“Dear Sniper” —a short story by Ali Ramthan Hussein
Gatekeepers of Baghdad decide who lives, who dies, during 2019 protests against high unemployment, state corruption, and poor services.
Iraq
Beyond Rubble—Cultural Heritage and Healing After Disaster
Art, activism, archaeology, and archiving are crucial for rebuilding and healing cities by combining the past and present.
SPECIAL KURDISH ISSUE: From Kurmanji to English, an Introduction to Selim Temo
To celebrate the forthcoming publication of Selim Temo's "Nightlands," we present an introductory essay and two poems from the Pinsapo Press edition.
“The Doll with the Purple Scarf”—flash fiction from Diaa Jubaili
Iraqi novelist Diaa Jubaili's short story, translated by Chip Rossetti, portrays dolls as unlikely victims of life under the Islamic State.
Demarcations of Identity: Rushdi Anwar
From sound and installation to sculpture & photography, art and a history of violence collide in Rushdi Anwar’s new show.
Why FORGETTING?
What shall we forget and what shall we remember, and can forgetting also be a force for good? The editors inquire.
Regarding the Photographs of Others—An Iraqi Journey Toward Remembering
Photographs of Iraqis imply doom due to generational violence, even in happy pictures.
“The Waiting Bones”—an essay by Maryam Haidari
As this writer from Khuzestan remembers, the long Iran-Iraq war left many traces, names and ghosts in its eight-year wake.
“My Father’s Last Meal”—a Kurdish Tale
In the aftermath of his father's death by shrapnel from an Iraqi shell, Dilan Qadir contends with a life intricately shaped by his absence.
First Kurdish Sci-Fi Collection is Rooted in the Past
Matt Broomfield reviews the first anthology of Kurdish science fiction, one that envisions new possibilities for Kurdish self-determination.
Gaza vs. Mosul from a Medical and Humanitarian Standpoint
Ahmed Twaij, a physician and journalist with experience in Iraq and other war zones, argues Hamas and ISIS cannot be compared.
Middle Eastern Artists and Galleries at Frieze London
Sophie Kazan explores the Middle Eastern artists and galleries on display when Frieze London celebrates its 20th anniversary.
Home: New Arabic Poems in Translation
Bilingual poems, in Arabic and English, from Iman Mersal (Egypt), Ines Abassi (Tunisia) and Ashjan Hendi (Saudi Arabia).
On Museums and the Preservation of Cultural Heritage
Arie Amaya-Akkermans on the history of war, colonialism, memory and how museums strive to preserve and display artifacts and art.
Can the Kurdish Women’s Movement Transform the Middle East?
Matthew Broomfield reviews a book on the Kurdish women's movement, which challenges hierarchical, patriarchal society.