Is Gulf youth increasingly drawn to atheism?


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"A lot of folks have reacted online, especially on Twitter, to the article I wrote last week - Atheism: Why is it spreading? - in which I discussed a growing tendency among youth in our Gulf societies to become atheists, despite the fact that our Gulf societies are known to be attached to religion," wrote Dr Sajed Al Abdali, a Kuwaiti writer, in yesterday's edition of the Dubai-based newspaper Al Bayan.

In last week's article, Dr Al Abdali wrote: "Let me cut to the chase: it is essential that we acknowledge today that atheism exists and is increasing in our society, especially among our youth, and evidence of this is in no short supply.

"You can see it in online writings, in forums, blogs and social networking websites, and more timidly, and less frequently, in some newspaper articles. You can also hear it from those who express their atheistic ideas verbally, whether explicitly or tacitly, in this gathering or that majlis," he said.

"I must stress here that when I describe a group of people as atheists, my intention is by no means to insult or demean. My intention is rather to proceed scientifically, for denying the existence of a divine power is scientifically termed 'atheism'," Dr Al Abdali noted. "Sparking up new thinking into this rising trend is what interests me most here."

The responses that followed were numerous and varied, he wrote this week. Some attributed this rising trend of atheism among Gulf youth to "openness onto the materialistic western culture, which is naturally predisposed to atheism".

Some blamed the school syllabi for failing to instil the solid foundations of religion in pupils. Others blamed study-abroad scholarships which prematurely expose young, impressionable undergraduates to widely areligious cultures.

Another camp, the writer added, argued that the rise of atheism must be seen through the prism of the psychology of vice. These respondents maintain that "those who claim to be atheists like to do so in an attempt to relieve their ailing conscience of the guilt of their own moral decadence … Chasing divine power from their psyches allows them to see the things of the world as a string of absurdities - no moral commitment is needed there."

Others yet pointed their fingers at the behaviour of some hard-line Muslim preachers who make taboos out of perfectly legitimate questions. "These [preachers] forbid the youth to as much as think about those questions, such an injunction that today's young minds will never comply with," the writer noted.

"I personally think that all the above applies," he said in conclusion. "We might accept some arguments and reject others, but what is key here is that all of this constitute a first step towards tackling this issue."

Clans keep Lebanon a 'temporary' nation

"It was a surreal scene, but it was also a Lebanese one par excellence," Hussein Shabakshi, a columnist with the pan-Arab newspaper Asharq Al Awsat, wrote yesterday.

A Lebanese clan, so-called "Al Meqdad", declared last week that they were holding 20 Syrian hostages they had abducted in the southern suburbs of Beirut, in retaliation for the capture earlier this year of a clan relative by the Free Syrian Army in Syrian territories. The clan also closed off the road to Beirut airport, Lebanon's only civilian airport.

"A group comes out of nowhere - it could be a party, a militia, a tribe or other - acts up like that, challenging the state and the people … and then gets away with it without being held to account by the official authorities," the writer said.

Lebanon has a poignant history of being denied full sovereignty, either by a purely colonial force or under the tutelage of self-appointed Big Brothers.

More dramatically, the columnist suggested, there are voices inside Lebanon itself that sometimes sanction, if not welcome, foreign interference.

"A considerable segment of Lebanese society is not convinced by such a thing as 'the state of Lebanon' and thinks that it is just a cut-off portion that must be reattached to the motherland, Syria," he said.

It makes Lebanon come across like a "temporary nation", he concluded.

Syria crisis reawakens Cold War mindset

Russia's stance on the conflict in Syria cannot be adequately comprehended without factoring in the mentality of a Cold War that has never really ended, only went through phases, argued Dr Hassan Madan in the opinion section of the Sharjah-based newspaper Al Khaleej yesterday.

"Many things have changed: pro-Russian regimes in Eastern Europe have collapsed, giving way to new political establishments that raced one another to join Nato and the European Economic Community; the Kremlin lost its Sovietness; modern Russia's foreign policy suffered from alterations and turbulence - but the hatchet of the Cold War was never really buried."

Many analysts correctly cited lucre as the main reason for Russia's support for the regime of Syrian president Bashar Al Assad, which is accused of putting the future of the whole nation on the line and killing 20,000 people in the process, the writer said. According to some reports, Syrian arms purchases from Russia stand at $3.5 billion, he noted.

But what Russia is really trying to achieve is more psychological.

Moscow wants western powers to understand that playing in Russia's front yard is not tolerated, and that any plans to "rearrange the Middle East" cannot be implemented without Russia's consent.

* Digest compiled by Achraf El Bahi

MATHC INFO

England 19 (Try: Tuilagi; Cons: Farrell; Pens: Ford (4)

New Zealand 7 (Try: Savea; Con: Mo'unga)

Tips to stay safe during hot weather
  • Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
  • Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
  • Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
  • Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
  • Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
  • Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
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Gender equality in the workplace still 200 years away

It will take centuries to achieve gender parity in workplaces around the globe, according to a December report from the World Economic Forum.

The WEF study said there had been some improvements in wage equality in 2018 compared to 2017, when the global gender gap widened for the first time in a decade.

But it warned that these were offset by declining representation of women in politics, coupled with greater inequality in their access to health and education.

At current rates, the global gender gap across a range of areas will not close for another 108 years, while it is expected to take 202 years to close the workplace gap, WEF found.

The Geneva-based organisation's annual report tracked disparities between the sexes in 149 countries across four areas: education, health, economic opportunity and political empowerment.

After years of advances in education, health and political representation, women registered setbacks in all three areas this year, WEF said.

Only in the area of economic opportunity did the gender gap narrow somewhat, although there is not much to celebrate, with the global wage gap narrowing to nearly 51 per cent.

And the number of women in leadership roles has risen to 34 per cent globally, WEF said.

At the same time, the report showed there are now proportionately fewer women than men participating in the workforce, suggesting that automation is having a disproportionate impact on jobs traditionally performed by women.

And women are significantly under-represented in growing areas of employment that require science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills, WEF said.

* Agence France Presse

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

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Director: Joseph Kosinski

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TOUCH RULES

Touch is derived from rugby league. Teams consist of up to 14 players with a maximum of six on the field at any time.

Teams can make as many substitutions as they want during the 40 minute matches.

Similar to rugby league, the attacking team has six attempts - or touches - before possession changes over.

A touch is any contact between the player with the ball and a defender, and must be with minimum force.

After a touch the player performs a “roll-ball” - similar to the play-the-ball in league - stepping over or rolling the ball between the feet.

At the roll-ball, the defenders have to retreat a minimum of five metres.

A touchdown is scored when an attacking player places the ball on or over the score-line.

Tonight's Chat on The National

Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.

Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster who has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others.

Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.

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MATCH INFO

Uefa Champioons League semi-final:

First leg: Liverpool 5 Roma 2

Second leg: Wednesday, May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome

TV: BeIN Sports, 10.45pm (UAE)

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The BIO:

He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal

He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side

By 2015, he had completed the Explorers Grand Slam

Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border

He carries dried camel meat, dried dates and a wheat mixture for the final summit push

His new goal is to climb 14 peaks that are more than 8,000 metres above sea level

Du Plessis plans his retirement

South Africa captain Faf du Plessis said on Friday the Twenty20 World Cup in Australia in two years' time will be his last.

Du Plessis, 34, who has led his country in two World T20 campaigns, in 2014 and 2016, is keen to play a third but will then step aside.

"The T20 World Cup in 2020 is something I'm really looking forward to. I think right now that will probably be the last tournament for me," he said in Brisbane ahead of a one-off T20 against Australia on Saturday.