the museum chose the emirate to offer a preview on Tuesday. “I wish that we were gathering today to open the Aga Khan Museum in the United Arab Emirates,” said a wistful Shaikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, the UAE’s Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, in his keynote address at the event. Islamic art, with its astonishing plurality, is an important part of the heritage of mankind. “The museum preserves important artefacts of our Islamic heritage,” Shaikh Nahyan said. “They communicate our history, culture, and art. Those artefacts convey a clear sense of Muslim diversity, a diversity that deserves global prominence.” “Culture and art are important for peace, understanding and harmony in the world,” Shaikh Nahyan added. A deeper appreciation of art and culture leads to goodwill and friendship, building bridges between diverse religions, cultures and backgrounds for a peaceful and prosperous world. Shaikh Nahyan also referred to the 88th Ogden memorial lecture delivered last month by the Aga Khan at the US Ivy League Brown University to emphasise why the world needs to retain its diversity: When people stop learning and understanding each other’s cultures, it leads to misunderstanding and hostility. Today’s world, being inter-connected, requires a thoughtful, renewed commitment to pluralism. “We understand the wisdom of that response,” Shaikh Nahyan said. “We are a cosmopolitan society bound by mutual respect and understanding… Art allows us to celebrate the principles and values that unite us across national and cultural boundaries and highlights our common values and pursuits.” He also quoted the UAE President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahayan: “The United Arab Emirates has relied, and will continue to rely, on the rich and diverse contributions of its true wealth, its people, to guarantee its prosperity.” Several factors contributed to make Dubai ideal for the preview. The host of the event, the Ismaili Centre Dubai, has been organising a series of cultural programmes since its inception in 2008 to share knowledge with other communities. Also, the preview comes during Art Dubai, the annual event drawing VIPs and art connoisseurs to select sites where art displays are held. Finally, as the Canadian ambassador said, Canada admires the UAE’s diversity and the Dubai preview would introduce the Aga Khan Museum to the Middle East. While Toronto would have the Islamic art museum, Abu Dhabi would have the Louvre Abu Dhabi and both countries would be home to world-class museums. sudeshna@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
National interests hamper complex Malaysia jet search
National interests hamper complex Malaysia jet search (Agencies) / 19 March 2014 Thailand’s failure to quickly share information about the plane raises questions about the degree to which countries are sharing their defence data. National self-interest and confusion about operational control looked Wednesday to be unsettling the already daunting 26-nation search for a missing Malaysia Airlines jet, with boats and planes sitting idle pending clear orders. Malaysia has underlined the importance of outside help in scouring two land and sea corridors equivalent in size to the entire land mass of Australia. But Indonesia acknowledged Wednesday it had only just provided clearance for surveillance aircraft from Australia, Japan, the United States and Malaysia to overfly its territory, while saying its own vessels await instructions from Kuala Lumpur. Latest: Maldives Police probe reports of MH370 sighting “It is not that Indonesia does not want to issue permits, but we have a mechanism to follow that we have to respect,” military spokesman Iskandar Sitompul said, insisting Jakarta was not trying to “slow down” the process. “It must go through the foreign ministry first before being submitted to the armed forces,” he told AFP. MH370 went missing early on March 8 with 239 passengers and crew, spawning a massive international search across Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean. The hunt has turned up no trace of wreckage as the clock ticks down on the 30 days that the aircraft’s black box transmits a signal. The Thai air force revealed Wednesday that its military radar had picked up what appeared to be Flight MH370 on March 8, just minutes after investigators believe it was deliberately diverted from its intended flight path by someone on board. Read more: Information vacuum breeds wild theories over missing Malaysia plane Although the aircraft ID could not be 100 percent verified, the Thai data represents crucial corroborative evidence for the conclusions drawn from Malaysian radar tracking of MH370. But it went unreported by the Thai military for nine days after the plane disappeared and only emerged following a check of radar logs on Monday. According to Air Marshal Monthon Suchookornat, the same plane was picked up again later swinging north and disappearing over the Andaman Sea. Nothing was done before because the aircraft was not in Thai airspace “and it was not a threat to Thailand,” Monthon said. Malaysia has sought help from more than two dozen countries in the form of radar and satellite analysis, as well as surveillance vessels and aircraft. Acknowledging the “diplomatic, technical and logistical challenges” inherent in running such a multi-national task force, Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said Tuesday that Malaysia was ceding some operational control. Hishammuddin said Australia and Indonesia had agreed to take the lead in the southern corridor across the Indian Ocean, with China and Kazakhstan doing the same in the northern corridor, stretching from northern Thailand into South and Central Asia. But many of the countries involved are not used to such close cooperation — especially when it comes to sharing possibly sensitive radar data. Many countries in the region, and beyond, have offered and provided technical and logistical support, but bureaucracy and lingering confusion appear to be delaying their operational deployment. Indonesia said it was facing delays in deploying its own resources as it waits for a green light from Malaysia. “Five navy warships temporarily halted their search of the Malacca Straits on Monday, as we await further information from Malaysia or elsewhere,” Sitompul said. India has similarly suspended search operations in the Andaman Sea for several days. “No instructions received. ANC (Andaman and Nicobar Command) on standby awaiting further instructions,” a navy spokesman said in a message sent to AFP. “It is not for us to take a call on this. It is between governments. We have to simply follow instructions. We are awaiting orders,” said a source in the Indian defence ministry in New Delhi. Paul Yap, an aviation lecturer at Temasek Polytechnic in Singapore, expressed sympathy for the Malaysian authorities, saying it was always going to be tough to steer so many countries in one direction. “Right now, I think it is out of Malaysia’s hands,”Yap said. For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
Minimum speed on highways may be increased to 80kmph
Minimum speed on highways may be increased to 80kmph Amira Agarib / 19 March 2014 It’s part of recommendations made by the Traffic Federal Council for amendments to be made to the Traffic Law. The minimum speed on highways could be increased to 80km per hour from 60km to reduce the number of accidents, according to Major-General Mohammed Saif Al Zafin, Chairman of the Federal Traffic Council and Assistant Commander-in-Chief of the Dubai Police for Operations. He said these changes were part of recommendations made by the Traffic Federal Council for amendments to be made to the Traffic Law. He said changes were required and awaited and there was a possibility that new texts would be added commensurate with the evolution of traffic and security needs. He explained that the council issued a package of recommendations to be submitted to the Supreme Committee of the Policies and Strategies which is headed by Lt-General Shaikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, to take the final decision. “The Minister of Interior has issued clear directives for unifying and standardising traffic procedures in all emirates to avoid differences in regulations or the applications,” said Al Zafin. The council has also recommended to stop issuing licence for vans or light buses used for transportation purposes. Companies will be provided a one-year grace period to address the matter. There is a possibility of allowing vans to transport goods only. Non-availability of security and safety requirements in vans caused many fatal accidents, he said. He explained that there are vehicles that can carry nine people, such as the Toyota Land Cruiser or other similar vehicles that have sufficient safety and security measures instead of the vans that resemble sardine cans and often result in deaths or injuries. The council’s recommendations in its meeting held on Thursday also included unification of traffic files for all drivers in the UAE to link it with Emirates Identity Card that will take the same number as the card so as to make it easier for dealers in any emirate. Al Zafin pointed out that there was no justification for existence of a separate file for each person as long as there is a uniform traffic system applied in the state. He said the most important recommendations included reconsidering the minimum speed for roads, which is normally fixed at 60 kmph on the highways whereas people drove cars at a speed of 140 kmph. “This big difference in speed usually leads to accidents.” The council proposed certain routes for minimum speed and also suggested writing the speed on the road surface until drivers were aware of the speed limit on that track. He stated that it is also necessary to reconsider the rate of minimum speed because there is a difference between heavy vehicles and light vehicles. “Speed can be increased to 80 kilometres per hour on the highways to be on a par with the maximum speed of the trucks to avoid problems caused by differences in speed,” he said. He added that members of the Board of Directors of the traffic departments in UAE agreed to these recommendations which will be coordinated with the relevant authorities in each emirate before implementation. news@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
