Samaher Saif Al-Yazal
The Bahraini Journalists Association launched the first activities of the Media Council, organized by the Culture and Youth Committee, through a dialogue session that hosted the Advisor to His Majesty the King for Cultural and Scientific Affairs, and a founding member of the Muhammad Jaber Al-Ansari House of Thought and Culture, Dr. Hala Al Ansari, in the presence of an elite group of media professionals, intellectuals and academics.
During the meeting, which was held at the association’s headquarters on the evening of October 18, and was moderated by Zahraa Habib, head of the editors’ department at Al-Watan newspaper, Hala Al-Ansari discussed the origins of the organization and its intellectual and cultural goals, stressing that its establishment coincided with the celebration of the octogenarian of the late thinker Dr. Muhammad Jaber Al-Ansari, so that this project will be a natural continuation of his cultural and intellectual legacy and his long journey in the service of Arab consciousness.
Al-Ansari explained that naming the institution “Dara” and not “Dar” was an intentional and conscious choice by her late father, explaining that “the expression is not common in local use, but it is closest to the content. “Dara” refers to the cultural institution that incubates thought and knowledge, and it is a name that suits a broad-minded intellectual project such as the project of Dr. Al-Ansari.
She added that the idea of founding emerged from a real desire to continue the late intellectual project, especially since he founded many cultural initiatives and institutions during his life, and we saw that the establishment of this institution preserves his legacy and reintroduces his ideas to new generations in modern and interactive ways.
Al-Ansari spoke about the features of the Dara’s work and its future agenda, noting that the project seeks to create a convergence between the different intellectual generations in Bahrain and the region, saying: “We hope that the Dara will be a reason for the convergence of generations, especially with the presence of a noticeable youth reluctance to interact with local cultural production. Therefore, we tried to simplify the content and communicate it with contemporary tools to introduce young people to this Bahraini personality who left behind.” Many works that transcended the borders of the country.
She explained that her father worked hard to convey the authentic Gulf spirit and highlight that the pre-oil culture was solid and rich, and that the luxury we live in today did not come from a vacuum, but rather is the result of the accumulation of generations of work and thinking, stressing that this idea represents a major axis in Dr.’s thought. Al-Ansari, and that the department is working to consolidate it and deliver it in a simplified manner to new generations.
Regarding the efforts made by the department to bring thought closer to the younger generations, she said: Hala Al-Ansari said that work is being done on more than one path, including interaction through social media to reach a wider group of young people, in addition to cooperation with local newspapers to publish a number of the late thinker’s articles, and to re-issue his works in updated editions.
She added that the Dara has already launched a criticism competition targeting young people from various Arab countries, explaining that the number of participants so far has reached 30 participants from inside and outside Bahrain, who critique a group of Dr.’s books. Al-Ansari, in a step aimed at enhancing cognitive interaction with his thought and reviving discussion around it.
Speaking about the role of the press and young media professionals in supporting cultural projects, Al-Ansari stressed that the role of young media professionals is pivotal and essential, and is essentially one of the aims of the department. We seek to reach this group and let them know that Bahrain was and still is a beacon of thought and culture, including great names in Arab thought, including Dr. Muhammad Jaber Al-Ansari and other intellectuals who documented Bahrain’s cultural history and its early literary movement.
During his intervention, His Majesty the King’s Advisor for Media Affairs, Nabil Al-Hamar, expressed his appreciation for the initiative, stressing that the Muhammad Jaber Al-Ansari House represents a beautiful and necessary idea to revive Bahraini thought and spread it in the Arab world.
Al-Hamr said: Dr. Muhammad Jaber Al-Ansari, the Bahraini Arab thinker, was able to spread his ideas to the entire Arab world, and I believe that the Dara should work to spread Al-Ansari’s thought and the ideas of Bahraini youth, and to be a cultural center that embraces Bahraini and Arab writers and thinkers, as this is the true role of active cultural institutions in this time.
He added that seriousness in work and cooperation between cultural institutions are enough to overcome any challenges, hoping that the Dara will continue to fulfill its mission and contribute to stimulating the cultural and intellectual movement in Bahrain and the region.
For her part, Yasmine Al Aqeedat, Head of the Culture and Youth Committee of the Bahrain Journalists Society, confirmed that the launch of the first media council activities represents the beginning of a series of meetings aimed at strengthening the cultural and media movement within the society.
She said that the Council seeks to create an interactive space that brings together media and intellectual expertise and young generations, thus contributing to the exchange of experiences and consolidating a culture of constructive dialogue in the journalistic and cultural community.
She added that hosting Dr. Hala Al-Ansari in the first sessions reflects the association’s appreciation for the intellectual and humanitarian legacy left by the late Dr. Muhammad Jaber Al-Ansari, noting that the meeting discussed prominent stages of his journalistic and intellectual experience, in addition to the issues that formed the focus of his interest and contributed to the formation of Bahraini and Arab cultural awareness.
