First Person
The Boundaries of Liberalism
Can liberalism understand — and counter — strongman politics? In the wake of Trump’s reelection, the Egyptian writer Mahmoud Hadhoud spoke to the American legal theorist Paul Kahn in search of lessons for the Arab world.
A People Revived
The streets, the buildings, even the smells were as I had left them. But the people — they were entirely different. In markets, on public transportation and in the souks, the change was palpable. Smiles adorned people's faces. There was a lightness in their movements and a joy in their interactions.
Christmas in Homs
Who could have imagined that the statues of Hafez al-Assad and his sons would topple, that the yoke of slavery would fall so easily? We do not know, but I believe that God's providence covered us in mercy.
How One Woman in France Is Battling the System That Was Meant To Protect Her
Foreign women who become victims of sexual violence in France face huge barriers in seeking justice and safety. Institutions take control of their lives while society tends to minimize their experiences, much as it does in many of the women’s home countries.
Chasing the Freedom To Write in a Land of Masks
A journalist reflects on his experiences navigating the repression in Syria and the relative freedom of Lebanon. Balancing hope and fear, he delves into the complexities of freedom, identity and the enduring struggle to practice journalism with integrity.
Amid Chaos in Aleppo, There Is a Chance To Discuss the Future
After eight years in Lebanon, Aleppine writer Rasha Moubayed returned to Aleppo, a place of supposed safety, shortly before the rebel takeover. Reflecting on the meaning of this moment, she calls for courage, unity and a focus on rebuilding the city.
An Ode to the Islamic University of Gaza
After Israel targeted my place of higher learning, I went into a state of denial. I refused to accept that my university was gone and that I could never add to the collection of memories I had created there. I began to believe that Israel was at war not just with Hamas or the Palestinian people, but with our most intimate recollections — and especially our collective memory.