Thinkers, Intellectuals, and Artists... Guardians of National Identity
A Pause
When nations face exceptional circumstances, surrounded by security and political challenges, attention naturally turns to armies, defense systems, and regional alliances. However, historical experience confirms that safeguarding a homeland cannot rely on military force alone; it also requires another force no less important: the power of thought, culture, and the arts—what is today known as “soft power.” While military power protects the land, soft power protects the individual and national identity.
The developments witnessed in our region over recent months have demonstrated that societies with intellectual and cultural resilience are better equipped to counter polarization campaigns, extremism, and psychological warfare, and remain more cohesive during crises. Modern conflicts no longer target borders alone; they increasingly aim at consciousness, belonging, and national identity. Guided by this understanding, Bahrain’s Al-Bilad Media Foundation has made supporting creative individuals an integral part of its social mission, firmly believing that investing in creative human capital is an investment in the nation’s future.
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From this perspective, the foundation launched the “Minbar Al-Qalam” (Pen’s Podium) initiative in collaboration with the Bahraini Writers and Authors Association, to honor thinkers, researchers, writers, and poets, and to showcase their intellectual and cultural output through book exhibitions and media meetings. To date, the initiative has honored Dr. Mansour Sarhan, Professor Ali Abdullah Khalifa, and Professor Dr. Alawi Al-Hashimi.
The foundation also launched the “Rishtat Al-Bilad” (Al-Bilad’s Brush) initiative in partnership with the Bahrain Association for Plastic Arts, to honor plastic artists and highlight their role in enriching the national artistic landscape. Additionally, it is preparing to launch the “Watar Al-Bilad” (Al-Bilad’s String) initiative next September, dedicated to musicians, composers, singers, and lyricists, as part of a broader national project celebrating the diverse streams of Bahraini creativity.
We have been most gratified by the messages of encouragement and appreciation received from various cultural and official circles. This confirms that honoring creative individuals is not a cultural luxury, but a national necessity, and that society looks forward to initiatives that elevate the status of culture and the arts in public life. From this, hope emerges that such initiatives will evolve into a national culture embraced by both official and civil institutions, following the success of the Prime Minister’s Council Award for Journalism. Why not witness national awards for the best novel, the best book, the best play, and the best film, alongside competitions in poetry, plastic arts, and other fields of creativity?
A nation’s standing is measured not only by the size of its economy or military, but also by its intellectual and cultural capital, and by its capacity to influence and persuade. In the era of digital revolution and social media, shaping public opinion has become part of national security equations, and the struggle for minds and consciousness is no less critical than the struggle for territory.
It is therefore reasonable to ask: How have certain extremist ideas—whether promoted by political Islam groups or transnational ideological projects—gained a foothold in some of our societies? One likely reason lies in the long-term failure to build intellectual and cultural resilience, to grant creative individuals the status they deserve, and to safeguard our civilizational heritage.
Today, the need for a comprehensive national cultural project appears more urgent than ever—one that strengthens the values of citizenship and belonging, and restores the dignity of thought, culture, and the arts as pillars of national security and sustainable development. Nations do not triumph by arms alone, but also by the mind that thinks, the pen that writes, the poem that inspires, the painting that preserves memory, and the melody that unites the soul. Every investment in the creative individual is an investment in the nation’s security, identity, and future.
Former Bahraini Minister of Labour and Social Development
