[FREE IRAN Project] In The Spirit Of Cyrus The Great

[Liberator]

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Cashing in on charity
By Anjana Sankar

19 October 2005

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/Displayarticle..._october553.xml


ABU DHABI - Ailing and jobless, 65-year old Dost Mohammed from Iran hopes to be richer by a few thousand dirhams before his visit visa expires next month. The old man has travelled all the way from the village of Sarahavan, Iran, to Abu Dhabi to cash in on the charitable spirit of the UAE residents during Ramadan.

And he is not alone on his alms pilgrimage. Dost says his country cousins have arrived in hundreds to make some quick bucks as people are generous in giving charity during the holy month.

Driven by poverty and unemployment, hordes of men are arriving in the UAE from neighbouring countries like Pakistan, Iran, Oman, Sudan etc. in the hope of making it rich here at the mercy of others. Even after paying for the visa and the ticket expenses, they hope to strike a good deal here.

Hanging outside highrise buildings, offices and villas of the rich during day, these men turn to the city's numerous mosques for bed and board. And subsisting on free food and accommodation during their stay in the country, they keep apart most of what they earn in alms to take back home.

"I have heard from my friends back home that this is a wealthy country, where everybody is rich. Many told me that by just making a visit, especially during Ramadan, I can earn an amount that will keep my pot boiling for the next couple of months," Dost, who is on his first visit to Abu Dhabi, told this reporter. With five children and some ailing relatives to feed, Dost was found near a highrise building on Khalifa Street, waiting for some rich men to pass by.

Abdullah Bulooj, who was working in Abu Dhabi until a few years back, has come back on a visit, this time not on the lookout for a job. "I lost my job three years ago and I'm in dire straits. I have come here with some of my friends to ask for financial assistance from rich people," said Bulooj.

After having managed to make Dh400 within his 25-day stay in the capital, Bulooj quipped that his target is in the vicinity of Dh4,000 by the end of next month. He's paid around Dh1,200 for the ticket and visa to make it to the UAE.

Khair Mohammed (50) and Shan Mohammed (54) - both visitors from Pakistan - are angry with the attitude of some people who refuse to give them money. "We're here out of our helplessness. Allah made some people rich and some poor, and he ordered the 'haves' to help the 'have nots'," said Khair Mohammed, justifying his stand.

Due to the increasing incidents of begging during Ramadan and Eid days, the authorities are cracking their whip on beggars in public places. Tough measures are being taken against beggars, including imprisonment, deportation, and a life ban from re-entering the country. Also, companies involved in bringing in people who indulge in such activities as begging could be banned from obtaining visas, officials have warned.

Meanwhile, many residents, especially nationals whom these paupers target, commented that they don't feel inclined to help those who try to exploit the generosity of people.
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