For one Dubai family with both Indian and Pakistani roots, independence days have even more significance

Each year, India and Pakistan celebrate their independence days only a day apart. While India is celebrating its 76th year of independence from British rule on August 15, neighbouring Pakistan marked its liberation from the Britishers yesterday.

But for a particular family in Dubai, the two consecutive dates have even more significance as they celebrate both. Born in Mumbai, Abidanisa Ayub Siraj moved to Pakistan after her wedding in 1962. Now her family in Dubai embraces ties to both countries.

Dubai Family Celebrating Both Days Together

The great-grandmother still calls India her home, adding “Pakistan became my home because my husband was from Pakistan and my children are Pakistani,” The National reported. Ayub Siraj, her late husband, was also born in the same Indian city.

But the family shifted to Karachi after the 1947 Partition that displaced some 15 million people. The process saw British colonial rulers draw a border to split the country. Her husband later got a job in Dubai, with the Siraj family consequently moving to the UAE in 1973.
Four of the 75-year-old great-grandmother’s eight children were born there. One of her daughters is married to a man from India. Four of her 15 grandchildren share Indian roots, with the remaining sharing that of Pakistan. She has also been blessed with four great-grandchildren.

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UAE Promoting Tolerance And Multiculturalism

The UAE shelters several families with Indian and Pakistani roots who often celebrate a long list of festivals and prominent events together. While over a million Pakistanis call the Emirates their home, the number of Indians in the Middle Eastern country recently crossed 3.5 million.

The family stays in touch with relatives in both India and Pakistan, in addition to maintaining relations with over 130 relatives in the UAE. They fly Indian and Pakistani flags from their cars and watch independence day celebrations in the two countries on television.