An Algerian Intellectual on Once-‘Arab Leftist Radicals’!
The Modern Arab Intellectual Forsakes Ideological Integrity, Following the Footsteps of Previous Enemies Who Accuse Him of Takfir and Treason
Trapped in the Cage of the Past, Algeria Must Navigate the Line Between Memory and Moving Forward as Paris Olympics Stirs French-Algerian Wounds
Algeria has much to celebrate with the end of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, taking the podium in gymnastics, boxing, and athletics. Yet while the country celebrates the victories, its athletes share the spotlight with headlines focusing on the country’s history with France.
Novel 'Houaria' Forces Algerian Critics into a Literary-Ideological Battle Armed with Morality and Ethics
A familiar debate has critics and writers up in arms in the Arab world once again: What place does ‘taboo’ have in art? Ethics, morality, and the sensibilities of the contemporary age are yet more factors that play into creative production these days.
How ‘Good Old Days’ Nostalgia Enables Neglect and Complacency in Lebanon’s Elite Throughout Countless Crises
When Lebanon is in crisis, and even when it is not, laypeople and some experts rush to use popularized and romanticized explanations suggesting that the country is experiencing something unprecedented. They reminisce and claim Lebanon had a much better time in the “good old days.” If the crises are financial and economic, they proclaim that Lebanon enjoyed economic growth, stability, high employment, and increased incomes in the pre-crisis days.
‘Unimaginative’ Digital Age: What Can Arab Cultural Journalism Learn?
The Information Revolution and the spread of the internet and social media have had severe repercussions for cultural services as we know them. The loss of numerous publications remains one symptom of the many changes sweeping across the Arab world, which recently witnessed the closure of another publication, the Qatari cultural magazine Doha.
The Wolves at the Door: Documentary Uncovers the Root of Radicalism in One Tunisian Family’s Painful Story
Why do we choose to tell painful stories, especially in documentary form, where we ask people to relive their trauma? That is a question I kept asking myself as I watched “Four Daughters.” Sometimes we need to know that pain is part of a story we too glibly read in the news, or perhaps it deepens a reality we think we know already.
‘Little Prince,’ Poet and Artist Hassan Abdallah Evoked the Beauty of Nature Through Boundless Streams of Vibrant, Passionate, Paradoxical Language
After his passing in 2022, poets, intellectuals, and journalists offered their eulogies of the Lebanese poet Hassan Abdallah (1943-2022), who captivated readers with his words. Among those honoring him were Shawqi Bzay, Abbas Beydoun, Jawdat Fakhreddine, Talal Salman, and others. Without exception, Abdallah’s colleagues and friends remember him as a humble man, one who preferred to remain in the shadows and shun the limelight, festivals, and fiery speeches.
Drawing the Curtains on Wajdi Mouawad’s ‘Controversial’ Play: Lebanese Intellectuals’ Defense of Director Warns of State Chokehold on Freedom of Expression
“Theatrical” perhaps best describes the current state of Lebanon’s performing arts scene, which seems to be embroiled in its own drama in recent days. Early this year, we bade farewell to the director and actor duo Antoine and Latifa Multaqa, pioneers of Lebanese theater’s 1960s avant-garde era and, for a moment, relished in nostalgia for Beirut’s culturally vibrant bygone days. Unfortunately, such rose-tinted memories have little room under the stifling atmosphere overtaking much of Lebanon’s arts and culture.