Social media drive revives interest in traditional dagger
YOUNG EMIRATIS URGED TO EMULATE ZAYED AND WEAR ACCESSORY ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS
Young Emiratis are showing keen interest in wearing a traditional dagger thanks to a social media campaign launched by the authorities, a senior official told Gulf News.
“You might have come across old Emiratis wearing this dagger. I am sure now you will see young Emiratis wearing it on special occasions,” said Abdullah Al Matroushi, an official spokesman of the Cultural Programmes and Heritage Festivals Committee — Abu Dhabi.
He said the dagger is an integral part of Emirati tradition and culture and Shaikh Zayed used to wear it almost all the time.
“You can see the dagger in most of his pictures,” Al Matroushi said, pointing at such pictures at the committee’s pavilion in the Abu Dhabi Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (Adihex) in the capital.
“We are promoting it as part of Year of Zayed. Shaikh Zayed was very keen about Emirati tradition and heritage. He always inspired Emiratis to preserve and practice our customs,” he said.
He quoted Shaikh Zayed’s famous words “A nation without a past is a nation without a present or a future.”
Alhamny Zayed campaign
Following this saying, the committee has launched a campaign named ‘Alhamny Zayed’ (Zayed inspired me) that promotes the founding father’s vision, values and practices.
The dagger is being promoted as part of this campaign and the hashtag #Alhamny_Zayed has found traction among young Emiratis.
“Shaikh Zayed is an inspirational figure to all Emiratis, especially youngsters. The youngsters notice anything related to Shaikh Zayed. That’s why they have shown their interest in the
dagger and started sharing the related posts [as part of #Alhamny_Zayed] on social media,” Al Matroushi said.
The campaign urges young Emiratis to wear the dagger at least on special occasions and many of them have responded positively on social media, he said.
Cultural symbol
In old days, people used to carry the dagger for selfdefence and later it became a
cultural symbol.
“Emirati dagger is quite different from the one used by other Gulf nationals,” Al Matroushi said. Many Emiratis cannot tell the difference, that is why the campaign is promoting the unique features of Emirati dagger.
The campaign aims to create a demand for the dagger in the market.
“We are working on that aspect as well to ensure that Emirati daggers will be available in the market,” the official said. “There are Emiratis who make beautiful handmade daggers. Some daggers cost around Dh150,000 and even more,” he said.
The committee encourages training more people in daggermaking, the official said adding that the promotion of a cultural element will create more employment opportunities.
The year 2018 marks 100 years since the birth of the late founding father Shaikh Zayed.
The Year of Zayed highlights the role of the late leader in establishing the UAE Federation, and his local, regional and international achievements.
While announcing 2018 as the Year of Zayed, President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan had said that Shaikh Zayed’s real wealth was not in materialism, but in his investment in the men and women who build the future of their nation.