The Nightmare of the Arts Festival in Sharjah U.A.E!
I received an invitation during Ramadan for the Arts Festival in Sharjah, to hold an exhibition organized by the Arts Department of the United Arab Emirates in Sharjah, as part of the 10th Islamic Arts Festival in honor of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed al Qasimi. I was pleased to accept this invitation and fulfilled all the requirements as requested. When I arrived there, my name was displayed on the giant electronic boards at the airport, and I was able to go through the entry procedures immediately upon telling them my name. A driver was waiting to take me to the famous Rotana Hotel in the UAE, and everything was organized just like the major international festivals.
The Arts Department informed me that there would be two Iraqis working in the department to communicate with me before and after the event. I thought, "Why not?" But then came “the major disaster”!
Request from the Ministry of Culture to me, to set up an exhibition in Sharjah U.A.E
They were (Farah Qassem Mohammed), who works in the department as a relations and coordination officer, and (Mohammed Nouri), who works as a calligrapher in one of the external workshops affiliated with the Arts Department.
These two turned the event into a hell of disgraceful situations. I didn’t even know what was happening; they hid their wickedness behind those smiles, showing me that everything was fine when, in reality, it was the opposite.
I met Her Highness Sheikh Sultan of Sharjah’s sister, Um Mohammed, a very respected and refined person. She was responsible for the Higher Colleges of Technology in Sharjah, as far as I remember, and asked me to give lectures there. She gave me her business card in case I needed anything. At that time, (Mohammed) took me to the colleges, but they wouldn’t allow him to enter with me, even though it was supposed to be the designated driver for the event. This person offered his services first to deceive me into thinking he was that caring person. I had no idea what he was planning or scheming. The authorization was only for me, so he waited for me in the scorching sun of the UAE outside. Perhaps this stirred feelings of inadequacy or ignited a flame of hatred and resentment towards me.
The Ruler of Sharjah, His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, visited the venue, and the Director of the Sharjah Arts Festival, Hisham Al-Mazloom, chose for me to be in the front row to receive him. Hisham was a very kind and peaceful person; one could never expect any recklessness from someone like him. Perhaps Hisham’s decision stirred the ire of those two creatures (Farah and Mohammed).
A forced smile from both of them turned into silence, and no one bothered to ask about me or even acknowledged that I was present at the hotel.
I was isolated from all the festival activities and no longer knew what was happening! I couldn’t understand how things had gotten to this point.
His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad bin Sultan Al Qasimi, ruler of Sharjah
On the fateful day of the exhibition, suddenly, during the event, Hisham stormed in and pulled all the staff out in anger while I remained clueless, thinking it might be a fire alarm perhaps one of my naΓ―ve ideas. However, it turned out to be an alarm about a fire of discord and unethical schemes from the Iraqis, Farah and Mohammed. They had lied and spread rumors, directly affecting the behavior of Hisham Al-Mazloom, the Director of the Arts Department, without him asking or speaking to me. He began to act irrationally in a manner that evoked confusion and embarrassment, leaving me in need of an explanation for his behavior. Hisham started behaving like an angry madman towards me, without providing any details!The certificates of appreciation were distributed, but neither Farah Mohammed nor Mohammed Nouri informed me about it. I didn’t receive any calls regarding the conference or any other matters related to the festival during my stay in the following days.After the certificate distribution event, Mohammed called me and said, “I have your certificate of appreciation; do you want it?”I replied, “No, keep it as a shameful memory!”I refused the certificate. I felt embarrassed and didn’t know how to deal with such behaviors, as I had never encountered such schemes in my life before. I couldn’t understand what they were thinking, nor could I comprehend what was happening. A Muslim’s dignity prevents one from harboring ill thoughts about others.The next day, Farah Mohammed the person who had conspired with Mohammed to provoke the ire of Hisham Al-Mazloom, the responsible director—contacted me. They perhaps thought I was trying to secure a job in the ministry or that I would threaten their positions; this idea seems prevalent among expatriates in the UAE, which worries them.Farah said to me, “Your flight is in half an hour; you must leave now, or you will lose your costly ticket!” Can you imagine being told to leave after only half an hour? But how could I fly?Despite everything they had done, I remained silent as a guest. However, when Farah's rudeness reached this level, I decided to miss my flight departure and not comply with her demands, which neither she nor Mohammed expected. I immediately contacted the office of Mr. Abdullah Al-Owais, the esteemed head of the Culture Department, and informed them that they were the ones who sent for me and extended the invitation. This behavior is disgraceful and unexpected, and it is against moral principles! What was happening to me required clarification. Surprisingly, they were unaware of my situation! They were just as astonished as I was at the unfortunate circumstances and tried to understand from me who had done this and why, and how things had deteriorated to such a low level. An investigation was launched regarding what had happened!In the end, when the Iraqi duo realized that I hadn’t left and were questioned, they played the victims, pretending to cry and express their grievances, fearing for their jobs.While I was at the airport, Hisham called me perhaps to ease his conscience, or he was trying to ensure that I wouldn’t complain to the Ruler’s office for fear of jeopardizing his position!He spoke to me for over half an hour on the phone, engaging in aimless dialogue about what they had done to me. I didn’t even understand why he was calling me. But in the end, he told me about the nonsense he had believed after the truth about their actions became evident to the ministry! He claimed it was because I didn’t like the design of the brochure! Really? Does that warrant all this malice? All this commotion? I believe it wasn’t that simple; much spice of deceit and lies was added to escalate the situation to what it became! His assertion that everything they did was because of this is the biggest evidence of the danger posed by those creatures and their skill in manipulating others, transforming a normal person into an angry, malicious individual!
The certificates of appreciation were distributed, and (F) or (M) did not inform me about that either, and I did not receive a call about a conference or anything else during my stay after the first days there.
(M) called me after the certificate distribution event he said your appreciation certificate with me Do you want it? I said No, just keep it for the shameful memory! I refused the certificate.
I was feeling shy, I do not know how to deal with these behaviors, and I do not know what they think and how. It is the dignity of a Muslim that you do not think bad of him.
The very next day, she called me (F) the person who agreed with (M) to provoke the indignation of Hisham Al-Mazloum, the responsible manager.
(F) She told me your plane in half an hour you have to leave now or you will lose your expensive fligh... hurry... hurryt!
Despite everything they did, I was silent as a guest, but when things came from (F) with that rudeness..
I left my flight departure date and did not fulfill what I requested, which was not what she expected (F) or (M), and I contacted directly the office of Abdullah Al Owais, head of the Department of Culture, and told them that they were the ones who sent my request, and they invited me here, this behavior (a defect) It is not appropriate and unexpected .. and immoral! What is happening to me needs an explanation.. But surprisingly, they were not aware of what was going on!
They were astonished at how bad it was just like me, and they were trying to understand from me who did this to me, why and how things got to such a low level? A serious investigation began about what happened to me with them! And why?
I definitely didn’t like the design of the brochure! What’s wrong with someone expressing their opinion about a design? I didn’t even tell him this out of consideration for his feelings; I told Muhammad Al-Nouri this in a personal and unintentional way.
This led him to engage in those foolish behaviors. At that moment, I realized I wasn’t wrong about them and understood the purpose of that game because they were smiling in my face until the end. (Farah) played the role of the innocent victim, making me doubt even my own assumptions..! As for (Muhammad), he played the role of the loyal friend to the end, like in the movies when the criminal appears; he was one of the characters who portrayed the victim or the lover throughout the film… It turned out that most of the fabrications were created by Muhammad Al-Nouri!
In the purity of my intentions, I told Hisham to look at how loyal and sincere Muhammad Al-Nouri is, with a friendly personality; we even had meals together, and he waited for me for hours in the sun. Until now, he keeps asking and checking on me through SMS and calls, saying, “Let me know about you, where are you now?” Hisham replied, saying, “The last one you mentioned is the first to speak ill of you and relayed the words to me!” I didn’t know how to respond to him due to the surprise!
So if you knew he spoke ill of me, why do you listen to that? You’re supposed to be an artist as you claim, a professional. “An artist rises above such despicable habits!” And you’re supposed to be a professional responsible person, not a source of discord and hypocrisy. I came to you as you invited me, with the language of art and my artistic works, and you addressed me with lies, hypocrisy, discord, and problems! The invitation states it’s a solo exhibition! But it turned out to be a school activity! What do I have to do with you and your employees? What concerns me about them and my income in them?
These actions do not build a nation and are unworthy of an institution that is supposed to be cultural and interested in the arts and artists. Such actions have destroyed and corrupted their homes, and erased them with the oppression of one another through this behavior and manner; thus, they ended up as guests in your place.
If (Muhammad Al-Nouri) had been allowed to enter with me into the Higher Technical Colleges, it would have caused me a huge problem there as well with the professors or the students. However, he was not allowed to enter, so things went smoothly, and since the matter was direct through the respected sister of the governor, there was no room for mischief in that.
(Farah) called me crying, like in a TV drama, and I told her it’s a shame to create such plots and calamities with someone who is supposed to be her countryman, and that I was just a guest... Is this how you honor a guest? Why all this evil and scheming? What have I done? She swore and insisted that she had nothing to do with it and that she was the victim. So who then changed Hisham and made him act in such a disgraceful manner? I had only met the man a few times, and he was extremely kind, respectful, and calm?! I have no contact with anyone other than them, and they didn’t allow me or inform me of any activities related to the festival; they kept me isolated without any communication!
(Farah) didn’t give up and took pride in her evil; she decided to continue with her festival activities, and problems, calamities, and schemes rained down on me until I left the hotel in a desperate, crazy attempt to prove she was in control and to justify their actions towards me as if they were right in front of the ministry.
Additional meals were registered at the hotel daily, and additional purchases were recorded in unbelievable numbers… even the free breakfast meals announced during the fasting were deliberately counted! It was a bill for someone weighing over 100 kg with a stomach the size of an elephant… a bill for a whole month or for a family with children! Meanwhile, I weighed 65 kg; my body was very thin due to constant travel. Hisham remembers this well. Energy drinks were recorded at a rate of up to 7 a day!!! Even a sports athlete cannot handle such an enormous amount of energy daily! As if I were in a marathon race, while in reality, my diet consisted of just suhoor and iftar… Iftar was free, but it was counted; this was part of her actions.
She thought I wouldn’t be able to pay that bill for the seven-star Rotana Hotel, expecting it would cause me a legal problem with the hotel to prove that what she did to me was justified! But I paid the bill; it was another additional charge for that cursed invitation to hold an exhibition there, in addition to the travel expenses.
In the end, when she had nothing left to do to me in terms of pranks and schemes, she called me and informed me that my artworks would be reserved and remain there because they are now my rights, and the problem spoke on behalf of the institution to convince me that the institution was doing this intentionally towards me, indicating to me that she was merely a representative speaking on behalf of the institution...
I wrote to Hisham the victim again with an emotional charge conveyed to me by (Farah). I told him that this is my right, and I will demand it, as rights are not lost when demanded. At that time, I didn’t know she was doing those things intentionally...
Hisham called me with his lovely calmness and said, “What’s the matter, Maheen? Everything is fine, and you will get your complete works.” After their game was exposed, every time a disaster ignited, Hisham extinguished it because he understood the lesson. Hisham the victim is a kind, balanced, and very calm artist; don’t expect this person to show anger, anxiety, or tension, as he is not capable of such disgraceful acts. He was provoked by these two towards trivial, pointless problems with no explanation or connection or benefit, which do not rise to the level of the state or the festival event, other than destruction and problems. The words of the gossipers are “like coal; even if it does not burn, it still stains and dirties.” (And do not obey every vile swearer, slanderer, going about with malicious gossip). I forgive him, for those creatures are wicked devils...
Afterward, she hurried to delete all the articles in the online newspapers by contacting the newspapers, considering herself an employee in public relations, and erased all traces of the invitation for the same reasons. I think this wouldn’t have happened without Hisham’s blessing and approval!
However, this did not extinguish the fire of evil and hatred within her! Instead, she tried with her husband (F); he called me and said, “I am (Farah)’s husband; I work at MBC.” He asked, “What’s your problem with my wife? Why did you report her?” (Farah) is crying because of you. I told him what his wife did to me and (Muhammad Al-Nouri) and asked him to put himself in my shoes; what would he have done? After that, the man didn’t speak much out of shock and began to sigh! He said, “I don’t know how we will end this call.” I told him, “Take care.” He thanked me, and I thanked him, and my call with him ended.
In the end, when I rearranged what happened to me and what I gained from that invitation and festival, I see that I was invited to an event that I thought was a personal exhibition and a festival with cultural and civilizational characteristics that all artistic activities should have, which could add details to my CV with pride and share beautiful memories and brotherly relations that connect us in one language, which is the language of culture, art, and creativity. I thought I would get to know and meet artists from different countries and share experiences, but ((it was the opposite)); it was a festival for Iraqi characters suffering from the disease of discord, hypocrisy, and malice, working in that place, and it was very clear that my presence was a threat to them.
I could not find any wisdom or saying in Islam, among Arabs, or among writers, or any religion or sect, nor even in the pre-Islamic era or in the Stone Age that states one should harm their guest in such a devilish and painful way, even if the guest is an infidel, even if he is an enemy in a time of war!
This happened in the month of Ramadan, and all this harm occurred during fasting!
It was a revolt against the etiquette of hospitality in Islam; it was a nightmare in every sense of the word… Knowing that the people of the UAE are known for their kindness, generosity, and love for guests, I saw nothing from them but love, respect, and appreciation. They are a people with qualities of sophistication and calm; they are the people of hospitality. What happened was not to occur without the whispers of those dangerous, easily ignitable creatures who seek organized destruction and hurry to manufacture evil, hatred, and discord... (Each of them has a devil, and he has a companion)!
Allah warned against such people in many of His verses.
To be continued...
