Arabs & Arabian Records Aggregator. Chronicler. Milestones of the 25 Countries of the Arabic Speaking World (official / co-official). AGCC. MENA. Global. Ist's to Top 10's. Records. Read & Enjoy./ www.arabianrecords.org
Rawdah Mohamed. Somali Origin – Norwegian. Social media influencer, model, blogger, activist, healthcare professional.
Mohamed landed the role as Vogue Scandinavia’s Norway fashion editor earlier this year.
The magazine launched last week with Swedish teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg on the front cover.
At the beginning of her modeling career, Mohamed juggled the job with working with autistic people and people with different mental disabilities.
She continues to volunteer in mental health care to this day and has been working with patients at overstretched hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic.
source/content: arabnews.com
_________
Rawdah Mohamed is the first hijab-wearing editor of color at a western fashion magazine. (Ole Martin Halvorsen) / arabnews.com
I Was a French Muslim: Memories of an Algerian Freedom Fighter.
pproachable writing and a refreshing perspective bring his story to life in “I Was a French Muslim,” released in September by Other Press.
Mokhtefi’s memoir was translated and prepared for publication posthumously by his widow, an American painter and author. After independence, the couple lived in Algeria, where they liaised with the Black Panthers and leading Algerian figures such as former presidents Houari Boumediene, and Ahmed Ben Bella.
His story begins with his formative years as a child in a small town in Algeria. He slowly moves toward becoming a revolutionary within the National Liberation Front (FLN), and he goes out of his way to note the French colonial figures who played a role in his formative years and in supporting his education. Some were French priests, members of the worker-priest movement who supported the Algerian cause.
Mokhtefi was a pious Muslim, but it is clear from his text that he was also enamored with French culture and ideals. Yet as a child growing up in French Algeria, it was painfully clear to him that French colonialists were hypocritical in their application of the ideals of their society. It is this duality that is expressed in the title.
Given recent events, this book offers both important context and a unique narrative on perhaps the most important event in the Francophone Arab world in the 20th century.
Dr. Abdulrazk Gurnah. Writer. Born in Zanzibar (Tanzania) based in England.
No black African writer has won the prize since Wole Soyinka in 1986. Gurnah is the first black writer to win since Toni Morrison in 1993.
Gurnah is a Professor at the University of Kent.
His novel “Paradise” was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1994.
The Nobel prize in literature has been awarded to the novelist Abdulrazak Gurnah, for his “uncompromising and compassionate penetration of the effects of colonialism and the fate of the refugee in the gulf between cultures and continents”.
Gurnah grew up on one of the islands of Zanzibar before fleeing persecution and arriving in England as a student in the 1960s.
Gurnah was born in 1948, growing up in Zanzibar. When Zanzibar went through a revolution in 1964, citizens of Arab origin were persecuted, and Gurnah was forced to flee the country when he was 18. He began to write as a 21-year-old refugee in England, choosing to write in English, although Swahili is his first language. His first novel, Memory of Departure, was published in 1987. He has until recently been professor of English and postcolonial literatures at the University of Kent, until his retirement.
He has published 10 novels as well as a number of short stories. Anders Olsson, chair of the Nobel committee, said that the Gurnah’s novels – from his debut Memory of Departure, about a failed uprising, to his most recent, Afterlives – “recoil from stereotypical descriptions and open our gaze to a culturally diversified East Africa unfamiliar to many in other parts of the world”
source/content : theguardian.com
_______-
By PalFest – originally posted to Flickr as Abulrazak Gurnah on Hebron Panel, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/
The Muslim Coordination Council is a conglomeration of Germany’s largest Islamic advocacy groups.
Germany’s largest Islamic advocacy platform has announced that Moroccan-German national Abdassamad El Yazidi is now the group’s official spokesman.
Starting Friday, October 1, El Yazidi will publicly represent the Muslim Coordination Council, according to German news source Deutschlandfunk. El Yazidi announced that his plans as the group’s new spokesperson is to “make a contribution to critical and constructive talks and reduce prejudice and resentment against Muslims and their organizations.”
Prior to his current role, El Yazidi led the Central Council of Muslims in Germany as its Secretary-General. The Central Council of Muslims is one of the organizations that cooperated under the Muslim Coordination Council to further the interests of Muslims in Germany.
source/content: moroccoworldnews.com
_____________
Prior to his current role, El Yazidi led the Central Council of Muslims in Germany as its Secretary-General. Photo Credit: Frankfurter Allgemeine / moroccoworldnews.com
Expo 2020 is officially inaugurated, announcing that Dubai is open, the UAE is open.
It was a celebration of hope. It was also a sneak peek at the future; a showcase of innovation, cultural diversity and a reflection of how people coming together can change the world.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, led in welcoming cultures from East to West, from North to South – of 192 countries that gathered not only to participate in the world’s greatest show but also to forge unity and convey the story of Expo’s overarching theme – ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’.
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince, officially opened the Expo which will run until March 31 next year. Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence and Commissioner General of Expo 2020 Dubai, set the tone of the global event.
Ahead of the official Opening Ceremony, Sheikh Mohammed said: “The nation is proud of the 10-year preparations for the largest global event that will last for six months, with the participation of 192 countries, underscoring the international trust in our country.”
Welcome everyone
Sheikh Mohammed underlined: “Once again, the UAE people have demonstrated their unique ability to excel in every task when serving humanity. We have proven to the world the UAE is a fruitful tree that can welcome everyone who dreams of a better future for this planet.”
“With the launch of the Expo, I remember the late founding fathers Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, and I would say to them, this is your legacy, and this international trust is the outcome of your far-sighted vision and determination to overcome challenges. Today, the world is being inspired by this vision. Civilisations are established and developed by challenges. That was the first and key lesson we learnt from you, which we convey to future generations and present to the world today,” he added.
“You are home, and our development experience is at your service,” Sheikh Mohammed continued. “We have one shared destiny and our peoples are anticipating the strengthening of international cooperation to change their reality into a brighter and more sustainable one, as well as to establish a roadmap for the key economic, developmental and cultural trends for the post-COVID era. We hope that the start of the event will be the breakthrough in terms of cooperation, tolerance and peace.”
Sheikh Nahyan echoed the same ideals during his welcome speech. He noted: “Today, in the year of our Golden Jubilee, we share with the world the lessons we have learnt, most importantly that by connecting minds, we are able to achieve milestones others thought were impossible.
“Today, 192 nations come together, each represented by its own pavilion – a first in the 170-year history of World Expos. Our mere presence here, amid all the challenges the world is facing, is proof of our keen commitment and desire to make the world a better place for all.
“By hosting Expo2020 Dubai, we aim to convey a message of tolerance and that we are willing to collaborate with all of the world. Today, we say to the whole world: Welcome to the UAE and welcome to Expo 2020 Dubai.”
“We will convey – from the UAE to the world – on our 50th anniversary a message of tolerance, coexistence and peace; a message of progress, prosperity and growth; a message of brotherhood, happiness and an unwavering will to create a brighter future for everyone.
Abdul Al-Romaizan . Founder. Designer. Creative Director.
Ramzen. Italy based luxury brand.
Saudi fashion house Ramzen presented its Spring/Summer 2022 collection on the sidelines of Milan Fashion Week.
The collection, according to the brand, celebrates “Gioia di Vivere” which means “the Joy of Life.”
The brand’s new offerings for women and men feature luxurious, contemporary designs in bright colors.
Al-Romaizan’s brand offers fashion and lifestyle products that are inspired by his early-80s childhood.
Al-Romaizan was born in Saudi Arabia, raised in Milan and studied in the US.
According to the label’s website, Ramzen is the first European fashion house to be run by a Saudi designer, “and its debut represents the realization of a long-held dream for Al-Romaizan.”
RAMZEN – ASR MODA INTERNATIONAL S.R. / www.ramzen.com
Lebanese film starring Nadine Labaki wins Netpac award at Toronto Film Festival.
‘Costa Brava, Lebanon’ is director Mounia Akl’s debut feature.
Lebanese director Mounia Akl has won the Netpac award at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival for her debut feature Costa Brava, Lebanon.
The film, which stars Lebanese actress and director Nadine Labaki and Palestinian actor Saleh Bakri, premiered at the Venice Film Festival earlier this year.
Costa Brava, Lebanon follows the story of the Badri family, led by Soraya (played by Labaki) and Walid (played by Bakri), who have escaped the toxic pollution of Beirut to set up a new home in the mountains, only to find the government has turned the land next to their new home into a dump site.
The Netpac award is an annual award presented by the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema to the best film from Asia that has premiered at Tiff.
Last year, the award was won by Palestinian twin brothers Tarzan and Arab Nasser for Gaza Mon
Mohammad Salem Bin Abdul Basit Bin Abdul Rahman Bin Junaid Bajnaid (aka) Mohammad Bajnaid – Artist. Calligrapher.
Saudi artist and calligrapher Mohammad Salem Bajnaid contributed to the design and embroidery of the Kiswah — the cloth that is draped over the Kaaba in Makkah on the day that pilgrims leave for Mount Arafat during the Hajj.
Sharbatly House Museum in Historic Jeddah is currently hosting an exhibition celebrating the work of the renowned Saudi artist and calligrapher Mohammad Salem Bajnaid.
The show is part of Saudi Arabia’s Year of Arabic Calligraphy, launched by the Ministry of Culture with the support of the Quality of Life Program
The new exhibition in Jeddah runs until December and features 21 works from throughout Bajnaid’s career, some of which are Quranic verses and prophetic hadiths.
The show is split into four main areas: The Ancient House, Family bonds, Knowledge, and Patience.
It has been curated by the artist’s grandson, Salem Fouzi Bajnaid, who told Arab News: “The credit behind all the efforts in setting up this event goes to (the artist’s) family and friends, in cooperation with the ministry of culture. We’ve witnessed such an amazing response on the first few days, with art admirers from everywhere coming to appreciate the work being displayed here.”
Bajnaid, who died in October 2019, was widely recognized as one of the most talented calligraphers in the Arab and Islamic world. He contributed to the design and embroidery of the Kiswah — the cloth that is draped over the Kaaba in Makkah on the day that pilgrims leave for Mount Arafat during the Hajj — and was also the creator of the Kingdom’s gift to the United Nations for its headquarters in New York in 1982.
The sixth Jameel Prize winner is artist Ajlan Gharem from Saudi Arabia, recognised for his work Paradise Has Many Gates, an installation from 2015 of a mosque structure constructed from chain-link wire and thereby resembling a cage.
The Jameel Prize is a collaboration between Art Jameel in Riyadh and the V&A in London. It recognises contemporary art and design inspired by Islamic tradition. This year’s prize was announced via a virtual ceremony on Wednesday, with Fady Jameel, chairman and founder of Art Jameel, presenting the award.
Gharem was among eight finalists shortlisted from more than 400 applicants.
Born in Khamis Mushait, Saudi Arabia, in 1985, Gharem lives in Riyadh and works as a mathematics teacher. He and his brother Abdulnasser, who is also an artist, founded the non-profit arts organisation Gharem Studio in 2013 to bring young artists in the kingdom together.
source/content: thenationalnews.com
_________
Ajlan Gharem’s monumental wire structure ‘Paradise Has Many Gates’ is now at Gharem Studio. Photo: Gharem Studio / pix: thenationalnews.com
Bayan Yassin, 27-year-old conceptual artist and writer, illustrates the Saudi culture, heritage in her work.
Each of her artworks embodies the deep emotional side of the Saudi community’s daily life, interpreted into a magical swirl of artistry portraying characters, events and stories.
Yassin illustrated the full series of the Saudi children book “Habib the Camel,” where she created the two main characters. “I am so proud and happy to see my characters turning into dolls.”
Yassin is currently working collaboration with Dar Waraqa, a creative publishing house based in Saudi Arabia, on a book about how to have a strong heart and face one’s fear.
She is also working on a new board game and three children’s books.
Each of her artworks embodies the deep emotional side of the Saudi community’s daily life, interpreted into a magical swirl of artistry portraying characters, events and stories. (Supplied) / pix: arabnews.com
HIGHLIGHTS
• Bayan Yassin showcased her art gallery at Medd cafe in Jeddah.
• One of her artworks was displayed on a 36-floor skyscraper in Dubai Festival City.
• She participated in national shows between 2005 and 2011.
• She worked on many projects for the Saudi public sector, including a story for King Khalid Foundation and a children’s book about the Saudi customs titled ‘The Customs Champion.’
• Yassin sells her posters via her Instagram page @unique.beno, represented by @radishhouseagency, and will soon have an online shop to display all her artwork.
___________
Yassin sells her posters via her Instagram page @unique.beno, represented by @radishhouseagency, and will soon have an online shop to display all her artwork. She is also planning several workshops about enhancing art through the use of color.
source/content: arabnews.com
_________
In my art, you will see family warmth, love, and devotion presented as these are the daily treasures that I am fond of and that feed my inspiration. / Bayan Yassin / pix: arabnews.com
