Latest news with #Helali
Memri
3 days ago
- General
- Memri
Russia-Based American Communist Activist Jackson Hinkle: I Moved to Russia for Free Speech; Western Leftists Are Just Liberals - They Don't Fully Support the Resistance Axis, Its Military, the Men Fig
Russia-Based American Communist activist Jackson Hinkle said that Hizbullah, the Russian military, and North Korean soldiers all fall into the same category, those who fight against the deep state, in an interview posted on May 25, 205 on Mayadeen English on Youtube. He argued that anyone resisting Western imperialism and hegemony is engaged in the same struggle as his comrades in America. He noted that taking such a stance as an American is dangerous, and this was one of the reasons he moved to Russia. Hinkle claimed that there is greater freedom of speech in Moscow than in the United States when it comes to speaking about how the world actually operates. 'I think it's much better to be here,' he said. He also expressed admiration for Iran and the Iranian Revolution. Hinkle criticized Western leftists for being 'liberal-leftists,' rather than true communists or Marxist-Leninists. He described himself as a Stalinist who loves Mao, and said that Western leftists support BDS and economic measures against Israel, but fail to fully back the Axis of Resistance, its military stance, and the men who are putting their lives on the line fighting against the United States. Between February 13 and February 23, 2025, Hinkle traveled with fellow ACP founder Christopher Helali and Russian-American Haz Al-Din to Beirut, where they visited the assassination site of Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, followed by his funeral on February 22. A week earlier, on February 14, Helali and Hinkle were in Qatar, where they interviewed two senior leaders of Hamas, Basem Naim and Osama Hamdan. Hinkle attended the "Palestine: The Central Issue of the Nation" conference alongside Helali. In March, Hinkle traveled to Sana'a, Yemen, where he spoke at the opening session of a conference organized by the Iran-backed Designated terror organization Ansar Allah, a.k.a. the Houthis.
Memri
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Memri
American Communist Party Int'l Secretary Christopher Helali on Iranian TV Discusses Arrest of Mohsen Mahdawi: U.S. Crackdown on Pro-Palestinian Activists Driven by Israel Lobby; 'Some of My Best Frien
Christopher Helali, International Secretary of the American Communist Party (ACP), discussed the recent crackdown on anti-Israel activists in the U.S. in an interview with Press TV (Iran) correspondent Johnny Miller, which was aired from Russia on May 17, 2025. Helali spoke about Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian Columbia University student from Vermont who was detained during his immigration interview. Mahdawi, who according to allegations told a gun shop owner he wanted a gun to 'kill Jews in Palestine,' was described by Helali as 'one of the most peaceful and non-violent activists we've had in Vermont.' Helali claimed that the increased immigration enforcement targeting pro-Palestinian activists is happening at the direction of Israel and the pro-Israel lobby, which he said holds 'tremendous power.' He asserted that none of the arrested activists had incited violence against Jews, adding: 'Some of my best friends, my best comrades, are Jews.' He also said that he feels freer and safer in Russia than in the United States. During the interview, Helali noted that at the time of the arrest, he had just returned from Sana'a, where he attended the 'Palestine: The Central Issue of the Nation' conference alongside fellow ACP founder Jackson Hinkle.
Business Mayor
24-05-2025
- Business
- Business Mayor
Ethical Fashion Brand Kotn Opens First European Store In London
Kotn's first store in London is an ode to its Egyptian heritage and sustainability roots. Fred Howarth for Kotn Egyptian-Canadian clothing and homeware brand Kotn is opening a new store in London, its first location outside Canada and the U.S. Known for its high-quality apparel and home goods, Kotn has made a name for itself as a sustainable brand that puts community at the heart of everything it does — all communities: from cotton farmers in Egypt to the schools it funds with every order and the consumers hosted in its retail spaces. With this new location, the brand seeks to become a third space for cultural gatherings and community-building in Shoreditch, one of the most vibrant areas of London, honoring its guiding values around culture and connection. More Than A Store: A Space For Cultural Dialog To mark the store's opening, Kotn is hosting a series of events on May 30 and 31st that celebrate the brand's cultural roots, while forging connections and fostering the sense of community that is so close to the brand. It has designed a gathering experience inspired by traditional Arabic gathering spaces, where a curated group of London creatives and tastemakers from music, fashion, art and media are brought together and immersed in an intimate, warm, Cairo-inspired space. In addition, Kotn is organizing a block party with food, drinks and music that is open to all but will also welcome a series of influencers and other personalities close to the brand. While the first event is designed to create a really well-crafted, immersive experience that honors the brand's cultural heritage, the second aims to be a neighborhood event rather than a proper brand activation, aiming to echo the blend of cultures London —and the Shoreditch district specifically — and Kotn bring to the community. Rather than a marketing tactic, these activations are designed to give consumers a taste of what the brand genuinely stands for and the authentic community-building it forges. ' Our approach has always been about doing things that excite us and feel good, and through that, finding others who feel the same. That's how genuine communities are formed — through shared interests, values, and a shared vision of the world we want to help shape. It's that natural alignment, rather than a calculated strategy, that makes community such a central part of who we are as a brand,' shares Rami Helali, Kotn' co-founder and CEO. The sense of gathering physical retail can unlock is one that is making its return but is actually the essence of the channel, something that Helali believes since beginning to grow the brand's offline presence in 2017. Kotn's Lower East Side opening party in NYC, September 2024. Tori Mumtaz for Kotn Few brands approach culture and community so organically. But for Helali, community is a natural way of life that's inherent to the Arabic culture, so thinking of how to engage with consumers in a way that is enjoyable, authentic and genuine comes naturally. It is what has always influenced the brand's approach towards physical retail: stores aren't just locations where products are displayed and purchased, but embody third spaces for individuals to interact with Kotn beyond its products. Events are often held at its stores, with brands or individuals welcome to use the retail space as a venue for cultural gatherings. For example, Indian-Canadian poet Rupi Kaur hosted an open-mic at Kotn's Lower East Side location last year to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of her now bestselling poetry book 'Milk and Honey'. In that sense, Kotn stores are not just retail locations but spaces for cultural expression and warm gatherings. Opening Its First Hospitality Concept, A Natural Next Step For Kotn This hosting mindset has inspired the brand's next milestone: the launch of its first hospitality concept, Beit Kotn (which means House of Kotn), also in London. In addition to the retail space, the brand will open a hotel on the floors above comprising a few rooms. With a collection of homeware, opening a hotel that features the brand's collections is a great way for individuals to discover and interact with products differently. But that's not the main reason why Helali decided to venture into hospitality: 'Hospitality has always been on our minds — even from day one. Our brand has always been about more than just physical products. It's about the values of the Middle East: warmth, generosity, community, and intention. So hospitality felt like a natural evolution.' Here again, the minds behind the brand are approaching new ventures in a way that feels completely organic. While we see many fashion brands going into hospitality retail to attract consumers and create new types of interactions, many are executed with a clear marketing angle and designed with social media reach in mind. Kotn's interest in opening its first hospitality concept goes far beyond that and doesn't need much explaining given the brand's constant focus on being a cultural bridge and source of gathering for its community. 'It's not just about the design or the products in the space, but how it's integrated into the community. We want guests to feel connected — to local businesses, creative leaders, restaurants — and to the rhythm of the neighborhood. Hospitality is a way for us to bring people into our world, rooted in quality, connection, and culture,' Helali says. Kotn's new store opening and expansion into hospitality marks a new chapter for the brand. Choosing London as its first European store was no coincidence: like Kotn, the city is a melting pot of cultures, home to vibrant communities, which deeply resonates with the brand's mission to foster conversations, connections and cultural dialog. Kotn's approach to physical retail is one that can inspire many peers, not just as a marketing tool but as a guiding principle for every brand touchpoint and interaction with consumers. By redefining retail as a cultural space rooted in neighborhood life and communities, the brand is reminding us what retail is truly about: cultivating human connection.
CairoScene
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CairoScene
Kotn's SS25 Campaign Reclaims the Art of Arab Leisure
Kotn's 'Stories of Nothingness from Everywhere' proves that in a world of endless motion, stillness is a power move. Kotn's SS25 campaign doesn't posture or plead. It lives in the dust-light of afternoons, the split watermelon on a street-side chair, the heat-dazed nothingness of a summer too rich to explain. Shot by Dexter Navy, directed by Mariam El Gendy, styled by Zahra Asmail, and designed by Sarah Asmail, 'Stories of Nothingness from Everywhere' taps into a frequency few brands dare to tune into: the luxurious clarity of unhurried time. Founded with a deceptively simple ambition - to create the perfect t-shirt without compromising people or planet - Kotn has sharpened its ethos into a full wardrobe. Certified B-Corp status, sustainable textiles, community investment: the brand's story is as finely woven as its fabrics. But SS25 pulls even deeper, excavating a cultural pulse that is both fiercely Arab and defiantly global. "My summers back home felt full and impactful," says Rami Helali, Kotn's CEO and co-founder. "But when I tried to explain to my western friends what I did, I had nothing to report back. Long, sun-soaked days with friends, sitting around, doing nothing." Helali paints scenes with the precision of someone who knows what Western timelines can't measure: "Spending 45 minutes arguing over a bill, with no worries about your next appointment, because generosity is more important than a schedule." The campaign leans into that logic. Abdallah Diab and Bader El Ramly, both artists in their own right, move languidly through frames - shirts undone, bodies loose - inhabiting a world where tea steeps in the scorch of summer. Helali recalls bargaining with the fakahany (fruit vendor), only for a heated negotiation to end with a shared watermelon and a match on TV. "Fruit isn't only meant to be enjoyed after cutting on a perfect board in your aesthetic house," he says. That ethos - life as it is, not staged for consumption - breathes through the soft tailoring, the dust-muted palettes, the stitched ease of each piece. Even a casual meet-up carries gravitational pull. "Going to meet your parents at the nady to say a quick hello, that turns into your whole group of friends joining your parents and their friends to sit around, drink juice, smoke shisha, and get roasted about how our team was doing that season," Helali remembers. Kotn isn't selling a lifestyle but rather it's preserving one. The campaign is a quiet refusal of the hollow productivity that flattens human connection. It's a study in how ease can be a design principle, how being two hours late is not delinquency but rhythm. "It's these moments of nothing, of leisure, that make us the richest people in the world," Helali says. SS25 doesn't merely capture that sentiment - it clothes it, houses it, hands it back without apology. Not a dreamscape, but a memoryscape. Kotn's 'Stories of Nothingness from Everywhere' proves that in a world of endless motion, stillness is a power move.
Al Etihad
20-04-2025
- Health
- Al Etihad
Top experts empower families in autism care at Abu Dhabi conference
20 Apr 2025 23:45 SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)By bringing together top international experts and scientists, the 3rd International Conference on Autism Research Advancements not only showcases the latest trends and technologies that can help those on the spectrum — it also creates a meaningful space for families to connect with industry leaders and learn best practices. Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khalid bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Zayed Higher Organization for People of Determination (ZHO), the conference kicked off on Saturday and runs until April 22 at the Abu Dhabi Energy with World Autism Month, the event is jointly organised by the ZHO, ADNOC, Lotus Holistic Center – Abu Dhabi, and Fatima College of Health Sciences. It builds on the UAE's success in autism care by offering a global platform where research and best practices can be an interview with Aletihad, Prof. Afaf El-Ansary, Member of Autism Research and Treatment Center, King Saud University, highlighted the shift in autism research: 'There is a shift toward understanding autism as treatable. But we stress that treatments must be based on science. This conference supports evidence-based treatments — nothing built on illusions.'She drew the attention to how making science understandable for families can lead to early action and better outcomes.'Parents do not just learn — they practise, especially in behavioural therapy,' said El-Ansary, who is also a consultant of the Autism Centre at Lotus Holistic Medical Centre in Abu Dhabi, and Chair of the Conference's Scientific Helali, Founder and Chairperson of the Egyptian Advance Society for Persons with Autism, discussed how the new approach to autism goes beyond workshops.'Neurodiversity applies to various challenges, such as reading and math difficulties. It is about fostering acceptance and nurturing differences in the classroom, training teachers, and involving parents, non-disabled students, and citizens in creating an inclusive environment,' Helali said. Awareness Drive New approaches and developments in autism care were explored and discussed at the conference. Dr Walid Abu Zaid, Professor of Neurosurgery at Sohag University, stressed that while outcomes vary based on age, related conditions, and family involvement, early diagnosis — before the age of three — makes a big difference."I hope advances in genetics, detox, homeopathy, AI, and rehab will make autism more manageable," Prof. Abu Zaid Hussein, Founder and CEO of the Autism MENA Foundation (AMENA), shared her thoughts on autism advocacy, stressing the importance of inclusion and awareness."Autism is a newer buzzword, but we need more acceptance and understanding. Conferences like this are vital for raising awareness and creating a platform for collaboration across sectors,' she the conference's significance, Hussein said: "When we come together, we present a unified voice based on shared experiences and research. This makes a stronger case for governments to act. This conference provides a space for families to learn and connect, addressing the confusion parents often face."She called on professionals, organisations, and governments to work together to engage with parents and families. "We need more monitoring to protect families from misleading advice, especially with so many self-proclaimed experts online,' she said.
