When I was teaching an Islamic Civilisations course last autumn, I asked my students at Qatar University to read selections from Ibn Khaldun’s Muqaddima. They were excited by Ibn Khaldun’s work and eager to test the wisdom of arguably the Arab world’s greatest historian by applying his theories to contemporary situations.
They found his analysis of sociology and economics convincing and useful. In the middle of the semester, they asked me why there aren’t great historians in the Arab world today. The question shocked me. “Of course there are,” I said and gave them examples, but months later, I am still thinking about their question.
Previously, when I was working on my doctorate at the University of Chicago, I worked with medieval Arabic texts, and to understand their context, I read books by contemporary western scholars.
I did not read many books by contemporary Arab historians, because the texts that are considered most important in academia today are texts that are written in English, French and German. But what about the works of the historians writing in Arabic?
I asked my colleagues and the general consensus was that Arab historians’ works are generally not used extensively, if at all. Everyone was curious about who the most important Arab historians are today. I contacted a librarian, Laila Hussein Moustafa, and she gave me a list of 12 historians, on which I recognised only one name. I had never heard of the Algerian Aboul-Kassem Saadallah, or the Moroccan Mustafa A’shi, for example.
Further research exposed me to the work of Falih Handal, the Iraqi historian who worked on UAE history. Mr Handal not only wrote important books about Iraq and the UAE, but also held regular salons in his home where intellectuals in the UAE got together to discuss ideas.
By reading about him, I learnt about the Emirati historian Abd Allah bin Saleh Almutawa.
One of the scholars who worked with him is Fatima Al Sayegh, a professor at United Arab Emirates University. She told me about how she used documents written by American missionaries in the UAE to learn about Emirati society in the 20th century.
We have many historians to be proud of. Hatoon Al-Fassi’s work on the history of women in the Arabian Peninsula is important. Her book Women in Pre-Islamic Arabia: Nabataea was published in English. In Arabic, her article “Arab Queens in the first millennium BCE” was recently published in the Journal of the History and Archaeology of the Gulf. Her chapter “Women in Eastern Arabia: Myth & Representation”, in the book Gulf Women, is also notable.
Nadia Cheikh, who received her PhD from Harvard University, has made important contributions in Arab-Byzantine studies, gender in the Abbasid period, and the Abbasid Court. Her 2004 book Byzantium Viewed by the Arabs was translated into Turkish and Greek.
She also co-authored Crisis and Continuity at the Abbasid Court and co-edited several collected volumes. She has published more than 39 papers and book chapters, including Ibn Khaldun, a Late Historian of Byzantium.
So why is it that we do not recognise the names of contemporary historians as we do the names of medieval historians?
Researching this question showed me that Arab culture still appreciates and honours historians. There are many newspaper articles about historians’ work, and many Arab historians write regularly for Arabic newspapers. They are frequently cited in articles written by journalists.
Arab scholars who write or wrote in other fields – Edward Said, Leila Ahmed, Abdel Rahman Badawi – are read in western courses about the Middle East.
But these writers should be introduced to students in the Arab world. Students should leave Islamic Civilisations courses not thinking of themselves as coming from a place of past glories, but seeing that they are part of a living civilisation that continues to make important contributions to the world.
Part of that is knowing about scholars who are producing knowledge today.
Shatha Almutawa is an Emirati with a PhD in Muslim and Jewish intellectual history. She is associate editor of the American Historical Association magazine Perspectives on History
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
The specs: 2019 Haval H6
Price, base: Dh69,900
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Company%20Profile
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When Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi
Known as The Lady of Arabic Song, Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi on November 28, 1971, as part of celebrations for the fifth anniversary of the accession of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as Ruler of Abu Dhabi. A concert hall was constructed for the event on land that is now Al Nahyan Stadium, behind Al Wahda Mall. The audience were treated to many of Kulthum's most well-known songs as part of the sold-out show, including Aghadan Alqak and Enta Omri.
Arabian Gulf Cup FINAL
Al Nasr 2
(Negredo 1, Tozo 50)
Shabab Al Ahli 1
(Jaber 13)
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
The bio:
Favourite film:
Declan: It was The Commitments but now it’s Bohemian Rhapsody.
Heidi: The Long Kiss Goodnight.
Favourite holiday destination:
Declan: Las Vegas but I also love getting home to Ireland and seeing everyone back home.
Heidi: Australia but my dream destination would be to go to Cuba.
Favourite pastime:
Declan: I love brunching and socializing. Just basically having the craic.
Heidi: Paddleboarding and swimming.
Personal motto:
Declan: Take chances.
Heidi: Live, love, laugh and have no regrets.
Players Selected for La Liga Trials
U18 Age Group
Name: Ahmed Salam (Malaga)
Position: Right Wing
Nationality: Jordanian
Name: Yahia Iraqi (Malaga)
Position: Left Wing
Nationality: Morocco
Name: Mohammed Bouherrafa (Almeria)
Position: Centre-Midfield
Nationality: French
Name: Mohammed Rajeh (Cadiz)
Position: Striker
Nationality: Jordanian
U16 Age Group
Name: Mehdi Elkhamlichi (Malaga)
Position: Lead Striker
Nationality: Morocco
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
Suggested picnic spots
Abu Dhabi
Umm Al Emarat Park
Yas Gateway Park
Delma Park
Al Bateen beach
Saadiyaat beach
The Corniche
Zayed Sports City
Dubai
Kite Beach
Zabeel Park
Al Nahda Pond Park
Mushrif Park
Safa Park
Al Mamzar Beach Park
Al Qudrah Lakes
Four-day collections of TOH
Day Indian Rs (Dh)
Thursday 500.75 million (25.23m)
Friday 280.25m (14.12m)
Saturday 220.75m (11.21m)
Sunday 170.25m (8.58m)
Total 1.19bn (59.15m)
(Figures in millions, approximate)
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
FINAL RESULT
Sharjah Wanderers 20 Dubai Tigers 25 (After extra-time)
Wanderers
Tries: Gormley, Penalty
cons: Flaherty
Pens: Flaherty 2
Tigers
Tries: O’Donnell, Gibbons, Kelly
Cons: Caldwell 2
Pens: Caldwell, Cross
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Thursday (All UAE kick-off times)
Sevilla v Real Betis (midnight)
Friday
Granada v Real Betis (9.30pm)
Valencia v Levante (midnight)
Saturday
Espanyol v Alaves (4pm)
Celta Vigo v Villarreal (7pm)
Leganes v Real Valladolid (9.30pm)
Mallorca v Barcelona (midnight)
Sunday
Atletic Bilbao v Atletico Madrid (4pm)
Real Madrid v Eibar (9.30pm)
Real Sociedad v Osasuna (midnight)
Super 30
Produced: Sajid Nadiadwala and Phantom Productions
Directed: Vikas Bahl
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Pankaj Tripathi, Aditya Srivastav, Mrinal Thakur
Rating: 3.5 /5
The specs: 2018 Renault Koleos
Price, base: From Dh77,900
Engine: 2.5L, in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 170hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 233Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.3L / 100km
Company%20Profile
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