Topless Butlers in Dubai? Just Another Ho-Hum
ALEXANDER MCNABB: Hoping to provoke an ‘official investigation’ into a ‘scandal’ a Dubai-based newspaper was sadly disappointed
‘Translating for Bigots’: One Author’s How-To Guide
M. LYNX-QUALEY: If you’re looking to communicate with an audience that is, let’s call it, less sympathetic to your views how should you go about it?
Maghboor: A Little Light Rant Against Oman’s Dowry System
DHOFARI GUCCI: It’s illogical, unfair and costly so maybe it’s time to look anew at the “maghboor’, Oman’s dowry system
The ‘Society’ Excuse: Sorry, It No Longer Washes
EMAN AL NAFJAN: When women are stopped driving in Saudi Arabia it’s generally a policeman who does the stopping.
Rihanna’s Cultural Heist: An Act Against Womanhood
SHELINA ZAHRA JANMOHAMED: Rihanna’s plan was to use Muslim culture to ‘enhance her own brand’. She knows nothing of the lives of Muslim women.
Palestine: Educational Boycotts Are ‘A Very Bad Idea’
DR DANIEL MOSES, CGNEWS: Ecomomic boycotts are one thing but banning people from both sides speaking to each other for educational purposes is wrong.
So Why All The Fuss Over A Tiny Piece of Cloth?
SHELINA ZAHRA JANMOHAMED: Considering the tiny number of women who actually wear a veil in the U.K it’s amazing all of the discussion about it.
‘Gaga, There’s More to The Burqa Than A Stage Prop’
KEZIA RIDGEWAY, CGNEWS: It’s not suprising that Lady Gaga has lit on the burqa as a garb-of-controversy but she could use the debate more constructively
A Natural Evolution: Don’t Meddle With Culture, Government.
STEVE ROYSTON: It’s a discussion without end – what should governments do or not do to promote authentic Arabic culture? And what does this actually mean?
‘Forza Arabia’: Italians Show Growing Interest in Arabic Literature
M. LYNX-QUALEY: Diving in the Red Sea is not the only pleasure from this region that is proving appealing to Italians. There is a growing interest in its literature.
True Multi-Cultural Hero: The Surprise That Is St George
SHELINA ZAHRA JANMOHAMED: He’s been adopted by the English right-wing as a symbol of racial purity. He actually stood for nothing of the sort.
High-Fashion and Islam:’Hijabinistas On the Rise’
KEZIAH RIDGEWAY, CGNEWS: A spate of crimes involving burqa-clad individuals has led to a rise in hate crime but the fightback is coming from an unlikely quarter
Emirati Sci-Fi Author ‘In No Hurry’ To Translate
M. LYNX-QUALEY: Noura Noman is delighted that her sci-fi novel in Arabic is appealing to primarily teenage audience starved of popular literature in their language
‘Last Storytellers of Marrakech’: There’s One Left
DEREK WORKMAN, VIEW FROM FEZ: It’s a culture that stretches back more than 1,000 years but it’s on the point of extinction
‘Sand In Your Pants’: It’s Time for Desert Fun
SARAH WALTON: The deserts of the UAE – and beyond -provide a magical experience whatever end of the luxury spectrum you happen to inhabit.
‘Beauty of Arabic? No, the Violence of Events Is Vital’
SARAH IRVING, ARABLIT: An Iraqi refugee now based in Finland Hassan Blasim has firm views on language, violence and modern Iraq.
El Kef: The Thriving Centre of Tunisian Theatre
AMINA BENKHLIFA, CGNEWS: Often associated with harsh weather and difficult economic conditions El Kef, my hometown, has a deep theatrical heritage
Egyptian Artists vs Government: Is Conflict Inevitable?
ASMAA NAGUIB, ARABLIT: Many prominent Egyptian artists met recently to discuss how best to regulate the relationship between the Culture Ministry and themselves.
Jeddah: The Sculptural Capital of the Arab World
SUSIE OF ARABIA: It’s a little known fact but the original work of some of the world’s most famous sculptors is scattered throughout the Saudi port city.
Iraqi Orchestra Finds Home in England.
VIDEO: An uncertain security situation has made it difficult for The Iraqi National Youth Orchestra to perform at home. But now they have found a new audience in England.
