Generation «Sham» .. and the challenge of reading

Syrians have never unanimously agreed on one thing, as they unanimously agreed on the joy of the victory of a Syrian girl, “Sham Al-Bakour” (seven years old), in the reading challenge championship.
Social media was filled with the congratulations Syrians exchanged and their souls were filled with a sense of pride in this talented child. Their Arab brothers participated in this.
The Springs of Love sprang from a brilliant idea launched by the UAE through the Reading Challenge project, designed and implemented by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, embodying the UAE’s vision towards the Arab future and building a generation that has national, not just local, awareness. The project summarized its goals in developing students’ skills, especially their ability to express themselves in their Arabic language, restoring eloquence, strengthening national and Arab sense and a keen sense of belonging to a nation.
I am not flattering if I say that this practical project competes with all the unitary political projects that were launched in the 1900s, and could not achieve their goals, because they aimed at the elite and fell into various conflicts when the dream turned into political competition, and interest in culture and knowledge was marginal and imbued with an ideology that is hard to find unanimous. This is what the UAE has surpassed in its vision of building a homogeneous Arab generation open to all visions and cultures.
I was able to follow the development of ideas and visions launched by the UAE four decades ago, which was a unified vision in its foundation, until the federation of the Emirates became the single big project realized and successful, while all other Arab unitary experiences failed, and some of them caused setbacks that plunged his project into an abyss that did not exist and rises from it to the present day, until some countries with ideological projects in the 20th century seek a minimum level of Arab solidarity, while their writers speak of dreamy visions of a global unitary project.
Some countries have sunk into a Qatari shell which has driven some into isolation and opened the door to internal strife. The vision of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may God rest his soul, was of wise practical dimensions. The UAE has not stopped its vision for the future of their nation, as its development projects have expanded to the level of the nation, then to the level of peoples in need of vital help and assistance, and when the conditions of some important Arab countries have been disturbed due to the bloody events that have plagued the nation during the second decade of this century, a state has arisen The UAE plays a huge role in preserving the Arab presence in the international arena, rebuilding Arab relations and international organizations that have been devastated by the repercussions of serious events, and was able, with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to strengthen the independence of sovereign decisions, widen the circle of friendships and make the national interest the compass of political guidelines.
The UAE’s great role in the international arena has emerged in the expansion of the state relations framework and its options, that His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, State President, may God protect him, launched his current perspectives on the Arab and international level.
The reading challenge project comes to unite the visions of a future Arab generation and its promising features appeared during the coronation celebrations in Dubai. I return to Sham, who dazzled everyone with his sweet presence, eloquent language, blazing intelligence and God-given presence, to congratulate his ailing mother and thank the UAE for its success of this great project that has taken control of the Arab future.

* according to “the Union“