culture
Oh, New York Times – stop trying so hard to be “objective”
If the subject of Emily Jacir’s exhibition was any different, this NYT review would be all glowing with praise for an award-winner at the Guggenheim. However, here, the writer manages to disingenuously insert that Wael Zuaiter might actually have been responsible for the Munich attacks: “In the wall text that introduces the exhibition, however, there [...]
Jerusalem’s Bully
Have you ever seen a bully steal something and, feeling guilty about the theft, intimidate the victim into remaining passive? That is how Israel behaves in general towards the Palestinians, but the most glaring examples of such bullying can be seen almost on a daily basis in Jerusalem. Since the beginning of this year, Israel [...]
Boycott Israeli Dance Company on US/Canada Tour
Call for Action: Israel’s leading dance company, Batsheva, is touring the US and Canada starting January 28th through March of 2009. As cultural ambassadors and representatives of their country, Batsheva was asked to denounce the racist and brutal policies and crimes of their government against the Palestinian people, and refused. Activists across the country have [...]
A little more than a shameless plug
Like Will, I too have been contemplating the growing acceptance of Arabic-sounding names in the US mainstream. To be fair, there have been quite a few in recent times, even if they aren’t necessarily Arab (e.g. Fareed Zakaria, John Abizaid, Fawaz Gerges, Farid Nassar). Of course, you also have those of Arab descent with more common-sounding names (e.g. Helen [...]
Final Verdict: Guilty As Charged
The British ‘beach sex’ couple that’s been at the center of so much media attention recently is off the hook. The Dubai Court of Appeals dropped their three month prison sentences, deciding instead to ship them off immediately. Michelle Palmer, the once Dubai resident who reportedly threw things including racial slurs at the authorities, mistakenly [...]
Life in Dubai
Apparently, Dubai’s rulers are cracking down on more than just foreign drunks and junkies. They’ve now got their sights set on people sharing villas. A few months ago, a ‘One Villa, One Family‘ campaign was implemented. If that sounded vague, the leading building inspector made things clear: “Family only refers to immediate family, as in father, [...]
No Smoking
I don’t like cigarettes… I’m happy that I don’t have to worry about dealing with them anymore in restaurants and bars. Ludicrous lawsuits notwithstanding, I don’t see that happening anytime soon in the Arab world where people seem to smoke everywhere. But three Algerians have been locked up since September 21 for smoking on the street during [...]
Damascus Film Festival
…is here…under the patronage of…you know who. A nice combination of Syrian, American, European and independent films, however as with many things in Syria, the PR is really patchy. On the opening day, there were still no programs printed and no one knew the film schedule! Also, I wish they would charge a standard ticket [...]
The Dusty Jewel of the Gulf
By now you probably know that acting the fool in Dubai can land you in jail and ruin your life. Of course, that’s true of most countries (the key is to be smart when acting the fool, even if that sounds like a paradox). Still, the whole case with these British fuckers on Jumeirah Beach [...]
Happy Eid … فطر سعيد
It’s tomorrow in most places, and Wednesday in Egypt, the US.
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