Podcasts about Iftar

Episode 189: Intermittent Fasting (Religious and Sports)Future Doctors Carlisle and Kim give recommendations about patients who are fasting for religious reasons, such as Ramadan. They also explain the benefits and risks of fasting for athletes and also debunked some myths about fasting. Dr. Arreaza add input about the side effects of fasting and ways to address them.    Written by Cameron Carlisle, MSIV (RUSM) and Kyung Kim, MSIV (AUC). Editing by Hector Arreaza, MD.You are listening to Rio Bravo qWeek Podcast, your weekly dose of knowledge brought to you by the Rio Bravo Family Medicine Residency Program from Bakersfield, California, a UCLA-affiliated program sponsored by Clinica Sierra Vista, Let Us Be Your Healthcare Home. This podcast was created for educational purposes only. Visit your primary care provider for additional medical advice.Introduction: In the last episode on fasting (#179), we explored how intermittent fasting (IF) can help manage type 2 diabetes by improving insulin sensitivity, promoting weight loss, and lowering inflammation. We discussed the benefits of methods like 16:8 time-restricted eating and the 5:2 meal plan, and even compared IF to medications like metformin. Today, we're bringing that science into real life. We'll talk about how people fast for religious reasons, like during Ramadan, how athletes use IF to stay in shape, and how we can use IF as a tool in family medicine to support community health and A1c control.Intermittent Fasting in Religious PracticeRamadan just ended on 3/30/25, but this is a great time to talk about the broader role of fasting in religion and health. Many faiths incorporate fasting into spiritual practice and understanding this can help us better support our patients.Islam (Ramadan): Ramadan is a month where Muslims fast from dawn to sunset, focusing on spiritual reflection and self-control. No food or drink is consumed during daylight hours. Despite this, studies have shown that with good planning, fasting during Ramadan does not significantly impair physical performance or metabolic health.Key health tips for patients observing Ramadan:Hydrate well between iftar (sunset) and suhoor (pre-dawn).Break the fast with dates and water to gently replenish energy and electrolytes.Eat balanced meals with complex carbs, protein, and healthy fatsAvoid greasy, heavy foods right after fastingLight exercise (such as a walk) after iftar is beneficialReview medications with a healthcare provider, especially for those on insulin or sulfonylureas.For example: Metformin should be taken when you break your fast and then again before dawn. If its an extended-release metformin, take it at night. Metformin does not cause significant hypoglycemia and can be continued during Ramadan. Basal insulin is advised to be given at Iftar, and the dose should be reduced by 25-35% if the patient is not well managed. And regarding the fast-acting insulin, it requires a little more reading, so you can look it up and learn about it. Judaism: In Judaism, fasting is practiced on days like Yom Kippur and Tisha B'Av, typically lasting 25 hours without food or water. These fasts are spiritual and reflective, and patients with medical conditions may seek guidance on how to participate safely.Christianity: Many Christians fast during Lent, either by abstaining from certain foods or limiting meal frequency. Some practice partial-day fasts or water-only fasts for spiritual renewal.A branch of Christianity known as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saintsoften observe a 24-hour fast on the first Sunday of each month, known as Fast Sunday, where they abstain from food and drink and donate the cost of meals to charity. This practice is both spiritual and communal.Cameron: Fasting for religious reasons, when done safely, can align with IF protocols and be culturally sensitive for diverse patients in family medicine.IF in Athletes and PerformanceIntermittent fasting is gaining popularity in the sports world. Athletes are using IF to improve body composition, increase fat oxidation, and enhance metabolic flexibility. A recent study, known as the DRIFT trial and published in Annals of Internal Medicine, found that fasting three non-consecutive days a week led to more weight loss than daily calorie restriction. Participants lost an average of 6.37 pounds more over 12 months.Why? Better adherence. People found the 3-day fasting schedule easier to stick to than counting calories every day.Benefits of IF for athletes:Encourages fat burning (via AMPK activation and GLUT4 upregulation, listen to ep. 179).Helps maintain lean muscle while reducing fat.No major drop in performance when meals and workouts are timed properly.What are some practical tips?Schedule workouts during or just before eating windows.Eat protein-rich meals post-workout.Avoid intense training during long fasts unless adapted.Stay hydrated, especially in hot environments or endurance sports.Broader Applications and Myths Around IFHormonal Effects of IF: In addition to improving insulin sensitivity, IF also affects hormones such as ghrelin (which stimulates hunger, remember it as growling) and leptin (which signals fullness). Over time, IF may help the body regulate appetite better and reduce cravings. IF can also decrease morning cortisol levels, the stress hormone. That's why it's important to monitor sleep, hydration, and stress levels when recommending IF.Circadian Rhythm Alignment: Emerging research shows that aligning eating times with natural light/dark cycles—eating during the day and fasting at night—can improve metabolic outcomes. This practice, known as early time-restricted eating (eTRE), has been shown to lower blood glucose, reduce insulin levels, and improve energy use. Patients who eat earlier in the day tend to have better results than those who eat late at night.Myths and Clarifications on IF:-“Fasting slows metabolism” In fact, short-term fasting may boost metabolism slightly due to increased norepinephrine. -“You can't exercise while fasting.” Many people can safely train during fasted states, especially for moderate cardio or strength training. -“Skipping breakfast is bad.” For some, skipping breakfast is a useful IF strategy—as long as total nutrition is maintained. You can break your fast at 2:00 pm, it does have to be at 7:00 AM.What to Eat When Breaking a FastBreaking a fast properly is just as important as fasting itself. Whether it's after a Ramadan fast or a 16-hour fast, the goal is to replenish energy gently and restore nutrients.Ideal foods to break a fast:Dates and water: provide quick energy, potassium, and fiberSoups: lentil or broth-based soups are gentle on digestionComplex carbs: whole grains like brown rice or oatsLean proteins: chicken, fish, eggs, legumesFruits and vegetables: hydrate and provide fiberHealthy fats: nuts, avocado, olive oilProbiotics: yogurt or kefir for gut supportBalanced meals with carbs, protein, and healthy fats help the body transition smoothly back to a fed state.Using IF in Family Medicine and Community HealthIntermittent fasting can be a practical, cost-effective strategy in family medicine. In areas with high rates of obesity and diabetes, like Kern County, IF offers a lifestyle-based tool to improve metabolic health, especially in underserved populations. IF is free!How IF can help in family medicine:Lower A1c levels: improves insulin sensitivity and glucose controlPromote weight loss: decreases insulin resistance and inflammationReduce medication dependence: fewer meds needed over time for some patientsEncourage patient engagement: flexible and easier to follow than strict calorie countingFit diverse lifestyles: aligns with religious and cultural practicesAddress food insecurity: structured eating windows can help patients stretch limited food resourcesHow to apply IF in clinic:Start the conversation by asking if the patient has heard of IFRecommend simple starting points: 12:12 or 14:10Emphasize hydration and nutrient-dense mealsMonitor labs and symptoms, especially in diabetic patientsAdjust medications to avoid hypoglycemiaProvide follow-up and patient education handouts if possibleWhat if a patient isn't ready to try fasting?For those not ready to commit to intermittent fasting, one effective alternative is walking after meals. A simple 10–20 minute walk post-meal can help stimulate GLUT4 receptors in skeletal muscle, promoting glucose uptake independent of insulin. This reduces the demand on pancreatic beta cells and may help improve blood sugar control over time. This strategy is particularly useful for patients with insulin resistance or early-stage type 2 diabetes.Conclusion: Intermittent fasting is not one-size-fits-all, but it can be a powerful tool for both individual and community health. From Ramadan to race day, IF has a place in family medicine when used thoughtfully. Encourage patients to work with their healthcare providers to find an approach that fits their lifestyle, medical needs, and personal values. IF is a cost-effective toolEven without trying, every night you go to bed a little wiser. Thanks for listening to Rio Bravo qWeek Podcast. We want to hear from you, send us an email at RioBravoqWeek@clinicasierravista.org, or visit our website riobravofmrp.org/qweek. See you next week! _____________________References:American Academy of Family Physicians. (2022). "Intermittent Fasting: A Promising Treatment for Diabetes." AAFP Community Blog. https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/afp-community-blog/entry/intermittent-fasting-a-promising-treatment-for-diabetes.htmlHealthline. (2023). "What Breaks a Fast? Foods, Drinks, and Supplements." https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/what-breaks-a-fast.Sarri KO, Tzanakis NE, Linardakis MK, Mamalakis GD, Kafatos AG. Effects of Greek Orthodox Christian Church fasting on serum lipids and obesity. BMC Public Health. 2003 May 16;3:16. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-3-16. PMID: 12753698; PMCID: PMC156653. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC156653/.Shang, Y., et al. (2024). "Effects of Intermittent Fasting on Obesity-Related Health Outcomes: An Umbrella Review." eClinicalMedicine.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(24)00098-1.Abaïdia AE, Daab W, Bouzid MA. Effects of Ramadan Fasting on Physical Performance: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis. Sports Med. 2020 May;50(5):1009-1026. doi: 10.1007/s40279-020-01257-0. PMID: 31960369. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31960369/.Theme song, Works All The Time by Dominik Schwarzer, YouTube ID: CUBDNERZU8HXUHBS, purchased from https://www.premiumbeat.com/.

Usama Dakdok is founder of the Straight Way of Grace Ministry. He's the speaker on the daily radio broadcast, Revealing the Truth About Islam. Born and raised in Egypt, Usama learned about Islam just as every other student does in a Muslim country. He also studied for a university degree in Egypt which included the study of Sharia, which is Islamic law. He first came to America in 1992.The infiltration of Islam continues in the U.S. This past February, Crosstalk warned listeners about the formation of "EPIC City" near Dallas, Texas (EPIC stands for East Plano Islamic Center). The city will eventually have exclusive Islamic grocery stores, schools, elderly assistance centers and more.Just a few weeks ago, the Houston Chronicle wrote about thousands of Muslims that gathered at the Sugarland, Texas, town square for what organizers said was the largest, open air Iftar celebration in the region. Then at the end of March, the White House sponsored an Iftar dinner. There's also a CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations) linked event that hopes to place Muslim-Americans in federal jobs. These efforts prove how Islam is affecting America. Next on their agenda is an event set to take place on April 28th-29th. That's when the U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations is hosting the 10th annual National Muslim Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C. The event will bring in Muslim leaders, activists, as well as constituents from all across America. The goal is to directly engage with members of Congress as they promote the theme: Defending rights. Shaping policy.

Usama Dakdok is founder of the Straight Way of Grace Ministry. He's the speaker on the daily radio broadcast, Revealing the Truth About Islam. Born and raised in Egypt, Usama learned about Islam just as every other student does in a Muslim country. He also studied for a university degree in Egypt which included the study of Sharia, which is Islamic law. He first came to America in 1992.The infiltration of Islam continues in the U.S. This past February, Crosstalk warned listeners about the formation of "EPIC City" near Dallas, Texas (EPIC stands for East Plano Islamic Center). The city will eventually have exclusive Islamic grocery stores, schools, elderly assistance centers and more.Just a few weeks ago, the Houston Chronicle wrote about thousands of Muslims that gathered at the Sugarland, Texas, town square for what organizers said was the largest, open air Iftar celebration in the region. Then at the end of March, the White House sponsored an Iftar dinner. There's also a CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations) linked event that hopes to place Muslim-Americans in federal jobs. These efforts prove how Islam is affecting America. Next on their agenda is an event set to take place on April 28th-29th. That's when the U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations is hosting the 10th annual National Muslim Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C. The event will bring in Muslim leaders, activists, as well as constituents from all across America. The goal is to directly engage with members of Congress as they promote the theme: Defending rights. Shaping policy.

In Episode 49, co-hosts Dr. Hanaa Almoaibed and Lucien Zeigler catch up after a short break over the Eid holidays before jumping into a DEEPDIVE on Saudi Arabia's new architectural guidelines, released by HRH the Crown Prince (along with a map!). Saudi Arabia is identifying and solidifying its heritage through new urban development guidelines that incorporate the kingdom's indigenous design traditions. The initiative will serve as a guideline for developers, Saudi real estate businesses, and urban planning projects, ensuring that new developments complement their surroundings while integrating traditional architectural elements into modern designs. The hosts discuss - and applaud - this move, as fans of architecture and especially with all of the unique looks that Saudi Arabia has to offer.  The hosts then get to the latest news, and discuss Telsa's market entry into Saudi Arabia, President Trump's Iftar dinner with HRH Princess Reema before the conclusion of Ramadan, and more. 

MALAM SERAM THE HORROR TALK SHOW | DEMI MENYOKONG DANA RAMADAN MASJID MUJAHIDINMasjid Mijahidin masih memerlukan sedekah anda untuk Dana Ramadan mereka. Kedudukan Masjid Mujahidin adalah sangat memainkan peranan sebagai satu tempat untuk penduduk sekitar dan khususnya Warga Emas berbuka puasa serta beribadah. Sekiranya anda ingin berinqaf kepada Masjid Mujahidin, anda boleh kirimkan sedekah anda seperti melalui:Bank Transfer (OCBC Current): - 591-8741-10001PayNow UEN: S77MQ0056D (Ref: Sedekah Ramadan)We still need your support

MALAM SERAM THE HORROR TALK SHOW | DEMI MENYOKONG DANA RAMADAN MASJID MUJAHIDINMasjid Mijahidin masih memerlukan sedekah anda untuk Dana Ramadan mereka. Kedudukan Masjid Mujahidin adalah sangat memainkan peranan sebagai satu tempat untuk penduduk sekitar dan khususnya Warga Emas berbuka puasa serta beribadah. Sekiranya anda ingin berinqaf kepada Masjid Mujahidin, anda boleh kirimkan sedekah anda seperti melalui:Bank Transfer (OCBC Current): - 591-8741-10001PayNow UEN: S77MQ0056D (Ref: Sedekah Ramadan)We still need your support

Musliminnen und Muslime begehen das Ende des Fastenmonats Ramadan mit einem grossen Fest. SRF zeigt eine Zusammenfassung der muslimischen Feier des Fastenbrechens aus dem Hallenstadion Zürich. Die Islamische Gemeinschaft Volketswil betreibt die grösste Moschee im Kanton Zürich. Aus Platzgründen hat sie die Feier zum Ende des Fastenmonats Ramadan ins Hallenstadion Zürich verlegt. Dort erläutert die Muslimin Azreta Ajradinoski den Ablauf des Zuckerfestes vom 30. März 2025. Dazu gehören Gebete und die Predigt von Imam Kaser Alasaad in deutscher und arabischer Sprache. Das Fest des Fastenbrechens am Ende des Ramadan wird umgangssprachlich auch als Zuckerfest bezeichnet. Während des Ramadan fasten erwachsene muslimische Gläubige tagsüber bis zum Sonnenuntergang. Erst dann essen und trinken sie. Fasten gehört zu den religiösen Grundpflichten von Musliminnen und Muslimen, zu den «fünf Säulen des Islam». Mit dem sogenannten Iftar wird das tägliche Fasten bis zur nächsten Morgendämmerung unterbrochen. Eine Rückblende zeigt dieses Fastenbrechen während des Ramadan in der Familie von Azreta Ajradinoski. Was bedeutet es, zu fasten und gleichzeitig zu arbeiten oder zur Schule zu gehen? Wer ist verpflichtet zu fasten und wie gehen die Gläubigen mit dem Fastengebot um? Das Fest des Fastenbrechens ist nach dem sogenannten Opferfest das wichtigste religiöse Fest im Islam. Es hat auch eine soziale Bedeutung. Musliminnen und Muslime treffen sich und feiern in der Familie. Auch viele nicht praktizierende Musliminnen und Muslime halten diese Tradition hoch.

This episode starts with a trip down memory lane. If you were at school in the 90's you might feel a shiver as the r Trawl ladies relive some Sunday night theme tunes. You could call it the calm before the storm because, in the next minute, they're talking about the new child labour laws in the US. Ron De Santis wants to get those minors working through the night, ideally with no breaks. Seems fair.....Compared to Marjorie Taylor Greene however, De Santis almost cuts a reasonable figure. Marjorie is not liking the UK at the moment and makes no bones about showing her extreme disdain to a UK journalist. Hmm, that 'special' relationship appears to have gone rather toxic.Should we want any kind of a relationship with the Trump adminstration? When a young woman can be taken from the streets simply because she opposes what's happening in Palestine, you've hit a new low and yet that's what's happened to Rumeysa Ozturk. Rumeysa was on her way to meet friends at an Iftar dinner where they would break their Ramadan fast. Instead, the 30-year-old was arrested and physically restrained by immigration officers. Six plainclothes officers surrounded Ozturk as she walked alone, though the officers did not show their badges until she was restrained. Horrifying.On the subject of Palestine, Marina and Jemma barely know what to say any more given that this week, more humanitarian aid workers and medics have been killed by the Israeli army which breaches international law. Instead they have picked a few clips of brilliant people speaking powerfully. On a lighter note, Vance went to Greenland and the entire trip was so pitiful it was comical. It begs the question, is he the worst diplomat ever? Pudding is warming up for the next episode - from The Last Leg it's a brilliant poke at Labour Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastBlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/thetrawl.bsky.socialCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

https://theprint.in/politics/why-congress-leaderships-iftar-engagements-signal-shift-in-approach-to-appeasement-charge/2572595/

IANR 2513 032925 Line Up4-6pm INTERVIEWSHere's the guest line-up for Sat, March 29, 2025 from 4 to 6pm CST on Indo American News Radio, a production of Indo American News (www.IndoAmerican-News.com). We are on 98.7 FM and you can also listen on the masalaradio app.By Monday, hear the recorded show on Podcast uploaded on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts, Radio Public and Breaker. We have 5 years of Podcasts and have had thousands of hits.TO SUPPORT THE SHOW, SELECT FOLLOW ON OUR FREE PODCAST CHANNEL AND YOU'LL BE NOTIFIED OF NEW UPDATES.4:20 pm When we last had Rishi Bhutada of the Hindu American Foundation on the show in January, we went over the controversial Bluebonnet Learning lessons that the state is trying to impose on school districts with the dangling carrot of additional money per student who is enrolled in it. Two weeks ago, at the Fort Bend ISD community meeting, there were heated words about implementing this curriculum, and lawyer Sumita Ghosh was ejected. There is a follow up meeting this week. We asked Rishi to point out segments from the curriculum which are inappropriate.4:50 pm This year the March has been the holy month of Ramadan coinciding again with Holi celebrations and Easter while Iftar celebrations are also being held almost daily. Eid ul Fitr will fall tomorrow on March 30 and shortly thereafter, on Saturday, April 12, the Indian Muslims Association of Greater Houston or IMAGH will hold its Eid Milan Gala at the Houston Marriott Westchase Hotel. To tell us more about it, we turn to gala coordinators Saeed Pathan and Parveen Saiyed.5:20 pm In the 60's, the Hippie generation found peaceand love in Indian spirituality and many Hindu religious icons came into vogue. The Beatles drew in Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and Jimi Hendrix notoriously painted himself into a 1967 album cover featuring Hindu gods and goddesses. Since then, other businesses have tried to use Hindu icons in marketing and caused much offense. The most recent is Freddy's Smoke shop in College Station which uses a squatting Ganesh smoke with a cigarette in his hand. We speak with Riya Shah, a student at TAMU who noticed the shop and sent it into a WhatsApp chat group.Also stay tuned in for news roundup, views, sports and movie reviews.TO BE FEATURED ON THE SHOW, OR TO ADVERTISE, PLEASE CONTACT US AT 713-789-NEWS or 6397 or at indoamericannews@yahoo.comPlease pick up the print edition of Indo American News which is available all across town at grocery stores. Also visit our website indoamerican-news.com which gets 90,000+ hits to track all current stories. And remember to visit our digital archives from over 17 years. Plus, our entire 44 years of hard copy archives are available in the Fondren Library at Rice University.

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On today's show we are marking Trans Day of Visibility (31st of March). We will be hearing snippets of a rich conversation between 3CR's Sally Goldner and Aisya Zaharin. Aisya is a trans advocate from Meanjin Brisbane and is currently in Narrm as a special guest for the Women's Iftar hosted by Queer Muslim Narrm and Trans Sisters United. She has also been a strong advocate for trans youth in Queensland in the face of government attacks on trans health care. Our guests chat about the recent Women's Iftar held by Queer Muslim Narrm and Trans Sisters United; the rise of right-wing dogma and its impact on faith and religion; and the QLD anti-trans bill, which has suspended minors from accessing Hormone Replacement Therapy and puberty blockers. This interview was aired on Sunday 23 March on 3CR's Out of the Pan with Sally Goldner. AusPath has initiated a fundraiser ‘Project 491' in response to this harmful suspension from the QLD government. Make a donation here.If you are trans person impacted by this news or have found any of the conversation distressing you can call  QLifeon 1800 184 527.

Ralph welcomes journalist Chris Hedges to talk about his new book "A Genocide Foretold: Reporting on Survival and Resistance in Occupied Palestine." Then, Ralph speaks to David Swanson of World BEYOND War about what his organization is doing to resist this country's casual acceptance of being constantly at war. Finally, Ralph checks in with our resident constitutional scholar Bruce Fein.Chris Hedges is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, who spent nearly two decades as a foreign correspondent in Central America, the Middle East, Africa and the Balkans. He is the host of The Chris Hedges Report, and he is a prolific author— his latest book is A Genocide Foretold: Reporting on Survival and Resistance in Occupied Palestine.We not only blocked the effort by most countries on the globe to halt the genocide or at least censure Israel to the genocide, but of course have continued to sendbillions of dollars in weapons and to shut down critics within the United States… And that sends a very, very ominous message to the global south, especiallyas the climate breaks down, that these are the kind of draconian murderous measuresthat we will employ.Chris HedgesIt's a very, very ominous chapter in the history of historic Palestine. In some ways, far worse even than the 1948 Nakba (or “Catastrophe”) that saw massacres carried out against Palestinians in their villages and 750,000 Palestinians displaced. What we're watching now is probably the worst catastrophe to ever beset the Palestinian people.Chris HedgesIt's a bit like attacking somebody for writing about Auschwitz and not giving the SS guards enough play to voice their side. We're writing about a genocide and, frankly, there isn't a lot of nuance. There's a lot of context (which is in the book). But I expect either to be blanked out or attacked because lifting up the voices of Palestinians is something at this point within American society that is considered by the dominant media platforms and those within positions of power to be unacceptable.Chris HedgesIt eventually comes down to us, the American people. And it's not just the Middle East. It's a sprawling empire with hundreds of military bases, sapping the energy of our public budgets and of our ability to relate in an empathetic and humanitarian way to the rest of the world.Ralph NaderDavid Swanson is an author, activist, journalist, radio host and Nobel Peace Prize nominee. He is executive director of World BEYOND War and campaign coordinator for RootsAction. His books include War Is A Lie and When the World Outlawed War.The biggest scandal of the past two days in the United States is not government officials secretly discussing plans for mass killing, for war making, but how they did it on a group chat. You can imagine if they were talking about blowing up buildings in the United States, at least the victims would get a little mention in there.David SwansonThe Democrats are the least popular they've been. They're way less popular than the Republicans because some of the Republicans' supporters actually support the horrendous behavior they're engaged in. Whereas Democrats want somebody to try anything, anything at all, and you're not getting it.David SwansonYou know how many cases across the world across the decades in every hospital and health center there are of PTSD or any sort of injury from war deprivation? Not a one. Not a single one, ever. People survive just fine. And people do their damnedest to stay out of it, even in the most warmongering nations in the world. People try their very hardest to stay out of war personally, because it does great damage.David SwansonBruce Fein is a Constitutional scholar and an expert on international law. Mr. Fein was Associate Deputy Attorney General under Ronald Reagan and he is the author of Constitutional Peril: The Life and Death Struggle for Our Constitution and Democracy, and American Empire: Before the Fall.If there were really an attorney general who was independent, they would advise the President, “You can't make these threats. They are the equivalent of extortion.”Bruce FeinVigorous Public Interest Law DayApril 1, 2025 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm at Harvard Law School the Harvard Plaintiffs' Law Association is hosting Vigorous Public Interest Law Day with opening remarks by Ralph Nader. The program will feature highly relevant presentations and group discussions with some of the nation's most courageous public interest lawyers including Sam Levine, Bruce Fein, Robert Weissman, Joan Claybrook, and Pete Davis, to name a few. More information here.News 3/26/251. Starting off this week with some good news, Families for Safe Streets reports the Viriginia Assembly has passed HB2096, also known as the Stop Super Speeders bill. If enacted, this bill would allow would judges to “require drivers convicted of extreme speeding offenses to install Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) technology in their vehicles, automatically limiting their speed to the posted limit.” According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or NHTSA, established by Ralph Nader, speeding was responsible for 12,151 deaths in 2022 and is a contributing factor in the skyrocketing number of pedestrians killed by automobiles which hit a 40-year high in 2023, per NPR.2. In more troubling auto safety news AP reports NHTSA has ordered a new recall on nearly all Cybertrucks. This recall centers on an exterior panel that can “detach while driving, creating a dangerous road hazard for other drivers, [and] increasing the risk of a crash.” This panel, called a “cant rail assembly,” is attached with a glue that is vulnerable to “environmental embrittlement,” per NHTSA. This is the eighth recall of the vehicles since they hit the road just one year ago.3. At the same time, the Democratic-controlled Delaware state legislature has passed a bill to “award…Musk $56 billion, shield corporate executives from liability, and strip away voting power from shareholders,” reports the Lever. According to this report, written before the law passed, the bill would “set an extremely high bar for plaintiffs to obtain internal company documents, records, and communications — the core pieces of evidence needed to build a lawsuit against a company.” On the other hand, “Corporate executives and investors with a controlling stake in a firm would no longer be required to hold full shareholder votes on various transactions in which management has a direct conflict of interest.” As this piece notes, this bill was backed by a pressure campaign led by Musk and his lawyers that began with a Delaware Chancery Court ruling that jeopardized his $56 billion compensation package. In retaliation, Musk threatened to lead a mass exodus of corporations from the state. Instead of calling his bluff, the state legislature folded, likely beginning a race to the bottom among other corporate-friendly states that will strip anyone but the largest shareholders of any remaining influence on corporate decision making.4. Speaking of folding under pressure, Reuters reports Columbia University will “acquiesce” to the outrageous and unprecedented demands of the Trump administration. These include a new mask ban on campus, and placing the school's Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies department – along with the Center for Palestine Studies –under academic receivership for at least five years. By caving to these demands, the University hopes the administration will unfreeze $400 million in NIH grants they threatened to withhold. Reuters quotes historian of education, Professor Jonathan Zimmerman, who decried this as “The government…using the money as a cudgel to micromanage a university,” and Todd Wolfson, president of the American Association of University Professors, who called the administration's demands “arguably the greatest incursion into academic freedom, freedom of speech and institutional autonomy that we've seen since the McCarthy era.”5. The authoritarianism creeping through higher education doesn't end there. Following the chilling disappearing of Mahmoud Khalil, the Trump administration has begun deploying the same tactic against more students for increasingly minor supposed offenses. First there was Georgetown post-doc student Badar Khan Suri, originally from India, who “had been living in Virginia for nearly three years when the police knocked on his door on the evening of 17 March and arrested him,” per the BBC. His crime? Being married to the daughter of a former advisor to Ismail Haniyeh, who in 2010 left the Gaza government and “started the House of Wisdom…to encourage peace and conflict resolution in Gaza.” A court has blocked Suri's deportation. Then there is Rumeysa Ozturk, a PhD student at Tufts who was on her way home from an Iftar dinner when she was surrounded and physically restrained by plainclothes agents on the street, CNN reports. Video of this incident has been shared widely. Secretary of State Marco Rubio supposedly “determined” that Ozturk's alleged activities would have “potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences and would compromise a compelling U.S. foreign policy interest.” These activities? Co-writing a March 2024 op-ed in the school paper which stated “Credible accusations against Israel include accounts of deliberate starvation and indiscriminate slaughter of Palestinian civilians and plausible genocide.” The U.S. has long decried regimes that use secret police to suppress dissident speech. Now it seems it has become one.6. Yet the Trump administration is not only using deportations as a blunt object to punish pro-Palestine speech, it is also using it to go after labor rights activists. Seattle public radio station KUOW reports “Farmworker activist and union leader Alfredo Juarez Zeferino, known…as ‘Lelo,' was taken into custody by [ICE].” A farmworker and fellow activist Rosalinda Guillén is quoted saying “[Lelo] doesn't have a criminal record…they stopped him because of his leadership, because of his activism.” She added “I think that this is a political attack.” Simultaneously, the Washington Post reports “John Clark, a Trump-appointed Labor Department official, directed the agency's Bureau of International Labor Affairs…to end all of its grants.” These cuts are “expected to end 69 programs that have allocated more than $500 million to combat child labor, forced labor and human trafficking, and to enforce labor standards in more than 40 countries.”7. All of these moves by the Trump administration are despicable and largely unprecedented, but even they are not as brazen as the assault on the twin pillars of the American social welfare system: Social Security and Medicare. Social Security is bearing the brunt of the attacks at the moment. First, AP reported that Elon Musk's DOGE planned to cut up to 50% of the Social Security Administration staff. Then, the Washington Post reported that the administration planned to force millions of seniors to submit claims in person rather than via phone. Now the administration is announcing that they are shifting Social Security payments from paper checks to prepaid debit cards, per Axios. Nearly half a million seniors still receive their payments via physical checks. These massive disruptions in Social Security have roiled seniors across the nation, many of whom are Republican Trump supporters, and they are voicing their frustration to their Republican elected officials – who in turn are chafing at being cut out of the loop by Musk. NBC reports Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, chairman of the Senate Finance subcommittee on Social Security, said “he had not been told ahead of time about DOGE's moves at the agency.” Senators Steve Daines and Bill Cassidy have echoed this sentiment. And, while Social Security takes center stage, Medicare is next in line. Drop Site is out with a new report on how Trump's nominee to oversee the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services – Dr. Oz – could shift millions of seniors from traditional Medicare to the insurer-controlled Medicare Advantage system. Medicare and Social Security have long been seen as the “third rail” of American politics, meaning politicians who try to tamper with those programs meet their political demise. This is the toughest test yet of whether that remains true.8. The impact of Oscar winning documentary No Other Land continues to reverberate, a testament to the power of its message. In Miami Beach, Mayor Steven Meiner issued a draft resolution calling for the city to terminate its lease agreement with O Cinema, located at Old City Hall, simply for screening the film. Deadline reports however that he was forced to back down. And just this week, co-director of the film Hamdan Ballal was reportedly “lynched” by Israeli settlers in his West Bank village, according to co-director Yuval Abraham, an anti-occupation Jewish Israeli journalist. The Guardian reports “the settlers beat him in front of his home and filmed the assault…he was held at an army base, blindfolded, for 24 hours and forced to sleep under a freezing air conditioner.” Another co-director, Basel Adra of Masafer Yatta, told the AP “We came back from the Oscars and every day since there is an attack on us…This might be their revenge on us for making the movie. It feels like a punishment.” Stunningly, it took days for the Academy of Motion Pictures to issue a statement decrying the violence and even then, the statement was remarkably tepid with no mention of Palestine at all, only condemning “harming or suppressing artists for their work or their viewpoints.”9. In some more positive news, Zohran Mamdani – the Democratic Socialist candidate for Mayor of New York City – has maxed out donations, per Gothamist. Mamdani says he has raised “more than $8 million with projected matching funds from about 18,000 donors citywide and has done so at a faster rate than any campaign in city history.” Having hit the public financing cap this early, Mamdani promised to not spend any more of the campaign raising money and instead plans to “build the single largest volunteer operation we've ever seen in the New York City's mayor's race.” Witnessing a politician asking supporters not to send more money is a truly one-of-a-kind moment. Recent polling shows Mamdani in second place, well behind disgraced former Governor Andrew Cuomo and well ahead of his other rivals, including incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, per CBS. However, Mamdani remains unknown to large numbers of New Yorkers, meaning his ceiling could be much higher. Plenty of time remains before the June mayoral election.10. Finally, in an extremely bizarre story, Columbia Professor Anthony Zenkus reports “Robert Ehrlich, millionaire founder of snack food giant Pirate's Booty…tried to take over the sleepy Long Island town of Sea Cliff.” Zenkus relays that Ehrlich waged a “last minute write-in campaign for mayor in which he only received 62 votes - then declared himself mayor anyway.” Though Ehrlich only received 5% of the vote, he “stormed the village hall with an entourage, declaring himself the duly-elected mayor, screaming that he was there to dissolve the entire town government and that he alone had the power to form a new government.” Ehrlich claimed the election was “rigged” and thus invalid, citing as evidence “One of my supporters voted three times. Another one voted four times…” which constitutes a confession to election fraud. Zenkus ends this story by noting that Ehrlich was “escorted out by police.” It's hard to make heads or tails of this story, but if nothing else it indicates that these petty robber barons are simply out of control – believing they can stage their own mini coup d'etats. And after all, why shouldn't they think so, when one of their ilk occupies perhaps the most powerful office in the history of the world. Bad omens all around.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

Har du muslimske venner, men tør ikke å stille dem alle de dumme spørsmålene du har om Ramadan? Vi har deg!Eid er rett rundt hjørnet og Umami har fastet. I denne epsioden deler vi våre opplevelser med deg. Vi har også utforsket butikktrenden som aldri dør, dadler med rare smaker: Strawberry milkshake daddel, salt lakris dadler, karamel og peanøtt dadler. Hvilken er verdt å kjøpe?Av og med: Emily Ceesay, Tuva Hassel, Amund Glad Østensen, Thien Quang Le (teknikk)

In today's podcast I talk about: Iftar party hopping in Mangalore. Fartlek intervals in the morning. Reviews and connects.

26 Mar 2025. We look at what it could mean for oil prices with Matt Stanley, Head of Market Engagement - EMEA & APAC at Kpler. Plus, we speak to Emirates Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer Adnan Kazim about the fine art of refitting a plane. And, are more expats embracing Abayas for Iftar? And is it driving a spike in sales. We asked Suzan Al Sadi, Fashion Designer & Co Founder at Rozan Designs Modest.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(0:00) Intro(0:26) What to Eat in Iftar?(1:26) Announcement About Recently Uploaded 11-Year-Old Audio Bayan on Taraweeh Detailed Masail(4:12) Jab Zinda Bach Rehnay Wala Qaidi Bhool Gaya!(Doosray ki Ghalti Se Mili Takleef Rehmat Hai)(6:03) Badshah ko Jab Khwaab Aaya?(8:28) Badshah ne Darbariyon Se Taabeer Kyun Poochhi?(8:44) Gaaye Mein Ishara(10:04) Number 07 Mein Ishara(10:47)

In den USA herrscht Empörung. Während Extremisten reihenweise Autos von Tesla anzünden und der Präsident vor „domestic terrorism“ warnt spielen sich im Kino ganz andere Szenen ab: Vor leeren Rängen singt und tanzt ein wokes Schneewittchen. Sie sucht nicht nach der Liebe, sondern nach eine feministischen Revolution. Das ist die Zukunft. Schneewittchens Zukunft in Europa hingegen könnte eines Tages unter dem Schleier stattfinden. Der Islam wird von Jahr zu Jahr sichtbarer. Massendemonstrationen, Massengebete und öffentliches Fastenbrechen in Massen. Selbst auf Pressekonferenzen und bei Fußballspielen wird „Iftar“ praktiziert. Die Islamisierung des Abendlands nimmt ganz konkrete Formen an. Marcel und Benjamin berichten über Kulturkampf und Religionskriege. Sag mir wo Du stehst.

Christ's Kiosk (and the one on Jesus Green): revitalised and foodie friendly. Noshe's Iftar menu, its other Ramadan offers and its remarkably good value. Steve Thompson on current foraging and his private dining work, with Cong Cong Bo providing matching wines. Tim Haywards' new column for the Financial Times, and what it is like reviewing restaurants.

Guest Aisya A. Zaharin talks queer women's Iftar , intersectionality, privilege and more

This week on the SheerLuxe Vodcast, Nana Acheampong is joined by Basma Khalifa and Lisa Potter-Dixon. Together they discuss everything new and noteworthy, from Adolescence on Netflix to the app they're obsessed with and SheerLuxe's recent Iftar dinner. They then go on to chat about some hot topics this week, including the creative director shuffles at Versace and Loewe as well as Jamie Laing's impressive Comic Relief challenge. The three then move on to answer your dilemmas – from how to navigate a long-distance relationship to the best ways to age gracefully… Subscribe For More | http://bit.ly/2VmqduQ Get SheerLuxe Straight To Your Inbox, Daily | http://sheerluxe.com/signup Congratulations To Gfan1 on winning the Sarah Chapman Bundle. Please email podcast@sheerluxe.com with your details so we can send it your way!Competition | Tatcha | https://www.tatcha.co.uk/ Terms & Conditions: The entrant must be 18 or over to enter, and it is only valid to UK entrants. Only one entry per person. No alternative cash or otherwise to the stated prizes are available. SheerLuxe is not responsible for and will not offer any compensation, financial or otherwise, for any loss, damage or disappointment arising if the prize is not fulfilled by the providing company for any reason whatsoever. PANELNana Acheampong | @styledbynana | https://www.instagram.com/styledbynana/ Old H&M Zebra Print Blazer (similar) | https://tinyurl.com/h9dnduhx Mango Ribbed Vest | https://tinyurl.com/4uwm3kx8 Mango Leather Wide Leg Trousers | https://tinyurl.com/jmx7cmjwA.W.A.K.E. Mode x John Lewis Square Toe Heels | https://tinyurl.com/3rfyz5yw Basma Khalifa | @basmakhalifa | https://www.instagram.com/basmakhalifa/ ASOS Snake Print Knee High Boots | https://tinyurl.com/mtvhtm28 COS Relaxed Cotton Wide Leg Trousers | https://tinyurl.com/3b5tcnns Mango Cashmere Top and Cardigan | https://www.brandalley.co.uk/19089314.htmlWhistles Khaki Clean Bonded Leather Jacket | https://tinyurl.com/2zvsjnpe Lisa Potter Dixon | @lisapotterdixon | https://www.instagram.com/lisapotterdixon/ Frankie Shop Jumpsuit | https://eu.thefrankieshop.com/products/linda-jumpsuit-beigeVinted Old Topshop Boots Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today's podcast I talk about: Easy hill repeats. Iftar party by Riyaz. Chakra meditation and mantra clarity. Staying away from overload whatsapp group. Reviews and connects.

Ramadan is a special month for Muslims. The members of Muslim communities come together at mosques for prayers and gather with family and friends for Iftar meals to break the fast. Speaking with SBS Hindi, Melbourne-based Wasif Hafeez and Sydney-based Farida Alvi share their thoughts on whether there has been any shift in traditions and practices of Ramadan over the period due to media, technology, and globalisation.

Esta es mi experiencia de la invitación que generosamente me extendieron desde el Centro Cultural Islámico en Madrid, a celebrar con ellos la ruptura del ayuno. Telegram Isla difusión: https://t.me/+M46yiWO_BJU2NzkySuscríbete a mi podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/user/vidasenredMi canal en Odysee: https://odysee.com/@vidasenred:8En Pocket Cast: https://pca.st/podcast/38707740-c7a5-012f-7f6b-723c91aeae46Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@juliomm1Consigue mis libros:https://www.amazon.es/dp/179311627Xhttps://amzn.to/3odqWv7

At the iftar held at the Uniting Care Capex Church in Canberra, a demonstration of solidarity between different religions was witnessed. The event brought together people from various faiths, fostering a sense of unity and mutual respect. - کینبرا میں یونائیٹنگ کیئر کیپیکس کے چرچ میں منعقدہ افطار میں مختلف مذاہب کے درمیان یکجہتی کا مظاہرہ دیکھنے میں آیا۔

In this lesson, we'll explore the meaning of Ramadan and key English vocabulary related to this important time of fasting, reflection, and community. Whether you're learning English or just want to understand more about this holy month, we'll break down important words, phrases, and traditions in a simple way. Perfect for English learners who want to improve their vocabulary while learning about culture!

Çalar Saat Hafta Sonu, samimi ve dürüst habercilik anlayışıyla Türkiye'nin dört bir yanından derlediği haberleri izleyicilerle buluşturup ülkenin nabzını tutmaya devam ediyor. Türkiye'nin lider sabah haber programı Çalar Saat Hafta Sonu NOW'da! Bizi sosyal medyadan takip edin: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nowhaberTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/NOWhaberInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/nowhaber.tr/

We were talking all things Ramadan on Farmer's Kitchen, with Lighthouse restaurateur Hashem Montasser joining us to discuss his experiences of the Holy Month, professionally and personally, while Arva Ahmed from Frying Pan Adventures let us in on the company's Iftar introductions in Old Dubai. Emily Jenkins brought us her travel tricks and tips while The Book of Chai author Mira Manek was spilling tea - and history. We were also joined by Foodiva's Samantha Woods, who introduced us to a host of new openings in Dubai... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're about halfway through Ramadan — the Muslim holy month marked by charity, spiritual reflection, and daily fasting. With some 350,000 Muslims estimated to call Chicago and Illinois home, we visited the Muslim Community Center in Old Irving Park for a community iftar. Iftar refers to the evening meal when fasts are broken each day. Last year, host Jacoby Cochran talked with lifelong member Amjad Quadri about what the mosque is serving up and how Ramadan is about more than fasting. Support MCC's Annual Ramadan Project to help provide Iftar nightly to over 30 newly arrived families.  Want some more City Cast Chicago news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Chicago newsletter.  Follow us @citycastchicago You can also text us or leave a voicemail at: 773 780-0246 Learn more about the sponsors of this March 12 episode: Paramount Theatre Become a member of City Cast Chicago. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE

The Sunnah of Suhoor and Iftar by Shaykh Muhammad Faqih.For more information and further updates, please visit us at https://www.icoi.net.Nasheed courtesy of: www.youtube.com/@nasheedd. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#acıtatlımayhoş #ramazanmenüsü

First lieutenant Sultan Al Tunaiji, Sharjah Police, discusses the ongoing efforts that the police department are doing during the Holy Month of Ramadan. Sultan also explains the interesting history behind the Iftar cannon that the public of Sharjah cherish during Iftar times. Listen to #Pulse95Radio in the UAE by tuning in on your radio (95.00 FM) or online on our website: www.pulse95radio.com ************************ Follow us on Social. www.facebook.com/pulse95radio www.twitter.com/pulse95radio www.instagram.com/pulse95radio

Gündemin öne çıkan gelişmelerinden derleyerek hazırladığımız Kısa Dalga Bülten yayında... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bu yıl Ramazan ayında Avustralya'da yaşayan Müslümanlar 14 saati aşkın bir süre oruç tutuyor. Beslenme uzmanı İlayda Gürışık, bu uzun açlık sürecine karşı daha dayanıklı olmanın ip uçlarını verdi.

Ramadan is a time of fasting, reflection, and togetherness, with families gathering for iftar after a day of devotion.However, many fathers miss this moment due to work and other commitments. In today's episode of Nigeria Daily, we explore the spiritual, emotional, and cultural importance of men having iftar with their families during this sacred month.

Dave Rubin of "The Rubin Report" talks about Bill Maher surprising the "Real Time with Bill Maher" crowd by agreeing with Fareed Zakaria's shortsighted criticism of JD Vance's speech criticizing Germany's lack of free speech; "60 Minutes'" frightening story about the chilling enforcement of Germany's new hate speech laws, where German citizens go to jail and have their devices taken from them for saying any "hateful" speech online; Richard Dawkins' chilling appearance on "Piers Morgan Uncensored" which revealed how successful the muslim's world's threats have been to any public figure critical of Islam when Dawkins refuses to comment on the case of the "ISIS bride"; the UK continuing to cede it's cultural history to Islam by allowing an Iftar event to celebrate the end of Ramadan in the historic St. George's Hall in Windsor Castle; Jasmine Crockett proving how ignorant she is of Elon Musk's accomplishments; Boston mayor Michelle Wu responding to a knife attack in a Chick-fil-A by offering condolences to the family of the dead attempted murderer; Bob Hope's proving that people always mocked Democrats; and much more. Dave also does a special "ask me anything" question-and-answer session on a wide-ranging host of topics, answering questions from the Rubin Report Locals community. WATCH the MEMBER-EXCLUSIVE segment of the show here: https://rubinreport.locals.com/ Check out the NEW RUBIN REPORT MERCH here: https://daverubin.store/ ---------- Today's Sponsors: Prolon - Rejuvenate your body from the inside out, while supporting enhanced skin appearance, fat loss, and improving energy and focus. Prolon is offering 15% off their 5-day nutrition program for Rubin Report viewers. Go to: http://ProlonLife.com/DAVE Lean - A powerful weight loss supplement with remarkable results to help lower blood sugar, burn fat by converting it into energy, and curb your appetite. Rubin Report viewers get 20% off plus free rush shipping off their first order! Go to: https://TakeLean.com and enter promo code DAVE20 for your discount MCT Wellness - Activate the specific process in your body that thousands of people have used to dramatically improve their health, even at age 50 and beyond. Watch the video that Dr. Gundry calls the "caloric bypass". Go to: https://TheHealthyFat.com/Rubin ---------- #RubinReport #BillMaher #RealTime #FareedZakaria #JDVance #freespeech #hatespeech #Germany #daverubin The Direct Message directly addresses political news, cultural news and current events of the day. It's only by having rational conversations about these topics that we can help end political polarization. To hear what Dave has to say on these and a variety of other topics watch this playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEbhOtC9klbDG22n--rCDbv02-n8l6agL To make sure you never miss a single Rubin Report video, click here to subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJdKr0Bgd_5saZYqLCa9mng?sub_confirmation=1 Looking for honest conversations about current events, political news and the culture war? If so, then you're in the right place because on “The Rubin Report” Dave Rubin engages the ideas of society's most interesting thought leaders, authors, entertainers and politicians. Dave lets his guests speak their minds and his audience to think for themselves. The Rubin Report is fan funded through monthly and one-time donations: https://rubinreport.com/support ****** Follow Dave on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RubinReport Follow The Rubin Report on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rubinreport Follow Dave on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/daverubin Follow Dave on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rubinreport/?hl=en About Dave Rubin: http://daverubin.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Skip the Queue is brought to you by Rubber Cheese, a digital agency that builds remarkable systems and websites for attractions that helps them increase their visitor numbers. Your host is Paul Marden.If you like what you hear, you can subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, and all the usual channels by searching Skip the Queue or visit our website SkiptheQueue.fm.If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave us a five star review, it really helps others find us. And remember to follow us on Twitter  or Bluesky for your chance to win the books that have been mentioned in this podcast.Competition ends on 19th March 2025. The winner will be contacted via Bluesky. Show references: https://www.ajah.ae/https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-griffiths-63432763/Kelly's final episodeThe transformation of Painshill Park, with Paul Griffiths, Director of PainshillWhat it really takes to launch a podcast. With Kelly Molson and Paul GriffithsPaul Griffiths has worked in the Heritage, Museums and Tourism world now for nearly 30 years.After spending 16 years working in various role for English Heritage, in 2012 he moved to the Mary Rose Museum as Head of Operations to oversee the opening and operations of the multi award winning museum, welcoming over one million visitors before in 2018 taking on moving to the Painshill Park Trust in the role of Director of Painshill. Paul spent 6 years there before his move in December 2024 to Ras Al Khaimah one of the seven Emirates that make up the UAE. In this exciting brand new role Paul is Chief Executive Officer of the Al Hamra Heritage Village, part of the Al Qasimi Foundation. Transcriptions: Paul Marden: Welcome to Skip the Queue, a podcast for people working in and working with Visitor Attractions. I'm your host, Paul Marden.Longtime listeners will remember my guest today, Paul Griffiths, when he was CEO at Painshill Park, from when he was interviewed back in season one by Kelly. In today's episode, Paul comes back to talk about his new role as CEO of Al Jazeera Al Hamrah Heritage Village in Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE. Now, I'm always interested in the first 90 days of people's experience in a job, so we'll be talking more about that and his for the future. Paul Marden: Paul, welcome back to Skip the Queue. Paul Griffiths: Hello. Thanks for having me, Paul. Great to be here. Paul Marden:  Long time. Listeners will know that we always start with an icebreaker question and our guests don't get to know that one in advance. I think this one's a pretty kind one. I was pretty mean to Paul Sapwell from Hampshire Cultural Trust a couple of weeks ago because I asked him whether it was Pompey or Saints and for political reasons, he felt that he had to abstain from that.Paul Griffiths: Testing his interest. I'd have gone Pompey at the time because that's where we live. Well, did live. Paul Marden: Oh, there you go. There you go. So you've moved over from Portsmouth. You're now in the UAE. Tell listeners, what is that one? Home comfort that after three months away from Blighty, you're missing? Is it proper English marmalade? Paul Griffiths: Do you know what? I've been able to get hold of most things, but I've not been able to get. I know people who cook properly, so I should be able to do this myself, but I haven't. Cauliflower cheese, one thing I'm missing from home, that doesn't sell it anywhere in a sort of pre pack or frozen form. I can even get hold of Yorkshire puddings in Spinny's supermarket, but I can't get hold of cauliflower cheese. Paul Marden: Can you get cauliflowers? Paul Griffiths: Can get cauliflowers. I'm sure I can make cheese sauce if I knew what it was doing. But you normally. I'm so used to normally buying a pack of cheese, cauliflower cheese to have in my Sunday roast. Paul Marden: Okay. So if I ever get to come out, I need to bring out a plastic wrapped, properly sealed so that it doesn't leak on the plane. Cauliflower cheese? Paul Griffiths: Yes, please. Yeah, absolutely. Paul Marden: So your last episode was actually. Or your last full episode was back in season one, episode 22. So five years ago and the world has changed a lot in five years, but most recently it's changed a lot for you, hasn't it? So why don't you tell listeners a little bit about what's happened to you since you were with us in season one? Paul Griffiths: Wow. Yeah, well, season one seems an age away, doesn't it, now with all the wonderful guests youu've had since on Skip the Queue, it's been a different program completely. But, yeah, no, well, back then I was at Painshill, were coming out of a pandemic and I remember, you know, Kelly and I were chatting over all the different avenues that everyone had gone and what we've done at Painshill and that continued brilliantly. And however, my life has taken a change in. In sense of where I am, but I'm still doing the same sort of work, so. Which is, you know, when our industry, and it's such a fabulous industry, it's great to stay in it. Paul Griffiths: So I am now over in the United Army Emirates in the Emirate of Ras Alhaima, which is the third biggest of the seven emirates that make up the UAE, behind Abu Dhabi and, of course, Dubai. So I was approached, God, nearly always, this time last year, about a call over here. Yes. My recruitment company got in touch and went through, you know, had a good look at the job description and thought, well, actually, we'll throw my hat into the ring. And applied, went for a series of online interviews with the recruitment company, then an online interview with the people over here at various departments within the Al Kassimme Foundation and the Department of Museums and Antiquities. Paul Griffiths: So, yeah, looking at this brand new job, which I'm now lucky enough to be in, I then was flown out in August for a round of interviews, met all the team. You know, one of those things that you later discover, the whole real four days was one big interview, although there was. There was a central one. But of course, everyone you were meeting along the way was being asked to feedback, And I love chatting to people and enjoying people's company. So actually went for dinners and lunches and all sorts, which was just a lovely four days and almost felt like a free hit in many ways, Paul. Well, this is going to be a brilliant experience. Paul Griffiths: If I don't get the job, I'm going to have a great four days in Rasta Taima, seeing it, meeting everyone, enjoying the time here. And, you know, the more time I spent here, the more time with the team, the more time, you know, going and visiting sites. I just became more and more that this would be an amazing job. Obviously gave my absolute everything, did loads of research, gave everything in the interview. The interview took a rather unusual turn. After the sort of hour and a half of questions and my questions, I was asked to leave the room for a short period. Not unusual in that sense because I was, you know, I wasn't just going to leave and go because obviously I was in their hands for four days. Paul Griffiths: But the doctor, Natasha Ridge, the executive director of the foundation, came out the interview and said, “Right, that's all gone really well. We're really pleased. We're now off to the palace for you to meet His Highness Sheikh Saud, who is the ruler of Ras Al Khaimah and on the Supreme Council of the UAE.” So I was sort of, I went to one of the small meeting rooms you. Now I know that. Now I know where I was, where I went. But at that point I had no idea. One of the lovely. There's a very much a service thing here. Paul Griffiths: So, you know, we have in the Heritage Village as well later we have a wonderful member of our team, Geraldine, who does lots of cooking, prepares stuff and just had a wonderful fish taco lunch because we're four hours ahead of you, of course, here in Alaihi. So, yeah, so one of the guys came in with, gave me an English breakfast tea and sort of, you know, sat there reviewing what, thinking what on earth was I going to be asked by His Highness. And then was put into one of the drivers and we drove up through Rat Sahma City, through into the palace, up the long driveway and there I was sort of eventually, after about 20 minutes, presented with. Presented to Sheikh Sword who asked me, chatted, asked various questions. Paul Griffiths: I don't think there could be many interviews that you end up with His Highness in the second half of it. You know, it's sometimes a presentation. Yeah. So that was. I was there for about half an hour and that's your time over and off he goes. And off I went back to then go and have dinner with some of the team. So it was a very surreal afternoon. Paul Marden: Being interviewed by royalty. But when you're not expecting that as part of the interview process, that must be quite unnerving. Paul Griffiths: I had a heads up that at some point in my trip I might meet him, but there was no formal arrangements. I had me had to get in a diary. So it hadn't even crossed my mind that's what was about to happen. When I was asked to leave the meeting room, I just thought maybe they wanted to come back with more questions or, you know, say I hadn't gone well, whatever. But, yeah, no, that was the. I took that as a good sign. I thought, well, actually, if I'm being whisked up there, the interview must have gone relatively well because I'm sure they would present me to shake sword if it hadn't gone so well. Paul Marden: Yeah. You'd hope that he would be towards the end of the cycle of the interview round. Paul Griffiths: Yeah. Paul Marden: Not doing the early sifting of CVs. Paul Griffiths: No. He certainly had seen who I was because he asked me some questions about where I'd worked and. Okay, things like that. So he'd obviously seen a CV. He's a very. I mean, I've met him subsequently a few times. I've been fortunate to be a dinner hosted by him a couple of weeks ago. But he is a very, very intelligent man. Works really hard. I mean, work. He, you know, for him, he spends every minute working on the emirate. He ruled, he. He's the ruler. But he's almost a. It's a sort of combo, I guess he's all Prime Minister at the same time as being the ruler. So he is constantly working. You know, I'm really committed and I'm lucky in many ways that where I am working at the Heritage Village is his real. Paul Griffiths: One of his real pet projects that he's really driving forward. So, yes, we come with sort of royal. Royal approval, if you like. So. Yeah. Paul Marden: Excellent. So I. I've not been to the Emirates before, so for those of us that have not been, tell us a little bit about Ras Al Khaimah, of course. Paul Griffiths: Well, Ras Al Khaimah is one of the quieter Emirates mentioned. Sheikh Saud there, he's really driving a sort of, you know, a sort of agenda of bringing in more tourists. But he wants to use culture and territory as part of that. So, you know, it's a more relaxed, low level, if that makes sense. It's not Dubai, it's not full on, it's more relaxed Emirate. It's relaxed in cultural and many of the ways it's not, as you know, some of the other Emirates are, for example, completely dry. Ras Al Khaimah has given licenses to hotels and big restaurants in hotels for serving drinks. And there are a number of sellers where you can purchase for your consumption your own home, whereas Sharjah, you can't purchase any alcohol, for example, so it's a bit more chilled like that. It's a lovely place. Paul Griffiths: We're very fortunate to have the heavier mountains go through the far side of Ras Al Khaimah. So where I'm based is more on the seafront but then not, you know, I can see the mountains behind and there's a number of drives up into the mountains which are absolutely fabulous. Up to the Jebel Jais, which is the highest point in the UAE, we have the world's longest and fastest zip wire. I have not gone anywhere near that yet. Goes up to 100km an hour and is the longest over from the top of the mountain, whisking you off to the other side. I think it looks terrifying. But my. Paul Marden: I'm more interested in cables that take you to the top of the mountain. Maybe with some skis on my feet than I am attaching myself to a cable and going down the mountain. Doesn't sound like fun to me. Paul Griffiths: There's a toboggan ride as well up there as well.Paul Marden: Oh, I'd love that. Paul Griffiths: So that's the toboggan ride's on my to do list when the family get off, I'll save it for then and take my son Barney on that. But you know, there's all this sort of venture sports up on the top of the mountain and driving up there is remarkable. They put a proper road in. It's not the scary driving up the Alps, terrified what's going to come around the other corner. It's very like driving up a road, you know, normal sort of dual carriageway, two lanes each way and then right going through the mountains to the other side to one of the other Emirates for Jazeera , for example. So you're over on the Indian Ocean side Gulf Vermont. That road is just beautiful. There's no traffic on it, you know. Paul Griffiths: So Ras Al Khaimah is only about an hour and hour to an hour and a half from Dubai airport. And Dubai is a sort of people go to Dubai in the same way that we, you know, you'd go to London, I'd go to London when I was in Port Soviet, we would. It's now, you know, it's not considered a. There's always someone from work who's in Dubai every day almost for some reason. So nipping up to Dubai, I was like, I went to a dinner there last week and you know, it just seemed very normal that he jumped in a car and drove up to Dubai and came back that evening. Whereas. Seems remarkable actually to be doing that. But yeah, so because of where we are, Abu Dhabi is about two and a half hours away.Paul Griffiths: And we are the northern point of the Emirate, So we border on to Oman, split into a number of areas. Again, I didn't know any of this till I got here, but there's a part of Oman that's at the top of Ras Al Khaimah. And so, yeah, so it's a beautiful Emirate with nature, with mountain areas, which does get a bit chillier when you go up the mountains. I looked quite silly in my T shirt and shorts when I went up there on a Sunday afternoon. People were going past me like they were going skiing. You know, people wore coats and hats and looking at me as if I'm really daft. But I was still. It's interesting that because it's winter obviously everywhere here at the moment and at home, but it's. Paul Griffiths: People here are often telling me it's a cold day when I'm still standing. I still feel really quite warm. But yeah, finding that sort ofPaul Marden: Talking 30s at the moment for you, aren't we? Paul Griffiths: Yeah, it's a little bit. The last couple days have been down in the lower 20s, really comfortable. But when we last weekend, people were getting a bit nervous that summer had come very early because it was hitting the early 30s last week. So I don't know how for me, when we get to August, when it's in the mid, late 40s with real high humidity, I think I'm just going to go from aircon building to aircon building to aircon building.Paul Marden: I am such a Goldilocks when it comes to that sort of thing. Not too hot, not too cold, it needs to be just right. So I would definitely struggle in that kind of heat. Look, let's talk a little bit about where you are in the new job. So you've taken on the role of CEO of Al Jazeera Al Hamra Heritage Village. So tell me a little bit about the village. Why is this village so historic? Paul Griffiths: Well, it's a really interesting one, Paul, because it is very important, but it's not that old. And that's why what coming to me about making it more alive is something that's going to be crucial to us. So the village has been lived in for many years. It was a pearl farming village. So most of the people who worked here were doing pearl farming, which is pretty horrible job to do. You were, again, learning about this. You were jumping off boats, going to the ocean depths for up to three to four minutes. No protection really, apart from a very light shirt and some little bits on your fingers. But actually you're nothing on your eyes. Paul Griffiths: So you're having to look through the salt water, find the pearls come up and they were going up and down sometime 15, 16 times or more a day. And there's a fascinating exhibition in Dubai at the Al Shindagha Museum which really does focus on how this worked and how these guys were living. So, so it's a real. So that was the village. So the village had that, it obviously had then had fishing men, merchants making boats, merchants selling, trading wares. And Ras Al Khaimah has been quite a strategic part as all of the UAE really for the sort of trades coming from the Middle east and out into the Gulf. So the villages was being lived in up until the very early 70s. Paul Griffiths: Up in the 1970s the Al Za'abi tribe who were based here were offered I guess a new life is the only way to look at it in Abu Dhabi with new jobs, with land, with housing and it's just a better way like pearl farming was now being done so much cheaper and easier in the Orient in Japan mainly. So that was, that dropped away. There wasn't the other merchant trading going on. So actually the oil boom basically led the tribe to almost one up sticks and head to Abu Dhabi. And in many ways good story because we're still in touch with quite considerable amounts of the tribes people who were here. Lots of the elders have done wonderful oral histories, videos talking about their lives here. But this village survived as just fell into ruins, but actually wasn't developed. Paul Griffiths: And where it becomes important is this would have been what all of the Gulf would have looked like before the oil boom. The UAE wasn't a wealthy nation before then. You know, when I went up to Dubai and spent some time at the Etihad Museum, which is based around which Etihad Union is the not Around Man City Stadium should point out very much around about how the UAE had come together and how, you know, so it wasn't the wealthiest nation, but actually they discovered oil. They then brought seven Emirates together. It then has flourished in the ways that we now know what Dabi and ifwe looks like and even Ras Al Khaimah in some parts and really quite glamorous. But this village survived. Paul Griffiths: So although it fell into ruin, all the other fishing, farmhome fishing, pearl farming villages across the Gulf had become, just got destroyed, knocked down, you know, turned into hotels and high rises. And actually when you visit the other Emirates, lots of them are now recreating their historic areas or re purposing some of the historic buildings and they're doing it very well. In Dubai, Sharjah has actually completely rebuilt. It's what it calls the Harp Sharjah, which is. Which was its historic sort of areas, but. Paul Marden: Right. Paul Griffiths: But this survived. Many of the buildings had fallen into disrepair. And what we've been doing for the last few years, as the Al Qasimi Foundation and the Department of Antiquities and Museums is restoring a number of these buildings, we've then sort of gone into a sort of activation so you can walk around. So we've got, you know, carving now. Only a year ago it was mostly sand. We've now got a path going through it, so you can walk in. And the job that I've really been asked to do initially on arrival here is to really push that activation forward and really look at my sort of. What I've done in the past and what we've seen other places do and think about what can we do to bring this bit more to life? Paul Griffiths: Because it's the sort of storage village is around the 1970s. Well, it was abandoned in the 1970s. Well, you know, for us from the UK, from lots of other nationalities, actually, something in the 70s isn't very old. It's in our lifespan. You know, we are looking at this going well, actually. So when I was talking to a lot of. So RAK TDA's basically visit RAK tourism authority. So they are really supportive in wanting to push Al Jazeera Al Hamra Heritage Village, which will from now on abbreviate to AJAH to save me. Keep saying that. Long tanned. So they are really keen that we're doing more stuff. So why would a tourist want to come? What is there to see once you're here? Paul Griffiths: On top of some abandoned and now beautifully restored houses, mosques, you know, things that you would have expected in a village of, you know, a thousand or so population, 500 houses, you know, so more than a thousand people, really. So that's the sort of plan in that way. So in many ways I've got a sort of blank canvas to play with. But, you know, money's not unlimited, so it's about. So working closely with local communities, working with, you know, local traders, looking at what could we bring into the village on the back of the art fair. I know we'll talk about later, but it's, you know, this has been a. This is a real challenge for me to. How do I take this sort of place forwards.Paul Marden: In my mind's eye, we go to the Weald & Downland Living Museum so open air museum, lots of houses recreating life through the ages. Is that the sort of experience that I'm going to get if I come to the village of I'm going to see the properties and I'm going to see this previous way of life come to life in front of me?Paul Griffiths: Well at the moment you'll see you just see in the houses and the buildings but you're walking around looking at historic buildings but we have got a number of the houses we've put in. Each video is at the moment showing the audio visuals so you can walk around and listen to members of the tribes chatting about their youth and what's happening and you can see the buildings in real life. I guess what I'm looking for this is telling the story a little bit of the village which we don't initially do that well at the moment that's no criteria. Yes, this is what we need to do going forward. There's been several stages of activation When I came last August part not many the paths weren't all finished. We didn't have anywhere for visitor services to be at the front.Paul Griffiths: We only had a very small sort officey area which has now been built up to where I'm. Where I'm sat today. So I think what you're going to get is a multi as a blend of traders who will be in our suitcase. The Souk is fully restored sooke and shopping market area so that's my first point is to move some people in there. So I've already got a goldsmith and move to her studio in got some handicrafts we've got some textile people moving in the. Paul Griffiths: The main gallery of Nassau Heyman Design Gallery which is the one big gallery where artists can go is going to have a sort of satellite shop if you like not shop a satellite so there will be pieces of work there are in here with their little souvenir store which they sell because they get people a lot of what the design gallery does is making souvenirs of Ras Al Khaimah that are all handmade so quite special gifts. So what we're hoping is tying up with our local hoteliers who many of which have not been so it's bringing them in and they need something more to see to send their guests here. Paul Griffiths: So you know talking to some of them over lunch when I hosted some of them on Saturday it was a case of you know actually, can they send their clients and say, you can do all your holiday shopping because at the moment they're sending people to the shopping malls which are just, you know, nice, but actually merchandise them to go to a heritage village, get that experience of what the golf would have been like and bags of shopping at the same time. Paul Marden: So who doesn't love a. A museum gift shop at the end? So, you know. Paul Griffiths: Exactly. And we don't really have that here at the moment from an Al Jazeera perspective. So on my plan for this year is to put in. We've got an info booth, as it's called at the moment. It's not a world. It's not the best customer service friendly. It's like a caravan but with some windows. And yeah, it's probably a better. Now it's got air conditioning. Yes. But it doesn't work very well for customers. You're trying to talk through little windows because you can only have small windows to keep the air con working, not have too much open to. It's just passing out. Paul Griffiths: So, yeah, so I'm looking at building this summer, hopefully. Fingers crossed, touch wood, a visitor welcome centre, which is something we're really pushing along with, which will be lovely because that will be that proper visitor welcome with a shop with an induction into an introduction. Sorry, into the Al Jazeera story. And then let people go. And then when they get to the far end, they'll be the souk full of. He says again, hopefully slowly filling them out, but full of traders and local craftspeople and people who are. Even if they're not originally local, they're based in rack, so they are considered local. The UAE is built up of a lot of expat population. When I say expats, I mean just English people from around the world. It's a really accepting, welcoming community. I've been really. Everyone says hello to you as you're walking into the supermarket shops. There's no. Whoever they are where you're from. Paul Griffiths: Everyone's talking to each other because the local population know they've had to bring people in because there's thousands more jobs than there are Emirati population in Ras Al Khaimah. So, you know, it's always been. And when you look at the foundation of the UAE, it was about, we will need to bring people in to bring this. To build this nation with us. So, you know, it's been always a sort of welcome and melting pot of different people. Paul Marden: Yeah, amazing. Look, you mentioned when we had our initial chat. You've been there now three months, you've been doing lots of visiting of other attractions. Because I think you said to me, which I thought was quite interesting, that you were. There's lots that you bring with you from the UK in your experience, but there's lots of best practice and good practice happening within the Emirates already. So you've been kind of going out and visiting a lot of cultural venues and attractions in the Emirates. Tell me a little bit about those. Paul Griffiths: Yeah, so it's been a minute of a manic last month in February, because we've had the art festival. I know we're going to keep hinting at it, we'll get to it at some point, but when I've had some time away, what's been fabulous, it's just sort of. And I think as well, because the family aren't here in my own at the moment, said, “All right, I've got some time off, let's go and explore.” Yeah. So I've sort of driven across to Fajera, spent time in Sharjah and took myself up for a weekend in Dubai, which was fantastic. Booked a very reasonably priced hotel and just spent a weekend flowering around everywhere and just really immersed in my. So and only scratch the surface. There's so much more to see. So, yeah, so I've been going and looking at. Paul Griffiths: Well, you know, I don't want to do something that's not. There'll be alien to, obviously, the culture here. And that's been really. What's been great fun in the last few months is it's not just going into a new job, you know, and learning that. It's actually been a terrifying, at some points, fabulous experience. I was learning new cultures, new working lives. You know, things are working. It's done very differently here. You know, there's a different hierarchical process we have in the UK and permissions are needed in different places. And that's not. I'm not saying any of this is a bad thing, it's just learning those different things. So I've been learning all these different cultures. You know, we're just coming into Ramadan, which I've had no real experience with before. And that is. That is a massive thing here. You know, it's the month. Paul Griffiths: Every billboard you go past is someone trying to sell something for Ramadan, whether it be a new chest of drawers, you know, your family needs this new dining table for Ramadan. It's a bit like, you know, you will see at Christmas at home, everyone catching on, you know, IKEA will be saying, new table and chairs for Christmas. You know, it's. It's not. It's a sort of different repeating itself. You know, those sort of signs you have around the supermarket. Christmas back home. They're all up now in supermarkets here for Ramadan. Paul Marden: Right. Paul Griffiths: Encouraging what people are going to buy for when they break the fast at sunset Iftar. So, you know, so it's all sort of promoting. You need this for. So it's a real. We're going to a massive thing. And that's been a real sort of learning, cultural thing for me, which has been great because actually I've always enjoyed, when I'm traveling, learning about other cultures, you know, it's always been for me, I always try and visit museums, galleries, learn about the place I'm at. And so actually living somewhere and learn about someone who's been. I think it's added to the fun of the experience. But back to your question. Paul Griffiths: Yes, I've been traveling wherever the possibility to start to look at other historic venues, looking at where they've, you know, restored historic markets and souk areas and what sort of things are going in there, what are people doing there. Up in Dubai, there is a place called Al Shindagar Museum, which is where they've. Some of the historic buildings that have been saved by the creek of Dubai have been turned into the most amazing series of museums, is the only way I can describe it, because each house is a different gallery or different theme. So you have the story of the creek being built up, the story of Dubai seafarers. There was a faith and. Faith and religion room, talking about Islam and different cultures, how that's worked around Dubai. Paul Griffiths: Dubai being built up as a city, lots about the rulers and families, but every house you went to is a different place. What was so impressive there from a visitor experience perspective was the training that Stafford had was sensational. You know, you go into someone, you think they're obviously being managed really well because obviously this is. You don't just train. So obviously someone oversees this really well. But clearly the training, everywhere you went, the customer service was exceptional. People coming out from behind counters, giving you introductions, making sure you had everything needed, you know, as you were leaving. Have you got any questions? All those things we try and all have tried to teach over the years, and in many ways we've all been different levels of success of that. Paul Griffiths: But what was amazing was they also got the security guards in on the act as well, because there's a real culture here that there's a separate, they're secure, they're very different. You know, there's, we've got them here, they're in very much brown security, clearly marked, you know, protecting places. But what they've done there is they had clearly trained those security guards as well, because every security guard you came across was getting in the act of chatting to visitors, even if their English wasn't brilliant, they were really keen to direct you to the next. Come this way. So the next place, oh, you finished that room, you must go upstairs. And you know, that sort of. Paul Griffiths: And whether they, you know, really just said, look, you can have a much more interesting day than just standing, staring at people walking around. You can actually chat to visitors from around the world and get talkative. And I just had the most amazing. I ended up in this museum for over five and a half hours or something silly like that. And I thought I was going to be there an hour because it was priced very reasonably. You know, when you judge a museum on, well, actually I paid this, I'm probably going to be here for that amount of time. And actually it was just, you know, I found myself stopping for a coffee, stopping for lunch. But I was so impressed by the way the staff interacted. Paul Griffiths: They also had a number of cultural local guides as well, who really were, you know, in the full sort of Emirati national dress, but wanted to press on. This is where. This is what I'm doing. So I've some, you know, I traveled across to Fujairah every week and was in a, an old, what was the ruler's summer house. And the guy, and the guy who ran it just took me on a tour. I didn't ask for a tour. He just said, would you. Well, he said, should I take you around? Yes, please. And we had this great hours experience as he was just chatting about all the rooms. And I think people here are very keen to share their culture and their heritage and very welcoming. Paul Griffiths: So, yeah, so I've done quite a bit traveling around the other parts of the UAE. I can't go out of the UAE because I've only got a hire car at the moment, so I can't go out to Omar, that's on my list. You get yourself a car. I can travel north of the border into Oman and explore that. But for now, seven emirates to. So no shortage of places. And I've not been up to Abu Dhabi yet, so still with that on my list. So yeah, Paul Marden: Wowzers. Okay. So I guess, and this is completely, what would I feel like if I was in your position of going to this new country, immersing myself in this relatively new place that you're leading? How do I say this without flattering you? You were a well connected guy. If I went to events, everybody knew you. You had this wide network of people having worked in the UK in the attraction sector for a long time and you've now jumped over to the UAE. What's happened to the network? How does that feel? I mean it must feel slightly kind of worrying or nerve wracking. What have you done to build the network in this new place? Paul Griffiths: There's a number of points to that. Right, so let's answer in a few minutes. So the world's a smaller place so I'm still occasionally having teams call zoom calls with really close ex colleagues, friends, you know, I'm sure, I mean I always say I'm sure but everyone keeps saying, “Oh I'm really loving the journey so please keep posting. So I am going to keep posting and probably going to start to annoy people after a while”, but the feedback so far is everyone saying we're loving the journey and following you with it and feel like we're on the journey. So I will carry on. I'm sort of keeping writing stuff up and sharing it and also I don't know how long I'll be here for. You know, probation is massive over here. I have to keep my fingers crossed. Paul Griffiths: I pass probation which is a six month period because it's a real right the UAE all not just off and across the UAE. It's a real big, you know, much more than at home, much more structured. On day one was given a series and this isn't a bad thing at all, a series of probation tasks, you know, around reports that are around other historic parts because the job that I've come over will eventually evolve into a wider heritage role. But at the moment the real focus is on Al Jazeera Al Hamra, which is great. Get one site, get it going, then see where we go next. So I think I'm still connected to lots of people back home. I'm still looking, seeing everyone's posts and enjoy. Paul Griffiths: I mean my usual jealousy of not being part of the ALVA network anymore as they're all having that great time in Belfast in the last couple of days and seeing everyone's post, not just one or two, but everyone you know, Bernard down with you know everyone's post. I wish I was there with them.Paul Marden: The FOMO was real. So I had Andy Povey in the office with me yesterday and we're both saying the FOMO about that ALVAe vent was very real for both of us having. Paul Griffiths: Having spent. You know I was at the Mary Rose few years where we joined ALVA and go experiencing those council weeks and knowing just hey how much they are great for networking A. You get very spoiled because every host wants to really show off what they can do and I think the Titanic always do that because we go there before for a council meeting but it's. Yeah. So you still see this stuff. So it's still sit home and there's still people I can reach out to.Paul Marden: Of course.Paul Griffiths: If we need to and I'm still calling on people things, you know, different projects we're doing here. But then again it's about slowly building up that network here and I think there's a slightly. You know, there's a. Within Ras Al Khaimah I've started making connections with lots of other people in the Heritage world and. And outside that. So we're already, you know, connecting up with different people from different parts of Ras Al Khaimah, the work we're going to do moving forward and for me I think it's been just a. I'm sort of still pinching myself I'm here and that sort of. So many things keep happening and you know. The weather's been gorgeous because I've come out of a grim English weather to this quite nice winter here where it's mostly been late mid-20s. Paul Griffiths: You're in she and shorts when you're off duty. You know, there's other things. The thing that really surprised me is how smart actually the dress code is for business over here. Paul Marden: Okay. Paul Griffiths: So I had to sort of all the usual brands that from home Mount Marks is next everything here so you could order online and get it delivered quite quickly. So I had sort of came out of one wardrobe thinking I was going to be far more in polo shirt and linen trousers are sort of very sort of summer at Painshill look, you know outdoor. But actually yeah my colleagues are still. Because of the aircon atmosphere. Lots of colleagues particularly in the head office are in suits. A bit like where I would have been when back in my London days. When we're in the office you were in a shirt tie. So yes, I had to sort of buy A back home wardrobe almost once I got traveled out with very lightweight clothing. So yes, it's a bit different in that sense. Paul Marden:  Yeah, absolutely. Let's talk a little bit about life as an expat. How have you found the transition? Paul Griffiths: Fine so far. I say there's lots of bits around work and practice and you know, no amount of inductions will be able to help you on some little faux pas you can make about not realising where you need approvals for staff. And obviously coming from the. For the last six years of being director of Painshill and only from feeding into a board of directors, board of trustees who we'd see quarterly and you know, I chat to the chairman every week. There was a lot of me sort of making those sort of decisions instantly was here, you know, particularly as were part of the foundation and we are representing Sheikh Saud as his name's in the title of the organization now, making sure we're going through those tick sheets. Paul Griffiths: You know, if I want to do anything that needs to spend more money, that's out budget, that is going to his Highness to be signed off. So any projects we're doing, we're needing to make cases to the highest man in the country to actually get those, you know, sign offs and things. And I'm not, that's not a bad thing. But you know, it's just that from an expat I guess it's getting used to. Everything's available here. Not the big supermarket up the road sells Waitrose and Marxist products and has a room at the back for non Muslims where you push the button, door opens, it's like a little bit of a naughty boys room. Paul Griffiths: You push back door open, slides you walk in and there's the pork heaven, you know, there's bacon, there's pork scratching, patays, you know, all because it's a real, you know, it's not just there's so many expats here, particularly from the Philippines and stuff who obviously pork is a big part of their diet. So yeah, that's available. I said earlier on there's cellars where you can pick up a great beer or a couple of glasses of bottle of wine or whatever you want. So actually it's not that I found myself flying into this really different world and I'm not really. Paul Marden:  It's a melting pot, isn't it? Paul Griffiths: Yeah. And I'm not someone who's ever been since very young, you know, going off to nightclubs or anything like that. But if you wanted that There is that. The hotels. So actually, if you're a younger person coming out and you wanted that nightlife, the hotels, particularly on Margin island and Minnal Arab, the tubing hotels have really nice restaurants, fully licensed clubs and stuff. But, you know, actually I found sort of the work is busy. Everyone's, you know, lots going on, actually, just going back to, you know, I was in a hotel for the first two months, which wasn't a dreadful thing because it was an apartment hotel. So, yeah, I had enough and now we've moved. I've moved into a villa ready for the family. Come out hopefully in about a month's time.Paul Marden:  Oh, that'd be exciting. Paul Griffiths: Yeah. So that's nice. So we've got the back onto the golf course. It's quite, you know, it's a nice place to be. It's going to be nice and, you know. Paul Griffiths: Yeah, so I've not struggled adapting because it's not. It's not that, you know, normally I've got a wonderful team here, Asia, you know, so with one Emirati and some Filipinos and other people from around the. From around the world. So that's been nice. And it's melting pot of learning their cultures as well as the local culture and. Yeah. And then they eat rice with everything. So it's. Yeah. Every lunchtime there's a bowl of rice, big bowl of salad in the main course and there's me pouring on the one on the salad, everyone else on the rice. But, yeah, it's been great, Paul. I mean, I can't. It's been one of those. Every moment you think this is just a great place to be. Paul Marden: Good. Let's go back to Al Jazeera and talk a little bit about some of the events that have been going on. So I know you're coming to the end of the Ras Al Khaimah Art Festival. Tell me a little bit about that and how well that's gone. Paul Griffiths: It's been brilliant. I know. I had no idea what to expect. First time for this. So this is the 13th International Art Fair. It started off back in the small museum back in the city of Central Town, moved to here, I think, five years ago is what I'm saying, and slowly grown every year since then. So this is the biggest one we've done, really. Lots of massive sponsors on board from across the Emirates, actually fully supported by His Highness, who's been here at least four times, if not five, since we've had the vessel. He was here at the opening ceremony for the big launch, you know it was, and it was like a proper opening ceremony. Paul Griffiths: Everyone sat round with a band and speakers and you know like not quite Olympics but you know it was a proper event. This is the opening of it and it felt like a big event. Yeah. All my female members of my team had, were given time off in the day to do hair and makeup. It was proper. Everyone looked, everyone looked the business, it was lovely. You know everyone was scrubbed up from the maintenance team to, you know, our executive director looking fabulous in a brand new dress. You know it was really was. No, I've had a new suit, I got a new suit for the occasion. Paul Griffiths: So yeah, it was a lovely evening and then it's rolled ever since and for me it's been wonderful because I've seen people in this village which has been quite quiet since I'd arrived and it's sort of been okay, how are we going to get this? But actually clearly putting something on has attracted a complete cross spectrum audience. So you know, we have people coming in, absolutely fascinating, obsessed with the art, beautiful and it's artists I should say from around the world. It's all exhibited outside or inside the little houses. So you know lots of the pieces have been blown up quite big and quite impressive. I mean do look at it on the website, you know people, you know if you go to ajah.ae you can then click on from there.Paul Marden: We'll put the links and everything in the show notes so people be able to find that. Paul Griffiths: It's been, but it's been, for me it's been fabulous because we've seen so many people in, you know I was, you know, we've had, we've got pop up restaurants so this won't mean anything to people back home but the restaurant called Puro P U R O has a restaurant at the top of the mountain at Jebel Jais. Really almost impossible to get booking, you know you have to book months advance for lunch or dinner. It's the place that everybody, both locals, internationals and tourists want to see and often frequented by his Highness. They've got a pop up restaurant here which just is fabulous. Paul Griffiths: They we've had a lovely couple, Kelly and Paolo in running a restaurant called Antica which is a sort of the chef's Italian Paolo but he's lived in Australia so it's a fusion of Australian middle Italy, sort of historic villagey type cuisine with an Emirates twist. But you're just served four or five courses without there's not a menu. It's not a restaurant as such, so it's sort of a sharing experience. But you know, the food is amazing. So I was fortunate to have dinner. Well, I've actually been fortunate enough to have dinner in Antica twice and lunch there as well. But one of the dinners I was then wandering around the village about 10 o'clock at night was full of people, you know, families just. Paul Griffiths: There is a different culture over here that people do more stuff in the evenings because of the temperature and a different way of life because the local people aren't obviously, for obvious reasons, down the pub on a Friday night, they're doing stuff with the family and you go past cafes and even outside of the village, you know, 9, 10 o'clock on a Friday night, they're full of people sitting very beautifully dressed in their finest, drinking coffee and eating desserts. That's a big thing. People seem to love coffee and desserts. Paul Marden: Okay. Paul Griffiths: But, but then of course it's because because of the heat most of the year we'll spend more time indoors resting in the day and then ready to go out at night and do some more stuff. So yeah, so we've had this sort of here in the evenings. It's really fun. What was interesting is our hours for the festival were meant to be midweek. So Monday we always close. Tuesday to Thursday we're meant to be open till 6 o'clock and then Friday, Saturday, Sunday open to 11:00. Often struggling to get people out then the first night. So the Tuesday night was the first night. Medusa goes at 6:00. 5:45, I had a queue of at least 40 people trying to get in. So we just had to make an on the hooves decision. Paul Griffiths: We're going to stay open later. And then we just opened till 8:00 in the midweek. We didn't want to push it too much because of obviously from the staff welfare perspective, an hour's work. But actually that first night were just. Myself and Sikrat, who's the director of the festival, Emirati. Wonderful. Emirati has been my cultural bodyguard in many ways because he's been the person, my go to person for what should I do here? What about this person? How should I do this? So Spencer Crouch just stood there. Look at this crowd. We both just said, “Well we can't turf them away. This would be daft.” So yeah, so we've had. And we've had about 40, 000 visitors will have come through the door by the end of the festival in 28 days. Paul Griffiths: The artworks then going to stay up in place for Ramadan. So we'll be working different hours again during Ramadan and this is the first time Al Jazeera will ever do. Has ever done anything special for. Because before now it's just been a come and visit, walk in, do what you like, leave now. We're trying to structure that visitor experience. So we're going to be for Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, because Thursday's the sort of Friday night in many ways. Because a lot of people have Fridays off here. Yes, because of the day of prayers and so a lot of people in Ras Al Hamah go to Dubai and Abu Dhabi for work. So Thursday nights they'll travel back. So actually we're going to be open till midnight on Thursday, Friday, Saturday for Ramadan. Paul Griffiths: So people will break the fast with the families and then they want to do the sort of head top of activity. They've now got food back in them and an energy source. And out they come. So again, first time we've done it, hopefully see numbers with the artwork will still be in place. We're then working on some different options around cuisine, food, coffee and hopefully get some musicians in as well, just to give a bit of an atmosphere. But it is a holy month, so it's not. It's not parties, but it's enjoying the family. Paul Marden: Yeah, absolutely. So what does the future look like for the Heritage Village and for tourism and attractions more generally in RAK? Paul Griffiths: I think for RAK itself, we're trying to bring more tourists in then trying to get the most hotels. Interestingly, as they had a lunch with five of our local big hotels at the weekend using. Using our Antico restaurant, this is excuse to have another lunch there and invite some people in and just take on their views, which is great. So just chatting and getting their thoughts on it. They were saying what. What happens in Iraq a lot at the moment is people are finding the hotels through travel agents, through, you know, searches. I know when were looking before I came out here, I know Ras Al Hamra came up on a Thomas Cumbin telescope. Yeah, similar. What am I thinking of? Probably Tui, I guess, or someone like, you know, someone like that. Paul Griffiths: I was doing a search for when went to Canary, but up came Ras Al Khaimah as a hotel and what they were saying. A lot of people will book that and have no idea really what Ras Al Khaimah is, other than it's part of the UAE. Some people think it's part of Dubai, you know, actually, because it's not, they don't realize it's seven emirates, etc. So a lot of people are booking their sort of tourists, their hotels. Our job is to try and then get them out and attract them to do other stuff. So there's lots of adventure tourism going on at the moment. We talked about the zip wire and lots of hiking, walking, camel rail, camel riding, you know, trips to the desert where you can zoom around in 4x Fours and go karts and stuff. Paul Griffiths: So from my perspective of the Heritage village is about bringing it more alive, bringing more people in, promoting it, more linking up with these sorts of hoteliers, concierges. And this is really early days for us because this has always been sort of slightly done but not really pushed yet. And sort of listening to what their advice is and seeing how we can act upon it, you know, and what sort of stuff we can take forward because, you know, there's a lot to be done. And there's lots of other heritage sites across rat about 90 on the list of actual heritage sites. And some of those are real ruins that you're never going to be able to do anything with. Paul Griffiths: Those sort of English Heritage free sites, you know, the ones you stumble across with a little brown sign and you pull up with a lay by, have a potter around and off you go without seeing anyone. There's a bit like that. But then there's a number of sites that will work well with some activation. You know, we've got Dyer Fort, which is on the World Heritage site tentative list and we're working on projects to slowly take that forward to World Heritage status. Touchwood because it's a really important for, you know, and it's perfect for visits. You climb up to the top, you get the most gorgeous views. You know, really is a gorgeous little site. So more interpretation, more things there is what's needed. But you know, again, this is all early days. Paul Griffiths: So it's all about sort of, you know, each day's excitement. What can we do, what can we push forward, who can we talk to? And what's been great is as the festival's gone on, more people have been coming and chatting to me. Mine have become more, well known. That sounds wrong, goes back to your sort of earlier question about, you know, people are sort of learning about, oh, this person's here now. Paul said, although people can call me sir or Mr. Paul, which is fine. I can deal with that. Keep saying now, people, I keep saying, please don't call me sir. You really don't need to. But it's so culturally great. But Mr. Everyone see everyone externally, she's called Mr. Paul, so I can put up with that. But I was there. Although when we host his. Paul Griffiths: His Highness hosted dinner that I was invited to, I then got even pushed up to His Excellency, which was a title. I want to go. Paul Marden: That's quite nice. Paul Griffiths: Yeah, I love that. Apparently. I always thought that someone else I knew was his title. His Excellency was part of the family, but actually it's. Once you get to a CEO director level in royal that circle, you immediately become His Excellency, so. Paul Marden: Well, there we go. I will correct myself in future communications. Paul Griffiths: Please do. Yeah, but I thought it was wonderful. That's why it's just been lovely, the funny comments coming from people back home saying, oh, well, I've amended my entry in my phone to now shake your he status. But yeah, so. But there's a sort of cultural things. It's just. Okay, right, lovely. That's fun. Paul Marden: It's been a whirlwind for you. It's been really interesting actually, talking about it and understanding more about. About what's happening there, about how exciting it is, this huge opportunity that you've got to make a something out of this beautiful historic village and then that, you know, the remit will grow from there. So I think. I think this has been lovely. We always wrap up our interviews with a book recommendation and you've had this privilege once before. So have you run out of recommendations or do you have something ready for me? Paul Griffiths: Well, I was going to recommend the Red island, an Emirati story, because it's based on Al Jazeera Al Hamra, but I thought that might be a little bit too niche. This guy. So, again, little things have come across. This guy's written a book, Adil, and he's going to be coming to Al Jazeera to do a book reading signing. These little opportunities. I have read the book, I promise. It was actually fascinating because it's all about local culture. It went off in a number of tangents, but actually from a point of view of how the Emirati local culture works and families, it was actually quite a really good induction. But now I've decided to go with a more book for management or book for running. And I don't think anyone's given this before, but if they have, I'm nervous. Paul Griffiths: But this book, Fish!, which is one of my favourite books. I've actually launched this as the Al Jazeera Book Club for the spring. So all the team have a copy. Book clubs are massive over here for work. Every department has one here in the foundation. So this book, Fish, is based around the Seattle fish market. My colleagues who've worked me in the past, both. I can hear them groaning now because they've forced everyone to read this, but it's basically around having fun when you're at work. And it talks about the story of the Seattle fish market, how they were just flogging fish, but actually one day decided, we need to liven this up. We need to want to be here. So introduced, sort of involving the crowd, fish flying through the air. Paul Griffiths: But It's a more of a story about a woman joins, it moves up in a company into a department that no one's been able to manage. She gets to the bottom of using the fish market. And it's just a really fun, easy reading book. And so I recommend it to. To listeners and viewers. Paul Marden: That's brilliant. So listeners, if you would like a copy of Fish,Paul Griffiths: It's quite a cheap book as well, Paul, so please, you have to give one away. So it's not too much money. It's just 9.99 in the non fiction section. So, yeah, cheaper. Paul Marden: Bargain. Bargain. That's the trouble with. So I've been doing a few live events where we have panels, four people with book records, recommendations. That's going to bankrupt me. No, not today. We got a bargain this time. So I like this. Yeah. If you'd like a copy of Fish, if you'd like a copy of Paul's book, head on over to Bluesky and when Wenalyn posts the show note, go over there and repost it and say, I want Paul's book. And the first person to do that will get a copy of the book. Paul, delightful as always. Three times on the podcast, at least. Paul Griffiths: I think this would be number. This would be number four because we had the original episode where Kelly grilled me about life at Painshill. Then we did the Turn the Tables episode when I grilled Kelly on setting up podcasts. And then we did. Then we did the Goodbye to Kelly, whatever it was. 100 episode. And then this. Yeah, four Skip the Queues. Which is always a pleasure and I'm so delighted as you're my favourite podcast, obviously.Paul Marden: It's, oh, you say the nicest things. That must be a record. I need to go back and check that I think four times on the podcast is pretty impressive. Paul Griffiths: I think I should get to add all mine up into one as a total so I can beat Dominic Jones, who's always had the biggest number, isn't he? Paul Marden: So, yeah, so he does and he still does. So, yeah, I think aggregating the number of listens for across all of your episodes, I think that might be within the walls. Let me see what I can do and I'll add everything up and we'll see if you can take Dom's crown. Paul Griffiths: Sorry, Dom. Paul Marden:  Because he's not competitive at all. Paul Griffiths: No, he's not, mate. He's a great guy, though. So, yeah, a friendly rival. Paul Marden: Exactly. Thank you very much, Paul. I would love to keep in touch. Paul Griffiths: Let's keep talking. Paul Marden: I want to hear what happens not just after the first 90 days, but I want to hear what happens in a year's time and two years time. So thank you so much for coming on and telling us about Ras Al-Khaimah and the Heritage Village. It's been lovely. Paul Griffiths: Yeah, thanks for having me. It's great. Been a real pleasure. Paul Marden: Thanks for listening to Skip the Queue. If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave us a five star review. It really helps others to find us. Skip The Queue is brought to you by Rubber Cheese, a digital agency that builds remarkable systems and websites for attractions that helps them to increase their visitor numbers. You can find show notes and transcripts from this episode and more over on our website, skipthequeue fm.    The 2024 Visitor Attraction Website Survey is now LIVE! Dive into groundbreaking benchmarks for the industryGain a better understanding of how to achieve the highest conversion ratesExplore the "why" behind visitor attraction site performanceLearn the impact of website optimisation and visitor engagement on conversion ratesUncover key steps to enhance user experience for greater conversionsDownload the 2024 Rubber Cheese Visitor Attraction Website Survey Report

HEADLINES:- A Man Was Arrested For Animal Abuse- Dubai Police Arrest 9 Beggars On Ramadan's First Day In Anti-Begging Campaign- DHA's Top Tips For Staying Healthy And Energized This Ramadan- Catch Ramadan Fireworks At These 3 Locations In Dubai- Ramadan Diet Guide: Suhoor, Iftar & Healthy Fasting with Rita Aoun

Ramadan Diet Guide: Suhoor, Iftar & Healthy Fasting with Rita Aoun

Helloooğğ guroollll! Size söz verdiğim gibi hafta arasına yetiştirdiğimiz ekstra bölümle burdayım. Bölümde neler yok ki... İlk yarıda tam benden istediğiniz gibi uzuuuun uzuuuun son date'imden bahsediyorum. İkinci yarıdaysa Ramazan ayının anlam ve önemine binaen oruçla ilgili bana sorduğunuz tüm soruları tüm detaylarıyla biiiir biir açıklıyorum.Kaynaklar: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37068775/ , https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37203871/Dr. Gulec

#acıtatlımayhoş #ramazanmenüsü

03 Mar 2025. We look at the business of pricing an iftar with Eti Bhasin Owner and Director of Majestic Hotels. Plus first working day of the month, we look at petrol prices with Economist Daniel Richards of Emirates NBD. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode also appears as a video episode on our YouTube channel, you can find it here: How do Moroccans Celebrate Ramadan?----Ramadan in 2025 starts on the evening of Friday, February 28th and goes until Saturday, March 29th, followed by the feast of Eid al-Fitr, or the ‘Feast of Fast-Breaking.' Despite its perhaps solemn reputation, Ramadan is a joyful time for Muslims around the world, Morocco being no exception. As Azdean, Hiba and Sam explain in today's episode, the food is unique and better, families and community frequently come together, and it is a time for celebration and collective spirit, where sacrifice and diligence go hand in hand with helping others and giving back.The question though is often raised by non-Muslim travellers, "Can I travel to Morocco during Ramadan? Is it worth it, is it a good idea?"Our episode today revisits our conversation from a year ago. Although routines and schedules are undeniably different during Ramadan, it is still very much possible to travel to and around Morocco during the holy month, and it is in fact quite a special experience. Hiba, Sam and Azdean discuss the spiritual meaning and practices of Ramadan for Moroccan Muslims, which includes fasting, Zakat (charitable giving), communal traditions such as Iftar (breaking of the fast), and increased recitation of the Quran. Because if you are in Morocco during Ramadan, you'll want to understand what the traditions are, why they're important, and what to look for, to give you a better appreciation for what's happening around you. Then there is some practical travel advice for tourists, including suggested itineraries, cultural etiquette, and meal planning, which is key. Fundamentally, everything remains open in Morocco during Ramadan, from restaurants to shops to riads. The defining difference is the availability of food. It is easier to find western-catering restaurants in the big cities, but since travel around Morocco involves a lot of driving through the rural countryside, restaurants are fewer anyway and during Ramadan they may be closed during the day. You can plan ahead with snacks and packed lunches, and your tour guide, driver and riad hosts will all help you stay prepared.Traveling to Morocco during Ramadan is a unique and immersive cultural experience. As Azdean points out, you only have the chance one month out of the entire year, so if you have the opportunity, make the most of it and enjoy this special time!Music credits: Min Wahi El-Lami / Ali Sabah / courtesy of www.epidemicsound Do you dream of exploring the enchanting land of Morocco?Destination Morocco is your ultimate travel experience for those seeking luxury and adventure. We specialize in crafting bespoke itineraries tailored to your unique tastes and desires.If you're a discerning traveler who values an immersive, curated adventure, visit www.destinationsmorocco.com, and let us bring your dream Moroccan vacation to life.Learn more about Azdean and Destination Morocco.Explore our Private Tours and Small Group Tours!

Çdo mëngjes zgjohuni me “Wake Up”, programi i njëkohshëm radio-televiziv i “Top Channel” e “Top Albania Radio”, në thelb ka përcjelljen e informacionit më të nevojshëm për mëngjesin. Në “Wake Up” gjeni leximin e gazetave, analiza të ndryshme, informacione utilitare, këmbimin valuator, parashikimin e motit, biseda me të ftuarit në studio për tema të aktualitetit, nga jeta e përditshme urbane e deri tek arti dhe spektakli si dhe personazhe interesantë. Zgjimi në “Wake Up” është ritmik dhe me buzëqeshje. Gjatë tri orëve të transmetimit, na shoqëron edhe muzika më e mirë, e huaj dhe shqiptare. 

HEADLINES:- Ramadan Iftar Cannon Firing Locations Announced!- Dubai Reports 10 Deaths, 254 E-Scooter & Bicycle Accidents in 2024- 75% of UAE Residents Feel Optimistic About Their Retirement Savings- A creator thanked the UAE Civil Defence after his room burned down

Today, Rev. Wendy Craig-Purcell concludes her "Healthy Relationship" series by highlighting the importance of nurturing intimacy through quality time, strong social networks, and supportive environments. Shared activities, meaningful conversations, and silent companionship, like the bond between Emerson and Carlyle, deepen connections. Spiritual traditions, such as Shabbat dinners and Iftar meals, also emphasize relationship-building. Communities, like the Islamic Ummah and Buddhist Sangha, play a key role, as do relationship-friendly spaces like Talk Zones and intentional communities. Ultimately, fostering love and support enhances both personal and communal well-being.~ Website: http://www.theunitycenter.net ~ Download Our New App: https://theunitycenter.churchcenter.com/setup~ Ask Yourself This: https://www.amazon.com/Ask-Yourself-This-Questions-Expand/dp/087159336X~ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: http://bit.ly/2hBqp7F ~ Purchase Lesson Series Packages: https://theunitycenter.net/sunday-series-packages~ Listen to our Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/6YJWcAhQUnkEHFqBXQmz1G

We were excited to welcome both co-founders of Queer Muslim Naarm, Sasja Sÿdek and Abdulrahman Katamish, known as Boudie. They shared insights about the upcoming Queer Iftars as Ramadan approached. With the holy month just around the corner, they had been actively working to secure funding, venues, and catering for these special queer community Iftar events throughout the month.  This year marked their second time organising these meaningful gatherings. During the episode, listeners learned about the motivations that inspired them to persist in hosting these Iftars, along with some fun and intriguing facts about Queer Muslim Naarm and the significance of this once-a-year event. We also discussed the various organisations that had shown their support and why their backing was so important, as well as how they, in turn, supported other organisations in leading and creating more queer Iftars during the Ramadan period.  It was an engaging conversation that shed light on the vibrant and essential work they they were doing! Please follow Queer Muslim Naarm Facebook and Instagram for updates and all the infos for the upcoming Queer Iftars. Music:Wallah Bi Ouda Ya Ramadan - Mohamed KandilMualianya Ramadhan - REMAir Mata Syawal - Siti NurhalizaEnta Eih - Nancy Ajram Article that Sasja wrote for Trans Creator Zine vol.2 - "Finding Solace in my Queer Melayu Community"