In recognition of her humanitarian efforts and social work, Rima Al-Ruwaisan has been given the Global Tolerance Award, which was launched by the Arab-European Conference for International Relations in Sharjah, UAE, with the aim to strengthen ties, commonalities, and dialogue between peoples.
Speaking to Sayidaty regarding her achievement, Al-Ruwaisan explained that she was awarded for her efforts and community work, and for her role in a number of national initiatives in Saudi Arabia, saying, “Our Arab and Islamic history set a standard for excellence, courage, and knowledge. What we need now is to maintain and grow such a legacy that has been defined and bestowed upon us by those who came before us.”
Al-Ruwaisan is currently preparing to launch the second edition of the International Town Festival, following the success of last year’s edition in Durrat Al-Riyadh. The festival will bring together different cultures to participate and entertain, offering their nation’s arts, heritage, and culture for everyone to experience and enjoy.
A Woman Who Makes A Real Difference
Speaking on the role and power of women in the Kingdom, Al-Ruwaisan explained that “Saudi society needs a woman who speaks of and makes a difference, one who contributes to moving the cultural and civic scenes forward in her society, a productive individual who gives the nation a sense of pride in the presence of other civilizations.”
She then stressed that “one individual with a unique touch has the power to influence everyone around her positively, to help her country progress, provide future generations with knowledge, and implant the virtue and values of understanding within them.” She also touched on the importance of “art, ethics, and law in serving humanity and facilitating lives,” and pointed out that shared morals give people the ability to adapt to others in more peaceful ways, steering them away from “hatred and narrow-mindedness.”
“In the past, our Islamic civilization was a blended one, in constant interaction with others. It had a great effect on other civilizations, and existed in an atmosphere of tolerance and coexistence, rejecting violence, conflict and extremism,” she continued. She emphasized on how the Islamic civilization was also influenced by the Persian, Greek, and Pharaonic civilizations, evident in Lisān al-ʿArab, and pointed out that the Christian civilization flourished under the Islamic civilization and produced key literally productions such as the translations of the books of Ibn Sina, Al-Khawarizmi and Al-Razi. It was during this period, she explained, that the Arabs found themselves more advanced than the West with its sciences, arts, and inventions, and even in its laws and legislations. However, Al-Ruwaisan then explained that, unfortunately, “what we see today is conflict or complete assimilation within other civilizations at the expense of our values, identity, and culture!”
She stressed that "we must not look at other civilizations as superior, and end up fixating on imitating them and losing our true selves in the process. Rather, she thinks we must instill in our children a sense of pride in our values, customs, and civil and human heritage, highlighting China and Japan as examples of nations who have developed while still retaining their values, culture, and language in the process. This means “that we reform what is within ourselves, contribute to the development of civilizations and cultures, and not reduce ourselves to being just imitators and consumers.”
