Even Mother Earth’s fury has failed to awaken us

Even Mother Earth’s fury has failed to awaken us

Even Mother Earth’s fury has failed to awaken us
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Mother Earth has been the archetype of generosity and graciousness for as long as our planet has existed. Like every mother, though, there is a point where we push her too far and she loses her patience.

Even before the coronavirus pandemic, Mother Earth had already been giving us polite warnings that we were pushing her and our planet too far. Since then, she has started to show her frustration more frequently.

And yet we have continued to ignore the rapidly deteriorating state of our environment to the point where it is starting to threaten our very existence.

The weapons used in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, and elsewhere to destroy families and territories are not unlike the tools we humans have turned on Mother Earth, cutting down and torching her forests, parching her of freshwater, poisoning her soil, and overexploiting her resources.

We are right to be concerned about the harm humans are inflicting upon other humans, but we should be far more concerned by the existential threat posed to humanity by our wretched destruction of the environment that sustains us.

As we look around us, we see lakes and arable land disappear, pollinating insects dwindle, fish vanish from our oceans, and weather phenomena become ever more extreme.

We have continued to ignore the rapidly deteriorating state of our environment to the point where it is starting to threaten our very existence.

Hassan bin Youssef Yassin

The year 2023 was not only the hottest on record; it was an outlier in the trend of global warming, a slowly rising line suddenly turning exponential. 

Livelihoods around the world are being decimated by the greed of our fishing fleets, intensive agriculture, and our collective inability to acknowledge the harm, waste, and pollution that our daily lives inflict on the planet.

Despite our highly advanced information and communication technologies, empathy and understanding are losing ground, creating division at the very moment that we most need cooperation to stave off this common threat.

The hurt and delusion, the staggering self-interest of the media, corporations, and politicians, and the tragic blindness and complacency of humanity are all leading us toward the precipice.

Even the rage of Mother Earth has failed to awaken us. Must it take an even greater natural disaster to jolt us into action before it is too late? 

Hassan bin Youssef Yassin worked closely with Saudi Arabia’s petroleum ministers Abdullah Tariki and Ahmed Zaki Yamani from 1959-67. He led the Saudi Information Office in Washington from 1972-81 and served with the Arab League’s observer delegation to the UN from 1981-83.
 

Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in this section are their own and do not necessarily reflect Arab News' point of view

Denmark says to summon US ambassador over potential Greenland spying

Denmark says to summon US ambassador over potential Greenland spying
Updated 50 sec ago
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Denmark says to summon US ambassador over potential Greenland spying

Denmark says to summon US ambassador over potential Greenland spying
  • The article “raised a lot of concern, because friends don’t spy on each other,” Rasmussen said
  • Trump has insisted he wants to seize the autonomous Danish territory

COPENHAGEN: Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said Wednesday he would summon the US ambassador to Denmark after The Wall Street Journal reported that Washington would intensify spying on Greenland, the territory coveted by President Donald Trump.
The article “raised a lot of concern, because friends don’t spy on each other,” Rasmussen said in Warsaw. “This is very serious, so we will summon the ambassador for a meeting at the foreign ministry.”
The Journal report cited two people as saying the United States was stepping up its intelligence gathering on Greenland.
Trump has insisted he wants to seize the autonomous Danish territory, saying Washington needs control of the mineral-rich Arctic island for security reasons.
Rasmussen said he hoped, “obviously, that this can be refuted” during the meeting with the US envoy, and “in any case the aim is to make clear Denmark’s position on this issue.”


Pakistan launches first Shariah-compliant ‘Green Sukuk’ to attract eco-friendly investment

Pakistan launches first Shariah-compliant ‘Green Sukuk’ to attract eco-friendly investment
Updated 16 min 57 sec ago
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Pakistan launches first Shariah-compliant ‘Green Sukuk’ to attract eco-friendly investment

Pakistan launches first Shariah-compliant ‘Green Sukuk’ to attract eco-friendly investment
  • Green Sukuk to fund renewable energy, clean transportation and climate-resilient projects, says finance ministry
  • Pakistan says will hold auction for inaugural Green Sukuk issue, ranging from $71.4 million to $107.1 million

KARACHI: Pakistan’s finance ministry announced the launch of its first ever “Green Sukuk” financial instrument on Wednesday, saying it was aimed at attracting investments in environmentally sustainable projects.

The Green Sukuk is a Shariah-compliant financial instrument specifically designed to fund environmentally sustainable projects such as renewable energy, clean transportation and climate-resilient infrastructure, the ministry said. By merging Islamic finance principles with environmental objectives, Green Sukuk provides a unique investment avenue that appeals to ethically minded investors, it added. 

“The Government of Pakistan is proud to announce a major milestone in the nation’s sustainable finance journey with the launch of its first Green Sukuk,” the ministry said. “The Green Sukuk marks a pivotal step in aligning Pakistan’s financial markets with global best practices in green financing.”

The ministry said an auction would be held for the Green Sukuk’s first issuance, with the total amount of funds to be raised expected to be between $71.4 million (Rs20 billion) and $107.1 million (Rs30 billion). The statement said the Pakistan Stock Exchange would play a role in promoting the instrument to investors.

The Green Sukuk program was prepared with the support of Pakistan’s Meezan Bank Limited, Bank Alfalah Limited, Dubai Islamic Bank Pakistan Limited and Bank Islami Pakistan Limited, it said. 

The finance ministry said the initiative was aligned with Pakistan’s Vision 2028 goal of transitioning toward an interest-free economy. The Green Sukuk would attract a “broader investor base, deepen our financial markets and accelerate the country’s transition” to a resilient economy, the statement said. 


NEOM launches Champions of Progress initiative to drive community football

NEOM launches Champions of Progress initiative to drive community football
Updated 20 min 52 sec ago
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NEOM launches Champions of Progress initiative to drive community football

NEOM launches Champions of Progress initiative to drive community football
  • Scheme open to nominations from across Middle East, Asia
  • The initiative is open to individuals aged 18 and above from across the region

NEOM: The Asian Football Confederation’s official partner, NEOM, on Wednesday launched an initiative that aims to celebrate community heroes in football across Saudi Arabia, the Middle East and Asia.
Known as Champions of Progress, the scheme will use football’s global platform to drive positive change across the region and help the development of talent from grassroots to elite players.
The partnership supports NEOM’s vision to grow football in the Kingdom, improve access to physical activity for people and help make the country a global sports destination, it said in a statement.
“Champions of Progress seeks to celebrate individuals and projects that promote positive community engagement, support innovative sports development and show a commitment to diversity and inclusion in football,” it said.
The initiative is open to individuals aged 18 and above from across the region, as well as projects that have had a significant impact in the development of football at a community level, increased participation numbers or improved accessibility.
A panel of judges, including experts from NEOM and AFC, will review all submissions to determine the winners.
The six “champions” will be invited to the AFC Champions League Elite at the beginning of the 2025/26 season where they will meet senior members of the Saudi football community.
Their stories will also be shared across selected partnership channels to drive awareness and encourage positive change in pan-Asian football.


‘Mr Dakar’ Peterhansel returns with Defender for 2026

‘Mr Dakar’ Peterhansel returns with Defender for 2026
Updated 30 min 10 sec ago
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‘Mr Dakar’ Peterhansel returns with Defender for 2026

‘Mr Dakar’ Peterhansel returns with Defender for 2026
  • The Frenchman did not enter this year after Audi withdrew but will be back in Saudi Arabia next January
  • Peterhansel won the Dakar six times on motorcycles

RABAT: ‘Mr Dakar’ Stephane Peterhansel, a record 14 times winner of the Dakar Rally, will return to the gruelling endurance event next year aged 60 as a driver for Jaguar Land Rover’s Defender brand.
The Frenchman, who turns 60 in August, did not enter this year after Audi withdrew but will be back in Saudi Arabia next January competing in the Stock category for production-based vehicles.

It will be Peterhansel’s 36th career Dakar, an event he last won in 2021 with Mini. He will also compete in the full World Rally-Raid Championship.
Peterhansel won the Dakar six times on motorcycles between 1991 and 1998 before switching in 1999 to cars and winning with Mitsubishi, Mini and Peugeot.
“I’m looking forward to taking on this new challenge and together I hope we can take Defender to the top step of the podium,” he said in a statement after prototype testing in Morocco’s Sahara desert.
While Peterhansel holds the record for most wins, Spaniard Carlos Sainz — father of the namesake Formula One driver — is the oldest winner after taking his fourth victory in 2024 at the age of 61.
Defender also announced the signing of Lithuanian driver Rokas Baciuska, 25. A third driver and the co-drivers will be announced at a later date.


Lebanon welcomes return of Emirati tourists with pledges to ensure their safety

Lebanon welcomes return of Emirati tourists with pledges to ensure their safety
Updated 33 min 22 sec ago
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Lebanon welcomes return of Emirati tourists with pledges to ensure their safety

Lebanon welcomes return of Emirati tourists with pledges to ensure their safety
  • Nawaf Salam announced that the security services are ready to ensure the safety and security of our Arab brothers during the summer
  • Meeting was attended by the ambassadors of Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Qatar, as well as the charge d’affaires of the UAE and Kuwait

BEIRUT: Three UAE planes arriving at Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport on Wednesday are scheduled to carry Emirati nationals for the first time since a travel ban was imposed in 2024 due to the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam announced that the security services “are ready to ensure the safety and security of our Arab brothers during the summer.”

Salam welcomed the UAE’s decision to lift the ban on its citizens traveling to Lebanon.

During a meeting on Tuesday with the ambassadors of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Salam expressed hope that “this will extend to other Arab countries in the coming weeks.”

The meeting was attended by the ambassadors of Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Qatar, as well as the charge d’affaires of the UAE and Kuwait.

On the Lebanese side, the meeting was attended by the ministers of defense, interior, tourism, and public works.

Salam said he listened to the concerns of the ambassadors and assured them that “we will work to address them. I informed them of the security changes taking place at Beirut airport and its surroundings.”

President Salam’s adviser, Mounir Rabie, told Arab News: “The Gulf diplomats raised their concerns regarding the return of their nationals to Lebanon, including the need to improve and develop airport procedures, as well as security and economic concerns.”

Rabie described the atmosphere as “positive.”

He said Lebanon has proposed a plan that will include the formation of a tourism operations room to monitor all security and tourism issues.

According to Salam’s office, the diplomats were briefed on the measures taken by the Lebanese authorities at Beirut airport and its surroundings, including on the roads leading to it, to reassure these countries before they decide to lift the ban on the return of their nationals to Lebanon.

Emirati airlines resumed flights to Beirut last December, but without allowing Emirati citizens to come to Beirut.

The announcement comes after Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun met his UAE counterpart Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, after which it was announced that the ban would be lifted.

A special reception is scheduled for the UAE passengers at the airport, with Information Minister Paul Morcos participating.

Lebanese officials and the public are counting on this step to revitalize tourism and investment activity in the country, especially in light of the stifling economic crisis it is experiencing.

A ministerial source said: “Efforts are focused on sending reassuring messages domestically and abroad that Lebanon is capable of attracting its Arab brothers once again, given the climate of stability it is keen to maintain through the security and political measures being implemented.”

The lifting of the ban on the return of Emiratis was accompanied by a series of conditions and procedures they must follow, most notably “mandatory registration in the Tawajudi service before traveling to Beirut to ensure their safety and the smooth running of the travel process, whether from the UAE or any other country. This is aimed at ensuring effective communication with citizens while abroad and avoiding the suspension of travel procedures or exposure to legal accountability.”

Emirati citizens must also “fill in the required information, including their place of residence in Lebanon, emergency numbers, and reasons for the visit, with the necessity of updating this information in the event of any change.”