HH Sayyidah Mayyan receives Arab Women of the Year Award
The London Arabia Foundation seeks to promote international communication and relations, social responsibility; and educational and research programmes. The LAF has been celebrating Arab women since 2015.
The ceremony was attended by Nusrat Ghani, Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons and a number of Arab ambassadors to the United Kingdom. — ONA
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Observer
a day ago
- Observer
Israel to confirm plan for full capture of Gaza Strip
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that Israel intends to take military control of all of Gaza, despite intensifying criticism at home and abroad over the devastating, almost two-year-old war in the Palestinian enclave. 'We intend to,' Netanyahu said in an interview with Fox News when asked if Israel would take over the entire coastal territory. 'We don't want to keep it. We want to have a security perimeter. We don't want to govern it. We don't want to be there as a governing body.' He said that Israel wanted to hand over the territory to Arab forces that would govern it. Netanyahu made his comments to Fox News before the outcome of a meeting he was due to have on Thursday with a small group of senior ministers to discuss plans for the military to take control of more territory in Gaza. The security cabinet session follows a meeting this week with the head of the military, which Israeli officials have described as tense, saying the military chief had pushed back on expanding the campaign. Opinion polls show that most Israelis want the war to end in a deal that would see the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas-led Palestinian militants. Netanyahu's government has insisted on total victory over Hamas, which ignited the war with its deadly October 2023 attack on Israel from Gaza. The idea, pushed especially by far-right ministers in Netanyahu's coalition, of Israeli forces thrusting into areas they do not already hold in the enclave has generated alarm in Israel. The UN has called reports about a possible expansion of Israel's military operations in Gaza 'deeply alarming' if true. There are 50 hostages still held in Gaza, of whom Israeli officials believe 20 are alive. Most of those freed so far emerged as a result of diplomatic negotiations. Talks towards a ceasefire that could have seen some more hostages released collapsed in July. The World Health Organization said on Thursday that 99 people were now known to have died from malnutrition in the Gaza Strip so far this year, with the figure likely an underestimate. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for scaled-up, sustained and unimpeded aid to be allowed to flow into Gaza, via all possible routes.
Observer
2 days ago
- Observer
Books, debate, and exile: The Arab intellect's unfinished story
There was a time when the Arab world was the pulse of global intellectual life, a time when the fragrance of ink and parchment filled the streets of Cairo, Baghdad, Damascus, and Fez. In those golden centuries, books were as common as bread and public debate was as essential as air. Scholars and poets roamed the streets, from the alleyways of Bab al Muazzam in Baghdad, where book stalls lined every corner to the cafés of Cairo, where voices like Taha Hussein's challenged and inspired generations. The past is rich with names whose thoughts still ripple across time. Taha Hussein of Egypt, known as 'The Dean of Arabic Literature,' dared to question tradition and illuminate new paths for critical thought and humanism. He believed in the liberation of the mind, urging Arabs to move from mere imitation to creative innovation. His intellectual descendants, in spirit if not in name, were many. In Iraq, Ali al Wardi dissected the social and psychological contradictions of his society, refusing to whitewash reality for the comfort of his readers. His work laid bare the structural ailments of Arab societies and called for honest self-reflection, a rare commodity in any era. From Algeria, Malek Bennabi gave us the powerful concept of 'colonisability,' warning that true subjugation came from within when minds accepted passivity and fatalism. Bennabi's call was not simply for political liberation, but for a reawakening of the Arab intellectual spirit, a return to critical engagement with self and society. In Morocco, Mohammed Abed al Jabri spent a lifetime questioning the inherited structures of Arab reason, seeking to reconcile tradition with the demands of modernity. His Critique of Arab Reason is still cited in contemporary debates about reform, democracy, and identity. Sudan's Abdullahi Ahmed An Na'im brought the conversation to the global stage, using his scholarship to bridge gaps between Islamic tradition and universal human rights. He insisted that real reform required intellectual courage and a willingness to confront both external prejudices and internal dogmas. From Jordan, Nasr Abu Zayd's fearless reinterpretation of religious texts led to his exile, yet he remained a symbol of the quest for intellectual freedom and the right to independent thought. Yet today, when we search for the Arab intellect, our gaze is often met with silence or at best, with whispers drowned by the noise of political conflict, economic anxiety, and the proliferation of shallow mass entertainment. The bookstalls of Bab al Muazzam are fewer now, and the once vibrant debates in cafés and lecture halls have been replaced by self-censorship or silence. What happened to that legendary era when even the common people prided themselves on their engagement with ideas and literature? Have we forgotten that Baghdad's streets were paved with books, and that every scholar was a beacon of possibility for his or her community? The Arab intellect today exists in a state of tension. In some spaces, it is positive resilient writers, artists, and thinkers continue to resist and inspire, often at great personal cost. Their work may circulate online, in exile, or in the underground circles of major cities. However, the obstacles are immense. In many of the regions, regimes view independent thought with suspicion, if not hostility. Sectarianism, social polarisation, and the persistent threat of violence or marginalisation often force intellectuals into a position of neutrality or reluctant withdrawal. Some voices have gone quiet; others have been silenced or forced into exile. The rare boldness of figures like Taha Hussein or Nasr Abu Zayd stands in stark contrast to the atmosphere prevailing today. Where once Arab thinkers helped shape the world translating and expanding on the knowledge of Persians, Greeks, and Indians, while later sending their own innovations westward their successors often found themselves isolated, unheard in their own lands, or forced to seek audiences abroad. Internationally, the Arab intellectual class faces a difficult positioning. While nations elsewhere celebrate their thinkers, and while dialogue and scientific achievement are encouraged as pillars of progress, the Arab world's brightest minds often find their wings clipped by political and cultural constraints. The loss is not only personal, but civilisational; when critical thought is suppressed, the whole society stagnates. So, where is the Arab intellect? The truth is, it is everywhere, yet nowhere visible enough. It persists in quiet acts of courage, in the teacher who inspires her students to ask questions, in the writer who dares to challenge the boundaries of thought, in the exile who refuses to forget his language and his legacy. But for the Arab intellect to reclaim its place among the world's leading forces, there must be a cultural renewal, a revival of curiosity, debate, and the open contest of ideas. We must remember the glory of those streets where books and arguments were the measure of a city's greatness. Perhaps the new renaissance will not look like the old, but the spirit can return. The Arab intellect, though battered, is not extinguished. Its renewal lies in our willingness to question, to seek, and to dream again. Mohammed Anwar Al Balushi, The author is with Middle East College
Observer
4 days ago
- Observer
Third Edition of Youth Ambassadors project to kick off in Oct
MUSCAT: The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth has launched the third edition of the 'Youth Ambassadors' project for 2025, in collaboration with the Foreign Ministry and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). The programme will take place in Muscat next October, aiming to enhance youth participation and develop their skills and capabilities in line with the objectives of the Tenth Five-Year Plan concerning youth priorities. The continuation of the project into its third edition follows the success and engagement achieved in its second edition in 2024. The programme has met its goals of qualifying 100 young men and women in leadership and diplomacy, strengthening their presence in regional and international forums, and familiarising them with the foundational principles of the United Nations, its affiliated councils and their operational mechanisms. This contributes to connecting youth with the global community and international and regional organisations. Hilal bin Saif al Siyabi, Director-General of Youth at the Ministry, stated: "The Youth Ambassadors project is one of the initiatives the ministry is keen to implement annually, given its successes in the 2023 and 2024 editions and the positive engagement we observed from participating youth. This has amplified its impact and highlighted its added value, especially with the growing demand for participation each year. The first edition saw 75 participants, while the second edition increased to 100 participants." He noted that this year's edition targets 120 participants, including 21 seats allocated for Gulf and Arab countries, most of which have given preliminary approval to join the project. The project encompasses several key themes, most notably meetings between participating youth and diplomatic leaders, as well as training workshops in collaboration with UNITAR. Additionally, it includes a Model United Nations (MUN) simulation session and opportunities for youth to participate in regional and international engagements. Third Edition of Youth Ambassadors project to kick off in Oct The Model United Nations for Youth is a simulated session mirroring UN discussions, involving 100 young men and women, alongside representatives from government and private institutions, international organisations, academics and young entrepreneurs. The participants simulate the workings of the UN and its principal bodies — such as the General Assembly, Security Council, and Economic and Social Council — by assuming the roles of diplomats and official spokespersons for different countries and organisations. They engage in debates and negotiations on key youth-related issues, ultimately drafting resolutions reflecting the agenda topics addressed. The participants act as ambassadors for assigned countries (as delegation members), delivering speeches that fully represent their designated nation's stance. They then negotiate with allies and opponents on contentious issues, working towards resolutions that serve the international community. Sessions and discussions are conducted according to UN procedural rules. Through this model, the participants research the issues to be addressed by the respective council or committee, gaining insight into how the international community responds to pressing global concerns, including peace and security, human rights, the environment, food and hunger, economic development and globalisation. The ministry has set registration criteria for the project, requiring applicants to be Omani youth (male or female) aged 18–29, with a strong desire and commitment to participate fully in the programme and adhere to all related requirements. The participants must also be in good health, free from chronic illnesses and cooperative with programme organisers, strictly adhering to session schedules. Initial selection and acceptance into the programme will be conducted electronically, with priority given to those who have not previously participated in the first edition of the Youth Ambassadors project. Distribution will be proportional across governorates (based on NCSI data) and balanced between genders within each governorate. Applicants must also complete the registration form, including responses to all required questions. - ONA
