Black Saudi Author Focuses on Neglected History of African Migration and Slavery
Mahmoud Trawri dug into the thorny history of Black Africans and slavery in the Arabian Peninsula while writing Maymouna, published in 2001. The novel is still hard to find in Saudi Arabia.
Anthropologists Have Important Role to Play in Public Health Crises, Veteran Scholar Says
Epidemics are not as isolated as they may appear, says the anthropologist Charles L. Briggs. It’s important to understand the underlying factors that helped shape the situation.
Iraqi Researcher’s Assassination Stirs Fears of Renewed Violence Against Academics
Husham Al-Hashimi, an expert on ISIS and a critic of foreign-backed militias in Iraq, was gunned down by unknown assassins in a Baghdad street this week.
African-Iraqis Also Need the Black Lives Matter Movement
As the global movement against racism grows, it’s time for the Arab world to look at similar racial discrimination in its midst.
A Diversity Institute Teaches Iraqi Students About Religious Minorities
The course, a rare undertaking in the Arab world, aims to promote peaceful co-existence and religious diversity by combatting stereotypes and misunderstandings.
We Cannot Forget Refugees — and Their Education
World Refugee Day should be an occasion when organizations and individuals consider how they might collaborate to improve access to education for displaced people in the MENA region, and globally.
As Arab Students Vent Outrage Over Racism on Social Media, Educators Must Be Guides
Arab celebrities are posting images of themselves in “blackface.” Students are sometimes bewildered about how to participate in the Black Lives Matter movement. Educators must help.
Egyptian Human Rights Scholar Detained, Fanning Broader Fears
The recent imprisonment of Patrick George Zaki, a human-rights scholar and activist, renews fears about freedom of expression and freedom for researchers in Egypt.
Freedom of Expression in Lebanon Faces New Threats
Authorities are stepping up their use of vague defamation laws to effectively silence critics of corruption in government, civil liberties advocates say.
Human Rights Film Festival Showcases Yemeni Stories
The Karama Festival, based in Jordan, uses cinema as a force for social change. This year it highlighted films from Yemen.
