The region must reach for its tolerant past

The Arab essayist Al Jahiz wrote an epistle in the ninth century rebuking the segregation of men and women and the perception of singing and poetry as anathema to Islamic values. Even today Arab writers find it hard to express similar views with such boldness.  "If looking at women was illegal or shameful, he would have not done that," he commented regarding an anecdote of a pious man who had long conversations with a woman.

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The Arabic language needs a Webster and a Picasso

If there is one thing that I learnt from studying Arabic language and literature during my secondary school years, it was that there is a direct link between political strength and linguistic prowess. Centuries of political and economic frailty and a lack of interest in Arabic language by the ruling elite during Ottoman rule rendered Arabic literature into a tacky and dull baroque. Great efforts were made to ensure that every line of prose or poetry amounted to stylistic perfection. Almost no effort was exerted on meaning.

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Four years after leaving Gaza, feuding makes me lose hope

I can’t remember how early I woke up the day I left Gaza. It was still slightly dark when I said my farewells to my parents and brothers and sisters. It’s been a little over four years since that morning and I haven’t been back to Gaza since.

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After four years, Gaza remains home

If my first visit home to Gaza after more than four years was a drama, seeing my mother would have been its climax. It would have been the inevitable conclusion that every thread in the story leads to. And it was.

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