00:00My people used to move from Dubai, from Abu Dhabi, from Fujairah, from Ras Al Khaimah
00:10on camel, on horse, and on foot as well. This was not too long ago. When I saw these images
00:17and heard these stories of people who had traveled on foot, I was compelled and inspired
00:23to take my own journey in this ancient way.
00:29I always knew I would be on the road again after I finished my journey to the empty quarter.
00:34For almost a year I felt the urge to walk again, to be free from the shackles of society,
00:38to represent a subject matter which is often neglected by this world. My body merged with
00:43the road I was walking on, the flesh becoming one with the sand and becoming one with the
00:49thin strip of tarmac that cut through the heart of Arabia.
00:54There were many obstacles before I embarked on the long dark road. I remember many telling
00:58me I would perish and my life would be lost. Although these words were far from inspiring,
01:04I didn't seem bothered as my ambition was to be on the road again.
01:09People are their own obstacles. If they just realized this, they could have overcome many
01:13challenges in life.
01:16People don't have this faith in the youth anymore. Even though I had references that
01:21span years, people still didn't believe. So this really shows the hearts of people
01:29nowadays. A lot of this modern technology and this fast paced life is really blinding
01:35people's hearts. They have to believe in the youth.
01:39Sadly the comfort of life and technological breakthroughs didn't teach us much wisdom.
01:44We only use this easy way to communicate to facilitate our laziness. Mentally and physically,
01:50we become the fear that lurked in our hearts not too long ago.
01:54One fundamental aspect during the journey that kept reoccurring was the distance my
01:57soul was migrating. It wouldn't be wise to burden the soul with numbers and kilometers
02:01left until I reached the ultimate destination. Instead I was grateful for each step I took
02:07to the place my heart longed to be in, Mecca.
02:11My soul became apparent to me, wishing to leave this tired human flesh in order to reach
02:15Mecca by day. But by night, emulating the machines that roared past me on the empty
02:20road, even their drivers were no match for the fatigue as the keys would slowly twist
02:25until the engine cried no more.
02:29Many would ask, are you really walking? when they saw me on the road with a surprised yet
02:33scared look. They knew the harshness of this road. The Saudis in particular knew the difficulty
02:39of this barren desert, sparsely populated with towns and cities, dark, desolate.
02:48This harsh and barren road that I moved through really changed me day by day, a transformation
02:53which was slow and painful. I had felt that another person was being born from the old
02:57being I once was after I left the border of the United Arab Emirates, on foot to the holy
03:03side of Islam, a center of humanity in the hearts of many.
03:09I reflected on life before Islam as I moved through the emptiness. The hearts of the people
03:13were empty like it was on this road. My soul asks me to return to the dark road again.
03:19The heart desires a solitude away from the lies and deceit that prompts humanity to ultimately
03:24destroy itself.
03:26I knew I had to reach Mecca. I knew I had to reach this point. And that even if I fall
03:32down and I can't use my legs anymore, I have to crawl to reach Mecca. Because this is something
03:37I wanted to do. I like walking and I wanted to connect with my religion by doing what
03:45I like, by doing it in the ancient way. The body is a very fragile machine. It can only
03:55move if you have a strong will and strong mindset. And I think that's what got me through
04:00with a lot of faith. Alhamdulillah.
04:07For more information visit www.fema.org
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