Four books that explain why the world is burning

Our ancestors managed the land with controlled fires that reduced the accumulation of dry wood and vegetation. Not doing so means we now have giant fuel stores. Sometimes, the old ways are the best

Osama Esber

Mashrou' Leila's New Project

[caption id="attachment_55245956" align="alignnone" width="620"] Hamed Sinno of Mashrou' Leila. (The Majalla/James Hanna)[/caption]The small concert hall at The Garage in Highbury and Islington is a…

Amy Assad

I Want to Ride My Bicycle

Wadjda is an adventurous pre-teen with a simple enough request: she wants a bicycle. But in Saudi Arabia, bicycles are only for boys. Girls are not supposed to exert themselves in any kind of…

Caryle Murphy

A Tale of Destiny—and Cats

[caption id="attachment_55245766" align="alignnone" width="620"] A still from Feeding 500. (Rafed Al-Harthi/ Ray Hadded)[/caption] Many people would claim to be cat lovers, but very few would…

Amy Assad

Pearls of Wisdom

[caption id="attachment_55245684" align="alignnone" width="620"] Buckets of pearls at the V&A's Pearls exhibition (James Hanna/V&A/Qatar Museum's Authority)[/caption]A large, seventeenth…

Amy Assad

Turkish Hospitality

[caption id="attachment_55245600" align="alignnone" width="594"] A child pulls a suitcase as Syrian refugees arrive in Turkey at the Cilvegözü crossing gate of Reyhanlı, on August 31, 2013. (Bulent…

Barçin Yinanç

A Question of Freedom

[caption id="attachment_55245548" align="alignnone" width="620"] Khaled Takreti"Chaos," 2013, Acrylic on Canvas(Courtesy of the artist and Ayyam Gallery)[/caption] “Freedom is when someone can…

Mina Al-Droubi

A Taxi Ride down Syria Street

[caption id="attachment_55245431" align="alignnone" width="620"]Barbed wire between Bab Al-Tabbaneh and Jebel Mohsen on Syria Street, Tripoli, Lebanon. (The Majalla/Hannah Lucinda Smith)[/caption…

Hannah Lucinda Smith

Feast your Eyes

[caption id="attachment_55245395" align="alignnone" width="620"] Wine horn with gazelle protome, Sasanian period, 4th century, silver gilt. (courtesy: Juliet Highet)[/caption]For over 1,000 years,…

Juliet Highet

A Caravan from Egypt

[caption id="attachment_55245242" align="alignnone" width="620"] Donkey painted by Marwa Adel. (CARAVAN)[/caption]On August 30, St. Paul's Cathedral in London inaugurated an exhibition of life-sized…

Ati Metwaly

A Thin Red Line

[caption id="attachment_55245048" align="aligncenter" width="620"] In this handout image provided by the U.S. Navy, The USS Barry launches a Tomahawk missile in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn…

Andrew Bowen