Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Jehan Alfarra
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Discover Hagia Sophia, Turkey
At the heart of the Old City of Istanbul stands a genuine manifestation of the spirit of the marvellous place that has long bridged Europe and Asia, East and West. Hagia Sophia is a striking testimony to the tremendous histories of Islam and Orthodox Christianity. The majestic church-turned-mosque-turned-museum-turned-mosque has...
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Remembering the handover of ‘one Palestine, complete’
On this day in 1920, the first High Commissioner for Palestine, 1st Viscount Samuel, Herbert Samuel, was handed the administration of the country by the British government and signed a receipt acknowledging that he had received “one Palestine, complete”. It was still another three years before the Mandate for Palestine granted...
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Ramadan Under Lockdown
The holy month of Ramadan, in which Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, is a time for physical and spiritual discipline, self-reflection and giving back to the community, and while fasting is a key part of Ramadan, most worshippers look forward to the communal element of the month, marked...
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The fashion designer taking on Lebanon’s garbage crisis
READ: Arab tradition meets modern glamour at London Fashion Week...
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Obliterated: Theatregoers’ dreams of seeing Palestinian play in London
A heap of rubble is all that was left of Gaza’s prime cultural centre after it was levelled by Israeli air strikes on 9 August 2018. Before it was reduced to dust, Said Al-Mishal Cultural Centre stood as a lofty theatre with its red fabric seats bringing art and...
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Jeremy Hardy’s pro-Palestine activism remembered in London
With a special screening of Jeremy Hardy versus the Israeli Army, a packed hall at London’s Greenwood Theatre paid a fitting tribute on Tuesday to the late Jeremy Hardy, the British comedian who passed away from cancer earlier this year at the age of 57. The star of BBC...
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London Tech Week: ‘Palestine is open for business’
Nine Palestinian entrepreneurs gathered at the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce on Friday for Palestine Entrepreneurship Day, which kicked off as part of London Tech Week. MENACatalyst, in partnership with the Palestinian Mission to the UK and the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce, organised the event to promote Palestinian startups and...
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30 Holy Days: Snapping Ramadan in Qatar
As Muslims around the world celebrate the holy month of Ramadan, images of dinner tables, food recipes and group iftars and celebrations begin to flood social media. One British documentary photographer thought he would share something different. He wanted to explore what Ramadan is really all about and what...
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Palestinian director: ‘Everyone is a slave in Gaza’
War is a scary time for children who continue to suffer in conflict zones despite the protection provided by international law. In his first short film Paper Boat, Palestinian mathematics graduate turned filmmaker Mahmoud Abu Ghalwa asks whether human beings should have children in such a dangerous environment as...
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The Road to Knesset: The Union of Right-Wing Parties #Israelex2019
Michael Ben Ari is an Israeli politician and former member of the Knesset. Born to Mizrahi Jewish parents from Iran and Afghanistan, he co-established the Otzma LeYisrael (Strength for Israel) party, now known as Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) which is running for the 9 April 2019 Israel General Election....
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The Road to Knesset: Hadash-Ta’al Alliance #Israelex19
Ahmad Tibi is the most senior Arab member of Israel’s Knesset, having served since 1999, and is arguably one of the most rebellious and controversial opposition members. Tibi has set out to block Benjamin Netanyahu’s re-election as prime minister in the 2019 Israel General Election. In his election campaign...
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The Road to Knesset: Blue and White Alliance #Israelex19
General Benny Gantz is today’s rising star in Israeli politics. Despite having no previous political experience, many think he could be the man to dethrone Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. An army man, Gantz was chief of staff under Netanyahu’s government between 2011 and 2015, overseeing not only Israel’s...
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The Road to Knesset: Likud Party #Israelex19
Benjamin Netanyahu (Bibi) is Israel’s current prime minister who is seeking his fifth term in office. If he wins, he will become Israel’s longest serving prime minister. Netanyahu has been the face of Israeli politics for decades and one of its most controversial. He is running for the 9...
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My life in Hebron: ‘I dream of a day when there are no settlements’
Hebron is a city deep inside the Palestinian territories, but it is unlike any other in the occupied West Bank. With illegal Jewish settlements in the heart of the city, Hebron reflects the bitter reality of military occupation: checkpoints, heavily-armed settlers, curfews, concrete barriers and segregated roads. Israel occupied...
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Comedian, champion of Palestinian rights Jeremy Hardy dies aged 57
British comedian and champion of Palestinian rights Jeremy Hardy has died of cancer aged 57. Born in England in 1961, the BBC radio star made his name on the comedy circuit in the 1980s, starting out as a scriptwriter before turning into a stand-up comedian in his early 20s....
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‘I wanted to introduce Palestinian culture to the UK’
In a low-lit gallery in central London, Suhad Jarrar-Browne sat on a red embroidered cushion surrounded by a rich array of Palestinian artefacts. Brass coffee pots were lined neatly in a row on a table nearby. Intricately-embroidered dresses hung from the wall behind her, carefully woven with elaborate designs...
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EMWAS: Restoring Memories
In 1967, when she was only two years old, Palestinian Film Director Dima Abu Ghoush was forced out of her hometown of Emwas as Israeli troops occupied the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Emwas, known by its biblical name Emmaus, was demolished by Israeli forces during the Six...
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‘As long as there’s occupation, there’ll be resistance’
Former Palestinian prisoner Taysir Suleiman has lived in Turkey since his 2011 release from Israeli detention as part of the prisoner swap deal negotiated by Hamas and occupation forces. As a Jerusalemite, Suleiman’s release was conditional on his being sent into exile. He has been living in Istanbul...
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Khashoggi’s fiancée: ‘I will follow Jamal’s path’
Over the last 30 days the world has come to know Jamal Khashoggi as the journalist who was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. MEMO speaks to his fiancée about the man she knew and loved. Turkish researcher Hatice Cengiz first met Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at a...
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The Palestinian Table
“The Palestinian Table” is a fitting title for a cookbook which captures the essence of Palestinian culinary heritage, culture and reality. It is what ties all Palestinians together in spite of their political circumstances and global dispersion. But it stands for “more than just food,” as author Reem Kassis...
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Arab tradition meets modern glamour at London Fashion Week
London Fashion Week wrapped up last week with a schedule packed with some of the most diverse and unique showcases in the industry. At the heart of the renowned festival was a dazzling display of elegant and luxurious Arab designs inspired by traditional Middle Eastern and North African embroidery...
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The ballet flat shoes sending Palestinian girls to school
With her unique social enterprise Ballare, entrepreneur Amira Nimerawi has managed to solve a problem for busy working women while helping to provide an education for young girls living in refugee camps in Palestine. Growing up in a remote mountain area of Australia, Nimerawi’s parents made sure that they...
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Palestine ambassador to UK: Israel’s actions against Flotilla are piracy
The mission of Palestine to the UK hosted a press conference yesterday with two international activists who were on board the Gaza-bound 2018 Freedom Flotilla. The two boats making up the flotilla, one Swedish and another Norwegian, made their way to the Gaza Strip in an attempt to break...
