Arab content creators use social media to talk about sex, sexuality and reproductive health
In recent years, as sex education curriculums remain unattainable in most Arab countries, several Arab women have taken on the task of providing alternatives, offering sex-related information via social media to an increasingly curious youth. As of now, Tunisia remains the only Arab country with a sex education curriculum, introduced through a pilot program in the public-school system in 2020.
A screenshot from an Instagram post by Niswa, one of several social media bids to erase sexual illiteracy.
📸: @bimberkeck_
Article published on Global Voices.
The US Nonprofits Supporting Israeli Jewish-only Settlements
Since its occupation of the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem in 1967, Israel has practiced a policy of Jewish-only settlement expansion over Palestinian land. A land that the International Community designated as the territory of a future Palestinian State. Jewish-only settlements constitute a violation of international law and the Fourth Geneva Convention, but they have remained a stable policy of consecutive Israeli governments. But who are the American non-profits supporting Israeli settler expansion in the Occupied Territories? I speak with journalist Alex Kane.
Since its occupation of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem in 1967, Israel has practiced a policy of Jewish-only settlement expansion over Palestinian land. A land that the International Community designated as the territory of a future Palestinian State.
Jewish-only settlements constitute a violation of international law and international humanitarian law, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention, but they have remained a stable policy of consecutive Israeli right-wing and left-wing governments. Even with the upheaval inside Israeli politics, the Israeli cabinet still had the time to green-light the construction of over 500 new settlement units in the Bethlehem region, in May.
And as protest and legal challenges to forced evictions, of Palestinian families, continue in East Jerusalem, we take a look at the the American non-profits supporting Israeli settler expansion in the occupied territories.
To learn more I spoke with journalist Alex Kane, he is a contributing writer for Jewish Currents and +972 Magazine. His work has also appeared in The Intercept, Vice, In These Times, Al Jazeera and more.
A Royal Dispute or an Attempted Coup in Jordan, with Dr. Ziad Abu-Rish
How can we understand the turmoil inside the royal family and is there truly a rift at the highest ranks of the Jordanian regime? How do these events link to the public discontent around the country's suffering economy? And how will it impact civil liberties and the social and political movements already bearing the brunt of restrictive anti-terrorism and cybersecurity laws?
On April 3rd, rumors started circulating about the arrest of Jordan’s former crown Prince Hamzah Bin Hussein, and some senior officials. A brief statement by the army denied the arrest but confirmed the prince was asked to stop, what the statement called, activities that were employed to target Jordan's security and stability.
In a leaked video, Prince Hamzah said that he was placed under house arrest and denied involvement with foreign powers, and aligned himself with the Jordanian street which is growingly frustrated by what he called the corruption and incompetence of the system.
How can we understand this turmoil inside the royal family and is there truly a rift at the highest ranks of the Jordanian regime? How do these events link to the public discontent around the country's suffering economy? And how will it impact civil liberties and the social and political movements already bearing the brunt of restrictive anti-terrorism and cybersecurity laws.
To learn more I spoke with Dr. Ziad Abu-Rish, the director of the MA program in Human Rights and the Arts at Bard College. A historian by training, his research focuses on popular mobilizations and state formation in Jordan and Lebanon. Abu-Rish is also co-editor of Jadaliyya e-zine.
Journalist Nidal Rafa' on the Situation in Sheikh Jarrah, Jerusalem.
Since the beginning of Ramadan in mid-April, tensions have been rising in the old city of Jerusalem. Palestinians have been protesting an Israeli court decision to evict four Palestinian families from their homes in the neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah to make room for Israeli settlers. To learn more I spoke with journalist Nidal Rafa.
Since the beginning of Ramadan in mid-April, tensions have been rising in the old city of Jerusalem. Palestinians have been protesting an Israeli court decision to evict four Palestinian families from their homes in the neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah to make room for Israeli settlers. Four other families will also be facing eviction in August.
The families in question have lived in their homes since 1956. At the time, East Jerusalem and the West Bank were under Jordanian control. The families which were made refugees as a result of Israel's establishment in 1948, were given the land by the Jordanian authorities and were able to build the homes with assistance from the United Nations Agency for Palestinian refugees. Since the 70's Israeli right-wing settler organizations have been trying to evict these families under the pretext that the land originally belonged to Jews before the establishment of Israel.
According to a 2020 survey by the United Nations, at least 218 Palestinian households in East Jerusalem, including the families in Sheikh Jarrah, have eviction cases filed against them. If implemented 970 people, including 424 children will be displaced. Palestinians say the evictions are a continuation of Israel's policy of ethnic cleansing.
The protests and sit-ins have been faced with settler violence backed by the Israeli police, which used rubber-coated bullets, tear gas canisters and even high pressure skunk water to disperse protestors.
In recent days, Israel has escalated its repression in East Jerusalem, by radining the Al Aqsa mosque compound and even shelling of Palestinian worshippers. Further south, Israel has also launched its latest war on Gaza, hitting civilian buildings and killing over 40 people, including at least 14 children.
To better understand the events that are unfolding in East Jerusalem, I spoke with Nidal Rafa', a Palestinian journalist and TV producer based in Jerusalem. Nidal is a board member for several Palestinian civil society organization including ADALAH (The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel), Al SIWAR feminist organizaton in Haifa and The Arab Journalist Club and Khalil Sakakini cultural center in Ramallah. With Marwa Jbara Tibi, she is co-director of the documentary ''ABBAS 36'' Nidal Rafa', a Palestinian journalist and TV producer based in Jerusalem. Nidal is a board member for several Palestinian civil society organizations including ADALAH (The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel), Al SIWAR feminist organization in Haifa and The Arab Journalist Club and Khalil Sakakini cultural center in Ramallah. With Marwa Jbara Tibi, she is co-director of the documentary ''ABBAS 36'' together with
Favorite Ramadan Podcast Episodes
Here's a list of some of my favorite listens (in Arabic and English) this Ramadan to help bring some sense of familiarity and maybe peace and connectedness. Some of those suggested listens are more to do with the tradition and rituals of Ramadan, others are interesting episodes from Muslim creators that I listened to while preparing iftar.
So, it occurred to me that it would be a great idea to make a list of some of my favorite podcast episodes to listen to this Ramadan. Like last year, most of us are celebrating this Ramadan home and without the usual gatherings for Iftar or prayers. I for one, feel the loneliest in Ramadan being in the US and away from my family, and with Covid lockdowns, things have been even harder and I won’t lie, it sucks. So anything that reminds me of Ramadan at home among family and friends, any special meals, shows, music are my refuge to try to recreate some of the joy and special atmosphere that only those who spent time in the Middle East or among Muslim communities can relate to. So without further ado here's a list of some of my favorite listens (in Arabic and English) this Ramadan to help bring some sense of familiarity and maybe peace and connectedness. Some of those suggested listens are more to do with the tradition and rituals of Ramadan, others are interesting episodes from Muslim creators that I listened to while preparing eftar. I will keep adding to the list until the end of Ramadan:
From the Sowt Podcast Network, the show Dom Tak has plenty of beautiful Ramadan Specials. I chose this new episode that talks about the tradition of inshad in Damascus, Syria, and a well-known local trio.
2. Another one from Dom Tak's 2020 Ramadan specials, an episode about the renowned Egyptian performance artist Sherihan. Sherihan for Arab kids of the 80s and 90's is a marvel!!! How can a Ramadan pass without tuning in to her fawazeer show where she sings, dances and performs what ends up being a riddle… Arab viewers at home used to watch the episode and mail their answers. I truly wish this episode was longer.
And now to something in English: 3. Tell them, I am is a show by producer Misha Euceph and does a beautiful job in presenting these personal stories from Muslim guests of different backgrounds in what feels like an easy and yet captivating style. I liked the episode with Uyghur young woman Jewher Ilham.
4. Ok so, this one is slightly a different type of show that I randomly came across it while looking for Muslim and Arab content in English. I thought it's a really important conversation as Ramadan is not only a time of rich cultural traditions but also a time for worship and religious traditions, and what a better time to deepen our understanding of Islam as also a message for social justice, this episode from the "Diaspora Disorientate" does a great job in engaging with that question and more:
5. A sweet episode from "Aal Osoul" from the Kerning Cultures network, teaching us about Ramadan in Somalia (in Arabic). The show features short episodes, each with a focus on a different region or country and the Ramadan traditions and cultural practices from that part of the Arab world. If you like this one check out more from this podcast.
6. What's Ramadan without musalsalat? This may resonate more to those of you Arabic speakers and those into Arab drama.. Every year dozens of brand new shows and TV dramas are released for the month of Ramadan, yes, Ramadan is suposed to be the month of worship and sharing meals but in the Arab world it is also THE month for entertainment. This year is no different despite the pandemic we saw a huge number of new series, especially from Egypt. This episode from the podcast "the cinematology podcast” reviews the top shows to watch in Ramadan 2021 and for sure you will still have a lot to catch up on when Ramadan is over too.
Teen Lives around the World: A Global Encyclopedia
I wrote the Palestine entry for this book edited by Karen Wells. In this post, I share the book description, to order the book, visit abc-clio's website.
I wrote the Palestine entry for this book edited by Karen Wells. Below I share the book description, to order the book, visit abc-clio's website: https://products.abc-clio.com/abc-cliocorporate/product.aspx?pc=A5269C
Description
This two-volume encyclopedia looks at the lives of teenagers around the world, examining topics from a typical school day to major issues that teens face today, including bullying, violence, sexuality, and social and financial pressures.
Teenagers are living in a rapidly changing and increasingly interconnected yet unequal world. Whether they live in Australia or Zimbabwe, they have in common that they are between childhood and adulthood and increasingly aware of how inequality is affecting their lives and futures. This encyclopedia gives a different perspective based on the experiences of teens in 60 countries.
Each entry gives the reader a brief sketch of a country to helps readers to understand how geography, history, economics, and politics shape teen life. The entries include a country overview and cover the following topics: Schooling and Education; Extracurricular Activities: Art, Music, and Sports; Family and Social Life; Religions and Cultural Rites of Passage; Rights and Legal Status; and Issues Today. Special sidebars, called Teen Voices, appear throughout the text, and include a description of a typical day in the life of a teen in various countries. Students will be able to gain a better understanding of what life is like around the world for their peers and will be able to easily make cross-cultural comparisons between different countries.
Features
Gives readers a glimpse into a typical day in the life of a teen in countries around the world, from wake up time to classes to after school activities
Focuses on interesting facts and anecdotal information
Allows students to make cross-national comparisons of topics such as literacy, education, rights, internet use, and other key issues
Shows a complex picture of new family forms, new gender roles, and declining religious belief with the strong persistence of conservative values
US Government Removes the MENA Category from the 2020 US Census
While the Supreme Court has for now blocked the addition of the citizenship question on the 2020 census, the problems around under-counting people especially in minority communities are far from over. One group that has also suffered the consequences of Trump administration’s politicization of the census has been people of Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) background.
No MENA in Census: In-depth Interview with Dr. Loubna Qutami
In recent months, the Trump administration’s plan to add a citizenship question on the 2020 US census, has garnered significant controversy and media attention. For now the supreme court decide to bloc the question but the decision is not yet final.
The census is supposed to count all people living in the United States regardless of citizenship status, and is crucial for determining how federal funds are distributed and how congressional districts are drawn. The legal challenge to the citizenship question sites concern of an undercount, especially in immigrant communities.
But there are other critical questions left out of this conversation, like, why is the Trump administration refusing to add a box for the Middle Eastern and North African-identifying peoples on the upcoming 2020 census form?
Today, the exact number of people of Southwest Asian or Middle Eastern and North African background in the United States isn't exactly known. Arabs alone are estimated to be more than 3 million in the US, and according to a report in the LA Times, in the last census, about 80% of people from the MENA region were forced to self-identify as white because the census has no special box they can check.
The other option for these communities has been to choose "other", which many have resisted doing!
For years, the Arab and Middle Eastern community organizations have advocated for a special box, and they were close to getting one until the Trump administration came into power.
So, why is the census important? and why is it so important to Arab and Middle Easterners in the US? To get some answers to these questions, and to learn more about the history of racialization of this community, I spoke with Loubna Qutami. She is a post-doctoral fellow in Ethnic Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, and the former executive director of the Arab Cultural and community center in San Francisco.
Wired CitizenshipYouth Learning and Activism in the Middle East
I wrote a book chapter for the book “Wired Citizenship: Youth Learning and Activism in the Middle East” edited by Linda Herrera & Rehab Sakr. In this post, I share the book description and table of content, to order go to Routledge's website.
I wrote a book chapter for the book “Wired Citizenship: Youth Learning and Activism in the Middle East”edited by Linda Herrera & Rehab Sakr. Below I share the book description and table of content, to order go to Routledge's website: https://www.routledge.com/Wired-Citizenship-Youth-Learning-and-Activism-in-the-Middle-East/Herrera/p/book/9780415853941
Book Description
Wired Citizenship examines the evolving patterns of youth learning and activism in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). In today’s digital age, in which formal schooling often competes with the peer-driven outlets provided by social media, youth all over the globe have forged new models of civic engagement, rewriting the script of what it means to live in a democratic society. As a result, state-society relationships have shifted—never more clearly than in the MENA region, where recent uprisings were spurred by the mobilization of tech-savvy and politicized youth.
Combining original research with a thorough exploration of theories of democracy, communications, and critical pedagogy, this edited collection describes how youth are performing citizenship, innovating systems of learning, and re-imagining the practices of activism in the information age. Recent case studies illustrate the context-specific effects of these revolutionary new forms of learning and social engagement in the MENA region.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction: Wired and Revolutionary in the Middle East and North Africa
Linda Herrera & Rehab Sakr
Section I: Virtual Learning for Critical Citizenship
Chapter 2: Youth and Citizenship in the Digital Age: A View from Egypt
Linda Herrera (republished from Harvard Educational Review)
Chapter 3: Morocco On-Trial: De-colonial Logic and Transformative Practice in Cyberspace
Charis Boutieri
Chapter 4: Children’s Citizenship: Revolution and the Seeds of an Alternative Future in Egypt
Chiara Diana
Chapter 5: Cyberspace in Turkey: A “youthful” space for expressing powerful discontent and suffering
Demet Lüküslü
Chapter 6: Distorting Digital Citizenship: Khaled Said, Facebook, and Egypt’s
Streets
Amro Ali & Dina El-Sharnouby
Section II: Internet, Geopolitics and Redefining the Political
Chapter 7: “Hungry for Freedom” Palestine Youth Activism in the Era of Social Media
Mira Nabulsi
Chapter 8: Opening Networks, Sealing Borders: Youth and Racist Discourse on the Internet
Miranda Christou & Elena Ioannidou
Chapter 9: Computer Intimacy: Digitally-Mediated Democratization of Arab Youth Culture
Catherine Cornet
Chapter 10: “We Are Not All Malala”: Children and Citizenship in the Age of Internet & Drones
Fauzia Rahman
Chapter 11: The Power of Online Networks: Citizenship among Muslim Brotherhood Cyber Youth
Rehab Sakr
Chapter 12: Digital Technology as Surveillance: The Green Movement in Iran
Narges Bajoghli
Source: https://www.routledge.com/Wired-Citizenship-Youth-Learning-and-Activism-in-the-Middle-East/Herrera/p/book/9780415853941