'It Was Just An Accident' takes on the morality of revenge

Acclaimed Iranian director Jafar Panahi tells the story of a group of ordinary people, all tortured by the same man, grappling with whether or not to take justice into their own hands

Maram Abou Hawach

New Writing from the Arab World

[caption id="attachment_55233813" align="alignnone" width="620"] Abdellah Taïa, one of the 39 featured writers[/caption]Beirut 39: New Writing from the Arab World is an anthology of writing by young…

Noam Schimmel

So-called Justice

[caption id="attachment_55233769" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Relatives of Sevil Sevimli, a 19-year-old French student of Turkish descent who was arrested and detained in Turkey on suspicion of…

Nicholas Birch

A Victorian in Arabia

[caption id="attachment_55233703" align="alignnone" width="620"] David Roberts: El Deir, Petra[/caption] The Victorians were fascinated by scenes of far-off lands, in particular by what was…

Juliet Highet

Tenacity of Spirit

[caption id="attachment_55233686" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Retired teacher Rahim Demirbas has planted thirty-five thousand trees around his village (Photo © N. Birch)[/caption]I first met…

Nicholas Birch

An Arabic Beat for a Global Audience

[caption id="attachment_55233625" align="alignleft" width="620"] Arabic Beat cd cover[/caption] [inset_left]Arabic Beat Released July 2012 Putumayo World Music[/inset_left] Putumayo World Music,…

Noam Schimmel

Dear Mr. President

[caption id="attachment_55233531" align="alignnone" width="620"] (credit: Marchina) Boys stand in front of one of the concrete barricades in Mohammed Mahmoud street[/caption] Swiss artist Jean-Luc…

Ati Metwaly

US Missile Umbrella

[caption id="attachment_55233519" align="aligncenter" width="600"] A file photo of the Pentagon's THAAD anti-missile defense rocket[/caption]The US has a long-standing commitment to the Gulf States…

Political Editor: Majalla

Hurdles and other Obstacles

[caption id="attachment_55233408" align="alignnone" width="620"] Brigitte Lacombe: Sudan Running Team[/caption] Entering the exhibition Hey’Ya: Arab Women in Sport at Sotheby’s in London, I stop by…

Amy Assad

Romney, Culture, and the Middle East

[caption id="attachment_55233321" align="aligncenter" width="620"] US Repulican party presidential candidate Mitt Romney stands in front of a picture of the Jerusalem Old City walls at an event in…

Stephen Glain