Thank you, Fatima Al-Salman.. The lesson has arrived

Mufreh Al-Shammari

Sometimes we do not need to see with our own eyes to grasp the value of a scene; it is enough to feel what lies beneath it. This is what happened to me when I first saw Fatima Al-Salman on screen. I did not stop at the fact that she was a blind news anchor standing before the camera, nor did I dwell on what might prevent her from performing this task. Instead, I was struck by a single question: How did a woman who cannot see the screen with her own eyes manage to make us see the scene with such power?

I lingered on her first appearance for a long time, because what I witnessed was not merely an anchor delivering a news summary for the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA). It was a deeply human moment that touched me from within. Here was a woman standing firmly before the camera, reading her news, lending her voice to the event, as if saying to us, without explicitly uttering it: Do not measure a person by what they have lost, but by what they have been able to create with what remains.

In that moment, I felt that the word “insight” (basira) had acquired a new meaning for me. We possess sight, yet how often have we failed to see the path ahead! How many dreams have we deemed impossible, causing us to retreat! How many opportunities have passed before our eyes because we lacked the courage to reach out and seize them! Fatima, however, possessed something that perhaps surpasses physical sight: she had unwavering self-belief that allowed her to see her dream before others did. In an era where the image has become an integral part of media, her appearance carried a beautiful and profound paradox: a woman who cannot see images managed to create an unforgettable one.

At that point, I realized that sight is not always the means by which we perceive life. Sight may see a closed door, but insight searches for a key. Sight may see an obstacle, but insight seeks a way to overcome it. Sight may tell you what you cannot do, but insight whispers what you can become. This is perhaps the most beautiful contribution Fatima made in her debut.

Thank you for not stepping onto the screen to ask us to see your disability, but rather to show us your capability. Thank you for reminding us that some barriers are not created by reality, but by our perception of it. Thank you for transforming your first appearance from a mere media debut into a moment of reflection, a moment of pride, and a message to anyone who has ever believed their dream is greater than their capacity.

Thank you, Fatima. The lesson has been received.