Expat social worker helps repatriate 100 prisoners
His initiative was sparked by the Omani Lawyers Association's Fak-kurba campaign, which funds the release of Omani inmates.
'These prisoners are victims of circumstances, not hardened criminals,' Bukhari says. Though he operates without a formal fundraising mechanism or organizational backing, he relies on social media and generous donors to secure tickets. When needed, he even covers the cost himself, with support from family and friends. A recipient of the American Red Cross Lifesaving Award and the Outstanding Citizen of Pakistan award, Bukhari continues his mission, urging expatriate communities in Oman to support such humanitarian causes.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Times of Oman
21 hours ago
- Times of Oman
More tariffs on the way – Learn to become self-sufficient
Every day, we hear news of fresh and increased tariffs on US imports. Last Wednesday, Donald Trump imposed an additional 25 percent tariff on Indian imports, bringing the total to 50 percent. Speaking to The Times of Oman, R. Madhusoodanan, a financial expert based in Muscat, said, 'This is nothing but a retaliatory action' by the US, citing that India continued to purchase of Russian crude. This is quite discriminatory as China is importing more crude from Russia than India, and still, their tariff is much lower than that of India. No doubt, if implemented, India's exports to the US, particularly textiles, pharma, vehicle parts, leather, and marine products, are expected to be impacted at least in the short term. For example, the current tariff on steel, copper, and aluminium is 1.7 percent, while the revised rate will be 51.7 percent, whereas the tariff applicable to Mexico , China, and Canada is 25 percent, 30 percent, and 35 percent, respectively. This makes the Indian products costly for the US customers. 'Unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable' The Indian government has said the move is 'unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable. The government has been taking steps to diversify the export markets to other regions, including South American countries, to mitigate the potential risks. More credit flow is expected to happen to sectors like agriculture, manufacturing, pharma, housing, and textiles. New markets, infrastructure, tariffs on imports, export incentives, and tax sops are also very important, besides making available cheap, timely, and adequate finance to these sectors. Currently, India has around 18 percent of its exports to the US, and India has a trade surplus with US. New developments may impact the trade deficit of India. The shocks in the Indian equities, weaker INR, and high volatility in the forex markets are indicators., he further said. It is high time that India became self-sufficient in many areas and to have checks on the import of electronic goods, gold, and other precious metals to preserve forex earnings. Efforts also needed to produce goods and services that are globally competitive. Outlook The new tariffs on more than 90 countries around the world have come into effect. But the fact is that the US is also not insulated from the aftermath of the tariff decisions. The latest payroll data released is not good. The dollar index (DIX), which indicates the strength of the dollar against a basket of currencies, is in the range of 98-99. Inflation and growth concerns are also factors facing the US economy. The US is well aware of the consequences of its exports and the higher inflation, etc, due to the increased tariffs. US kept the windows open for discussion with many countries, including that of India, and the new rates are unlikely to be the final ones, R. Madhusoodanan said.
Times of Oman
a day ago
- Times of Oman
Two public opinion polls to be held
Muscat: The National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) in cooperation with the Projects, Tenders and Local Content Authority will commence conducting two public opinion polls on measurement of the awareness of the community with the local content on Sunday. The two opinion polls include two samples one of which represents the society and represents the employees of the public and private sectors establishments. The opinion polls come within the national efforts aimed to boost the in-country value (ICV) and to support the economic and social aspects of Oman Vision 2040. The two opinion polls, which continue to 27 August, also aimed to measure the level of knowledge with the concept of the local content, to measure the extent of community and constitutional interaction with the policies of the support of the local products and the national service. They are also aimed to study the factors affecting the preference of the local goods and to identify the challenges facing the individuals and establishments in adopting this strategic move. The first opinion poll includes the individuals of both gender aged 18 and above and displays their awareness with the basic concepts of the local content while the second one focuses on the Omanis working at the sectors associated with the supply, manufacturing, distribution and marketing and examines the extent of implementation of their establishments with implementation of the local content policies, the procurement priorities and the challenges in dealing with small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Mahfoudh bin Salim Al Mashrafi, Director of the Opinion Poll Measurement Department at the NCSI said that these opinion polls represent a vital step towards the support of the decision makers with a clear vision established on reliable data on the actual condition and challenges of the local content in Oman.
Observer
a day ago
- Observer
The thin line between prejudice and racism
In a world grappling with conflict, migration and cultural misunderstanding, the difference between prejudice and racism may seem academic — but it's not. These concepts are deeply woven into the fabric of human interaction and understanding them is essential if we are to build fairer, more tolerant societies. This is a personal reflection on how prejudice can emerge from experience and how easily — and dangerously — it can slide into racism. I have often pondered whether there is a meaningful difference between racism and prejudice. We all carry certain prejudices — assumptions or expectations based on limited experience. Even though we know that, statistically, in any country — including Oman — most people are polite, honest and kind-hearted, we occasionally meet individuals we don't get along with or cannot trust. For me, such experiences in Oman are rare. When I sit next to an Omani on a plane, I expect to be treated with good manners and invariably we get on well. In fact, I would rather sit next to an Omani than, say, a European. Is that a form of prejudice? Most certainly. Why is this the case? I have met many Europeans — including, of course, my fellow Brits — who are kind, polite and warm-hearted. But I've met more Omanis who fall into that category than Europeans. It's not rational or logical to judge an entire nation based on the actions of a few unpleasant individuals, but it isn't always easy to avoid such generalisations. Let me share another example. In the UK, I used to buy and renovate properties. Over the years, I found that most British tradesmen I employed tried to cheat me in one way or another. By contrast, the tradesmen I hired from Eastern Europe were almost always honest, reliable and capable. So I ended up employing only Eastern European workers. Yes, I admit that I developed a prejudice against British tradesmen. Interestingly, they were all white — so my bias was not based on the colour of their skin. Both of these prejudices emerged from real but limited experiences — a statistically insignificant number of negative encounters with Europeans and British tradesmen. Yet they shaped my expectations. That's the insidious thing about prejudice: it's often not rooted in ideology, but in personal experience. And that makes it harder to recognise and perhaps even harder to admit. Then we come to the difficult question: is it reasonable to maintain such prejudices? I would argue that, to a degree, it is. There's an old proverb — 'Once bitten, twice shy'. If a pattern of behaviour appears to repeat itself, we become wary. Why should I risk another bad experience? That's how prejudice works. But it's also why prejudice can so easily lead to racism. This is the slippery slope. Prejudice is usually based on behaviour — what someone does to you. Racism is based on identity — what someone is and particularly what is the colour of their skin or their ethnicity. And while I don't believe I am a racist, I recognise how close the line can be. I am not proud of my prejudices. I see now how even well-intentioned caution can slide into bigotry and racism if left unchallenged. Let us imagine that all my bad experiences had been with people of colour. For some — especially those with little education or limited exposure to diversity — these experiences could easily evolve into racist attitudes. And in its most extreme forms, racism has led to some of history's darkest atrocities. Nazi Germany comes to mind, as does what the Israeli Zionists are doing in Palestine today. That is why I am working hard to root out my own prejudices. It isn't easy. But I believe we all have a responsibility to examine our assumptions, recognise how prejudice can morph into racism and resist the temptation to generalise. Prejudice can destroy trust. Racism can destroy societies. The writer is a former Cambridge School Principal and an Interview Skills Advisor
