Culture

Miss Syria 2026

"For me, beauty is self-confidence and presence"

At this year’s Miss Arab World pageant, which took place in Cairo, Syria was represented by Muna Almohamad, who was born and raised in Germany. She wants to encourage women to be true to themselves and become more visible.
By Ceyda Nurtsch
Iranian "festival cinema"

Made for Western critics?

For decades, directors like Abbas Kiarostami and Jafar Panahi have found success at the world's most prestigious film festivals. But some Iranian critics question whether international audiences reward films that challenge or reinforce Orientalist views of Iran.
By Changiz M. Varzi
Syrian-German director Anis Hamdoun

"Theatre should represent Syrians in all their diversity"

Born into a prominent theatre family in Homs, Anis Hamdoun rebuilt his career in Germany from scratch after leaving Syria in 2012. The director and playwright reflects on life between cultural worlds and the future of Syrian theatre.
By Badr Al-Aqabani
Egyptian film "Asad"

Slave drama sparks debate on national identity

In Egypt, a historical film has sparked a present-day controversy, with critics accusing "Asad" of distorting the past and promoting Afrocentric narratives. Beneath the political rhetoric, however, lies a deeper cultural dispute.
By Rehab Eliawa
Iranian author Shahrnush Parsipur

Writing in defiance

With the death of Shahrnush Parsipur, Iran has lost one of its most indomitable literary voices. The author of "Women Without Men" confronted censorship and oppression throughout her life. Most recently, she refused to glorify the war against Iran as a liberation.
By Mohammad Mehdipour
Lebanese literature in translation

The rediscovery of Alis al-Bustani

Published in 1891, Alis al-Bustani's only novel "Sa'iba" dismantles the comforting assumptions of Arab modernity. A new translation restores to view a woman writer long consigned to obscurity.
By Muhammed Nafih Wafy
Islamic history scholar Sabine Schmidtke

"The Holocaust reshaped knowledge production about Islam"

Hedwig Klein's life and scholarship were cut short by the Holocaust in 1942. In her new book, Sabine Schmidtke traces Klein's intellectual legacy and sets the record straight on her involvement in Hans Wehr's Arabic dictionary.
By SherAli K. Tareen
Tunisian gender scholar Amel Grami

"Arab culture's flexibility distinguishes it from others"

Concepts of gender are shifting across the Arab world. Tunisian writer and academic Amel Grami reflects on emerging approaches to gender analysis in the region and examines how colonial legacies have shaped existing perceptions.
By Mohammed Magdy
"Palestine 36"

A film tracing the roots of colonial violence

"Palestine 36" depicts the 1936-1939 revolt against British Mandate rule. It recreates an often-forgotten turning point in Palestinian history in vivid detail.
By Asmaa al-Ghoul
Berlin-based rapper Siba

"Rage can be very constructive"

With "Dounana", Siba has struck a chord. Rapped in Arabic, the track takes aim at colonialism and imperialism and is spreading rapidly online. A conversation about anger, injustice and empowerment.
By Atifa Qazi
Lebanese film "Do You Love Me"

A complicated love

Lana Daher’s new film "Do You Love Me" is a journey through Lebanon’s film archives. Using collage, it traces the history of a country given to repressing its complicated and violent past.
By Hannah El-Hitami
Syrian novelist

The paradox of Colette Khoury

Syrian author Colette Khoury has died at 95. She wrote with unusual courage about women’s freedom, yet spent her later decades in the service of a regime that stifled the very ideals she once championed.
By Muhammed Nafih Wafy