On June 4, an Egyptian court sentenced 43 employees of pro-democracy NGOs, including 16 Americans, to between one and five years in prison. This incredibly politicized case, combined with a...

June 12 marks the one-week anniversary of an ongoing sit-in by prominent Egyptian writers, filmmakers, performers and intellectuals seeking the removal of Minister of Culture Alaa Abdel-Aziz. They broke into...

Lanky models in high heels saunter down the catwalk, one wearing a huge pink rose headpiece while another's face is draped in a taupe silk headscarf adorned with dangling gold...

Zaher Shehab clearly remembers how he heard the news. The Bath University student had been meeting his PhD supervisor when he logged on to Facebook. To his horror, the site...

In Al-Kasaba Theater in Ramallah, a group of actors were getting ready to go on stage. In the yellow light of lightbulbs framing the mirrors, actresses Amira Habash, Maisa Abd...

Do you remember the very first time you went to the movies? Do you remember that feeling of excitement mixed with awe, when you would hand the ticket to the...

Don’t Stop U.S. Aid to Egypt just yet

Is Culture Ministry Sit-In a Warm Up For Egypt's June 30 Protests?

Muslim Fashion On Display In Indonesia As Models Show Islamic Style

Britain's Syrian Community: How War Is Dividing Families

Palestinian Cultural Scene Thrives Amid Hardships

Minister of Culture Wages Campaign Against Egyptian Artists

A New President, Now What?

Do not congratulate me if you think I am happy that a “reformist” (read with extra sarcastic emphasis) has won the Iranian presidential election in Iran. I find nothing more saddening than the message...

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The Roots of Muslim Rage? Comfy Counter-Narratives Don’t Address Them!

When the Muslim community in America reaches a point of finally talking about the issues of radicalism that face Muslim youth, that’s a sure sign that we’ve progressed. Surely, intolerance and hate ar...

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Mosireen Empowers Citizen Journalists

Continuing my look (aslan-media-columns/above-the-fold/item/336-poignant-crowd-sourced-film-recreates-the-palestinian-experience#.UYHBECvEpn8) at the use of crowd funding in the Middle East, in this p...

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I’ve Been Lost

I have been relatively quiet these past few weeks for Aslan Media. "Why?", you ask? Because the situation in Egypt depresses me. I may not be Egyptian, but as an expat witnessing this ong...

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Parkour life: Iranian Women Get Physical

On any given Friday, groups of young women across Iran can be seen jumping from rooftops, scaling the graffitied walls of apartment blocks, and catapulting themselves over stairways. They are...

Shohreh Aghdashloo, From Tehran To Hollywood

Iranian American actress Shohreh Aghdashloo, who earned an Oscar nomination for her performance in "House of Sand and Fog" (2003), writes about her life journey from Tehran under siege to...

Reza Aramesh on Bringing His Images of Violence to NYC Nightclubs

In his first U.S. exhibition, the Iranian-born, London-based artist Reza Aramesh has brought his highly political works into what would initially seem, to those unfamiliar with his work, to be...

Vote4Zahra: A Virtual Candidate for Iran’s Elections (Part Two)

This is part two of our interview with Zahra’s Paradise author and co-creator Amir Soltani. Click here (arts-culture/mideast-art/21339-vote4zahra-a-virtual-candidate-in-iran-s-upcoming-elections-part-one) to read part one. Aslan Media contributing writer Roxanne Rashedi recently had a...

The Use Of The Written Word In The Art Of Shirin Neshat & Lalla Essaydi

While often perceived as a purely aural element, the word is as important a visual tool in politically-motivated art. Shirin Neshat and Lalla Essaydi, two artists known for their use of calligraphy,...

‘Indecent’ ballet? Egyptian Islamist lawmaker angers dancers

An Islamist member of Egypt’s Shura Council has stirred controversy for describing ballet dancing as “the art of nudity,” prompting objections from a number of dancers. Council member Gamal Hamed, of...