Afghanistan queen was the first Muslim feminist
Women in Afghanistan got the right to vote before women in countries like USA, France, Ireland, UK and Sweden?
Country: Syria
Virginity tests carry prison sentence in Malta
Malta criminalizes virginity testing.
Arab Energy Fund commits $1 billion to energy transition and decarbonization
The Arab Energy Fund, previously known as the Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation (APICORP), has announced a significant commitment of $1 billion to drive energy transition and decarbonization efforts.
Meet the Queen of Captagon
The Syrian president's wife, who has been accused of playing a major role in the crimes of her husband and his regime during Syria's 12-year war, can be seen picking flowers and smiling in photos shared in May by Agence France-Presse. She's now rebranding in China and the United Arab Emirates.
Know your fig varieties from Syria, Lebanon and Iran
The strong grey trunk, the wide velvety leaves, the sticky itchy white milk resin that leaks from the cracked leaves, its round crimson fruits with their bellies filled with honeyed goodness. In my opinion, nothing beats a fig tree.
NYC dance company commemorates Dance or Die hero
We told the story to readers of Ahmad Joudeh over two years ago. We shared how, in the middle of the Syrian crisis, despite danger and dire straits, he continued to dance and teach dance to his young students. With a special interest in the Middle East, after studying Arabic and also teaching dance to […]
Missing Aleppo Peppers
The catastrophic war in Syria and the devastation of Aleppo has resulted in a shortage of – Aleppo peppers. Western chefs and gastronomists bewail the absence of the unique spice in their pantries. Yet before rightly considering that millions of displaced and starving people in Syria endure unimaginable horrors every day, consider the loss of […]
Dress made from a refugee tent steals London fashion show
British designer and humanitarian Helen Storey believes that fashion is an excellent vehicle to connect people to difficult subject matters. Last week, she sent a dress crafted from a former refugee tent down the runway at the Jumeirah Carlton Tower hotel in Knightsbridge. It captured everyone’s attention, and put a spotlight on climate change and its human impact.
Powerful photos address violence against children
The Untouchables, a 2013 photo series produced by Cuban artist Erik Ravelo, is again making the rounds on social media – perhaps prompted by the latest American school shootings, or more likely because powerful art refuses to die.
Dubai designer invites us to #FollowMeToSyria
Dubai-based designer Siba Mohtadi is using social media to open minds and hearts to her war-weary homeland, the Syrian Arab Republic. Mohtadi posts images on her Instagram account #FollowMeToSyria that illustrate still-beautiful Syria, where hotels and cafes are open for business, people go about their daily lives, and nature thrives, in spite of war and […]
Yemenite green hot sauce (zhug)
Zhug, sahawiq or bisbas is a hot sauce originating in Yemeni cuisine. There are many names for it. And here are a few more...s'chüg (also called zhoug or schug or zhug - generally meaning “ground”) is believed to harken from Yemen.
6 great reads for Arab American Heritage Month
April is Arab American Heritage Month, and here are six publications from a half dozen Arab American authors whose work is influencing the literary landscape of the USA, and beyond. I’ve chosen one for each of the six Muslim-majority nations whose citizens are currently banned from entering the America. Crack one open and learn some […]
Purposely destroyed artwork keeps dozens of refugees warm
A major Jordanian artwork showcased at the 2016 Amman Design Week was recently repurposed to provide basic human shelter for people in need. This afterlife was intentionally designed into the piece, an artistic application of “cradle-to-cradle” practices. The project raises awareness about conscious design and the positive impact of handcrafts within local communities.
Flying with falcons?
Because of restrictions on the number of birds he could fly with, a Saudi prince boarded 80 of his own birds onto a commercial flight, each in its own seat. The few spaces not taken by a bird were occupied by humans, one of whom snapped the scene and posted it on social media. According to […]
Refugee architecture earns an exhibit in a NYC museum
New York City’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is hosting an exhibition on refugee shelters to kickstart dialogue on the design challenges caused by humanitarian crises. Entitled “Insecurities: Tracing Displacement and Shelter”, the show looks at emergency housing in contemporary crisis zones. It is the first time a major museum has explored the plight of the […]