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The activities of the Ministry of Culture’s Seminar Series 2023 continued Sunday at Qatar University (QU) with Qur’anic Studies professors Dr Abdulrahman Hallali (QU) and Dr Joseph Lombard (College of Islamic Studies, Hamad Bin Khalifa University) talking about Islam and modernity.Dr Hallali stressed that Islam has never been in conflict with modernity except in certain cases that may undermine religion. Muslim philosophers and thinkers have constantly addressed it. There are many aspects of modernity present in the Western and Islamic worlds in varying degrees.“Modernity, from the perspective of theorists, is to create your own modernity without affecting the modernity of others. But this modernity should not be used in a wrong place, whether in experience or in theoretical vision.“Some see postmodernism as a breach that produced alternative theories and carried within them a denial of the facts that the eras of modernity ended with. That success necessitates reaching the best by having the will and the ability to change, which has been achieved theoretically, but is still missing on the practical level.”Dr Hallali saw there are obstacles in acquiring the necessary knowledge regarding modernity and postmodernity, bearing in mind that the context in the perspective of the West is not the modernity that people in the Arab world are talking about, and therefore should be defined properly.Dr Lombard said: “We must focus on making our reality in harmony with our culture and our Islamic religion. Modernity is different in the West from Islam, as it became related to science. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was sent as a mercy to the world. Therefore, our officials as Muslims should deliver mercy, and make it closely related to modernity, and present an Islamic model to the world.“There is a need to invest resources in our Islamic world for the benefit of advancement by applying the teachings of Islam for the benefit of humanity. Abu Hamid al-Ghazali realised the incoherence of philosophers who were governed by a liberal human model. But the spirit of religion means looking at our responsibility and at the same time to build the future.“The spirit of modernity makes us look only at the future and then we make excuses for failure. Postmodernism is a concept that has more than one definition. However, the developments of modernity in Europe have taken different forms according to their different social, political and religious circumstances. There should be Islamic definitions that are not only related to the past but are also compatible with the present, contemporary people,” he concluded.The session was moderated by journalist Iman al-Kaabi, director of the Qatar Media Centre, the Ministry of Culture.

The three-day Conference on Social and Human Sciences, being held by the Arab Centre for Research and Policy Studies, continued for the second day Sunday with ten lectures across four sessions.Dr Stephen Welch, honorary fellow at the School of Government and International Affairs at Durham University in Britain, gave an introductory lecture on the topic 'Causal Dynamics of Political Culture'.Mohamad Hamshi, a researcher at the Arab Centre in Doha, spoke on 'Criticism of the theory of political culture in the Arab world.' He argued that the concept of cultural politics is not separate from the sociology of the history of concepts, given that it is a shift from reflections, which can be described as philosophical and linked to traditions dating back to Plato and Aristotle. In this regard, the researcher referred to the works of Stephen Welsh and Margaret Somers, then moved on to criticising the discourse of political culture theory, based on the works of Azmi Bishara.On a related topic, Abdul Karim Amenkay gave a lecture titled 'Arab Culture between the Fields of Middle Eastern Studies and Contemporary Arab Thought: Are Cultural Essentialism and Heritage Criticism Two Sides of the Same Coin? The professor of political science at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies (DI) proceeded from the observation that the cultural approach, which is one of the most important theoretical and analytical currents in the field of Middle East studies, has known ebbs and flows in the extent of its dominance over this field of American origin, and regained its strength in the wake of the fall of the eastern camp with the beginning of the 1990s.The sixth session of the conference was devoted to philosophical approaches to political culture. Raja Bahloul, professor of philosophy at the DI, talked about 'Emotional Attitudes and Democratic Political Culture', in which she started from a question about the possibility of a causal relationship between political culture and the political system.Then, Mouldi Ezzedine, professor of philosophy at the University of Sfax, Tunisia, gave a lecture titled 'A Philosophical Contribution to Liberating the Values of Arab Political Culture from Ideological Culturalism', in which he made a critical philosophical distinction between a political culture and an ideological culture that theoretically and practically posed an extreme danger.Differentiating between the two contexts, the limit of comparison between them is governed by the hope of opening up a possible way to liberate the society of the Arab countries from its ailment due to several factors, on top of which the political practice that is contrary to the concepts of freedom and democracy.The seventh session devoted approaches to political culture in the Iraqi, Syrian, and Palestinian cases. Rahaf al-Daghli initiated it with a paper entitled 'The Persistence of Tyranny through Political Culture: Forms of Loyalty and Subjectivity in Syrian Public Discourse.' The director of research at the Harmon Centre for Contemporary Studies said it is important to consider how socialisation spreads under authoritarian regimes, and the influence of the political scene on the level of behaviour and attitudes of citizens.In dealing with the Palestinian situation marked by the division, Hassan Obaid talked about 'Reframing the Political Culture through Pierre Bourdieu’s Social Theory: A Case Study of the Field and Capital Formation of the Hamas and Fatah Movements after the Division.'Al-Nasser Duraid, consultant at the Iraqi Centre for Strategic Studies, concluded the session with a lecture titled 'The Phenomenon of Nostalgia in Politics in the Middle East: Iraq as a Case.' He presented a definition of the phenomenon of nostalgia, and its causes, in a manner specifically related to the political culture in Iraq.Abdelkader Abdelali, Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Dr Moulay El Taher University in Saida, presented the 'Political Culture, Social Cracks and Democracy: A Case Study of Algeria.' He shed light on the relationship between political culture and the structure of social cracks, and its impact on support for democracy, and its considerable importance in knowing the current status of the orientation towards democracy in Algeria.Muhammad Naimi, professor of sociology at the Institute of Social Development in Rabat, presented 'Political Culture' and Protest Collective Action in the Context of the Arab Uprisings (2011-2019).' He analysed the issue of political culture among the Arab public during the 2011 and 2019 waves of the Arab uprisings, and showed how to build Collective action, and its dismantling within the Arab protest space in connection and interaction with the prevailing political culture(s) in the Arab world. The researcher concluded that it is useful to understand and explain the transition of this political behaviour from a state of relative submission to one of growing resistance, by adopting a social approach.

The three-day Conference on Social and Human Sciences, held by the Arab Centre for Research and Policy Studies, began Saturday based on the theme - 'The concept of political culture and political cultures in the Arab world'.Dr Azmi Bishara, director-general of the centre and chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, delivered the opening lecture.Then, Dr Abdelwahab El Affendi, president of the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, presented a paper titled 'Culture as a Weapon: Culture Wars and Cultures of Wars in the United States and Egypt', in which he dealt with the phenomenon known as “culture wars” in the US, a development that drew public attention in the 1990s. It reached its peak in the era of former President Donald Trump.El Affendi compared it to similar developments in Egypt in the period leading up to the July 2013 events, and it is still raging today. He reviewed the dynamics of this "cultural" conflict, which reveals that the pivotal role of culture is in shaping identity and giving political and social action. The meaning also interacts with the multiplicity and diversity of the possibilities of using it as a tool for conflict and division. He also disagreed with Samuel P Huntington's contention that the difference of cultures delineates the boundaries of conflict between nations.Dr Abdel-Fattah Madi, a researcher at the Arab Centre for Research and Policy Studies and director of the State and Political Systems Studies Unit, presented a paper titled 'How does tyranny shape the political culture of the masses? An approach from the perspective of civil-military relations'. He focused on the policy of indoctrination, which usually has long-term repercussions, because it is related to the political culture of the masses.The subsequent sessions featured Tunisian researcher in sociology, Dr Asma Lahyoul; Dr Shaker Houki, professor of Public Law at Al-Manar University in Tunis; Dr Ahmed Abu El-Ala, professor of Cultural Anthropology at the National Centre for Social and Criminology Research in Cairo; Egyptian academic and architect Dr Ali Abdulraouf; researcher at the Arab Centre for Research and Policy Studies Dr Hani Awad; Dr Ibrahim Morshed and Dr Ibrahim Mansouri, professors of economics at the University of Marrakech, and Dr Hussein Shukrani, professor of public law and political science at the same university; Dr Saeed al-Haji, professor of Contemporary and Current History at Abdelmalek Saadi University in Tetouan (Morocco), and Dr Abd al-Ilah Setti, professor of political science and constitutional law at Ibn Zohr University in Agadir (Morocco).

In the presence of HE the Minister of Culture Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad al-Thani, the activities of the 'Seminar Series 2023' continued on Wednesday, at the Doha Institute for Research and Policy Studies with HE the Minister of State and Qatar National Library president Dr Hamad bin Abdulaziz al-Kawari, speaking on 'The Legacy of the World Cup Culture'.Dr al-Kawari said: “I admit I did not have great ties with football, but the World Cup in Qatar was a turning point for me. I realised the importance of football not only as a mere sport, but that millions of people in the world are associated with it, taking its cultural and social dimensions beyond sports."What happened to me in terms of watching football is a common perception with many intellectuals in the world. I found this in the book published by the 'New Arab' Foundation under the title 'The Magic of Football: Writers from East and West' who talk about their passion for the most joyful game. "While I commend this work edited by Professor Maan al-Bayari, I value these cultural initiatives that enrich the Arab library with an interesting, useful and exceptional book. I appreciate the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies’ keenness to enhance awareness and its approach of the cultural phenomena experienced by the Arab world. I was attracted by what the Romanian writer Ion Diaconescu described football: 'It is that distinctive tool that passes from soul to soul, because we need a rhythm of life, a new behaviour, a new humanity. Football is certainly not a saviour, but it makes the earth a better place.' This means that football is a means of rapprochement between people, due to the cultural values it contains."The World Cup was linked to cultural dimensions, which was indicated by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, who said: “We will not prevent anyone from coming to our country and enjoying football, and we respect all the cultures of the world, and we expect everyone to respect our culture .”"The successful staging of the World Cup proved that Qatar will not abandon its cultural values. Qatar has presented its culture and values throughout the World Cup, allowing visitors from different cultures to learn about our religion, culture and social values, and to affirm the principle of mutual respect between cultures.“My goal is to implement what I have long called for, which is the necessity of activating the gains of the success of the World Cup on the cultural level, so that the joy of success does not prevent the continuation of work on cultivating this tree that needs care in order for its branches to leaf and bring forth its fruits continuously."The World Cup stirred the 'collective memory' of the peoples, as the Arabs and Muslims specifically restored the glories of the Arab-Islamic civilisation when we were leading the way of civilisation.“The World Cup contained cultural expressions and messages that gave the tournament an exceptional character, and emphasised the value of soft power. This again confirms the effectiveness of cultural diplomacy, of which sports diplomacy is a part. The World Cup was a real test of the feasibility of this diplomacy, which today requires more work in order to preserve its gains and continue to diversify its tools.”“Qatar, through the World Cup, presented a lesson in the concept of cultural exchange, which is respect for cultural specificities and not acquiescence in imposing cultural expressions that contradict the hierarchy of Arab-Islamic values."These values, which were an essential part of the cultural expressions of the World Cup. The opening ceremony proved to be the 'compass' of all its activities. This compass was based on the Qur'anic concept of 'friendship' through the verse that brought together the young Qatari Ghanim al-Muftah and the American actor Morgan Freeman."

The Excellence Center for Training and Consulting at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies (DI) organised yesterday a session titled Dialogue on International Women's Day between Celebration and Criticism.Media personality Khadija Bengana, Dr Hind al-Muftah (Permanent Representative of Qatar to the European Headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva), and Dr Maryam al-Khater (professor of Digital Media and Politics, and Advisor to the Office of the President of Qatar University) were the panellists. Dr Aya Randall (assistant professor in Human Rights Programme, DI) was the moderator.Bengana shed light on prominent historical examples of women in general and Arab women in particular, referring to the role of Arab women in the national struggle, and the battles and struggles they waged in order to obtain their rights. She wondered whether the reality of women has changed or not, pointing out that “there are positive changes in varying proportions from one society to another.”Dr al-Khater emphasised that “reducing women's right to one day is a marginalisation of their active role in building societies and contributing to their development and sophistication.” Explaining that celebrating women on this day may be formal in many cases, she said there are “fundamental issues that must be discussed seriously, away from these formal celebrations that do not address women's issues from their roots.”In a related context, Dr al-Muftah indicated, during her online video presentation from Geneva, stated that “the celebration of International Women's Day faces a lot of criticism as it is imported from Western culture and a product of the Western feminist movement. She said that the issue of women's rights is characterised by a contentious and controversial nature and what is considered a right of Western women may be the opposite in Arab societies.”Dr Hamed Ali, dean of the College of Economics, Administration and Public Policy, opened the session and stressed that “women have become an active force in society. They have a significant and noticeable impact on public life, and that most of the countries in the region have begun to legislate policies intended to empower women.”

Middle East Huawei's participation in the World Telecommunications Exhibition and Conference 2023, which concluded two days ago, was marked by the company's highlighting of the capabilities of 5.5G technology, the next stage of communication networks, and the new opportunities it offers to businesses in various sectors and industries. The company stated that the achievements of the fifth generation networks in its first three years are equivalent to those achieved by the fourth generation networks during its first five years, and that the new stage of networks represented by the 5.5G will have an effective impact in enriching our digital life and the possibilities of smart communication.Peng Song, head of Information Technology, Communications and Marketing Strategy at Huawei, said at the 5G Business Success Summit that “the success of the first rounds of 5G deployment was embodied in the significant growth of mobile phone revenue, and the use of more than 20% of consumers for these networks. Which boosted their confidence in the sector path.” Accordingly, Peng expects that the fifth generation networks will maintain this success, especially if its capabilities are taken advantage of to meet the needs of consumers and business homes.Huawei explored the role of the "Guide to the Smart World" business plan, which it launched during the event, in providing support to digital network providers and enterprises to enhance the ability to accelerate the pace of transformation towards a smart world, and discussed with various stakeholders ways to benefit from the guide's proposals to lay the foundations for the development of 5.5G networks. Building on the successes of fifth generation technologies to achieve greater prosperity, especially in the field of sustainable development. Li Ping, President of Huawei Carrier Networks Business Group, said that “the progress made by the ICT industry in the field of sustainable development is exceptional thanks to the role of 5G technology in the transition to a smart world, and that the transition to 5.5G networks will be a milestone in the journey of digital transformation.” He stressed the need for “all technology sector partners to co-operate to accelerate the pace of transformation towards a sustainable and high-speed smart world, highlighting the importance of Huawei's "Guide to the Smart World" business plan in contributing to paving the way towards this important achievement.”Dr Mohamed Madkour, Global Vice-President of Marketing and Solution Sales in the Huawei Business Group for Communications Networks, confirmed during an interview with journalists from the Middle East and Central Asia that “the challenges the company faces will not discourage its determination to continue working with all international partners, led by organisations. International organisations and standards and metrology bodies to support the stages of building sustainable digital economies by supporting important technologies such as the 5.5G Which is distinguished from others by great capabilities such as enhancing the communication experience and low latency, which would contribute to achieving new stages of digitisation and building a more connected and intelligent digital world.” He concluded.The Huawei Enterprise Business Group hosted a special event themed "Working Together on Developing Digital Infrastructure to Create New Value", which witnessed the launch of more than 50 innovative products and solutions for customers globally. The event highlighted the facilitated smart headquarters network solution. From Huawei, it is a series of innovative data centre solutions and business strategies for small and medium enterprises.On the sidelines of the Digital Talents Summit, Huawei announced its joining the Global Literacy Alliance established by Unesco, and they agreed to work together to promote the use of technology as part of literacy efforts. Huawei also signed a cooperation agreement under which it will finance the current initiatives of the Lifelong Learning Institute to support the use of technology solutions by educators from developing countries.Huawei signed, during its participation in the event, an MoU with the leading Saudi telecom company, "Zain Saudi Arabia", to launch the joint innovative project "5.5G City" (5.5G City).

Martin Chungong, the Secretary-General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Monday delivered a seminar titled, “Parliament for Democracy, for Everyone: The Role of Inter-Parliamentary Union” hosted by the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies (CHS), jointly with the School of Social Sciences and Humanities at Doha Institute for Graduate Studies. It was moderated by Dr Khalil Osman, Senior Research Fellow in CHS.Chungong discussed the role of the IPU in promoting democratic governance, institutions, and values. He highlighted that the IPU’s vision is to have “a world where every voice counts,” on the national, subnational and international levels. He stated that the IPU 2022-2026 strategy key objective is to build an effective parliamentary ecosystem for democracy and for everyone. The strategy focuses on various key areas, such as democracy, climate change, human rights, gender equality, youth participation, peace and security, and sustainable development.Chungong also discussed how the IPU, through its global convening role and accountable mechanism, provides unique platforms for dialogue and interaction, and voices the concerns of parliaments at the international level on major issues. An additional main role of the IPU is to “build strong democratic parliaments” by tackling challenges that hinder parliament and democracy, stressing that democracy is a resilient system with the capacity to self-correct and be in constant renewal, especially in times of crisis.During the discussion session, there were questions around the Arab Spring, the recent wave of democratic transitions in the MENA region, youth engagement in parliaments, and the work of the IPU on building institutions in post-conflict countries.In 2014, Chungong became the first African and first non-European to be elected as Secretary-General of the IPU, which was established in 1889.

HE Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad al-Thani, Minister of Culture, patronised the activities of the second edition of the 2023 'Seminar Series' Saturday evening. It was launched with a major poetry evening, which was attended by a number of officials, thinkers, intellectuals, poets and writers from both within and outside Qatar, at Sheraton Doha. The poetry evening saw the participation of poets Saleh al-Mana’a and Abdullah Alloush from Qatar and Kuwait, respectively, and was attended by a large audience who interacted with the poems that varied between Nabataean and classical Arabic. It also featured some patriotic poems and sonnets that were recited for the first time to an audience, amid an atmosphere of creativity. This poetry evening came at the start of the activities of the 2023 'Seminar Series', organised by the Ministry of Culture in co-operation with Qatar University and the Arab Centre for Research and Policy Studies. This year’s 'Seminar Season' includes five seminars on: 'The Cultural Heritage of the World Cup', which will be presented by HE Dr Hamad bin Abdulaziz al-Kawari, Minister of State and President of Qatar National Library; 'Islam and Modernity', in which French researcher and thinker Francois Burga and Syrian writer and academic Abdul Rahman Helli will participate; 'History of Andalusia', which will be presented by the writer Dr Nizar Shakroun from Tunisia, journalist Badr al-Lami, and researchers Saud al-Kuwari and Mohamed al-Shahrani; 'Islamic Architecture and the Relationship with Other Arts', which will be presented by the architect Abdel Wahed al-Wakil from the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies; and 'The Influence of Muslims on the Civilisation of Westerners', to be presented by Dr Saeed Kamali from Morocco. The Ministry of Culture has always held events that meets the aspirations of intellectuals and the society, in order to achieve its vision of promoting dialogue on issues of concern to society. Through the 'Seminar Series', the ministry seeks to establish an intellectual environment that enhances the role of culture and intellectuals in serving society, support cultural and intellectual activities, and to build bridges of communication between new generations and the intellectual elite.

The International Conference on Administrative Sciences, held under the patronage of HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Aziz al-Thani, concluded Thursday. The three-day event was organised by the School of Economics, Administration and Public Policy (SEAPP) at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies in co-operation with Belgium’s International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAP). The conference discussed a number of important topics, and highlighted the developmental capabilities of countries and their contributions to comprehensive development. A large number of academics and experts in the fields of public administration and governance from Qatar and abroad participated. On the last day of the conference, which hosted more than 300 participants from 70 countries, the researchers discussed the *Challenges and directions of human resource management in the GCC countries, *Developing countries and good governance, and *The role of training and consulting centers in supporting national institutions. On the sidelines of the concluding session, Prof Eko Prasojo, former Indonesian vice-minister of public administration and current head of Research Cluster Policy, Governance and Administrative Reform at Indonesia University, spoke to *Gulf Times on the implementation of new policies and their impact on the public sector career’s competitiveness, and the mindset of staff who take it for granted as a career for life. “We are looking at the integration of the spirit, i.e. the mindset of the private sector into the public sector, such as competitiveness, professionalism, modern connectivity systems,” he said. “We started this in 2014, by introducing a new law on civil service system in Indonesia.” “We moved from a closed career system to an open career system, where the higher public officer can move from one ministry to another, and from central government to local government and vice-versa,” Prof Prasojo said. “We also opened the opportunity to the private sector to compete for the position of director-general, on a contract basis for one year that could be extended according to the needs of the government.” “This has impacted the competitiveness in bureaucracy and the quality of public service, as staff from private sector bring the spirit of that sector to the public sector,” he continued. “I am involved currently in the follow-up and making sure that the strategy of the vice-president can be effectively implemented in the ministries, and local government,” Prof Prasojo added.

Under the patronage of HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz al-Thani, the International Conference on Administrative Sciences was launched Tuesday.The event is organised by the School of Economics, Administration and Public Policy (SEAPP) at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies (DI), in co-operation with the International Institute for Administrative Sciences (IIAS).The three-day event, titled 'Developmental and Professional Countries in Public Administration and Policy Making' is being held at the DI to exchange experiences and knowledge, and enhance government action to address complex policy problems and constraints.Over 300 participants from 70 countries are taking part in the conference. Topics cover important questions about the developmental capabilities of countries and their contributions to comprehensive development during the 21st century.Dr Abdul-Wahhab al-Afandi, president, DI, said in the opening speech: “We hope this great event - given the quality and number of participants in it - will contribute to making a qualitative contribution to enhancing development prospects in these anxious global conditions. This is in harmony with the institute's mission aimed at developing social sciences and humanities, promoting professionalism, and putting them at the service of man.”Dr al-Afandi added that professionalism in management and administrative sciences is one of the most important pillars of the development process, for which money and other resources are indispensable.Dr Hamed Ali, dean of the SEAPP stressed that “the conference comes at an important time when the world is recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic and when economies are threatened with stagnation due to the war in Ukraine, which makes the role of the state essential, and crucial in mitigating negative impacts and designing policies that advance long-term development goals.” He explained that the conference is bringing together not only academics, but also specialists in policy and industry from various governments, think tanks and non-governmental organisations, to advance the technocratic aspect of politics and administration. The aim is to achieve the desired development of states through professional institutionalisation, bureaucracy, capacity building, and effective distribution of resources.Dr Raed bin Shams, president of the IIAS, indicated that this conference is promising with many experiences and expertise from inside and outside the region. He pointed out that the pursuit of unprecedented crises around the world places on the shoulders of management experts and professionals, academics and researchers the task of focusing on the advancement of states and ways of managing them.Dr bin Shams stated that all must strive to achieve the maximum public interest to promote justice at all levels around the world, and learn from all disciplines and experiences to understand and respect the differences, driven by the common values and beliefs. He stressed the need to serve on the basis that countries are not companies, citizens are not customers, and that experts and academics have the same goal but use different means to serve one end - the citizen.The conference deals with research and study on comprehensive and broad topics. It highlights the cases of governments and developmental states, and the critical tools for developmental states to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Within the sessions of the first day, the participants discussed several axes and research papers that focused on professionalism in public administration and public policies for comprehensive development, developing states for sustainable development, developing states and global challenges, public administration reforms in post-conflict countries, family policies in the Arab Gulf, and other related topics.Today, researchers and experts will discuss several themes, most notably 'Rethinking the Role of Sport in Public Governance and Civil Society', 'Sustainable Partnerships between the Public and Private Sectors in the Middle East and North Africa,' 'Cities and Global Challenges', in addition to a discussion on Crisis Management and Disaster Control in Japan: Theoretical Observations and Practical Experiences.The conference will conclude tomorrow after discussing topics including the challenges and directions of human resources management in the GCC countries, developing countries and good governance and the role of training and consulting centres in supporting national institutions.

Professor Saul J Takahashi, the director of Osaka Jogakuin University’s Research Institute of International Collaboration and Coexistence in the 21st Century, presented Monday a paper on 'Linguistic Rights of ’48 Palestinians' at the Annual Palestine Forum.The scholar, who has spent five years in Palestine and well-versed in the Palestinian issue, spoke to Gulf Times on the linguistic rights and self-determination of the Palestinian people.“I see that the Israelis have been doing this for a long time ... and it is not just language, it is the appropriation of Palestinian food like humus, which they present as Israeli food, for example,” Prof Takahashi said. “They have been after the eradication of the Palestinian people as a whole, through culture, history, renaming place names.”“In 1948 the whole thing was geared towards the eradication of the Palestinian people as a whole, not just in physical sense, but culturally, linguistically, everything, and that is a gross violation of international law,” he added.“Self-determination translated into hard reality through the continuous lobbying and putting on pressure on the international community to abide by the standards that they themselves have adopted,” Prof Takahashi said.“Of course the Palestinians have been doing this and they will continue doing this,” he continued.“Finally, I think we are seeing it bear fruit, through the recognition of Israel as practicing apartheid by very prominent international human rights non-governmental organisations (NGOs),” the academic pointed out. “Finally, the International Criminal Court ... we see it is starting to move, Insha Allah.”“Also the UN General Assembly has asked the International Court of Justice to provide an opinion on the continuing occupation,” he added.“Once again, not perfect, not full, but still moving in the right direction. Certainly, we are moving in the right direction,” Prof Takahashi emphasised. “Also, the political shifts in the US are definitely favourable towards moving in the right direction.“Insha Allah, I am a human rights person, so I do think that the good guys will win in the end, and justice will triumph,” he said.“As an international lawyer, I think certainly that the entire two-state solution paradigm is based on injustice,” he stated.“It is based on the partition of the Palestinian people’s country,” Prof Takahashi explained. “That the two-state paradigm has been going on and on since 1947, the partition resolution, ... it is based on a gross injustice.”“I do not see how the two-state solution but that,” he said. “It is important that we have peace in Palestine, the true peace can only be achieved with true justice.”“I have a problem with seeing how this can be possible under the two-state solution, which is impossible now in any case, with all the Israeli colonies dotting the West Bank,” Prof Takahashi remarked. “I just do not see that it is going to happen.”"So, I do think that we are heading towards a one-state solution, what exactly that means, we have to see,” he said. “There has to be insuring justice in any kind of one-state solution that means addressing past violations.”"Without the US policies changing, it is hard to see any serious change in the situation in Palestine, but that is coming and that is already taking place,” he added.“So, definitely, Insha Allah I see it happen. Of course, political issues should also be resolved amongst Palestinian factions ... they need to be sorted out, so that it cannot be used as an excuse for not allowing self-determination,” Prof Takahashi concluded.

A total of 15 papers were presented Monday on the third and concluding day of the inaugural Annual Palestine Forum. The last workshop also served to wrap up the forum’s discussions by directing participants’ and attendees’ attention toward reflecting on the future of the Palestinian project. The sessions of the Ostour Symposium, conducted in parallel, also concluded.During the closing session, Azmi Bishara, general director of the Arab Centre for Research and Policy Studies stressed the success of the forum in bringing together Palestinians from across the world to share knowledge from the field of Palestinian studies in an academic environment.Bishara then introduced Marwan Barghouti, political figure and political prisoner for the last 21 years, whose words from the cell were read out by his partner, lawyer, and politician Fadwa Barghouti.Barghouti discussed the challenges facing the Palestinian national project including: the struggle to return the unity of the Palestinian people through one national project, the unity of the Palestinian cause, Zionist settler colonialism, the emphasis on Arab identity, the humanitarian struggle, reinforcing the importance of resistance in all its forms, the crisis of the Palestinian national movement, the struggle for women’s right to equality and dignity, and a leading Palestinian force with a political culture that views the Palestinians as worthy of dignity, equality, and justice. Barghouti concluded by reflecting on the importance of the forum as a step that reinforces the unity of Palestinians and the unified aim of all those working for the Palestinian cause.The first session of the third day revolved around three main themes: the legal and linguistic dimensions of settler colonialism and ethnic cleansing, gender perspectives on Palestine, and Palestine from a historical perspective. Nine papers focusing on these themes were presented. Three papers looked at the Israeli settler colonial regime from a legal and linguistic lens.In his paper 'Ethnic Cleansing as a Tool for Consolidating Settler Colonialism and Apartheid in Jerusalem', Nizar Ayoub studied the policy of systematic ethnic cleansing as a tool of the Israeli settler colonial regime to maintain a Jewish majority in Jerusalem.'Three other papers focused on the theme of gender and Palestine. Camelia Ibrahim-Dwairy’s paper, titled 'The Case of Single Palestinian Men in Israel: Between Patriarchal and Israeli Oppression', examined the discourse of single Palestinian men living within the Green Line amid a patriarchal society.A further three papers discussed Palestine from a historical perspective. In a paper titled 'Mā kānsh fīh!: Oral Narratives as a Missing Source for the Military Historiography of the Palestine War 1947-1949', Bilal Shalash reviewed the outputs of two projects, a Birzeit University project on depopulated villages and the Nakba Testimony Programme, which reflect the military history of the 1948 war.The second session of the third day centred on two themes: the impact of settler colonialism on the environment and agriculture in Palestine, and Palestine in literary discourse. Three papers studied the impact of settler colonialism on the environment and agriculture in Palestine.Yasmin Qaadan’s paper 'Environment Meanings from the Language of Local Knowledge for the Movement of Palestinian Peasants' offered a political ecology perspective of settler colonialism through its ethnographic research of Palestinian peasants. Three additional papers were presented on Palestine in literary discourse. Abdelrahman S Abuaber presented his paper 'The Stranger’s Mirrors: Place, Time, and Questions of the Self in Biographical Writing', which aimed to give organic theoretical attention to biographical writing by Palestinians.In the afternoon, the forum hosted two workshops. In the first, four speakers – Khaled Hroub, Alain Gresh, Ben White, and Yousef Munayyer – discussed changes in the representation and news coverage of Palestine in Western and Arab media discourse.The second workshop was the closing session where Tarek Mitri, chairman, Institute for Palestine Studies Board of Trustees, and Bishara, opened the floor for a discussion for participants to reflect on the question of what is to be done and the future of the Palestinian national project.

Eleyan Sawafta, president of the C.O.N.F.L.I.C.T. Alliance, graduate research assistant at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG)’s School of Education, and the 1990’s Palestinian generation’s representative, presented Sunday a paper on 'Development and Settler Colonialism: Perpetuating Neo-Colonial Domination and Apartheid', with his colleague Hasan Ayoub at the 2023 Annual Palestine Forum. He spoke to Gulf Times on self-sufficiency under the occupation and continuation of resistance. "I think this is a very important question,” Sawafta said. “I was born in 1990 and I experienced the peace process and the second Intifada, when everybody was in their homes for several weeks.” “We did not go to schools, everybody was stuck at home, and the main issue was how to handle the situation and how we can understand our sustainability,” he said. “It was easy and simple: people at that time had their own basic needs,” Sawafta continued. “I am from a farming family, my father is a farmer and he goes to his farm every day.” “What is going on in Palestine is a land based struggle. If we understand the conflict from this angle, we can present our arguments about how we can improve our sustainability,” he said. “How can we stand against this regime or settler colonialism?” Sawafta posed. “We need to understand ourselves outside the world order of public policies.” “It does not work if we keep just talking about Bretton Woods institutions – the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) – and World Bank policies,” he stated. “Now, Palestinian people have their own basic needs and we suggest, in our paper, that we need collaborations and people-centred development,” Sawafta said. “We should start from, for example, agricultural projects in designated areas,” he explained. “These lands are very important to keep fighting and resisting against settler colonialism.” “Land is a key in this conflict, without which I think we lose the game, and we should work on this issue,” the scholar stressed. “The entire agricultural sector is struggling now. My father tells me every day that he is under pressure and could be out of his land within two years,” he continued. “The (Israeli) colonisation (programme) is trying to push them in a silent way towards migration. They control water resources, and they entice them with money.” “So, if you have an option between making either $25 or $150 a day, plus loans, and a very satisfactory economic situation, most likely you will choose second option,” Sawafta pointed out. “This is what is happening now, they are trying to take our labourers, and they control water resources,” he reiterated. “Even though you have land, ideas to develop it, you do not have any tools to do whatever you want to achieve.” “So after two or three years, you will give up and leave the land to them,” he said. “This is a very dangerous idea, and that is why we say that settler colonialism is a classic colonial regime and at the same time it is apartheid, it is neo-colonialism.” “We need to understand the context, to understand the conflict first, and then we propose our ideas about development, what we should do and from where we should start,” Sawafta concluded.

Twenty papers were presented and two workshops were held during the second day of the 2023 Annual Palestine Forum Sunday.The highlights included the launch of the Palestinian Memory Project, as well as the inauguration of the Ostour Symposium.Eleven papers were presented at the first session, which covered three main themes: the sociology of Palestinian identity, development discourse in Palestine and colonial violence, and Palestine in a historical perspective.In his paper 'Trans-Territorial Sumud: Refugee Responses to Multiple Systems of Oppression in Bourj el-Barajneh Camp', Rami Rmeileh offered an alternative conceptual framework to understanding the concept of Sumud (steadfast perseverance).Nour Bader, in a paper titled 'Spatial and Temporal Sociology of Camp Identity: Al-Wehdat – New Amman as a Model', deconstructed the spatio-temporal identity of the Wehdat Camp.In their paper 'Settler Colonialism and the Birth of New Prisoners: Migration from the Gaza Strip, Ahmed Mamoun and Zahraa Shabana' discussed how Israel attempts to depopulate the Gaza Strip through its blockade.In her paper 'Between Ruins and Remnants: Religious Renewal among Christians in West Bank Palestine', Elizabeth Marteijn examined Palestinian Christian thought and practice in relation to the changing political and social context of the West Bank.Four papers looked at colonial violence in development discourse on Palestine.Hasan Ayoub and Eleyan Sawafta’s paper – 'Development and Settler Colonialism: Perpetuating Neo-Colonial Domination and Apartheid' – discussed the relationship between the conceptual framing of Israel in the Palestinian territories and development practices.Ashraf Bader’s paper, titled 'A Critical Reading of the Neoliberalism of the Palestinian Authority under Zionist Settler Colonialism', looked at the neo-liberalisation of the Palestinian political economy.Abdelrahman Murad focused on the proliferation of a counter-discourse on development from Palestinian civil society in response to the neoliberal policies ostensibly put in place for the development of the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) in his paper 'The Construction of a Counter-Hegemonic Discourse on Economic Development: A Critical Analysis of Palestinian Policy'.Marta Parigi presented her paper on 'The Effect of Israeli Settlement-Related Structural Violence on Palestinian Food Security', which discussed how structural violence entrenched in settlements hinders the Palestinians’ ability to access healthy, nutritious food items.Three papers discussed Palestine in a historical perspective.Presenting his paper on 'Transformation of Collective Identity from Ottomanism to Arabism', Adel Manna analysed the life and works of Ahmad Helmi Pasha (1882-1963).In 'The Palestinian Cultural Scene during the British Mandate: Al-Karmel and Filastin Newspapers as Examples', Johnny Mansour analysed cultural advertisements in newspapers to better understand the Palestinians cultural scene during the British Mandate in the cities of Haifa, Jaffa, and Jerusalem.Ali T As’ad provided a historical overview of Palestinian exhibition-making through his paper, 'Palestine and the National Sensorium: Exhibition-Making in the Twentieth Century'.The second session of the Palestine forum focused on three themes: Palestinian economy, demography, and memory.Three papers were presented on the economy.Raja Khalidi and Islam Rabee presented their paper *Prospects for Palestinian Economic Co-operation and Complementarity across the Green Line.They gave an in-depth examination of the economic relations that connect Palestinians in the territories occupied in 1967 with those in Israel.Rabeh Morrar and Rand Jibril presented their paper 'Promoting the Development of the Startup Ecosystem in Palestine and its Potential Effects on Public Finance', which focused on the effectiveness of the Palestinian Authority’s policies in encouraging the development of a startup culture and economy.Areen Hawari and Sami Mahajna’s paper – 'Split in Two Parts: The Dynamics of the Commercial Relationship between the Palestinians from within the Green Line and Jenin' – focused on the impact of the daily economic interactions of Palestinians across the Green Line on Palestinian society, its social fabric, and its national unity.Three papers were presented on demographic research in Palestine.Youssef Courbage and Hala Naufal’s paper – 'Demography of the Palestinians' – was an overview of the growth of the Palestinian population globally and its political weight.Mohammed Duraidi presented a paper on 'The Palestinian Population in the Palestinian Territories and the Palestinians within the Green Line: Demographic Status and Population Projections', where he argued that there are unique patterns of population components among residents of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Palestinians within the Green Line.Thayer Hastings’s paper 'On the Crisis of Demographic Balance and Majority in Jerusalem' proposed to identify demography as an institutional location from which to examine the conditions and contradictions of a colonial bio-politics.Three papers were presented on Palestinian memory of the Nakba and of refugees in different camps.Azadeh Sobout’s paper on 'War-Memoryscapes and the Grassroots Agency for Justice: Re-Searching the Truth-Memory Practices of Palestinians in Nahr el Bared' provided an exploration of the narratives, stories, and memories that focus on destruction, siege, the postponed home, the need for return, memorialisation, and reconstruction.Reham Amro’s paper 'The Moment of the Nakba: The Erasure of the Palestinian People, the Keys to Stolen Doors, and the Duality of the Intellectual and the Peasant' analysed the personal testimonies of Palestinian peasants (fallahin).Rola Sirhan focused on how Arab regimes have manipulated the memory of the 1967 defeat in her paper 'Memory of Defeat and Palestinian Social and Political Imaginaries: Dominance without Hegemony'.The two workshops Sunday were held in the afternoon.The first hosted four speakers – Osama Abuirshaid, Ahmed Abuznaid, Malia Bouattia, and Majed Abusalama – who discussed the challenges faced by activists for the Palestinian cause in the Western context.The second workshop featured the launch of the Palestinian Memory Project website and the relaunching of the Jerusalem Story website by Mueen al-Taher, Kate Rouhana and Khaled Farraj.The forum will continue Monday, the third and final day, in a similar format to the previous two days, along with the Ostour Symposium being held in parallel to the main forum.

The Annual Palestine Forum was launched Saturday in Doha, with a view to providing a general framework that brings together Palestinians from all over the world and a platform for researchers and activists to focus on the Palestinian cause.Organised by the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies and the Institute for Palestine Studies, the first session is being held from January 28-30, 2023. In addition to specialised sessions, and a number of workshops related to the Palestinian issue, 62 peer-reviewed scientific papers are slated for the sessions.The opening session was chaired by Ayat Hamdan, coordinator of the forum and researcher at the Arab Center, in which Tariq Mitri, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Institute for Palestine Studies, delivered the opening speech.Dr Azmi Bishara, Director General of the Arab Center, gave an introductory lecture in which he touched on the relationship between academic discourse on Palestine and influencing decision-making, and the need for a general framework that brings together Palestinians from all over the world. The lecture also dealt with the crisis of the Palestinian national project, and the hoped-for strategy that the Palestinians would engage in.Bishara reflected on the role of the forum as providing a space that bridges the distance between Palestinians all over the world and that allows researchers and activists from all nationalities who focus on the Palestinian cause to have a rational and responsible discourse about Palestine, its history, and its struggle. The lecture also looked at the crisis of the current framework of the Palestinian national project. In a nutshell, the lecture addressed main questions: What are the main considerations that went into launching the Annual Palestine Forum? How present is the Palestinian cause on official Arab and international agendas? Did the public opinion towards Israel and the Palestinian cause change? How can we understand the crisis of the Palestinian National Liberation movement in light of the changes of the regional context and the politico-geographic fragmentation of the Palestinian people? What is to be done and what are the alternatives that can allow us to overcome this crisis?This was followed by three parallel sessions, which focused on the specificity of settler colonialism in Palestine and the Palestinian cause in the international context. The session moderated by Marwan Kabalan, Nadim Rouhana, Mark Muhannad Ayyash, Caroline Land, and Zina Jallad discussed the multiple aspects of settler colonialism in the case of Palestine, with regard to citizenship and the right to belong in the Jewish state. The relationship between Zionism, nationalism, and settler colonialism, and Israeli attempts to erase the other and impose dominant narrative.As for the session chaired by Muhammad Alwan, Al-Hussein Shukrani, Saif Youssef, and Muhammad Al-Wadrasy presented papers centered on Palestine in international law from the perspective of compensation for environmental damage, refugees and the right of return, and the application of international criminal law in Palestine.In the last session, which was chaired by Abd al-Wahhab al-Afandi, Michael R. Fischbach, Abdullah Musus, Nog Nyue Asanga Von, and Mona Awad Allah referred to the Palestinian issue in the international context from a comparative perspective, specifically with the United States, Kashmir, and Africa.In the following three parallel sessions, Sanaa Hamoudi chaired a session that dealt with different aspects of security colonial techniques, in which Youssef Mounir, Pietro Stefanini, Nour Arafa, and Areej Sabbagh-Khoury spoke about the Israeli transnational network of repression, the unity of government actions, and programmes to enhance effectiveness, Localism in Counterinsurgency and Anticolonial Resilience in Jerusalem.In the session titled "Patterns in the Palestinian Resistance" chaired by Salam Al-Kawakibi, Tariq Radi, Khaled Anabtawi, Ahmed Asaad, Mustafa Sheta and Ayman Youssef presented the thoughts on the features of the gift of dignity and the experience of the national theater. Salam Al-Kawakibi presided over this session.Finally, in a session moderated by Ibrahim Freihat, Ilan Pappe, Bilal Salaymeh, Abdullah Apolloz, and Saja al-Turman discussed the position of Palestine in the academic/knowledge discourse and the future directions of this discourse, and the achievements of the field of Palestinian studies and its future directions.For his part, Faisal Abdulhameed al-Mudhahka, Editor-in-Chief of the Gulf Times, attended the forum and expressed his support for the first session, wishing the participants success. He said on the sidelines of the forum that “our newspaper has been paying substantial attention to the Palestinian cause for decades, and has been making every effort to advance it and assuming a position worthy of its Arab and international legitimacy through what it publishes on its columns.He continued: "On the personal level, I grew up adopting the just Palestinian cause and the continuous struggle for it, with our firm belief that the brutal aggression will be defeated and Palestine will inevitably be independent. The Palestinian brothers from the diaspora will return to their land and homes, God willing. This victory is not only for the Palestinians but for all Arabs because it is the cause of the entire Arab nation. It is no secret to you that we strengthen the struggle for Palestine by raising awareness among readers, community members, and residents, and especially inculcating these values in our children so that we inculcate in them the spirit of Arab nationalism and commitment to defend the Palestinian cause without relenting until victory, God willing.”Two other workshops were held at the end of the first day of the forum. The first dealt with the issue of Palestine in opinion polls, and was chaired by Mahdi Mabrouk. Shibley Telhami spoke about the shift in the American position towards Palestine / Israel, while Muhammad al-Masri spoke about Palestine in Arab public opinion, according to the results of the Arab Index poll, which is implemented by the Arab Center.In the second workshop, chaired by Ghassan al-Kahlout, Muhammad Abu Nimr, Lord Habash and Tamer Qarmout talked about the Palestinian-Palestinian division and the prospects for reconciliation.The work of the Palestine Forum will continue until January 30, as indicated in its agenda for the next two days, in a similar manner. The forum also coincides with the proceedings of the "Historical Writing in Palestine" symposium, which is organised by the Ostoor periodical for historical studies.

Legal consultant, researcher and educator Dr Zeina Jallad Saturday presented a paper on the topic of 'Identity annexation; Israel’s non-territorial and psychic annexation of the West Bank Samaritans in the occupied Palestinian territories' at the Annual Palestine Forum. Speaking exclusively to 'Gulf Times' on the sidelines of the forum, Dr Jallad spoke about how the Samaritans were being treated by the occupation.“I think this is a timely question if we look at the type of strategies and technologies that the state of Israel is using in what some have defined as a creeping annexation. It is an annexation in detail, step by step until there is a full control -- whether in terms of cultural, historical or legal presence on the land," she said."The way I view it, Samaritans are only less than 1,000 people in both parts of the country in total. They have so many differences (from the Israelis), their presence or the lack of it in the Israeli system does not change the demography. So, if we think about why they have been granted the citizenship... it was not to help them have the mobility or freedom of movement, access to health treatment, or the everyday code of rights. I think of it as a strategy of eraser. It is erasing that narrative of diversity and emptying it from the component of the Palestinian identity," Dr Jallad continued."Step by step, we are losing our diversity, we are losing the Samaritans, the Jews, the Christians, may be at some point the Druze, and it will become only one colour, a one tuned kind of crisis or conflict. No, the occupation is occupying the identity of the people, their psychology, their narrative, their story of belonging, their memory."This is where it is a very important and tricky way to analyse what goes beyond the acquisition of the land. Annexation and the legal appropriation of the land is one face to it, but there is something more that has to do with the psychology of the people, their way of self-perception. So, from the natives of the land, they become the 'other'. Someone who lives in Nablus today as a Samaritan is becoming an Israeli, so he is becoming an invader in his own homeland. This is the transformation sought of the native to the 'other', and there resides the other angle of it, the appropriation of the language and the narrative of belonging and rootedness to the Israeli discourse and narrative.""So, it is not only taking the land but also taking the narrative of the Palestinian people and appropriating it in the Israeli narrative, and this is where it is scary,” Dr Jallad concluded.

Qatar’s Badr Mubarak al-Marri won gold in the singles competition at the horseback archery World Championships qualifiers in South Africa Friday. The event, which began on January 15 concluded Friday at the Rossfield Equestrian Club in Pretoria.The competition is part of the World Horseback Archery Championship Qualifiers. It was held in five groups, under the umbrella of the International Horseback Archery Federation, with three teams qualifying for the final.Thirty-four players from different parts of the world participated in the tournament. The event was divided into four competitions: clog throwing, chain throwing, Kasai system and the team system.Al-Marri scored 4 points in the individual pole throwing competition, leading the competition with 38 points. Coach Fouad al-Mudhahka, who is also a member of the World Horseback Archery Federation (WHAF), was gratified with the good accomplishment at the international level.“I congratulate Badr al-Marri for winning the gold at these qualifiers for the international championship, and for hoisting the Ada’am (colloquial for Qatar flag) very high and of course all the riders in the Qatari team,” he told Gulf Times Friday.Al-Mudhahka confirmed also that “the international competitions were highly competitive, and the nature of the tournament is the quick throw from horseback. Horseback archery is one of the ancient traditional sports, and it is practiced in Qatar, as one of the unique sports in the region, and a contribution to the expansion of the Arab heritage.”Three other Qatari riders Abdulaziz al-Qahtani, Abdul Rahman al-Ishaq and Hayel al-Anzi also participated in the competition.

HE Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Thani al-Thani, CEO of Qatar Media Corporation (QMC), Wednesday presided over a ceremony honouring the staff on the occasion of the National Day and the conclusion of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.The event, reviewed the achievements of the Qatar Radio, Sout al-Khaleej radio, French, English, Spanish, and Urdu languages radio stations for their exceptional and comprehensive coverage of the World Cup events and the cultural festivities which accompanied them, from the fan zones to cultural, and concert venues.A video presentation highlighted the milestone of 700 TV coverage achieved by Qatar TV which exceeded 20 hours a day at times, a challenge which was the first of its kind. The coverage of the World Cup as well as the related festivals, and cultural events was in Arabic with English translation.“Welcome to the World” was one of the leading feature programmes during the World Cup, targeting an international audience. A report about Al-Kass TV channel stressed that it broadcast an exceptional coverage of the World Cup for the entire Arab world.**media[4494]**Thanking the gathering, HE Sheikh Abdul Aziz praised the QMC staff for their dedication and professionalism during the coverage of the World Cup and said: ‘Ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of you I would like to extend my congratulations to our wise leadership, the people of Qatar and residents for the tremendous success of the organisation and hosting of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 with excellence. I hereby stress my deep gratitude to your hard work, passion and dedication during the past month and the preparation for the event. I thank you for your hard work, and the long hours spent broadcasting, which exceeded a 19-hour span of live coverage daily on both Qatar TV and Al-Kass screens, along with eight radio stations that broadcast in Arabic, English, Spanish, French, and Urdu languages. I really appreciate them. Thank you very much.” HE Sheikh Abdul Aziz concluded.