Ahmad Faris Al-Shidyaq: In quest of another modernity

Cambridge University Press

Al-Shidyaq, bearer of "the possible modernity": Work, not Education, as the motor of renaissance; the repression of female instinct as the basis of male domination—and peasant revolts, not the European "spark," as his context.

Ahmad Faris Shidyaq: An Arab Traveller in 19th Century Europe

Shidyaq: a deacon who converted, the first Arab socialist—and 121 years on, his Muslim name still embarrasses his Maronite village.

Mai Masri 3000 nights

An introduction to Mai Masri's film: her films are about women and children not as victims but as resisters—and a child born in prison asks: "What is a bird?"

On Etel Adnan

A tribute to Etel Adnan: "she transforms noise into velvet," and woman is what man lost since Adam—his paradise lost. "Change the world or go home!"

Modern Arab Feminism

Arab women's rights are the first concession to fundamentalism—and since 1929, Nazirah Zayn al-Din's question stands: "Do you want to unfurl your flags over your women's faces as a substitute for the kingdoms you have lost?"

An Intelligent Man’s Guide to Modern Arab Feminism

Al-Shidyaq saw the repression of female instinct as the foundation of male domination—and Nazirah Zayn al-Din asked: "Do you want to unfurl your flags over your women's faces as a substitute kingdom for the kingdoms you have lost?"

Feminizing Politics

Al-Raida

Feminizing politics is not numerical representation but freeing politics from the patriarchy that produces authoritarianism—and the intellectual construction of Arab feminism remains an unfinished project.