A call for unity amid Gaza’s blood, Lebanon’s tears
No one can reconcile to the horrors of genocide nor can we allow ourselves to be consumed by sectarian divisions while such atrocities unfold. This is not a time for division but for unity in...
The nation-state and the end of the Caliphate
The abolition of the Ottoman Caliphate in 1922 marked the end of the Caliphate and the beginning of the nation-state era. The concept of the modern state, particularly in its territorial, national,...
Culture: From the Capital to the Governorates
Nadine defines culture as 'the complex whole which includes knowledge, beliefs, art, morals, law, customs, and other capabilities and habits acquired by man and not as a member of it.'This shows that...
Opinion- Nationalism and the Palestinian struggle: Unseen ties
The author is a writer focused on reconciliation and understanding, and the author of ‘The Jurisprudence of Extremism’In a recent solidarity event for Gaza, I heard the chant ‘Down with...
Opinion- Unity in diversity: The tapestry of faith and citizenship
Religions converge through our shared humanity, and from this shared humanity, the concept of citizenship emerges. Citizenship honours a person's right to choose their faith and practice their...
Opinion: Reassess ideologies to avoid violence
The year 1979 was pivotal in the region's history, marked by the the Grand Mosque seizure in Saudi Arabia led by Juhayman al Otaibi, the triumph of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, and the onset of the...
Raisi and the wilayat Al Faqeeh
In a tragic incident that drew international sympathy, a helicopter crash resulted in the deaths of President Ibrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Amir Hossein Abdullahian, the Friday Imam of Tabriz...
Lessons from Oman on path to peace...
As the world marks the International Day for the Prevention of Violent Extremism (PVE) as and when Conducive to Terrorism on February 12, a day recognised by the United Nations since 2016, the world...
The world in Gazan clothing
As sorrowful events transpire in Gaza wrapping the entire world in darkness without distinction between day and night, those living in peace and safety away from the events with their daily food...
The development of shura experience in Oman
The term Shura was mentioned twice in the holy Quran first as a predictive statement: (And those who answer the call of their Lord and establish worship, and whose affairs are a matter of counsel, and...
Man-equality dialectic of the French revolution
Georges Lefebvre's book The Coming of the French Revolution was recently translated into Arabic by Dr Abdul Nabi Kawara. It does not view the French revolution as a mere political event. Rather, the...
Loudspeakers at Tarawih prayers
The holy month of Ramadhan has come and with it a set of controversies including the opening of restaurant at daytime for non-Muslims, Muslims exempted from fasting and labourers assigned to practice...
The Arab reality as seen by Prince El Hassan
Badr al Abri His Highness Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham al Said, Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth and general supervisor of the Cultural Club extended a generous invitation to Prince El Hassan bin...
Matthew the Poor or the last Gnostic
Whenever I travelled to Alexandria from Cairo via the desert road, I pondered on the Gnosticism of Alexandria that existed in abbeys scattered across the Berbers desert where generations of monks...
Social media and personal struggles
Knowledge, be it spawned by humanities or experimental and applied sciences, can accommodate everyone. Knowledge touches people’s lives and reality and redresses their issues and problems, however...
A melting pot of cultures and ideas
The Muscat International Book Fair in its 27th edition is no longer a locally limited cultural flagship event that Omanis eagerly awaited every February, yearly, but a destination for a flock of...
Religious transformations in the Gulf
The Ibn Khaldon Centre for Humanities and Social Sciences at Qatar University conducted a symposium entitled “Where is the Gulf going to, intellectually? A reading in the Transformations of the Gulf...
Man between civilisation and culture
The two terms ‘civilisation’ and ‘culture’ are inextricably interrelated. No civilisation would ever exist without culture. Civilisation is linked to humans by means of science, reason,...
Natural calamities and united human spirit
Human societies experience natural calamities such as earthquakes, volcanoes, floods and storms. Societies also experience man-made catastrophes like wars and the manufacture of weapons that take the...
No one’s crying for Jenin
The West Bank city of Jenin is the economic powerhouse of Palestine and one of the oldest cities in the region. A city that is mentioned in the three monotheistic religions. Jenin refugee camp was set...