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Arab News
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Arab News
The UK's longest-running Arab arts festival returns
DHAHRAN: The Liverpool Arab Arts Festival, or LAAF, the UK's longest-running annual celebration of Arab arts and culture, returns this month with a theme that feels both timely and timeless: 'Nostalgia.' Now two decades in, the festival has grown from grassroots beginnings into an internationally recognized celebration. A post shared by Liverpool Arab Arts Festival (@liverpoolarabartsfestival) Running through to July 20, this year's program explores how memory, heritage and longing shape artistic expression across the Arab world and its diasporas. The dynamic, bilingual line-up spans film, music, literature, performance, food and family activities — all underscored by deeper reflections on identity, loss and cultural continuity. Arab News spoke with Taher Qassim, originally from Yemen, who founded LAAF in 1998 as a community-led effort to foster cultural pride and preserve Arab identity in Liverpool. A post shared by Arabs Are Not Funny (@arabsarenotfunny) 'The theme of 'nostalgia' is a reflection of both how far we've come and where we began,' Qassim said. 'Twenty-three years ago, we set out on a path that was uncertain but filled with excitement and purpose. We knew we wanted to create something that represented the Yemeni and Arab presence in Liverpool, but we didn't yet know how to express it.' What began as a handful of cultural activations has since evolved into a platform for Arab artists. 'From those humble beginnings … the festival began to blossom,' he said. 'Today, we proudly offer a platform to artists from across the Arab world, Europe, the US, and beyond — something we could only have dreamed of.' Two events stand out for him: 'Arabs Are Not Funny' and 'The Book of Sanaa.' The former, he says, 'directly challenges the long-held stereotype that Arabs lack a sense of humor. It's refreshing, bold and liberating — exactly what the festival stands for.' The latter brings together literature, poetry, food, and a model of Yemen's historic capital. 'The richness of this event would've felt like a fantasy to us two decades ago. Now, it's a reality — something we've made possible through years of dedication and community.' Qassim, who was awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in 2008 for services to community cohesion, handed over the festival's leadership to his daughter, Afrah, who now steers LAAF with the same vision and care. Today, LAAF is no longer seen solely as a festival for the Arab community. 'That perception has shifted dramatically,' Qassim said. 'People from all backgrounds and ages attend and engage. The festival has become a space for dialogue, curiosity and connection.' As he put it, 'Conversations happen naturally — before, during and after events.' One event he hopes visitors will not miss is the now-iconic 'Family Day' at the Palm House in Sefton Park. 'It's become the signature event of the Liverpool Arab Arts Festival — our legacy day,' he said. 'Families travel from across the UK, Europe, and even further afield to be part of it. The atmosphere is joyful, welcoming, and truly inclusive … a vibrant, heartwarming celebration of Arab culture at its best.' Some events require tickets, but 'Family Day' — an afternoon of music, crafts, performances and community — is the grand finale and free to all.
Associated Press
08-07-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Power Meets Prime: BLUETTI Unveils Prime Day Deals on Portable Power Stations And Home Backup
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Zawya
14-02-2025
- Politics
- Zawya
Egypt: Authorities must immediately reveal whereabouts of Egyptian-Libyan activist Nasser al-Hawari
Egyptian authorities must immediately reveal the whereabouts of Egyptian-Libyan activist and TV anchor Nasser al-Hawari, who was forcibly disappeared after being seized by plainclothes security officers outside his family home in Alexandria on 9 February, escorted into an unmarked van, and driven away, Amnesty International said today. He was arrested on the same day his TV show addressed violations against prisoners held in eastern Libya, an area under de facto control by the self-proclaimed Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LAAF) armed group, under the command of Khalifa Heftar. During the show, aired on the Libyan channel Al-Jamahiriya and broadcast from Egypt, Nasser al-Hawari promised to reveal further evidence of these violations. 'Nasser al-Hawari's distressed family have not heard from him since he was seized without explanation or an arrest warrant and subjected to enforced disappearance. Egyptian authorities must immediately reveal Nasser al-Hawari's whereabouts and allow him to contact his family and lawyers,' said Amnesty International Researcher Mahmoud Shalaby. "Egyptian authorities must immediately reveal Nasser al-Hawari's whereabouts and allow him to contact his family and lawyers" Mahmoud Shalaby, Amnesty International 'They must also drop any investigations and charges solely related to his legitimate media work or for exercising his right to freedom of expression. The close relationship between the Egyptian government and Khalifa Heftar should never justify retaliating against Nasser al-Hawari for exposing human rights violations committed by forces under Khalifa Heftar's command.' Nasser al-Hawari's younger brother, who was with him at the time, was also arrested, briefly blindfolded and handcuffed in a van before being released and threatened with arrest if he reported his brother's arrest. Security forces also confiscated his mobile phone. Since then, the family's attempts to get information about Nasser al-Hawari's whereabouts from the authorities have gone unanswered. Amnesty International reviewed copies of complaints sent by the family to Public Prosecution on 10 February to inquire about al-Hawari's whereabouts. The family have yet to receive a response. Nasser al-Hawari, who established and headed the Libyan organization, Victims for Human Rights, fled Libya for Tunisia in January 2024, and reported being briefly detained by the Deterrence Apparatus for Combatting Terrorism and Organized Crime (DACTO) militia in Tripoli on 29 January 2024. He travelled to Egypt in June 2024. After videos appeared online in January 2025 showing detainees in Libya being subjected to torture and other ill-treatment, including beatings and flogging, in Gernada prison, under the control LAAF, Nasser al-Hawari made a number of public statements and TV appearances highlighting impunity for such crimes in eastern Libya, and calling for independent and impartial investigations. Amnesty International has long documented crimes under international law and other serious human rights violations committed by LAAF and allied armed groups, amid a climate of impunity and a brutal crackdown on all forms of dissent. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Amnesty International.
