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Ma tigi Nor’os–An Egyptian-Style Dance Film
There are more inspirational dancing films in Hollywood than you can shake a stick at. For one reason or another, the idea of a film where people use dancing to get through tough times is just one...
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Arabian Music Through Music Videos, Pt. 1
Forget video killing the radio star: MTV has since killed the video star, what with the fact that it no longer plays anything remotely resembling, well, music! Music videos are still being made—and at...
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It’s Arab Idol!
The “American Idol” brand has spawned countless spin-offs in the USA as well as abroad. The Arab world too has embraced the singing-contest format, both with “Star Academy” (which also exists in...
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Supermarket Treats in Egypt
Food in Egypt is intriguing. Although I have food phobias, I also have a strange obsession with reading about food, or looking at food: as a child, while reading the Laura Ingalls Wilder Little House...
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Grab Your Parasol, ‘Cause it might Rain in Europe’s Banlieus
From Tunisienne Faculte Facebook page “A burka?! You’re going to take that off for me right now!” “Uh, by the way, you do know that you’re talking to an umbrella…” The above bande dessinee was found...
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True Lust, not True Love, is behind Orfi Marriages
Valentines Day may be over, but true love lasts more than a day: “forever” seems to be the fairy-tale measurement, at any rate. Per the story book, true love is sealed by a marriage: a commitment that...
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Grab Your Parasol, ‘Cause it Might Rain in Europe’s Banlieus
From the Tunisienne Faculte Facebook page “A burka?! You’re going to take that off for me right now!” “Uh, by the way, you do know that you’re talking to an umbrella…” The above bande dessinee was...
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Divorce, that Luxury Alternative to Honor Violence or Misery
Marriage can be a difficult decision to make. The decision to divorce is even tougher, even in today’s society, where celebrities divorce after 55 hours (see Britney Spear’s first marriage) or after 72...
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Surrealism and the Niqab
Imagine growing up in a town where all women wore the burqa or niqab, even teenage girls, and you’re a male. Your whole life, how can you really know what a female looks like, until you marry your...
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A Look at Egyptian Marriages
Marriage is a momentous decision, no matter what country you hail from. But in the United States, the mystery and innocence of getting married have long since disappeared, unless you’re brought up...
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Zero Dark Thirty: A Case for International Relations
Is Osama bin Laden really dead? While watching Zero Dark Thirty at the movies this past Saturday night I asked myself that question. For those of you who haven’t heard of the movie which will no doubt...
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Sous mon niqab: A Frustrating Story
Les bibliotheques sont plein remplee des livres au sujet de droits des femmes d’islam: pour l’occidente c’est un theme centrale quand on parle du Moyen-Orient. Mais souvent les histoires sont des...
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Valentines Day and Romance in the Middle East
Love is a beautiful thing, but not everyone thinks so–at least when it comes to Valentines Day. Here in the United States Valentines Day is just another commercial excuse to give and get (and to make...
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Modern Islam: Winnie Detwa and the Hijabi Hunnies
When Westerners think of Islam, women’s fashion is often one of the first things that comes to their mind. Not fashion with a capital ‘F,’ but a style of dressing that is markedly different from the...
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Supermarket Treats in Egypt
Food in Egypt is intriguing. Although I have food phobias, I also have a strange obsession with reading about food, or looking at food: as a child, while reading the Laura Ingalls Wilder Little House...
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Film: The Syrian Bride
The very title of Eran Riklis’ 2004 film The Syrian Bride shows the rebellion and confusion that are central to this film. Firstly, there is the question of the ‘Syrian’ nationality: Mona, the bride,...
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Arabia, Meet Montreal!
A spur of the moment weekend trip to Montreal this past weekend had me asking: am I in Montreal, or Marrakech? OK, so I’m exaggerating a bit, but there is a large enough Middle Eastern presence in this...
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Lady Gaga and the Burqa Avenger
The role of the burqa is to make the wearer as unobtrusive as possible. Usually rendered in heavy, thick black fabric (or other, dull colors) the burqa, encasing the entire body and face, allows the...
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The Female Body is a Scary Thing: Human Rights
Society cannot get enough of telling women how to display their bodies. Whether we are being told to cover up or to strip down, to go out with naked faces or to rougez les levres, women are rarely free...
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Grab Your Parasol, ‘Cause it Might Rain in Europe’s Banlieus
From the Tunisienne Faculte Facebook page “A burka?! You’re going to take that off for me right now!” “Uh, by the way, you do know that you’re talking to an umbrella…” The above bande dessinee was...
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