The Semantics of Gaza, War and Truth
Mischa Geracoulis joins filmmaker Yung Chang and the late muckraker Robert Fisk in asking us to think about the semantics of war and how it is reported.
Columns
Gaza’s Catch-22s
Khaled Diab, author of Intimate Enemies: Living with Israelis and Palestinians in the Holy Land, meditates on the implacable illogic of the Gaza-Israel stalemate.
In Tunisia, Wasta Kills When It Comes to Covid-19
Our correspondent in Tunis, Emna Mizouni, reports on the vaccination crisis exacerbated by wasta.
The Diplomats’ Quarter: Wasta of the Palestinian Authority
Author and attorney Raja Shehadeh recounts the legend of Ramallah's ritzy neighborhood, designed for heroes of the Palestinian Authority.
Wasta Tawla, or how the Wastafarians Fared at Fawda
Bethlehem chef Fadi Kattan recalls the disaster of wasta leading up to Christmas Eve at Fawda restaurant.
Lebanon’s Wasta Has Contributed to the Country’s Collapse
Novelist Samir El-Youssef recalls adolescent challenges and more recent experience where wasta was a necessity.
Lebanese Oppose Corruption with a Game of Wasta
Victoria Schneider reports from Beirut on the new Wasta board game that satirizes corruption in Lebanon.
Free Speech, Palestinian Stories and the Oscars
In anticipation of Sunday's Oscars, in which another Palestinian film has been nominated, Jordan Elgrably talks to Palestinians and Israelis about their films and activism.
Armenian Eyes
Mischa Geracoulis reads Last Rites about the death of William Saroyan and remembers her grandfather who instilled in her the strength of Armenian culture.
Heritage
Poet, author and artist Aram Saroyan remembers what it was like growing up as the son of a famous Armenian American writer.
Ode to the ‘Ud and Its Lovers
No other instrument entrances quite like the ‘ud. Sherifa Zuhur presents a portrait of the world's notable ‘ud masters.
Arab Shaman: Remembering Hani Naser
Drummer and author John Densmore recalls the mastery and the mysticism of his late friend Hani Naser.
Academics Decry French Attacks on “Islamo-Leftists”
Hundreds of French and Anglophone academics are speaking out against what they call the French government’s “conspiracy theory” and “witch hunt” of so-called Islamo-leftists.
Memory and the Assassination of Lokman Slim
Claire Launchbury writes of one man's long search for the truth about Lebanon's civil war, cut short by his mysterious murder this year.
The Truth About Iraq: Memory, Trauma and the End of an Era
Hadani Ditmars remembers what Baghdad was like following the second Gulf War in 2003, when she toured Abu Ghraib with Robert Fisk.