Morocco’s Bīylmawn Festival and the Threat of Cultural Attrition
The Bīylmawn festival has recently made a comeback but not everyone is pleased with the highly stylized and artistically reimagined carnival.
Islam
Not Forgotten, Not (All) Erased: Palestine’s Sacred Shrines
Palestine's shrines are a part of a heritage that has been intentionally erased since the Nakba of 1948, writes Gabriel Polley.
Hollywoodgate—New Doc Captures the Post-American Taliban
Iason Athanasiadis reviews a documentary of an Egyptian's observations of the first year of the Taliban's new regime.
Religious Misogyny Personified in Ali Abbasi’s Holy Spider
Bavand Karim reviews the film "Holy Spider" by Ali Abbassi which coldly deconstructs the brutal nature of Iran’s religious patriarchy.
The Markaz Review Interview—Leila Aboulela, Writing Sudan
Yasmine Motawy interviews the critically-acclaimed Sudanese novelist and short story writer, Leila Aboulela.
A Debut Novel, Between Two Moons, is set in “Arabland” Brooklyn
Novelist R.P. Finch reviews the debut novel of Aisha Abdel Gawad, set in the "Arabland" of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.
The Refugees by the Lake, a Greek Migrant Story
Iason Athanasiadis reviews the film of a migrant story set in Greece that has just been nominated for 17 Greek Cinema Academy Awards.
An Interview with with Graphic Memoirist Malaka Gharib
Rusha Rafeek interviews graphic memoirist Malaka Gharib about her Arab American coming of age story.
Why Muslim Palestinian “Mo” Preferred Catholic Confession to Therapy
As a Muslim American and scholar of Islam, Sarah Eltantawi finds the new series from Mo Amer and Ramy Youssef cathartic.
Muslims in the Americas—a review of “Praying to the West”
Francisco Letelier, a non-Muslim, reviews Omar Mouallem's "Praying to the West" from the outside looking in.
Al-Koni’s Tuareg Perspective on Islam’s Conquest of North Africa
Iason Athanasiadis reviews the new Ibrahim al-Koni translation of a story that recounts Islam's conquest of North Africa.
“Fatima and The Handsome Jew”—Ali Al-Muqri
In "The Handsome Jew" the novelist from Yemen recounts a powerful yet tragic tale of forbidden love.
“Godshow.com”—a short story by Ahmed Naji
The Egyptian novelist and author of "Rotten Evidence: Reading and Writing in Prison" finds versions of Islam in the Nevada desert.
Barrak Alzaid: “Pink and Blue”
A young storyteller in Kuwait is captivated by the lives of Filipina women he does not know.
Ma’moul: Toward a Philosophy of Food
Bethlehem chef and writer Fadi Kattan muses on the philosophy of food and faith, choosing local tradition over religion.