The Qatar Press Center organized a book signing ceremony for two new publications: "Dr. Rabia Al-Kuwari: Lover of Journalism and Heritage", compiled by journalist Babiker Issa, and "Tarweeda" by journalist Hadeel Saber. The latter includes a collection of political articles on the Palestinian reality and the repercussions of the aggression on Gaza. These books are part of a recent series of publications by the center.

The event took place in the Nasser bin Mohammed Al-Othman Hall at the center's headquarters, with a large turnout of journalists, media professionals, and intellectuals. It reflects the center’s commitment to enriching the journalistic library with works that spotlight pioneers of Qatari journalism and support the Palestinian cause.

Mr. Sadiq Mohammed Al-Emari, Director General of the Qatar Press Center, opened the ceremony by stating:
“Today, we are launching two new books. The first is about the late Dr. Rabia bin Sabah Al-Kuwari, Professor of Journalism and Media at Qatar University, compiled by journalist Babiker Issa. It covers the biography of one of the icons of Qatari journalism, alongside a collection of his most significant articles in which he documented the stories of influential Qatari personalities across various fields."

He continued:
“The second book, ‘Tarweeda’, is by our colleague Hadeel Saber from Al-Sharq newspaper. It includes a series of outstanding political articles on Palestine published over the recent period.”

He explained that Hadeel benefited from an initiative launched by the Qatar Press Center last summer to publish journalists’ books. About 60 writers and journalists applied, and several were selected, including "Memory of a Nation" by Mohamed Ali Al-Mahandi from Al-Sharq, "Qatari Personalities" by Ali Yousef Al-Mahmoud, and "Diaries of a Sudanese Journalist" by Sidiq Mohyisi, among others.

He added that launching these two books is a step along a long path, with plans to release more books before the end of this year, including works documenting the careers of media pioneers such as Nasser Mohammed Al-Othman (Dean of Qatari Journalism), Abdullah bin Youssef Al-Husseini (founder of Al-Ahd and Al-Jawhara magazines), and the late Abdullah bin Hussein Al-Nuaimi (founder of Al-Arab and Al-Urubah newspapers), among others.

The Director General also revealed the upcoming release of the center's first children’s story, which will focus on teaching children the proper use of modern devices. He mentioned that many new publications are expected next year.

He praised the positive cooperation from various state institutions, including the Qatar Media Corporation, the Ministry of Culture (represented by the Public Libraries Department), Qatar National Library, Qatar University, and several individuals passionate about preserving archives of rare articles and photographs.

A Journey of Dedication

Journalist Babiker Issa gave a brief overview of "Dr. Rabia Al-Kuwari: Lover of Journalism and Heritage", saying:
“Talking about the late Dr. Rabia Al-Kuwari is a vast topic that one book cannot fully cover due to his rich contributions, achievements, and academic and journalistic legacy.”

He noted that the book spans 350 pages and is only a modest attempt to shed light on some of his virtues.
Dr. Al-Kuwari, he said, was passionate about children’s literature from an early stage, preceding many media colleagues in this field, and had a significant positive influence in many areas.

He confirmed that the idea for the biography originated from the Qatar Press Center, which aims to document the lives of prominent figures in Qatari journalism throughout history.

He highlighted the major role of Dr. Al-Kuwari's family in the book’s realization. They provided a handwritten autobiography by the late Dr. Al-Kuwari and other works previously unavailable, which greatly enriched the book’s content about this influential Qatari figure.

He added:
“I recognized Dr. Al-Kuwari’s passion for knowledge and documentation when he was still a child. He would visit my office at Al-Raya newspaper with his father, who was a friend of mine. Even at that young age, he had a strong ambition to work in media and documentation.”

Issa said he reviewed much of Dr. Al-Kuwari’s work, in which he interviewed many notable Qatari figures and deeply explored their life stories. He often focused on the pre-oil era and made many efforts to record Qatari proverbs and folklore.

The Simplest Weapon of Resistance

For her part, journalist Hadeel Saber said:
“The word ‘Tarweeda’ refers to a type of Palestinian folk chant that first appeared during the British occupation. It was used as an unintelligible code to prevent the colonizer from understanding its words. It was also used to send secret messages between detainees and their families.”

She explained that her book is a collection of political articles written during the Israeli aggression on Gaza, especially after the Al-Aqsa Flood operation on October 7. The book contains 50 articles that she considered the simplest weapon of resistance through which she expressed her stance on the suffering and struggle of the people of Gaza and the legitimate rights of Palestinians, stressing that the Palestinian cause is a pan-Arab issue.

She added that the articles are written in a simple, accessible language to reach a wide audience. They include information, statistics, and references from historians like Dr. Abdelwahab Elmessiri and Issam Al-Sakhnini.

She concluded by saying:
“Although political in content, the articles are written in a light literary style so readers don’t feel overwhelmed. Not everyone enjoys reading about politics, which surrounds us from all sides, so a simple literary style was adopted.”

Many attendees, including journalists, intellectuals, and academics, expressed admiration for the new publications, praising their quality content and important themes. They also acknowledged the role these works play in documenting media history and reinforcing Qatari journalism’s presence on the intellectual and cultural scene. They commended the Qatar Press Center for its significant role in enriching Qatar’s cultural and media landscape through such distinguished initiatives.