Category Imperialism and Resistance
#IslamophobiaIsRacism Syllabus Several scholars from various disciplines have recently published the Islamophobia is Racism Syllabus, following syllabi such as the Ferguson Syllabus and Black Islam Syllabus. The syllabus acts as an academic riposte to the anti-Muslim ban, but also countless… Continue Reading →
This week in class, we watched a video and did readings about the group of 60 or more Saudi women who “dared to drive” in 2013 — despite the kingdom-wide ban on female drivers. This was the story of the Women2Drive… Continue Reading →
In the above clip from Song of Lahore, the performers bring the artistry of their Pakistani musical heritage to New York City, to perform in a jazz festival at the world-famed Lincoln Center. It looks like a beautiful film, very well… Continue Reading →
Earlier this week, I attended a conference for one of my other classes, led by former US Ambassador to the Netherlands, the Honorable Cynthia Schneider. She spoke about cultural diplomacy, which is essentially the art of exchange and engagement between… Continue Reading →
Watching this video, you know who the designated enemy is: The Israeli occupation army. Yet, Residente (lead vocalist of Calle 13) does not make it so simple. His lyrics do not vilify one group of people, but rather acknowledges… Continue Reading →
Warning: this became a jumbled thought-experiment, and therefore may not prove coherent. Apologies. In class last Monday, we spent a good portion of our Tangier discussion (led wonderfully by Kai, hats off) speaking about ideals of tourism and representation. Focusing on… Continue Reading →
One Thousand and One Nights: Re-orienting the greatest story ever told In the words of Syed Jamil Ahmed, the collection of One Thousand and One Nights or the Arabian Nights is the most famous example of Arabic literature globally…. Continue Reading →
Reading Susana Galan’s piece on the Women2Drive resistance movement, I cannot help but think of Pascal Menoret’s meditation on youth resistance movements in Joyriding in Riyadh: Oil, Urbanism and Road Revolt. Menoret’s book documents the development of ‘joyriding’, a phenomenon of… Continue Reading →
In 2001, a song entitled ‘I Hate Israel’ rocked airwaves across the Arab world. Set to popular Egyptian folk beats, ‘I Hate Israel’ was penned in response to the Second Intifada or Uprising of Palestinians in the Occupied Territories in… Continue Reading →
The more things change, the more they stay the same. Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose. Your quote on the current state of Muslim popular culture, to generalize for a brief moment, glued itself to my thoughts and… Continue Reading →