Latest news with #AlSahlawi
Al Etihad
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Etihad
UAE lesson on education for peace resonates in Brussels hall
25 May 2025 23:03 By Mohammad Tawhidi*The halls of the European Parliament in Brussels became the stage for an important gathering of global thought-leaders, parliamentarians, ambassadors, religious figures, and scholars on May 20. The event was to discuss "Strategies to Combat Radicalism in the Middle East and Around the Globe Through Education for Tolerance and a Culture of Peace", where voices from across continents made a clear, powerful, and urgent call to action: radicalism can only be defeated by the constructive power of event was marked by a predominant UAE presence and a formidable display of global unity and intellectual leadership. From lawmakers to religious leaders, all were bound by a shared purpose: to chart practical, cross-cultural strategies to counter extremism and promote human the heart of the conference was a consensus: the ideologies fueling global radicalism must be uprooted not only through counterterrorism efforts but through robust, values-driven education systems that elevate human dignity, reject hatred, and instil Al Sahlawi, Ambassador of the UAE to Belgium, Luxembourg, and the European Union, along with TRENDS Research and Advisory, exemplified the UAE's leading role on the global stage in promoting tolerance and combating extremism. Chairman Antonio López-Istúriz White, Member of the European Parliament and the Committee on Foreign Affairs, praised the UAE's leadership, describing it as "a model for bridging civilisations and a true global partner in the war of ideas against radicalism."The UAE delegation also included influential figures such as: Dr. Khalid Al Ghaith, Secretary General of the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity, Ahmed bin Mohammad Al Jarwan, President of the Global Council for Tolerance and Peace, Dr. Mohammed Abdulla Al Ali, CEO of TRENDS Research and Advisory and the think-tank's researchers on education policy Shaikha Al Nuaimi and Elyazia Al Al Ali delivered a critical, data-driven analysis of the ideological ecosystems that empower radical groups, particularly the Muslim Brotherhood, highlighting the urgent need for EU-wide vigilance and transnational research UAE representatives echoed a firm position: tolerance is not a slogan, it must be embedded in education, culture, and diplomacy. The Abrahamic Family House's role in interfaith peacebuilding was cited as a replicable model for regional and international proceedings were marked by a refreshing, united consensus among EU leaders and interfaith organisations where speakers emphasised that radicalism is not confined to one region, religion, or demographic. Rather, it is a transnational threat, often incubated by extremist were repeated calls for increased scrutiny of extremist political movements operating within democratic systems. Speakers stressed that groups like the Muslim Brotherhood exploit democratic freedoms to destabilise societies from Gaztelu, Director of the European Commission's Directorate General for MENA, praised the UAE's holistic approach and stressed that a proactive policy must involve disrupting the ideological supply chains that feed terrorism, an area where educational reform is Romanian President Emil Constantinescu presented the frameworks for national peace curricula and shared measurable outcomes of tolerance-based education initiatives within his their part, interfaith and diplomatic figures added that peace is not solely the responsibility of governments, it must be co-owned by faith leaders, civic institutions, and educators. The policy forum concluded with strong recommendations for institutional commitments, including the formation of an EU–Middle East Education Task Force. This Force can develop and implement peace-oriented educational curricula while recommending the EU for the designation of the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist entity, supported by evidence-based gathering marked a strategic shift and pulsed with a shared understanding. It reflected a collective realisation that the war on terror must evolve into a war on ignorance, hate, and ideological manipulation. The world is no longer content with reactive policies. It demands proactive, preventive, and educational strategies that address radicalism at its roots, before the seeds are even this mission, the UAE and its international partners, including the European Parliament, TRENDS, the Global Imams Council (GIC), and the Inter-Parliamentary Coalition, have not only risen to the occasion, but are now charting the path the insight and cooperation witnessed in Brussels are any indication, the seeds for global peace may be sown in the classrooms. *The writer is a researcher at TRENDS Research & Advisory
Yahoo
26-01-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
RSL Legends: Al Sahlawi, Al Nassr's goal guarantor who delighted in derbies
The 2024-25 Roshn Saudi League may have its multitude of shining lights but, rewind the clock a decade, and right towards the top sat Mohammed Al Sahlawi. Scoring goals for fun, breaking transfer records and setting the league alight, Al Sahlawi was the man - or at the very least one of them. The Saudi Arabian was part of a fine generation of compatriot strikers alongside the likes of Yasser Al Qahtani and Nasser Al Shamrani; some might say the best generation and collection of forward talent the country has ever seen. Al Sahlawi's name and record sits right up there with the best of them. His is a three-time league champion, two-time player of the year and fourth on the all-time goal scorers list, with 105 goals. In the SPL era, meanwhile, he perches proudly as the all-time leading goalscorer for Al Nassr having scored 103 times in 205 league appearances across 10 seasons in Riyadh. Perhaps the only accolade missing, as an individual honour at least, is a golden boot; Al Sahlawi twice lost out to Al Shamrani, and once to the RSL's record goalscorer, Omar Al Somah, who in the 2014-15 season, bagged 22 to Al Sahlawi's 21. While there may have been some disappointment at going without those personal prizes, they do not diminish Al Sahlawi's brilliant career, nor his legacy for the yellow half of Riyadh. Al Sahlawi was the main man for Al Nassr as they dominated Saudi football for a period in the early 2010s, winning back-to-back RSL titles in 2013-14 and 2014-15. He netted 38 times across those two seasons, justifying the reported record-setting transfer fee Al Nassr paid in 2009 to sign him from Al Qadsiah. It was at the Al Khobar-based club that the frontman's talent first started to emerge. Fifteen goals in the Saudi First Division League as a 21-year-old alerted everyone to Al Sahlawi's potential, but it was Al Nassr that managed to snare his signature. It began a decade-long association with the capital club, during which time Al Sahlawi entrenched himself as an Al Nassr legend, and one that is still revered by fans to this day. He set the tone in his debut season in Riyadh, scoring 11 goals and narrowly missing out on the golden boot – to Al Hilal's Mohammed Al Shalhoub, who notched 12. And while Al Nassr fell short in the title race – they finished third, 13 points behind champions Al Hilal - a new star had been born. In the end of season awards, he came third in the Player of the Season offering, while he was named the league's best attacker. While second-year blues struck in 2010-11, with Al Nassr toiling under both Walter Zenga and Dragan Skocic, ultimately finishing in fifth, Al Sahlawi was back to his best in 2011-12 with 15 goals. Despite that contribution, Al Nassr struggled and slipped even further, finishing a lowly seventh. Yet, in the following season, Al Sahlawi again reached double figures for goals (10) as Al Nassr rallied to record a fourth-placed finish. Then, as the player entered his peak years, so too did the club. Under Uruguayan Jose Daniel Carreno, now coach at Al Wehda, everything clicked. Al Nassr lost once in the league during the 2013-14 campaign. Al Sahlawi represented the sharp edge to that superb side; he scored, at that time, a career best 17 goals to propel Al Nassr to their first league crown since 1995, ending the longest title drought in the club's history. To cap it off, Al Sahlawi was deservedly voted the league's best player, capping an unbelievable season. Not content with one title, though, Al Nassr set about winning back-to-back championships, something the club has a history of: four of their five previous league successes has come as part of successful title defences. Lightning, as it turns out, can strike thrice, with Al Nassr retaining the top-flight trophy in 2014-15. This time, Al Sahlawi lifted his game to an even greater level. In finding the net 21 times, his tally was almost one-third of all of Al Nassr's goals that season. Of course, his outlay saw him again voted the Player of the Season. However, there was one goal that stood out above the rest: his winner against fierce rivals Al Hilal in the second-last match of the campaign that sealed the title. 'I have beautiful memories of the derby,' Al Sahlawi, who has also plied his trade in Saudi for Al Shabab, Al Taawoun, Al Hazem and Al Safa, said last year. 'The most memorable may have been the penultimate game [in 2014-15], which was challenging and entertaining. Thank God we won that game and clinched the title.' It was perhaps fitting that the title-winning goal came from Al Sahlawi and against Al Hilal, because there was nothing he loved more than a goal in the Capital Derby. To this day, he holds the record as Al Nassr's leading scorer in the cross-city clash, with 11. Now the man trying to chase down his records is Cristiano Ronaldo - a man Al Sahlawi describes as '...the best attacker in the history of football' - who has become as synonymous with Al Nassr in recent years as Al Sahlawi was in the previous decade. It was a different time in Saudi football, but for Al Nassr fans it's one they remember fondly and will forever hold a special place in their hearts. Just like the man crucial in delivering it.
