Arabs, Islam, and the Oppression of Women?

Descending from a line of politically and socially active women, I always had a different perspective on women’s issues. I was just as vocal and as active as the generations of women that preceded me in my bloodline. I studied in Bahrain and came to the United Arab Emirates to pursue my university degree in […]

صباحٌ هازئ

تتنازعني أفكارُ الكون، فأجد نفسي في خضمِّ الكذب حيناً وفي حضن أمهاته أحياناً تحيك قصصُها أيّامَ الحارات المبتسمة، فتنبت المقاهي وتنحسر العائلات فتختبأ خلف أجساد الفتيات اليافعات المغتَصَبة. يراوحني السكون في الصباح يرميني عن شرفات اللّذة الناتئة النائمة ويطرحني على عربات الخضار الصاحية المتردّدة، فتُمطرُ علَي قبلات بائعٍ تركته برجوازية المدينة باكياً أمام باب حانوتي […]

Stereotypes about Women in the Middle East

I’ve always been fascinated by stereotypes in general, because we often group individuals together and make collective, controversial judgements about them, despite not knowing them.  There can be positive as well as negative stereotypes, and I believe that they are harmful to society because they oversimplify people’s qualities and create an inaccurate image of them, […]

My Hope for a Better Afghan Society

Feminism is a word taken for granted. It is used by people who do not even know its true meaning. One of my first ideas of the word came from my high school English teacher who said, “the difference between a feminist and a normal woman is if you open a door for a normal […]

Le Liban, un morceau de lune ?

A ce jour, le Liban est en guerre, tant physique que psychologique, et s’enlise dans les sables mouvants de crises multiformes – politique, religieuse/confessionnelle, socio-économique, générationnelle, environnementale, culturelle, crises du genre et du savoir, etc. Il est vrai que l’existence même de faiseurs-es ou d’agents-es de paix qui tentent de promouvoir les valeurs de réconciliation […]

Economics of Women: Marriage in Pakistan

You write about something for one of two things: either you are extremely passionate about the subject or when you strongly oppose an issue. I’m writing for the latter. The issue of giving dowry has been part of the marriage traditions for a long time. Started decades ago, this custom is being exploited in many […]