These days, few events unite people across political and religious spectrums.
In a region increasingly marred by war and sectarianism since the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, a visit by a spiritual figure such as Pope Benedict XVI in 2009 to Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Territories came at a critical juncture to promote interfaith dialogue, co-existence and peace.
It was early May and I had just flown in from Lebanon, where I was covering the run-up to the June 2009 legislative elections, which Hezbollah would resoundingly lose to Saad Hariri and his allies.
Among the guests awaiting the pontiff’s arrival under an enormous white tent at Amman’s airport were clergy from Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt, Iraq, Syria and beyond.
People were exchanging jokes and there was an unusual buzz in the air. Religious figures, dressed in bright red and black religious garb, were jovial.
It was a sight I’d never seen before, a breath of fresh air amid a barrage of negative news to which people in the region had become accustomed – the venom of extremists and their militant agendas.
Given the fractious nature of the region, the visit by the pontiff was, as some pundits said then, a step in the right direction towards building common ground and constructive dialogue among the faithful.
The Pope was visiting the region not long after making controversial remarks about Islam at Germany’s University of Regensburg in 2006.
He arrived on the first leg of his trip in Jordan a humbled man to an audience limited to diplomats, politicians, religious scholars and royalty, including King Abdullah and Queen Rania, at Amman airport.
Jordan had welcomed the pontiff’s predecessor John Paul II nine years earlier.
The region was still reeling from a month-long war in Gaza that ended four months earlier. Israel had just sworn in a new right-wing government.
Politically speaking, it wasn’t the best of times for a visit.
But by the same token, many at the time viewed it as a move in the direction towards helping the region to heal, shedding light on the need to promote peace and justice.
For Arab Christians and Palestinians, the visit from the pontiff was also affirmation of their inalienable rights in the Holy Land.
“I come to Jordan as a pilgrim, to venerate holy places that have played such an important part in some of the key events of biblical history,” Pope Benedict said on his arrival in Amman.
“My visit to Jordan is an opportunity to speak of my deep respect for the Muslim community.”
Lebanon’s Maronite Patriarch at the time, Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir, who was among the religious leaders who welcomed the Pope to Amman, said the visit would help to ease tension in the region and was a “call for peace and love between people”.
Michel Sabbah, the former Palestinian Patriarch of Jerusalem who was sharing a joke with Iraqi Cardinal Emmanuel Delly, said he hoped the Pope would "send a message about the injustice of the occupation that has befallen the Palestinian people".
Those sentiments were very much present when Pope Francis visited Palestine in 2014.
After the welcoming ceremony at the airport, Pope Benedict visited the Regina Pacis centre before an audience with King Abdullah, the queen and their children.
Dressed in their black uniforms and red capes, Circassian guards who were exiled by the Russian empire in the 19th century and have protected Jordanian kings since the country’s founding were among the honour guard to welcome the pontiff.
On his second day in the country, after a private mass in the morning, Pope Benedict visited Mount Nebo, a hilltop in western Jordan from which Moses saw the Holy Land.
Worshippers, including nuns with the missionary order of the late Mother Teresa and who wore her famous blue and white habit, gathered at the site and the basilica.
The pontiff then visited the King Hussein bin Talal Mosque, Jordan’s largest Islamic place of worship, where he met representatives of the Muslim community.
The sight of the gathering was striking – diplomats, academics, priests from various sects and sheikhs sat side by side.
Their contrasting religious garb brought colour to the hall, whose audience was full of anticipation as to what the pontiff would say in his address, given the controversy of his past comments on Islam.
It was a conciliatory address with expressions of regret for having quoted a 14th-century text that wrongly stated the Prophet Mohammed commanded “to spread by the sword the faith he preached”.
“Muslims and Christians, precisely because of the burden of our common history, so often marked by misunderstanding, must today strive to be known and recognised as worshippers of God, faithful to prayer, eager to uphold and live by the almighty’s decrees,” the Pope said.
"I thank your Holiness for the 'regret' you expressed after the Regensburg lecture, for the hurt caused by this lecture to Muslims," Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad, a cousin of Jordan's King Abdullah, said in a speech at the mosque.
“Muslims especially appreciate the clarification by the Vatican that what was said in the lecture did not reflect your Holiness’s own opinion, but rather was simply a citation in an academic lecture.”
The pontiff stood and shook the hand of Prince Ghazi to an applauding audience. It was a symbolic moment towards healing the divide and promoting dialogue. The following day, about 30,000 people belonging to the Latin, Greek Melkite, Maronite, Syrian, Armenian and Chaldean churches gathered at the Amman International Stadium to attend a Mass by the pontiff.
Worshippers waved the white and yellow flag of the Vatican as they sang and chanted "Benedictus" in honour of the Pope, who entered the arena in a white Mercedes-Benz.
A similar scene will play out next month in Abu Dhabi, with worshippers this time chanting “Francis”.
This article was originally published on January 30, 2019.
If you go
The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at.
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.
Profile of RentSher
Started: October 2015 in India, November 2016 in UAE
Founders: Harsh Dhand; Vaibhav and Purvashi Doshi
Based: Bangalore, India and Dubai, UAE
Sector: Online rental marketplace
Size: 40 employees
Investment: $2 million
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
The biog
Name: Maitha Qambar
Age: 24
Emirate: Abu Dhabi
Education: Master’s Degree
Favourite hobby: Reading
She says: “Everyone has a purpose in life and everyone learns from their experiences”
Jiu-jitsu calendar of events for 2017-2018:
August 5:
Round-1 of the President’s Cup in Al Ain.
August 11-13:
Asian Championship in Vietnam.
September 8-9:
Ajman International.
September 16-17
Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, Ashgabat.
September 22-24:
IJJF Balkan Junior Open, Montenegro.
September 23-24:
Grand Slam Los Angeles.
September 29:
Round-1 Mother of The Nation Cup.
October 13-14:
Al Ain U18 International.
September 20-21:
Al Ain International.
November 3:
Round-2 Mother of The National Cup.
November 4:
Round-2 President’s Cup.
November 10-12:
Grand Slam Rio de Janeiro.
November 24-26:
World Championship, Columbia.
November 30:
World Beach Championship, Columbia.
December 8-9:
Dubai International.
December 23:
Round-3 President’s Cup, Sharjah.
January 12-13:
Grand Slam Abu Dhabi.
January 26-27:
Fujairah International.
February 3:
Round-4 President’s Cup, Al Dhafra.
February 16-17:
Ras Al Khaimah International.
February 23-24:
The Challenge Championship.
March 10-11:
Grand Slam London.
March 16:
Final Round – Mother of The Nation.
March 17:
Final Round – President’s Cup.
War
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
From exhibitions to the battlefield
In 2016, the Shaded Dome was awarded with the 'De Vernufteling' people's choice award, an annual prize by the Dutch Association of Consulting Engineers and the Royal Netherlands Society of Engineers for the most innovative project by a Dutch engineering firm.
It was assigned by the Dutch Ministry of Defence to modify the Shaded Dome to make it suitable for ballistic protection. Royal HaskoningDHV, one of the companies which designed the dome, is an independent international engineering and project management consultancy, leading the way in sustainable development and innovation.
It is driving positive change through innovation and technology, helping use resources more efficiently.
It aims to minimise the impact on the environment by leading by example in its projects in sustainable development and innovation, to become part of the solution to a more sustainable society now and into the future.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The biog
Favourite Emirati dish: Fish machboos
Favourite spice: Cumin
Family: mother, three sisters, three brothers and a two-year-old daughter
Premier Futsal 2017 Finals
Al Wasl Football Club; six teams, five-a-side
Delhi Dragons: Ronaldinho
Bengaluru Royals: Paul Scholes
Mumbai Warriors: Ryan Giggs
Chennai Ginghams: Hernan Crespo
Telugu Tigers: Deco
Kerala Cobras: Michel Salgado
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VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
The 15 players selected
Muzzamil Afridi, Rahman Gul, Rizwan Haider (Dezo Devils); Shahbaz Ahmed, Suneth Sampath (Glory Gladiators); Waqas Gohar, Jamshaid Butt, Shadab Ahamed (Ganga Fighters); Ali Abid, Ayaz Butt, Ghulam Farid, JD Mahesh Kumara (Hiranni Heros); Inam Faried, Mausif Khan, Ashok Kumar (Texas Titans
Key Points
- Protests against President Omar Al Bashir enter their sixth day
- Reports of President Bashir's resignation and arrests of senior government officials
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The%20specs
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THE SPECS
2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid LE
Engine: 1.8 litre combined with 16-volt electric motors
Transmission: Automatic with manual shifting mode
Power: 121hp
Torque: 142Nm
Price: Dh95,900
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
Graduated from the American University of Sharjah
She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters
Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks
Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding
French Touch
Carla Bruni
(Verve)
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
