{"id":22723,"date":"2011-12-06T12:11:44","date_gmt":"2011-12-06T17:11:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=22723"},"modified":"2015-12-27T15:47:05","modified_gmt":"2015-12-27T20:47:05","slug":"why-dubai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=22723","title":{"rendered":"Why Dubai?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>I’ve always felt like an outsider.\u00a0 As a child I was too shy to make friends easily.\u00a0 I was a tiny, quiet girl with a really screwed up family situation.\u00a0 I didn’t know anyone like me.\u00a0 No one at all.\u00a0 And there’s one other thing that’s important to mention.\u00a0 I’m Jewish, and I grew up in Texas, a place without a lot of Jews.\u00a0 Being part of a minority often goes along with feeling like an outsider.\u00a0 It’s inevitable.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

When I was diagnosed with diabetes and became involved in diabetes advocacy, I felt – for the first time in my life – like I was part of a club where nothing about me mattered outside of the workings of my pancreas. \u00a0My height didn’t matter, my sweaty palms didn’t matter, my taste in clothes didn’t matter, my education didn’t matter, my religion didn’t matter, my nationality didn’t matter, and my geographic location didn’t matter.\u00a0 Finally, I was not an outsider in any way.\u00a0 I had gained golden membership to a club I never wanted to be a part of.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

I\u2019m the sort of person who figures that since I\u2019m part of the club \u2013 like it or not \u2013 I may as well make the best of it.\u00a0 So I choose to learn from the club rather than resent it.\u00a0 I choose to thank diabetes because it has taught me how to take care of myself and to appreciate good health, and life, every minute of every day. And I appreciate the fact that diabetes is the ultimate equalizer.\u00a0 Anyone can get diabetes. Diabetes doesn’t discriminate.\u00a0 Diabetes brings together people from all over the world – of all nationalities, of all religions – millions and millions of us, all fighting – not each other – but a disease.\u00a0 Our global symbol, courtesy of The International Diabetes Federation<\/a> (IDF) is a circle<\/a>, which represents unity.\u00a0 Unity.\u00a0 Unity for a universal problem.\u00a0 As a person in this universe with diabetes, the IDF and the blue circle represent me.\u00a0 I know this even if I don’t feel it because the mission<\/a> of the International Diabetes Federation is “to advance diabetes care, prevention and a cure worldwide.”\u00a0 Part of the mission is also to “advance and protect the rights of people with diabetes, and combat discrimination.”\u00a0 Combat discrimination.\u00a0 But yet this year’s very important IDF World Diabetes Congress takes place in Dubai, a place where not everyone is welcome.<\/p>\n

\n

I can’t travel to Dubai because my diabetes and I live in Tel Aviv right now.\u00a0 You can’t travel directly from Israel to the UAE, and the UAE bans Israelis from their country.\u00a0 More than that, according to USA Today<\/a>, as of February 2011, the UAE restricts entry for tourists who\u2019ve previously visited Israel.\u00a0 So, wow, it’s not just Israelis who aren’t welcome in the UAE, it’s anyone who has set foot in Israel.\u00a0 Wow.\u00a0 To me, that’s a very strong statement.\u00a0 That tells me loud and clear that I’m not wanted in the UAE.<\/p>\n

What then am I to think about the IDF\u2019s decision to hold the World Diabetes Congress in Dubai?\u00a0 Is it not undercutting the great equalizing power of diabetes to hold this very, very important event in a place where not everyone is welcome?\u00a0 What about combating discrimination?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Why Dubai?\u00a0 In the IDF Congress brochure<\/a>, IDF President Jean Claude Mbanya said, \u201cThe main reason for hosting the 2011 congress in Dubai is the significance of diabetes to the United Arab Emirates, the Gulf region and the IDF Middle East and North African Region as a whole.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

I\u2019m in favor of addressing the diabetes epidemic in the UAE.\u00a0 I think it\u2019s the IDF\u2019s responsibility to help curb the epidemic.\u00a0 But this must be done in a way that does not alienate another nation or any individuals.\u00a0 When I asked the IDF about Israelis participating in the Congress, Luc Hendrick, Congress & Governance\u00a0Director, said, \u201cAll participants who have applied in a timely manner through IDF channels to travel to Dubai have been allowed to enter UAE.\u201d <\/em>\u00a0\u00a0So, yes, the IDF says it made arrangements to make it possible for an individual Israeli to get into Dubai.\u00a0 But, the Israel Diabetes Association is not participating in the Congress.\u00a0 I talked to their spokeswoman to find out why.\u00a0 The answer she gave was a very simple one, \u201cWe don\u2019t feel it\u2019s safe enough to sit in a booth with a flag of Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

I have to second that feeling.\u00a0 Even if given permission to enter the UAE, I wouldn’t go because I wouldn’t feel comfortable.\u00a0 I don’t believe in going where I’m not wanted.\u00a0 And I also believe that where I was born, where I’ve traveled, and where I’m sitting right now should not make me afraid to attend the World Diabetes Congress.\u00a0 Diabetes is a dangerous disease, but it’s supposed to be a safe club.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n
\n

Some of the best diabetes research and innovations come out of Israel, but I would never expect the IDF to hold a World Diabetes Congress in Tel Aviv.\u00a0 It wouldn’t be appropriate.\u00a0 It would be just as wrong as it is to hold the Congress in Dubai.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

I hope you don’t read something into this post that isn’t here.\u00a0 This is not about Israel or the UAE.\u00a0 It’s not about religion or personal beliefs.\u00a0 It’s about my disappointment in the organization that represents all 300 million of us.\u00a0 Or does it?\u00a0 The only beautiful thing about diabetes is that it makes us all the same.\u00a0 We’re not battling one another.\u00a0 We’re battling for our health. My brothers and sisters with diabetes across the globe know this, from the UAE to Israel.\u00a0 From Ghana to Japan.\u00a0 From Russia to Argentina.\u00a0 I have faith in my people, if not in our leading body.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":53098,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1501],"tags":[25],"yoast_head":"\nWhy Dubai?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Where I was born, where I've traveled, and where I'm sitting right now should not make me afraid to attend the World Diabetes Congress. Diabetes is a dangerous disease, but it's supposed to be a safe club.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=22723\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jessica Apple\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=22723\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=22723\",\"name\":\"Why Dubai?\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=22723#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=22723#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ASL-Social-Big-Square-3.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2011-12-06T17:11:44+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2015-12-27T20:47:05+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#\/schema\/person\/1f33fe649de04a31a493d746b6e72607\"},\"description\":\"Where I was born, where I've traveled, and where I'm sitting right now should not make me afraid to attend the World Diabetes Congress. Diabetes is a dangerous disease, but it's supposed to be a safe club.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=22723#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=22723\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=22723#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ASL-Social-Big-Square-3.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ASL-Social-Big-Square-3.jpg\",\"width\":1280,\"height\":1280},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=22723#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Why Dubai?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/\",\"name\":\"ASweetLife\",\"description\":\"The Diabetes Magazine\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#\/schema\/person\/1f33fe649de04a31a493d746b6e72607\",\"name\":\"Jessica Apple\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c10409e04c60ee9e1a01fbe9c4a704b9?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c10409e04c60ee9e1a01fbe9c4a704b9?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Jessica Apple\"},\"description\":\"Jessica Apple grew up in Houston. She studied Bible and Ancient Near Eastern Studies at the University of Michigan, and completed an MA in the same field at the Hebrew University. She began to write and publish short stories while a student, and continues to write essays and fiction while raising her three sons (and many pets). Jessica\u2019s work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The Financial Times Magazine, The Southern Review, The Bellevue Literary Review, Tablet Magazine, and elsewhere. She is the diabetes correspondent for The Faster Times. In 2009 she and her husband, both type 1 diabetics, founded A Sweet Life, where she serves as editor-in-chief. Jessica loves spending time with her sons, cooking with her husband, playing with her cats, reading, biking, drinking coffee, and whenever possible, taking a nap. Follow Jessica on Twitter (@jessapple)\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?author=8\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Why Dubai?","description":"Where I was born, where I've traveled, and where I'm sitting right now should not make me afraid to attend the World Diabetes Congress. Diabetes is a dangerous disease, but it's supposed to be a safe club.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=22723","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Jessica Apple","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=22723","url":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=22723","name":"Why Dubai?","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=22723#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=22723#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ASL-Social-Big-Square-3.jpg","datePublished":"2011-12-06T17:11:44+00:00","dateModified":"2015-12-27T20:47:05+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#\/schema\/person\/1f33fe649de04a31a493d746b6e72607"},"description":"Where I was born, where I've traveled, and where I'm sitting right now should not make me afraid to attend the World Diabetes Congress. Diabetes is a dangerous disease, but it's supposed to be a safe club.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=22723#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=22723"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=22723#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ASL-Social-Big-Square-3.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ASL-Social-Big-Square-3.jpg","width":1280,"height":1280},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=22723#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Why Dubai?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/","name":"ASweetLife","description":"The Diabetes Magazine","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#\/schema\/person\/1f33fe649de04a31a493d746b6e72607","name":"Jessica Apple","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c10409e04c60ee9e1a01fbe9c4a704b9?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c10409e04c60ee9e1a01fbe9c4a704b9?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Jessica Apple"},"description":"Jessica Apple grew up in Houston. She studied Bible and Ancient Near Eastern Studies at the University of Michigan, and completed an MA in the same field at the Hebrew University. She began to write and publish short stories while a student, and continues to write essays and fiction while raising her three sons (and many pets). Jessica\u2019s work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The Financial Times Magazine, The Southern Review, The Bellevue Literary Review, Tablet Magazine, and elsewhere. She is the diabetes correspondent for The Faster Times. In 2009 she and her husband, both type 1 diabetics, founded A Sweet Life, where she serves as editor-in-chief. Jessica loves spending time with her sons, cooking with her husband, playing with her cats, reading, biking, drinking coffee, and whenever possible, taking a nap. Follow Jessica on Twitter (@jessapple)","sameAs":["https:\/\/asweetlife.org"],"url":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?author=8"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22723"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=22723"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22723\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/53098"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=22723"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=22723"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=22723"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}