Sacred Fire, Profane Fire: From Ritual to Barbecue
Bethlehem's top chef Fadi Kattan waxes enthusiastic on fire, grilling and the art of turning meat pink.
Columns
Day of the Imprisoned Writer — November 15, 2021
TMR On November 15th, every year now for the last 40 years, PEN International has observed the Day of the Imprisoned Writer. With the harassment, detention, conviction and imprisonment of… Continue reading Day of the Imprisoned Writer — November 15, 2021
Refugees Detained in Thessonaliki’s Diavata Camp Await Asylum
In which our columnist flies up to Thessaloniki and visits the Diavata camp for refugees seeking European asylum — no one is illegal, everyone merits a better life.
House Arrest
I knew this lockdown business was serious when they cancelled my convocation.
The Story of Jericho Sheikh Daoud and His Beloved Mansaf
Palestinian chef Fadi Kattan recounts the tale of famed imprisoned leader Sheikh Daoud Iriqat and his beloved dish, mansaf.
Iraq’s Tishreen Movement Lives, Despite Government Corruption, Oppression
October marks the second anniversary of Iraq’s thawra. The non-violent Tishreen movement continues to demand all the things many of us take for granted. Tens of thousands of Iraqis have… Continue reading Iraq’s Tishreen Movement Lives, Despite Government Corruption, Oppression
Kurdish Poet and Writer Meral Şimşek Merits Her Freedom
Jordan Elgrably Imagine, if you will, being put on trial for publishing poems and stories extolling the values of human rights and equality — or rotting in prison as… Continue reading Kurdish Poet and Writer Meral Şimşek Merits Her Freedom
Water-Deprived Palestinians Endure Settler Rampage, while Army Punishes NGO Protesters
Brett Kline In the last days of September, violent incidents in the South Hebron Hills area of the Occupied West Bank attracted media attention across the political spectrum in… Continue reading Water-Deprived Palestinians Endure Settler Rampage, while Army Punishes NGO Protesters
20 Years Ago This Month, 9/11 at Souk Ukaz
Hadani Ditmars The commemoration of the 20th anniversary of 9/11 unfolds in televisual real time and yet with a strange sense of suspended animation, as if we’re on a slow… Continue reading 20 Years Ago This Month, 9/11 at Souk Ukaz
Afghanistan Falls to the Taliban
On the fall of Kabul to the Taliban, Hadani Ditmars remembers the treasures and the ruins of Afghanistan and Iraq.
Beirut Drag Queens Lead the Way for Arab LGBTQ+ Visibility
Moustafa Daly talks to leaders in Lebanon’s creative and LBGTQ community about the drag queen scene.
Remember 18:07 and Light a Flame for Beirut
We remember the devastating blast at the Port of Beirut last August 4th, 2020, and call for justice and restitution for its many victims.
In Flawed Democracies, White Supremacy and Ethnocentrism Flourish
The author of The Unchosen: The Lives of Israel's New Others contrasts American white supremacy with Israeli Jewish racism.
When War is Just Another Name for Murder
Political scientist and historian Norman G. Finkelstein discusses the early history of Israel's blockade of Gaza, laying bare the roots of the conflict that continues until today.
“Sumud” — the Gazan Secret to Survival
The Palestinians of Gaza continue to survive despite incredible odds, thanks in no small part to their steadfastness or "sumud."