-
West Asia
Civilians Continue to Bear Brunt of Appalling Middle East War
Funeral prayers for Sara Dashti By Habib Toumi MANAMA: In the Qur’an, the holy book of Muslims, there are verses that stand as a timeless reminder that every human life carries inherent dignity and value, and that no act of oppression or injustice—especially against the most vulnerable—escapes divine scrutiny. Those…
Read More » -
West Asia
When Drones, Missiles Replace Late-Night Laughter recommended by Kim Hyung-gon
Kim Hyung-gon who died 20 years ago at the age of 45 in late years pictures(Photo: en.namu.wiki) By Habib Toumi MANAMA: “Late-night television should be comedy so that people can fall asleep smiling. Late-night television should be comedy so that people can fall asleep smiling. We should have a Day…
Read More » -
Main Slide
War Came to Our Tower at 2:11 a.m
Flat burning after it was struck by a drone (Photo: Samira Danouni) By Habib Toumi MANAMA: My brush with death on the seventh day of the war in the Middle East came at 2:11 a.m. on Friday. An Iranian Shahed kamikaze drone struck a flat about 12 meters from ours…
Read More » -
West Asia
A Call to Prayer, a Siren and the Absurdity of War
Malls are gradually returning to normal in Bahrain (Photo: Al Ayam) By Habib Toumi MANAMA: Just before dawn, the call to prayer, the first of the regular five prayers a day for Muslims, began to rise from the neighborhood mosque in Manama. Within seconds it was swallowed by the piercing…
Read More » -
West Asia
When War Silences the Songs of Gulf Children
Drive-by Gargaoon Handing gifts to children in a car (Photo: Al Ayam) By Habib ToumiMANAMA: For children in Bahrain and across the Gulf, Gargaoon is the most eagerly awaited night of Ramadan, the sacred month Muslims associate with reflection, generosity, and blessings. It is a ritual stitched into childhood memory:…
Read More » -
West Asia
The First Casualty of War is People, Not Truth
People head to shelters as thick smoke billows from the area where an explosion occurred By Habib Toumi MANAMA: Arif is torn between anxiety, resignation and hope as he contemplates his options – very limited – on how to reach home on time for a short reunion with the family…
Read More » -
People
From Hope to Hostility: The Middle East’s Fragile Calm Shattered. Again.
Symbol of Compassion: A woman carrying her dog as she flees from missiles launched by Iran on Bahrain – Picture: Samira Danouni) By Habib Toumi MANAMA: Another war in the Middle East began on Feb. 28, adding yet another chapter to a region’s long history of armed conflict, shattered hopes…
Read More » -
West Asia
21 Years Later, A Saudi Surgeon Reunites with the Conjoined Twins He Separated
The twins with their doctor (Credit: Saudi Press Agency) By Habib Toumi RIYADH: Twenty-one years after their lives were forever changed in an operating room in the Saudi capital Riyadh, Olga and Daria Kołacz returned to where their journey toward independent lives began. The Polish twins were welcomed at the…
Read More » -
EditorsPick
Gulf Shield 2026: Unity as a Strategic Choice
By Habib Toumi MANAMA: In a region often portrayed through the lens of tension and fragmentation, the recent “Gulf Shield 2026” joint military exercise delivered a different and deliberate message: Gulf unity is not rhetorical, nor circumstantial. It is strategic. At first glance, the week-long maneuvers involving all six member…
Read More » -
EditorsPick
Third Edition of the Emirati–Japanese Falconry on January 5-8 in Al Ain
By Habib Toumi AL AIN: The third edition of the Emirati–Japanese Falconry Program, organized by the Emirates Falconers Club, will take place from January 5 to 8 in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi. Held under an agreement with the Japanese organization INPIX-JODCO, the program aims to strengthen friendship initiatives, student exchanges,…
Read More »