When Brad said that we could stay at his friend Jo’s place in Abu Dhabi, I expected some floor space, and perhaps a couch that was a few inches shorter than I was. What I didn’t expect was 100% Kiwi hospitality of cooked breakfasts, double beds, transportation around the city and sights, and more. Thanks Jo! Had fun meeting her friends and flatties for a good Kiwi BBQ, and thoroughly enjoyed the Aotearoa flavour apparent in the NZ slang and photos around the house - a bit of home away from home.
Though the opulence of the Palace Hotel was impressive (if not a touch excessive - but I got the impression that that was the intention), and an incredible Lebanese lunch rendered me immobile and near-unconscious for the early afternoon (we received a number of complimentary dishes on top of our own ambitious lunch order), the Grand Mosque was definitely my favourite place. Built only recently, and kept just a few sq metres smaller than Mecca and Medina out of respect, the vast area of white marble, lengths of airy colonnades, and huge prayer halls were an oasis of respite from the suffocating heat of the rest of the city. A few quiet tourists and the odd local wandering around reciting the Quran among the columns act to underscore the peaceful atmosphere, and I could have easily stayed much longer had we not had to leave to allow a prayer session to take place.
Being my first time in a country where women are fully covered, I couldn’t help but notice the strictness of women’s dress restrictions (or conventions). It didn’t seem unusual for women to have just their eyes showing in public, and at first I wondered how the women who wore full face veils ate their meals (imagine the inconvenience of navigating a fork under a veil for every mouthful!). Female visitors to the Grand Mosque must also don a chador, and although Jo resembled a ninja while she lined up various photos, she was told off for showing too much fringe. What a Hussie.
However I’m still not convinced that dress like this should be banned in the way that a number of European countries are implementing/proposing - obviously it is wrong to force someone to dress like this, but isn’t it just as wrong to force them not to if it‘s their choice? (whether their motivation is for religious reasons or otherwise). Sure, require faces to be shown for passport/security checks, but doesn’t a blanket ban seem a bit too far towards encroaching individual freedoms? Just my opinion, and a great topic to raise if conversation lulls.
Photo: Action shot of Brad and Jo lining up shots at the Grand Mosque
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