Goodbye; My Very Good Friend and Brother! Sheikh Seif Al Harrasi!

Goodbye My Very Good Friend; Sheikh Seif!

Sheikh Seif Salim Issa Al Harrasi!

Friday March 22, 2019

 

Normally at around 10 pm each night, I simply switch off my phone from Sound to Just Silence as I usually get disturbed a lot by phone calls from my Books Publishers in USA and Amazon – as for them it is still working hours! Sometimes the calls come from Singapore and UK also more!

It is very disturbing when the phone rings and you have an Oxygen Mask on to get your sleep! I was about to do that again for this night when several WhatsApp messages started to come in my mobile phone saying that my very good friend and brother Sheikh Seif Salim Issa Al Harrasi had passed away whilst undergoing Medical Treatment in UK.

It was last September 2018 when I had met Marehem Sheikh Seif Al Harrasi at Muscat International Airport as we were in the same flight to go to Zanzibar! He was very much perturbed, concerned and disturbed to see me in a wheel chair – as being handled for my flight trip – as I could not climb the steps of the plane in boarding! What happened to you Dear Sheikh Majid – he lamented!

So we got talking about the good days in PDO and as I was explaining to him about my holidays trip to Zanzibar with Madam Wife! He asked me which hotel I had booked into because as usual hospitable kind person that he always was – he wanted to invite me for a few days stay in his villa in Bweni I think!

I remarked to him that he looked sort of worried and sickly – and he calmly told me we shall talk afterwards my good friend! It was only later in the plane we were in Business Class and he was in Economy that I dared to joke with him ‘to spend some more money to enjoy’ joke! He handled the slur very well with his great sense of mirth fun and joke saying why should he and ‘you do need the bigger seat’ in Business Class – whilst I do not!

Another person who does not have his traits and senses of humour could have put me in my place – but he was an exceptional human being first class high profile person the world is proud to have in a human being! One time he called me and I was not sure who he was and he was suggesting to me a business contact when my Management Consultancy MMDC was operating! Yes that is another trait of his to assist and help other unasked unassisted! So he repeated a nickname that would have identified him – joking – Guess that will make you happier – and remember who I was!

I asked for his apology but he just pushed the subject away – what is a joke and tease amongst brothers and friends! I noticed him only once when I was in HR when an Expatriate was misbehaving in his Department – and even here he was more remedial corrective rather than accusing and abusing!

A few days in Zanzibar, he had sent me a WhatsApp message saying he was returning to Oman because he was very sick! He wished me well and to enjoy my holidays and try to be careful on certain issues and things that many visiting the islands are not aware of – and we become naïve and trusting and we think we know everything and do not need to be told or to be reminded of!

In Zanzibar he had built a nice beautiful villa at the coastline – and he had appeared in The Oman Ramadhan Television Programmes a few years ago – where he featured centrally and immensely – explaining the beautiful historical relationships between Oman and Zanzibar!

I am sure that there are many also in Zanzibar who will be crying a lot today on hearing his death – his deep ties and commitment to help and assist those lesser advantaged – especially by his kindness and generosity to the local populace! Especially in Religious Affairs and in The Holy Month of Fasting of Ramadhan! Pray that his kin will continue with his good works In Shaa Allah Yaa Rabbi!

A Great Man Has Come – And Now He Is Gone! But we will always remember and pray for you – Our Very Good Friend and Brother!

May Allah SWT Remove The Punishment of The Grave for you – May Allah SWT Open The Highest Heavens of Firdaus For You – May you rest in eternal peace in this world and the next Ameen! May Allah Give Sabrah Patience and Imaan to your Family Ameen!

Till we meet again In Shaa Allah – Goodbye My Brother and Best Friend!

Majid Said Nasser Zahor Al Suleimany

Muscat 23rd March 2019

Are You A Prawn? A Short Story!

Are You A Prawn?

By Majid Al Suleimany

August 20th 2015

I had posted the below poster in the Social Media and it received unbelievable overwhelming positive responses – and I wished I had received similar at least with my Books Postings at least!

A long time ago when my sister was alive – I visited Tanzania on holidays! My late sister PBUH Allah Rahmah had invited me for lunch! Guess what was on the menu –all prawns and lobsters – coconut rice and grilled barbequed lobsters and prawns – and with the coconut curry lobsters! She found me not partaking the food with the zeal she had expected to emanate from me – as she knew that I do like my food!

I told her – My sister you forgot that I do not eat sea food except fish only? She was devastated – and she lamented that she had gone very early in the morning that day to buy the prawns and lobsters that had costed her quite a lot for a widowed at home woman! In the end she ordered for me just plain chicken curry from a nearby restaurant – and I ate with the rice!

Crab

When I was a student in UK in the early 1970s – there was a Big Students Annual Party thrown up by Shell International – the parent company of Petroleum Development Oman PDO which had sent me for the course in UK! Everybody was enjoying themselves with the lobsters and prawn infested dinner with exception of you know who- who got served separately with chicken legs instead!

At a Departmental party years later – my Top Boss who simply hated me as a person and my guts was boasting loudly – already top drunk – that only ‘poofs and sissies’ he knows do not eat prawns, crabs and lobsters – that were the main menu! So indirectly he may have known that I do not eat these things – and perhaps to make me sad and miserable?

So from that day onwards, I always gave an excuse not to attend any more parties from his side! Ironically – and what they say – what goes around; comes around – because many had ‘food poisoning’ from the lobsters I gather – and had to go for treatment at the Medical clinic – except the Host who seemed more protected by the alcohol!

A Big Joke after the weekend in the Offices! I understand that is why Her Majesty The Queen never partakes sea food on her travels abroad!

At this party above – a good Indian friend volunteered an ‘explanation’ as to why I do not eat lobsters etc.! He used reincarnation theology being himself a Hindu person – though top drunk too – that perhaps in my past life I was a lobster – so how can you eat your own kind? That is cannibalism – he asserted! Though I wanted to challenge him if he was sure of ‘lobsters not eating lobsters theory’ – but I thought better of it – and went just quiet! What about ‘big lobsters’ eating ‘smaller ones’? I could Google eat – but who really cares? Certainly not I!

At a family gathering one day my son in law Ali pinned me down to offer a ‘logical explanation’ as to why I ‘do not eat lobsters, prawns and crabs’ – his nickname being Ali The Fisherman! These things upset them more! Despite I do not eat ‘these things’ I do buy and allow them to be cooked for visitors – and guess what the topic will turn to when I do not partake the stuff – every time even if they have heard of it before! So I sarcastically and cynically retort – finish the dinner – and I will tell you why! Oh – they say in disgust – because they have heard of it before!

If you like lobsters, prawns and crabs – may I suggest you do not read The Addendum? J !

But frankly – it is true the poster that – Some people are like prawns! No guts, no spine and a head full of shit! But market value is always high! (Or are proud and conceited! Like I always say after the Offices environments – it is in Families where people most misbehave and conduct themselves badly! And behave just like prawns!

I hope you have enjoyed the article. If you have – please let The Chief Editor and The CEO of Oman Daily Observer – observerfeatures@gmail.com – editorobserver@gmail.com – know that ‘you miss my Columns – Between Us Only! That used to run every Sunday and Wednesday before being abruptly ended more than 2 years ago- when I criticised The Egyptian Army murdering in cold blood their own peoples demonstrating for reinstalling Morsi as elected President of Egypt! And the support they got from some GCC countries! I am not Egyptian – nor Pro or Anti Morsi- but a human being observing my faith and as with human feelings and concerns!

How many Omanis can write like this? Allah Kareem! God Is Great! Ameen! Amen!

 
Take Care!

Best wishes and regards,
 

Majid Al Suleimany

August 20th 2015

ADDENDUM!

Repeat – Please do not read if you like lobsters, prawns and crabs!

In the island of Mafia aka Chole -100 miles from Dar es Salaam – Commercial Capital of Tanzania – my late Father PBUH Allah Rahmah – he liked sea food like crabs, prawns and lobsters! If you see how they are cooked still alive – you will never eat one again!

So they put these large crabs still alive and deadly – into a big boiling hot pot! They cover the pot with a tin cover and lay a big stone on top of it! You can hear the ‘tap’ tap – tap – tap as they ‘try to get out’ – open the cover please! We are being steamed hot alive here! The taping goes on for a long while – because they have a life of their own!

One day ‘one strong crab’ managed to push the lid and stone away! Our African house boy pushed it back in – and put a larger stone more on the lid! It took more than 5 minutes of incessant tapping to end!

How can you eat  these things – after this? I ask you!

After all, they look so ugly and terrible – like Big Insects! L !

P.S. You were warned not to come here! Have a Smile! Take Care!