Lifestyle
Thailand welcomes Middle East visitors for Ramadan
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), in collaboration with Thai hotels and travel industry partners, is set to entice Middle Eastern travellers to Thailand with a ‘home away from home’ experience this summer by way of special “Ramadan Packages” and related activities during the Holy Month. The packages, specifically designed with the Middle Eastern and Muslim traveller in mind, are being promoted among Middle Eastern travel agents and consumers in a bid to increase the number of visitors to the destination from the Middle East during the special period.
MALAYSIA: Carnival Chicken at Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen Malaysia
Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen Malaysia hosted a spectacular Carnival Chicken in celebration of the Mardi Gras here at its latest flagship outlet in Jalan Yap Kwan Seng in Kuala Lumpur in February 2011, where Popeyes’ brand new dish called Carnival Chicken was launched.
INDONESIA: Modern Hijabs Turn Heads
For many Muslim women, the decision to wear a hijab comes from the desire to outwardly display their religiosity, while covering their bodies to protect an inner sense of modesty. The word “hijab” comes from the Arabic hajaba, which means to hide from view or conceal. The extent to which the body is covered by a hijab depends on religious interpretation, cultural background and personal choice.
Filed Under: Fashion
France: Staying Halal in Paris will not take you out of your way
While French cuisine may now be officially recognised under Unesco World Heritage, and Paris can claim to be the world's gastronomic capital, from its atmospheric bistros and brasseries to elegant Michelin-starred temples of gastronomy, the city is also a treasure trove of restaurants showcasing food from all over the Middle East and North Africa, with a vast choice of patisseries and bakeries, gourmet caterers and Halal butchers. You'll find these in every Parisian quartier, from the friendly corner couscous in the working-class Belleville neighbourhood to a chic Lebanese mezze restaurant on the Champs-Elysées.
SINGAPORE: Top 10 eateries for ME tourists in Singapore
Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has come up with a list of recommended restaurants for Middle East visitors to try in 2011. The list also include three of the world’s top-ranked eateries, according to the 2011 S. Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants Guide. The recommendations also include three celebrity-chef establishments that opened last year in Singapore’s two new Integrated Resorts, Marina Bay Sands and Universal Studios Singapore at Resorts World Sentosa, plus a Halal-certified restaurant and a unique eating concept where diners decide on the price of each meal depending on how much they enjoyed it.
Filed Under: Restaurants
SPAIN: A Glimpse of Muslim Spain
When you think of European culture, one of the first things that may come to your mind is the Renaissance. Many of the roots of European culture can be traced back to that glorious time of art, science, commerce and architecture. But did you know that long before the Renaissance there was a place of humanistic beauty in Muslim Spain? Not only was it artistic, scientific and commercial, but it also exhibited incredible tolerance, imagination and poetry. The Moors, as the Spaniards call the Muslims, populated Spain for nearly 700 years. As you'll see, it was their civilization that enlightened Europe and brought it out of the dark ages to usher in the Renaissance. Many of their cultural and intellectual influences still live with us today.
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Muslim
While many artists feel the Internet to be a threat to their livelihoods, Maher Zain, a Swedish singer of Lebanese origin, regards it as a blessing. He said that, as an Islamic singer, online word of mouth had been instrumental in helping him penetrate the mainstream music industry.
Filed Under: Music
NIGERIA: The place of Minbar in Islam
The Minbar in Islam is an important institution which was established by the Holy Prophet himself. This took placed after the construction of his holy mosque in Medinah. The Minbar refers to a place specially built for purpose of giving sermon inside a mosque.
BRAZIL: Brazilian super-foods on rise in GCC
Super foods are known for their nutritional properties. Super foods are known for their nutritional properties. Brazil-based import-export company BrazArtis Assessoria em Comercio Exterior Ltda, is bringing a range of Brazilian super-foods and juices to the Middle Eastern market this year. The move comes in response to the growing consumption of nutritious tropical fruits, juices and extract in the region, including acai, guarana, camu-camu, cashew and passion fruit.
Filed Under: Health
France's Islamic veil ban spurs passionate reaction worldwide
When Zahra Jaferi heard that France had banned the wearing of certain types of traditional Islamic head scarves in public, she said she felt conflicting emotions. A practicing Shiite Muslim and correspondent for The Trentonian newspaper in New Jersey, Jaferi wears a head scarf, saying she believes strongly in her right to express freedom of religion. At the same time, she said France has a right to preserve its culture and traditions.