Dr Mansoor Anwar Habib

Dr Mansoor Anwar Habib is not new to the world of letters. His Arabic book, whose title roughly translated to English means The Carpenter’s Door is Broken, deals with mental well-being issues and was showcased at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature among other book fests over the past few years.

The head of Happiness and Tolerance, Human Resource & Corporate Training at Emirates Integrated Telecommunication company in Dubai, Dr Mansoor is also a regular speaker on mental health awareness.

So when he learnt that the ELF was initiating a programme to help inmates in correctional institutes, he offered to volunteer as a speaker. ‘I wanted to tell them that being in prison is not the end of the world; it could be seen as an opportunity to discover the best in you,’ says the cheerful doctor.

The first session two years ago ‘was enriching for the inmates,’ he says, adding he was pleasantly surprised to note that some of them were true bookworms. ‘In my talks with them, I tried to focus on books on self-development, on the history of the UAE,’ says the doctor.

He is happy that the authorities are approaching inmates from a humanitarian perspective. ‘They don’t see them as prisoners but as people who need help and rehabilitation and are willing to offer them a helping hand.’

Dr Mansoor’s experiences with the ELF initiative and meeting the inmates has encouraged him to pen a novel. ‘It will hopefully offer new insights into the philosophy and psychology of prisoners and correction centres,’ he says.