On Forgiveness and Path—an Exhibition in Damascus
In post-regime Syria, forgiveness is not resolution—it’s a quiet demand for justice in the language of art.
freedom of expression
Frankenstein in Baghdad: A Novel for Our Present Dystopia
An NYU professor who has frequently taught this Iraqi novel finds that two months into Trump 2.0, its significance has shifted considerably.
Lebanon’s Holy Gatekeepers of Free Speech
When religious fanatics in Lebanon aren’t fighting one another, they make the best war comrades against modernity, secularism, and freedom of expression.
My Life Among the Gatekeepers
Ammiel Alcalay writes of the gatekeepers who have affected every aspect of his writing, cultural, and public life.
Equating Critique of Israel with Antisemitism, US Academics are Being Silenced
With the war in Gaza and accusations of genocide in the International Court of Justice, tensions have risen on US campuses, writes Maura Finkelstein.
Moroccans Triumph at World Cup While Press Freedom Suffers
Samia Errazzouki recounts personal experience as a Moroccan American journalist working in Morocco.
Siri Hustvedt & Ahdaf Souief Write Letters to Imprisoned Writer Narges Mohammadi
Author and human rights activist Narges Mohammadi must be released by Iranian authorities immediately.
Free Alaa Now
The Markaz Review joins 15 Nobel Prize for Literature laureates and millions around the world in calling for Alaa Abd El-Fattah's immediate release.
Salman Rushdie, Aziz Nesin and our Lingering Fatwas
Storyteller Sahand Sahebdivani remembers the late Turkish firebrand Aziz Nesin who wanted to translate Salman Rushdie's "The Satanic Verses."
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