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The afikra Blog
Arab Jazz: What to Listen To
Arab Jazz: What to Listen To

We put together an Arab Jazz mixtape that we hope is more accurate than what’s out there already. Here’s a little introduction to the big names you should know in Arab Jazz.

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Palestinian Prison Literature
Palestinian Prison Literature

Prison literature forms an important part of the Palestinian literary canon, yet it is often overlooked and understudied. This article offers a brief introduction to the genre, its history, and some recommendations for works and authors to read. Photo from the Digital Archive of the Palestinian Museum via Mondoweiss.

Beit Hammad: Al-Nabulsi Castle
Beit Hammad: Al-Nabulsi Castle

Mohammed Hammad writes about his family home in Nablus — Beit Hammad — sharing its history and its present.

Tsawwar... Mohamed Osam
Tsawwar... Mohamed Osam

Our new series, Tsawwar, explores places, people and moments in time through the eyes of photographers and their photos. This week’s features a photo and blurb by Mohamed Osam.

Bahrain's Dilmun Burial Mounds
Bahrain's Dilmun Burial Mounds

A cultural and archaeological history of Bahrain’s Dilmun Burial Mounds written by Zeina Alkhaja former archives assistant at the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities who now works at the Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage. Image via Dilmun Mounds UNESCO nomination text

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Who's the Egyptian woman in the painting that sold for 4.7 million pounds in Berlin? Ne'mat Aloui originally named Ne'mat Khairy, was the daughter of Ahmed Khairy Pasha, a prominent official in Egypt during the late 19th century. She later took the
Returning to her family's home in Jerusalem, a playbook for dealing with "Soft Zionists", and cognitive dissonance. Next week on This Is Not a Watermelon podcast, Palestinian doctor, scholar and research fellow @karmighada offers powerful
"A Soldier Dreams of White Lilies" is a poetry book by Mahmoud Darwish, designed and illustrated by Saloua Rawda Choucair. In this work, Darwish delves into a conversation with an Israeli soldier who longs for white lilies, symbolizing a de
Meet the #OutlinePodcast co-host @sabineboghossian! Our local diaspora in #Brussels. In each Daftar Digest we feature a Q&A with someone from the local diaspora around the world. It’s a small way to get to know our community and discover t
Lili Boniche (born in Algiers in 1921), was a celebrated Algerian singer and musician of Sephardic Jewish descent. He popularized Arabic-Andalusian music by blending traditional North African melodies with jazz, tango, and other Western styles. Singi
A brand new episode of Shik Shak Shook Ones – your new favorite podcast in our network! And @marcowenjones talks to us about Ai and how consent and fake news can be manufactured. Monday on the afikra podcast, we're joined by Marc Owen Jones, A
Why did the Ai-generated ALL EYES ON RAFAH post go viral? Was Bella Hadid's manipulated video really believable? What are the dangers posed by monopolized social media platforms and data colonialism? Associate Professor of Media Analytics at @nuqatar
What is a Khayamiya? Khayamiya is a traditional Egyptian appliqué textile art, originally used for decorating tents, hence the name "khayamiya," which means "of a tent" in Arabic. These textiles are made by stitching laye
Azzedine Alaïa was a Tunisian-born and raised fashion designer and is today one of the most iconic designers of the 20th century. Celebrated for his meticulous craftsmanship and innovative designs that accentuated the female form, he was often c

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Lesson Plans for Teachers

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Lesson Plans for Teachers 🤓

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The Egyptian Women’s Rights Movement
The Egyptian Women’s Rights Movement

An introduction to the Egyptian Women’s Movement and its pioneers. With a link to our lesson plan that delves into this topic for high-schoolers.

The Travels of Ibn Battuta
The Travels of Ibn Battuta

A look at the life and travels of legendary wanderer Ibn Batutta. With an introduction to our afikra lesson plans!

House of Wisdom: Inventions in the Islamic Golden Age
House of Wisdom: Inventions in the Islamic Golden Age

Highlighting some of the scholars and their inventions from the House of Wisdom in Baghdad during the Islamic Golden Age.

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“Islamic Art: Mirror of the Invisible World” at the Louvre Abu Dhabi
“Islamic Art: Mirror of the Invisible World” at the Louvre Abu Dhabi

A recap of a panel about Islamic Arts that our founder and executive director, Mikey Muhanna, hosted at the Louvre Abu Dhabi. Featuring panelists Fakhera Al Kindi, eL Seed and Suheyla Takesh delving into Islamic arts – traditional and contemporary – and much more.

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COP28: Community Jameel
COP28: Community Jameel

In case you missed it: an introduction to the Community Jameel x afikra COP28 podcast Series that builds a forum for intergenerational collaboration and engagement, channels a unique voice and inspires thoughtful discussions between youth, experts, non-experts and key global decision-makers.

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Bas Sou'al: afikra Community Podcast
Bas Sou'al: afikra Community Podcast

Introducing afikra’s community podcast that showcases community member’s presentations from global chapters around the world. Hear presentations on nerdy topics ranging from an unrequited love for Umm Kulthum to the Yemeni diaspora in Indonesia.

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Kuwait's Architecture
Kuwait's Architecture

What are the most important buildings in Kuwait city’s skyline? Who are the architects that built the urban fabric of this gulf city? A quick guide to some of Kuwait’s most iconic buildings. Image via Arquitecture Viva

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Listen, Read, Watch: Morocco
Listen, Read, Watch: Morocco

Recommendations for what to Listen, Watch, Read list from Morocco, featuring Bab L’Bluz, Laila Lalami, and Asmae El Moudir.

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