Vitamin W: The Power of Wasta Squared
In which C.S. Layla, the American daughter of a Jordanian professor, remembers life and wasta in the old country.
All Articles
Spare Me the Empathy Tantrum: Rafia Zakaria’s “Against White Feminism”
Myriam Gurba reviews a book that argues that some "white feminists accept the benefits conferred by white supremacy at the expense of people of color."
Palestine in the World: “Palestine: A Socialist Introduction”
Jenine Abboushi reviews the recent anthology of essays on socialism in the context of Palestinian resistance.
Arab Women and The Thousand and One Nights
Malu Halasa reviews a new anthology of Arab women writers on sex, love and lust, including "the leading lights of modern Arab fiction: Hanan al-Shaykh, Adhaf Soueif, Leila Slimani and Adania Shibli."
The Maps of Our Destruction: Two Novels on Syria
Rana Asfour reviews Faysal Khartash's Roundabout of Death and Zeyn Joukhadar's The Map of Salt and Stars.
War Diary: The End of Innocence
Arie Amaya-Akkermans investigates Agenda 1979: Imagine sitting at home in the presence of a handbook for destroying, bombing, maiming and injuring. The poet Etel Adnan features prominently.
I was a French Muslim—Memories of an Algerian Freedom Fighter
Mischa Geracoulis reviews the memoir from Algerian freedom fighter Mokhtar Mokhtefi.
Midnight in Cairo: The Divas of Egypt’s Roaring 20s
Selma Dabbagh reviews the story of Egypt's pioneering women performers and feminists, including Oum Khoulthum and Munira al-Maydiyya.
World Picks: May – June 2021
Travel the world, meet people, see great places, without ever leaving the comfort of your screen…welcome to the pandemic!
Why WALLS?
"I would like to break the walls of ignorance between East and West." Walls and barriers are what we erect when we have no words.
The Murals of “Education is Not a Crime”
Saleem Vaillancourt describes the worldwide mural campaign spearheaded by Maziar Bahari on behalf the Baha'i community to speak out about Iran's persecution of its largest religious minority.
Walls, Graffiti and Youth Culture in Egypt, Libya & Tunisia
Former Egypt and Turkey-based photographer Claudia Wiens documents street art of the Arab Spring.
The Murals of Yemen’s Haifa Subay
Yemen street artist, activist and mother Haifa Subay speaks to Farah Abdessamad about the state of the country and her work.
The Wall We Can’t Tell You About
There are some walls we can't discuss freely and openly without inviting censure. This is one of them.
The Bathing Partition
In this creative exploration of identity and homelessness, Sheana Ochoa faces her own inner walls and travels to Auschwitz.