The Old Man or Problems of Patriarchy

Tariq peered out of the window of the living room of his third-floor flat, watching a glow-worm of traffic inch its way in puma-wrapped technicolour across the wide thoroughfares of Al Barsha 1, Dubai. Of course, he’d quite gotten used to the way the traffic signals changed colour by the eon rather than by the minute, though he himself rarely drove in Dubai.

Why do Men Fear Women?

This is not a philosophy question. I am just sharing my story while hoping others will answer the question ‘Why do Men Fear Women?’ based on their own experiences. I have been working for quite some time in the Arab world, between Lebanon, Syria (before the war) and the United Arab Emirates. Different companies, different […]

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 […]

Women: An Inspiration

As a child, I grew up in a world that was part fantasy and part reality. I was very visual, and my mind would often wander as I looked at objects, observed patterns, and listened to conversations. I gained a particular interest in observing people and the way they behave. My mother took me along […]

فتاةٌ تتوقَّف

حدودي غريبةٌ تتجاوز أفكار رجلٍ نسي زوجاته في حضني الضغِنِ، تتأرجح على كانونٍ بيتيَ فتداعب جُذى الفائت ورمادَ الآتي. حدودي مرقَصٌ تلهو فيه الآلهة فتهجر البشر وتنصهر أفكارها في أعضائي الفرحة المتلاشية، تشارك شارعي الفارغ في حريّة السواد العائد يشدو بين خُصَل شعري المُشرِكِ. حدودي حوضٌ تتعرّى في عزلة قحطه كلماتُ الجواري فتسافر فيها أفئدة […]

تكرار وجود رجل يرفض نفسه

يتسلّق الرجل المتوحّد كلماتي فتغمره شواطئي بأساطيلها الصمّاء وتعطيه أصدائي تردّد الحب المتردّي، فيجتاحه الغرور ويؤنّبه الجسد تحت مظلّات الصيّاد العارية، يفوتها تبختر الأسماك العمياء وأسفار الرمال الساخرة. ها هو يُشبع فضولَ صبره فتفيض نطفته شجاراً متساميا يعالجه أطبّاءُ الوادي الأزرق في خفايا الجذور الحمراء، حيث يجوب إصبعٌ قطعَ طرقَه بجع الأصوات المظلمة. يسترح على […]

DISCLAIMER: This may be an unpopular opinion, but it is nevertheless mine

All these feminist movements I see in Lebanon are useless. Every culture has its own set of rules and customs, we should stop trying to import these movements from abroad and implement them here in our society. Those movements cannot achieve our desired goals. Those movements were built for a different life, for a different […]

Let's talk about Sexual Harassment !

A (by Lebanese mena��s standards) sexy woman got on the bus today as I was heading home from work. Ia��m sure all day long a�?sexya�? women use public transportation to get to their desired destination. But, we dona��t really notice things unless theya��re in our face, happening right in front of us. Well, some of […]

All-Men Societies? The End of Humanity…

Will there be a sex war in the upcoming years of the 21st century? Has it already started? When parents are able to choose the sex of their child using in vitro fertilization (IVF) and artificial insemination (AI), and world statistics show that boys are preferred, especially in conservative and highly patriarchal societies – such […]

About the Crisis of Celibacy in Lebanon

JK, mid-40s, I’ve known him since 5 years now, he is in charge of the entertainment at our place; not his main job, he rather does it as a hobby.  A very decent man, workaholic to the max and dependable as no one else, seeking a life partner, sometimes desperately, but not finding any. Straight […]