Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Jehan Alfarra
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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 by…
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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 music…
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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 Radio…
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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 help…
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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 it…
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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 the…
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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 slogan,…
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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 the…
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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. He…
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#Nakba70
The Nakba The Nakba, Arabic for ‘catastrophe’, refers to the 1948 Palestinian exodus where an estimated 750,000 Palestinians were expelled or forced to flee from their homes and villages that came under the attack of Zionist militias in a bid to establish a Jewish state. Almost 1 million Palestinians were…
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Armed with a camera in Gaza: Who is Yaser Murtaja?
What began as a hobby has taken Yaser Murtaja on a dangerous career path. An accountancy graduate turned video journalist, Yaser provided insight into an area marred by conflict and sealed away since 2007. Always carrying his camera and wearing a smile, the 30-year-old dedicated his life to telling the…
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The Nakba Explained
15 May 1948 marks the Nakba, the Catastrophe inflicted upon the Palestinian people by the Zionists. To the Israelis though, the date marks the establishment of the Jewish State. Today, some 6.5 million Palestinian refugees cling to their right to return to their land. But how did it all start?…
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Discover Chefchaouen, Morocco
Nestled within the winding roads of Morocco’s Rif Mountains is the small town of Chefchaouen, or Chaouen for short. The city’s name is derived from the word for horns in the language of the Berbers, the indigenous tribespeople of the region, referring to the mountain tops above the town which…
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Remembering Tunisia’s Jasmine Revolution
On this day in 2011, Tunisian dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali stepped down after the Jasmine Revolution broke out in the country, giving birth to what became known as the Arab Spring. Post-revolution Tunisia’s transition to democracy has been seen as relatively smooth and peaceful, by the standards of…
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Remembering the fall of Jerusalem
What: The Battle of Jerusalem Where: Palestine When: 17 November – 30 December 1917 What happened? Not long after the Balfour Declaration was signed on 2 November 1917 promising the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine after World War I, British troops led by General Edmund Allenby turned towards…
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Explained: The Balfour Declaration
To the Zionists, the Balfour Declaration of 1917 laid the foundation for the formation of the State of Israel. To the Palestinians, however, it was an act of dishonesty and betrayal by Britain. So who is Balfour? What was the declaration? And why does it remain contentious? The Balfour Declaration…
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Discover Erbil Citadel, Northern Iraq
Dating back to the 5th Millennium BC, the Erbil Citadel sits atop a large archaeological mound in the heart of Erbil, the capital of the Kurdish Autonomous Region in Iraq (also known as Iraqi Kurdistan). The mound is comprised of multiple layers of past generations building on top of…
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Discover Kairouan, Tunisia
The UNESCO World Heritage town of Kairouan in Tunisia used to be one of the greatest centres of Islamic scholarship and Quranic learning between the ninth and eleventh centuries. The city has a striking whitewashed medina with several splendid mosques, including the Great Mosque of Kariouan. The Great Mosque of…
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Gaza startups get kids into business
If you are familiar with Gaza’s fast-growing entrepreneurial sector, you will know that Gaza’s tech community holds at least one Startup Weekend event every year. Tonight, however, a special startup weekend event kicks off in the coastal enclave: Startup Weekend Gaza – Kids. “It is the first startup event exclusively…
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Discover Jeita Grotto, Lebanon
Jeita Grotto is unquestionably one of Lebanon’s most captivating natural treasures. An elaborate cave complex, Jeita Grotto was featured as a finalist in the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2011. Though it is believed that it was inhabited in prehistoric times, the caves were only rediscovered in 1863…
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Discover Petra, Jordan
The Rose City of Petra is one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. Tucked away in the red-sandstone mountains of southern Jordan, this designated world heritage site with its indisputable beauty makes a trip to Jordan a must. Petra (meaning stone) was the capital of the Nabateans, an…
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Explained: The Chilcot Report
British troops were part of an international coalition, led by the US, which invaded Iraq in March 2003 looking for Weapons of Mass Destruction. The UK led diplomatic efforts to secure UN authorisation for military action in the run-up to the invasion, but failed. Millions of people took to the…
