The guest of honor of the Sharjah International Narrator Forum for this year 2022, the Emirati artist Ibrahim Juma Al Haj Ibrahim, appears at the beginning of the first session, which was held under the title (Arts of the Sea) and moderated by Khaled Al-Bdour, where you are hardly impressed by part of his memories and experiences until he dives deep into you once more in second memories that carry Among its aspects is a complete system of images of the life lived by the ancestors, from which you smell the smell of the sea, the joy of the conversations of the councils, the laughter of Al-Nawakhatha and Al-Ghais, and it does not end at the dangerous situations or the pranks that collectively constitute the taste of the sea, and the heritage of the predecessors.
Al Haj began his speech by praising His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, for his unparalleled generosity, and his continuous support for craftsmen, people of heritage, and lovers of the sea and land from various places and regions of the United Arab Emirates and from outside the Emirates.
As for the lion’s share in Al-Hajj’s speech, it was regarding pearl diving, indicating that the people of Dubai and the Emirates were known along the coast of the Arabian Gulf as skilled diving people, and the journey to search for him was filled with many feelings mixed between joy and sadness, as preparations began to go towards “Al Hayrat” To fish for pearl oysters, this day they called “the knee”, when they are ready to go to board the ships, while many families of sailors and women stand along the shore to bid them farewell by shouting and crying and chanting many of the voraciousness that we have preserved for these times, following which the ships move Heading to the destination, and spending three months at sea, and on the last day for the sailors at sea, a cannon shot was fired, announcing the start of returning home.
In his brilliant talk regarding the sea and its arts, Al-Hajj talked regarding the functions and responsibilities of the team that worked on the deck of the ship, such as “Al-Sardal” who is the captain of the fleet of ships, “Al-Nokhatha” who is the captain of the ship that prepares everything for it from the beginning of its voyage to its end, and “Al-Majdami” “Lamqadami” is the one who sits at the front of the ship, “Al-Seeb” is the direct helper of the diver and is responsible for his safety, and “Al-Sakuni” is the man who holds the “rudder” of the ship and “the guest.” His age is between 10 and 14 years, and his role is summed up in performing Some simple chores.
Al-Hajj confirmed at the end of the session that most of the works and crafts in the United Arab Emirates in the past were accompanied by singing of some kind, so that time passes quickly, and the souls of workers are filled with happiness, it was necessary to sing and create an atmosphere of joy that removes misery and trouble from them, and the tongues circulated a lot of wonderful instincts. What makes the matter even more beautiful is that each emirate has its own identity regarding the words and melodies of the greedy ones. Ras al-Khaimah is different from Sharjah, and Sharjah is not Dubai, and so on. Together, it forms a fresh, joyful bouquet that is renewed over time as it tells the story of the people who loved their homeland and forged a great civilization that everyone is proud of today.
