Arts and Culture in the Mideast

Same Faith, Different Narrative: Online “Muslima” Exhibition Gives Muslim Women Voice Through Art

History has a way of finding itself in the voice of heroes. Not so much for the heroines. Women, often the backbone of revolutions, almost always find themselves relegated to the backdrop after the honeymoon of victory wears off. Equals during protest, but second-class citizens under new governments and band-aid-approach “reforms,” Empowerment does not necessarily mean Equality.

But empowerment does provide opportunity for the unified whole that comes when otherwise-muted voices are amplified, not only breaking down myths and stereotypes but also building intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding. This is the goal of Muslima: Muslim Women’s Art and Voices, a provocative and groundbreaking online global exhibition from the San Francisco-based International Museum of Women (IMOW). Curated by Samina Ali, an Indian-born Muslim known for her 2004 novel Madras on Rainy Days, the show is an international showcase of the themes and issues faced by female artists who either self-identify with Islam or are labeled Muslim because of familial, cultural or religious background. Exploring and challenging the broad spectrum of perceived status, agenda, and realities lived by Muslim women today, the exhibition gives voice to their passions, their accomplishments and their expressiveness- redefining both individual and collective identities as artists and activists.

Eye of the Falcon: The Fashion of Niqab in the Arabian Gulf

When I first came to Al Ain, I had little idea of what to expect. One of the first things you notice as a Westerner coming to Abu Dhabi is the fact that the local women are “faceless.” That is, that most of the Emirati women here wear what is known as “niqab,” a Muslim face covering for women which only allows the eyes to be seen. As a foreigner trying to familiarize myself with the culture and customs, the niqab was a huge barrier for me, blocking me from engaging with the local women or seeing beyond the vast black sea every time I entered a mall.

“Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here”: San Francisco Poet Builds Bridge to Baghdad with Books

"Cairo writes, Lebanon prints and Baghdad reads." ~ Arab proverb

When the Mongols sacked Baghdad in 1258, it was said that the Tigris River first ran red with blood from those murdered and then black from the ink of their books. Baghdad has been the literary epicenter of the Arab world since the Mesopotamians invented cuneiform, the first form of writing, in the 4th century B.C.

And no place has pulsated with a stronger literary heartbeat than Baghdad's historic Al-Mutanabbi Street, the bookseller quarter--a crooked, winding thoroughfare running from Al Rasheed Street to the Tigris River, and once described as Baghdad’s “third lung”. For at least 800 years, Iraqis have bought and sold books, sipped tea, smoked nargila and argued about politics and literature on Al Mutanabbi Street, named after the revered Iraqi poet, Abu at-Tayyib Ahmad ibn al-Husayn al-Mutanabbi. It was the place where you could find translations of Shakespeare interspersed with Shi’a religious texts, Agatha Christi mysteries, ancient Greek poetry, comic books, American magazines and Osama bin Laden cassettes. Iraqis from all faiths and social classes —writers, students, intellectuals and even lovers --have sought refuge on Al Mutanabbi Street throughout the country’s turbulent history.

A Halal “Hangover”: Lena Khan’s “Tiger Hunter” and Re-framing Muslim-American Narratives

Katie Couric suggested we need a Muslim Cosby Show. We say a Muslim Seinfeld. Like other minorities in the past 50 years, normalizing Muslims in mainstream media comes not from pointing out cultural differences, but from finding empathy- even humor- in the eccentricities and neurosis that every society shares, and the shared experiences of being seen as an American who happens to belong to a particular culture or faith. Hollywood likes labels- it thrives on defining its characters within stock categories. But film’s most enduring personalities are those who defy boundaries, who stay in our heads because we can’t cleanly classify them.

“The negative perception of Muslims is fueled in part by the media,” remarks director and UCLA grad Lena Khan. “Whereas we see every other group normalized by film and television, we [Muslims] are still missing. In this film, we are telling an entertaining story that happens to have a Muslim character.”

Read On: Five Books to Watch Out for in 2013

From hard-hitting political commentary to deeply resonating fiction, there is something for everyone in 2013. Middle Eastern and South Asian writers and historians are tackling everything from politics to romance this year, and we’re taking note. Here are our top five books to watch out for in 2013:

No Hatred, No Cry: Short Film Admissions Screenwriter on Violence, Forgiveness and Mideast Peace

“You can’t want hell for other people without being in hell yourself.” If there were an Academy Award for one-liner delivery, John Viscount’s award-winning 2011 short film Admissions should have clinched it. With 21 minutes, four actors and a single set, Viscount lays out a modern-day parable where the stakes are high to find the wisdom required to learn true forgiveness in a world where “the ones who find it hardest to love need love the most.”

Styling in Palestyle: Couture with a Social Agenda

High-end fashion brand Palestyle is known in global fashion circles for its statement handbags that are embellished with Arabic calligraphy. But aside from its flare, it is the company’s focus on social awareness and ethics that sets it apart from other fashion labels. Founded in 2009, by Zeina Abou Chabaan with the help of her brother, Ahmad, the Dubai-based brand is committed to empowering Palestinian women in refugee camps in Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon.

The Triumph of Israel’s Radical Right: A Book Review

We live in dangerous times. A troika of storms threatens to sink modern civilization: the failing economy, the war on terror and climate change all hang over us like a thick black fog. Politics have become more extreme; the specter of the radical right clouds the illumination of reason. It is into this political maelstrom that Ami Pedahzur sets his excellent new book, The Triumph of Israel’s Radical Right (Oxford University Press, 2012).

Pedahzur’s book fits perfectly into a new wave of scholarship about Israel, Jews and the Middle East. It is well-timed in its attempt to explain and account for the critical and precipitous place that Israel occupies in international relations.