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#lebanon
France politics
fromThe Nation
5 days ago

In Lebanon, Grief Is Everywhere. But So Is Our Defiance.

Israel's airstrikes in Lebanon have resulted in significant civilian casualties and ongoing grief amidst historical trauma.
France politics
fromThe Nation
5 days ago

In Lebanon, Grief Is Everywhere. But So Is Our Defiance.

Israel's airstrikes in Lebanon have resulted in significant civilian casualties and ongoing grief amidst historical trauma.
Books
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 week ago

Ghost-Eye by Amitav Ghosh review a climate-crisis novel let down by its prose

Cliché-laden prose can undermine the impact of a well-crafted plot and important themes in a novel.
fromwww.aljazeera.com
1 week ago

Israel is trying to change Jerusalem's religious identity

On Holy Saturday, as Palestinian Christians tried to reach the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Israeli security forces started attacking and arresting them, demonstrating a clear violation of religious freedoms.
World politics
Design
fromArchDaily
1 week ago

When Sculpture Becomes Discourse: Reflections on Mujassam Watan

The Mujassam Watan initiative redefines urban aesthetics by integrating art into the social and cultural fabric of Khobar, enhancing identity and meaning.
Books
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 week ago

Too hot to handle? Why it's time for straight male authors to rediscover sex

Straight male writers often avoid writing about sex, fearing it may seem exploitative or gratuitous, unlike their female counterparts.
History
fromMedievalists.net
3 weeks ago

The Afterlife of a Medieval Persian Text: The Qalandar-nama of Abdullah Ansari - Medievalists.net

The authenticity of medieval texts is often uncertain due to layers of transmission and the lack of original manuscripts.
Arts
fromHyperallergic
1 week ago

Saad Khan Archives the Detritus of Censored Culture

Khajistan is an archive preserving censored media from South Asia to the Maghreb, founded by Saad Khan in 2019.
Media industry
fromwww.theguardian.com
3 weeks ago

BBC Arabic defended as lone voice in region for giving Israeli perspective'

BBC Arabic provides a unique Israeli perspective in the region, countering narratives ignored by state-owned media despite facing significant criticism.
Books
fromwww.theguardian.com
2 weeks ago

The best recent poetry review roundup

The collection features unrhymed sonnets exploring the relationship between landscape, language, and human experience amidst themes of illness and trauma.
#iran
Writing
fromwww.theguardian.com
3 weeks ago

The Islamic Republic has not crushed the Iranian people's resolve. This war will not do so either | Azar Nafisi

Writers must give voice to the silenced and recreate their stories, especially during times of suffering like those faced by the Iranian people.
World politics
fromwww.aljazeera.com
3 weeks ago

As a Palestinian, I stand in solidarity with the Iranian people. Here's why

Western promises of freedom often mask imperialistic desires for control and domination, leaving oppressed peoples wary of foreign intervention.
NYC parents
fromwww.theguardian.com
4 weeks ago

In Gaza, the joy of Eid has gone. Visiting relatives at the end of Ramadan is a procession through loss | Ahmed Kamal Junina

Eid al-Fitr in Gaza this year was marked by sorrow and loss, overshadowing traditional celebrations and rituals.
fromHyperallergic
2 weeks ago

A Palestinian-American Photographer's Intimate Gaze

"In 'break bad (freddy flexing)' (2021), a slim man's attempt to exert physical strength instead displays his fragility. A gentleness in his eyes suggests truer strength beneath the performance."
Arts
Independent films
fromVulture
1 month ago

Palestine 36 Portrays a Historical Period Often Overlooked by the West

Annemarie Jacir's Palestine 36 uses restored archival images to challenge misconceptions about Palestine before the establishment of Israel.
Writing
fromThe New Yorker
4 weeks ago

Souvankham Thammavongsa on Dating and the Clarity of Age

Immediate attraction can lead to deep emotional revelations, but understanding someone's true feelings requires more than surface-level connections.
fromwww.aljazeera.com
1 month ago

Quran echoes loudly as Palestinian reciters gather in Gaza

Two hundred and fifty-six Quran memorisers—Palestinians who have committed the entire holy book to memory—sat in the place while companions beside them listened attentively, following each word carefully to ensure the recitation remained flawless. The gathering, titled Safwat Al-Huffaz—The Elite of Quran Memorisers, has become a special collective way of observing Ramadan in Gaza.
World news
NYC LGBT
fromRewire News Group
1 month ago

Queer Muslims Find Community Through Ramadan

The LGBT Community Center in New York City celebrates its tenth annual iftar, providing a vital sanctuary for queer Muslims to embrace their intersectional identities during Ramadan.
Books
fromThe Atlantic
3 weeks ago

How Long Can You Live Your Ideals?

Pat Calhoun chooses parenthood over radicalism, paralleling Elsa Haddish's struggle between her militant past and raising her daughter safely.
fromwww.archdaily.com
1 month ago

Poetry Anthology of Light / P.M.A.Studio

This project involved the reconstruction of a dilapidated building located in Guangzhou's old town along Tongfu Xi Road, a historic street established in 1926. Once vibrant, this area has suffered from significant neglect over the years, with many buildings falling into disrepair, creating safety hazards that forced both residents and businesses to leave.
Renovation
NYC politics
fromThe Atlantic
1 month ago

Mamdani Isn't Moderating His Views on Israel

NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani hosted a Ramadan dinner for anti-Israel activist Mahmoud Khalil, publicly framing his support around First Amendment rights and Palestinian liberation as central to his political ideology.
fromHyperallergic
3 weeks ago

Lebanese Artist Ali Sbeity Reportedly Killed in Israeli Strike

Ali Sbeity painted vibrant portraits and landscapes of his rural hometown in Southern Lebanon, often sharing his works on his Facebook. He participated in numerous local arts exhibitions and created murals for schools in Beirut.
Arts
fromThe Art Newspaper - International art news and events
3 weeks ago

Textiles weave tales of Palestine's rich but troubled history

Textiles are a window into the communities that created them, with every motif and line signalling a different memory, tradition or identity. Often seen as folk art, these pieces of embroidery and weaving bring together dozens of narrative threads, from Japan to South America. But nowhere is it more fraught with meaning than in Palestine.
Arts
Music
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 month ago

My family was threatened multiple times': Arab-American rockers Prostitute on confronting an Islamophobic US

Prostitute's Moe Kazra inhabits post-9/11 Arab vilification through industrial punk fusion, reclaiming dehumanizing stereotypes while exploring Dearborn's misrepresented Arab-majority community.
#gaza
Arts
fromHyperallergic
4 weeks ago

The Angel of History Is Stuck in Jerusalem

Paul Klee's 'Angelus Novus' is absent from a Jewish Museum exhibition due to transport issues related to current conditions in Israel.
Books
fromThe New Yorker
4 weeks ago

Souvankham Thammavongsa Reads "Floating"

Souvankham Thammavongsa is an acclaimed author known for her poetry and award-winning works, including 'How to Pronounce Knife' and 'Pick a Color'.
fromHyperallergic
1 month ago

Iranian Artist Speaks Her Heart

The Lower East Side institution's OMA-designed, $82 million expansion debuted this week to mixed reviews, reflecting a range of opinions on its new look and functionality.
Arts
US politics
fromwww.mediaite.com
1 month ago

Pete Hegseth Mocks Iranians That Think They're Gonna Live'

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated the U.S. is tracking Russian intelligence sharing with Iran and dismissed concerns about American soldier safety, asserting only Iranians should worry.
Books
fromThe Atlantic
1 month ago

What Very Different Places Have in Common

Marlon James and Gary Shteyngart reflect on how literary inspiration is shaped by both presence and absence in their respective works.
Music production
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 month ago

Simo Cell and Abdullah Miniawy: Dying Is the Internet review | Ammar Kalia's global album of the month

Abdullah Miniawy and Simo Cell's album 'Dying Is the Internet' combines experimental electronic production with classical Arabic vocals to explore AI corruption and digital chaos through unpredictable, grid-breaking soundscapes.
Books
fromwww.dw.com
1 month ago

Salman Rushdie on why tyrants fear artists

Salman Rushdie remains optimistic and continues to write after surviving an assassination attempt, exploring themes of life and death in his latest work.
US news
fromwww.npr.org
1 month ago

A glimpse of Iran, through the eyes of its artists and journalists

Recent books, films, and music by Iranian artists and journalists provide accessible insights into Iran's contemporary culture and politics during a period of limited U.S.-Iran relations.
fromHyperallergic
1 month ago

When a Palestinian Artist Asserts Her Own Humanity

There is a scene in "Morgenkreis | Morning Circle" (2025), a 16-mm film by Berlin-based Palestinian artist Basma al-Sharif, that unfolds at the threshold of a daycare center. A young boy clings to his father, his fists locked into the fabric of his coat, his arms wrapped tightly around him. The father gently tries to pry himself free while a daycare worker crouches nearby, attempting to distract the child and coax him inside. It is an ordinary moment, one that anyone who has ever been a child - or cared for one - recognizes instantly, as well as the gut-wrenching feeling it provokes.
Arts
France news
fromwww.theguardian.com
2 months ago

I felt betrayed, naked': did a prize-winning novelist steal a woman's life story?

The Goncourt prize win intensified tensions between France and Algeria, revealing political repression, Western Sahara disputes, and effects on publishing and cultural exchange.
Arts
fromHyperallergic
1 month ago

Islamic Futurism Here and Now

Contemporary Islamic artists advance visual traditions through calligraphy, installation, and speculative image-making, while global art institutions face boycott demands and labor disputes.
fromwww.aljazeera.com
2 months ago

Super Saliha

The moving story of a Tunisian man who refuses to let cancer define his mother's life and turns her treatment into a celebration of love, joy and resilience. When Tunisian TV host Hassen becomes a full-time caregiver for his mother Saliha, dying of lung cancer, their home and hospital visits become the backdrop for an intimate family love story. This observational documentary follows them through birthday celebrations, 4am medication, difficult medical consultations and quiet, emotional moments together.
Film
#artistic-pride
fromHyperallergic
1 month ago

Flying Back With the Birds to My Hometown of Tehran

Distance does not soften the terror. It only deepens my helplessness. In moments like this, I realize that geography is not measured in miles, but in attachment. War rearranges distance. These days I find myself returning to "The Conference of the Birds," the 12th-century poem by Attar of Nishapur, seeking meaning through ancient wisdom about spiritual journeys and transformation.
Arts
Writing
fromKqed
1 month ago

A Glimpse of Iran Through the Eyes of its Artists and Journalists

Iranian-American artists and writers explore diaspora, identity, and historical trauma through poetry, fiction, and documentary, examining the lasting impact of political upheaval and U.S. intervention on Iranian communities.
fromThe Atlantic
2 months ago

One of Our Own

For Lowell There are things which, said and true, are of this generation's past; of fighting freedom's battles and of taking off the mask- stories of the actions taken, to blot out the blights of sin, how heroes and the valorous fought their enemies within, Would we be traitors to our bugle, which beckons with its call? - They won freedom for their people but in fine print said: be damned.
US politics
fromThe Atlantic
1 month ago

Salman Rushdie Doesn't Want to Be Your 'Free Speech Barbie'

When you've written 23 books, it's a little frustrating to be known not even for a book, but for something that happened to a book in 1989—when that was my fifth published book and this is my 23rd. Can we please talk about books? I keep trying to say.
Books
Film
fromwww.mercurynews.com
1 month ago

Sirat:' is not the movie you think it is it's better

Sirat is a sensory-driven film that transcends conventional thriller storytelling through hypnotic sound design, unexpected plot developments, and exploration of universal themes like faith, death, and redemption.
History
fromMedievalists.net
2 months ago

New Medieval Books: A Medieval Case for Islam's Superiority - Medievalists.net

An eighth-century Abbasid letter to the Byzantine emperor defends Islam, critiques Christian misunderstandings, and reflects Abbasid-Byzantine diplomacy and Baghdad's intellectual life.
fromwww.aljazeera.com
2 months ago

Jamal Elshayyal: inside the war for journalism's future

Director of Al Jazeera Digital News Jamal Elshayyal speaks to The Take on leading Al Jazeera's next era of journalism. At Web Summit Qatar, we hear from Jamal Elshayyal, Al Jazeera's new Director of Digital News Content, on forging his own path at the network and how those lessons will guide Al Jazeera through the AI age. In this episode: Jamal Elshayyal (@jamalelshayyal), Director, Al Jazeera Digital News Content Global Episode credits:
Media industry
fromThe Atlantic
1 month ago

Dark Humor and the Iranian Resistance

This targeting success surely owes much to advanced electronic surveillance and deep cyber penetration of Iran's weapons systems and infrastructure. But in this war, as in the 12-day war last year, Israel and the United States are obviously benefiting from intelligence from some Iranians themselves, who are willing to risk their lives to help bring down the Islamic Republic.
World politics
Writing
fromBusiness Matters
1 month ago

Mara Naaman: A Literary Voice Shaping Culture

Building a life around ideas means prioritizing process and learning over outcomes and external validation, enabling deeper intellectual and creative growth.
fromwww.aljazeera.com
2 months ago

Sara in Southern Lebanon

Sara in Southern Lebanon On the Ground Her video diary shares her two-year journey of escaping to Beirut, followed by the difficulties of trying to return home. This video diaries was produced in collaboration with the Global Reporting Centre. Video Duration 03 minutes 58 seconds 03:58 Video Duration 03 minutes 12 seconds 03:12 Video Duration 04 minutes 35 seconds 04:35 Video Duration 03 minutes 51 seconds 03:51
World news
US politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
2 months ago

This is Muslim New York: artists, thinkers and politicos on defining a new era for the city

Muslim creatives and intellectuals in New York City are rising, reshaping the cultural landscape and rebuking Islamophobia amid a renewed Palestinian-rights movement.
fromwww.aljazeera.com
1 month ago

Ramadan in Yemen's Aden: Optimism dimmed by tensions and shortages

After years of operating from exile, Yemen's Saudi-backed, UN-recognised cabinet is spending Ramadan in Aden, a move that has coincided with improvements in basic services and a renewed sense of relief. Yet that relief was overshadowed by the deadly confrontation between security forces and antigovernment protesters, in which at least one person was killed.
World news
fromHyperallergic
1 month ago

Ali Eyal's Forever War

I was nine years old, and I felt like I lost that childhood. I felt like I became a kid when I looked at a TV this morning. Burn that image into your mind, his mother told him, knowing the city would never be the same. It was 2003, and mere days later, the United States and its allies would launch their invasion of Iraq, raining airstrikes down on the city.
Arts
Books
fromwww.theguardian.com
2 months ago

Glyph by Ali Smith review bearing witness to the war in Gaza

Glyph confronts Israeli apartheid and genocide in Palestine, using Petra and Patch's names, etymology, and imagery to intensify ethical and linguistic urgency.
fromHyperallergic
2 months ago

Queer Arab Artists on Their Own Terms

"The show is about giving the pen back to the writer, giving the paintbrush back to the artist, during this time of genocide," the Ridikkuluz told Hyperallergic in an interview at the gallery. "And when there's been so much censorship, these are artists that might not have been able to do this anywhere else."
Arts
Books
fromwww.npr.org
2 months ago

Poet Rachel Eliza Griffiths says she won't let pain be 'the engine that drives the ship'

Rachel Eliza Griffiths experienced dissociative episodes and memory blackouts after her best friend's death and during subsequent trauma, and she chronicled these experiences in a memoir.
Arts
fromHyperallergic
2 months ago

Queer Arab Art in Manhattan

A Manhattan exhibition centers queer Arab artists reclaiming identity and heritage amid erasure and genocide.
fromenglish.elpais.com
2 months ago

Kiran Desai, the author who disappeared for 20 years: I think of loneliness as sustenance, as shame and as political fear'

She moved before the pandemic, when gentrification with its huge skyscrapers and condominiums forced her out of Dumbo, Brooklyn. Between the kitchen and the upstairs room, in one corner of which lie part of the 5,000 pages of notes she took while writing it, Desai finished The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, the monumental, 19thcenturystyle novel she has spent nearly two decades on.
Books
Books
fromwww.theguardian.com
2 months ago

Rebel English Academy by Mohammed Hanif review a sure-fire Booker contender

Dark, irony-soaked comedy and farce expose Pakistan's political repression, religious hypocrisy, and violence with subversive, satirical imagination.
fromThe New Yorker
1 month ago

Daniyal Mueenuddin Reads Peter Taylor

Daniyal Mueenuddin joins Deborah Treisman to discuss 'Two Pilgrims,' by Peter Taylor, which was published in The New Yorker in 1963.
Books
Arts
fromArtnet News
2 months ago

Wael Shawky on the Middle East Market | Artnet News

Art Basel Qatar's inaugural edition prioritized a curated, sustainable Gulf art market by pairing curatorial leadership with market development and investment in education and infrastructure.
fromwww.theguardian.com
2 months ago

Most Indians don't read for pleasure so why does the country have 100 literature festivals?

Sounding amused, publisher Pramod Kapoor recalls the reaction of the Indian cricketing legend Bishen Singh Bedi when he learned Kapoor was printing 3,000 copies of his autobiography. Only 3,000? he protested. I fill stadiums with 50-60,000 people coming to see me play and you think that's all my book is going to sell? Kapoor, the founder of Roli Books, explains that Bedi's legions of admirers were unlikely to translate into book buyers. That was in 2021.
Books
Books
fromThe Nation
2 months ago

Ishmael Reed on His Diverse Inspirations

A 1960s artist navigated and bridged Black cultural nationalism and the white counterculture while collaborating with multicultural avant-garde artists.
Arts
from48 hills
2 months ago

Meghna Sharma paints the loneliness and joy of immigrant experience - 48 hills

Meghna Sharma paints everyday domestic and community scenes in oil, transforming ordinary moments into finely rendered, resonant works rooted in home and family.
fromHyperallergic
1 month ago

Everyday Traces of NYC's SWANA Diaspora

Unlike virtually all other non-European ethnicities, SWANA - or Middle Eastern/North African (MENA), as used in the show - is grouped under "White" on the US census. It's not just the census, though. It's medical forms, college applications, just about anything with a check box for ethnicity. Efforts have been made to change this, with some success. More institutions are adding a separate category on forms - and one might appear on the 2030 census.
Arts
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