Most recent articles by Fakhri Saleh
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After the murder of the pilot Moaz al-KasasbehRage, not fear
Burning the pilot Moaz al-Kasasbeh alive was meant to sow fear and discord in Jordan. It has in fact had the opposite effect. The Jordanian writer and literary critic Fakhri Saleh looks back on a harrowing and dramatic week in Jordan
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Recreating Palestine in LiteratureA Nation Crafted From Words
"We have a country made of words", reads a famous poem by the Palestinian writer Mahmud Darwish. In his essay, the well-known Jordanian journalist and literary scholar Fakhri Saleh explores the effect that the loss of homeland has had on Palestinian literature and self-perception
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The Arrest of Saudi Intellectual Turki al-HamadOne Step Forward and Two Steps Back?
The Saudi writer and journalist Turki al-Hamad is one of the most distinguished and courageous intellectuals in his homeland. Religious authorities have already issued seven fatwas against him. For the past two-and-a-half weeks, the soon to be 60-year-old writer has been sitting in prison for sending highly controversial Twitter messages. By Fakhri Saleh
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Daniel Barenboim and Arab Anti-Israel SentimentA Classic Example of Political Naivety
The Israeli star conductor and pianist Daniel Barenboim and his West-Eastern Divan Orchestra were invited to perform in Qatar. Then, following pressure from Arab opponents of a normalisation of relations with Israel, the invitation was withdrawn. As far as the Jordanian author Fakhri Saleh is concerned, this is evidence of political naivety
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Rethinking World LiteratureThe Arabic Novel in Non-Western Eyes
Anthologies of "world literature" have often used the term to market a largely Western canon. But isn't western literature still implicitly regarded as the measure of all things? And are we not overlooking other literary values out of sheer ignorance? By Fakhri Saleh