On November 14rth an airstrike was carried out by Israeli forces on over twenty areas in Gaza. The Israeli military has stated that these attacks were in response to recent rocket strikes from Hamas militants in Gaza. The Israeli attack ended up killing a military commander of Hamas, Ahmed al-Jabari, making him the highest ranking […]
Read more "Too close to call"As the fighting and devastation continues in Syria many are asking when it will end. Unfortunately, this end does not seem to be possible or probable in the near future. In an interview on November 8th, Bashar al-Assad made a public threat that Western military intervention would cost, “more than the world can afford.” He […]
Read more "No End In Sight"Shariah, literally meaning “a path to the water hole,” Law is a term that many Westerners throw around without truly understanding its origin or its function in society. To some they think it is an oppressive system that represents the entirety of what Islam is when this is far from the truth. In its most […]
Read more "Shariah Law"Education is always a topic of great debate in the United States as of late though it seems to particularly focus on the decline of the education system. It goes without saying that better education leads to a brighter future for a country. Similar to the U.S. there is a vast difference between private and […]
Read more "No Child Left Behind"Belly dancing, among many things, is often looked upon in the West with a somewhat Orientalist fantasy of exoticism in the Middle East, without knowledge of its actual origin and purpose it is quite easy to look upon in such a way. Despite the Orientalist view that many may take on this there is definitely […]
Read more "Origins and Progression of Belly Dancing"It is incredibly simple for Westerners and Europeans to look at the often hostile situation occurring in Israel between Palestinians and Israeli’s and become frustrated. From this frustration we cannot seem to understand why these two groups don’t just compromise for a two state solution and solve all of these problems, but the fact of […]
Read more "The Reality and Possibility of a One or Two State Solution"Rape and other forms of violence against women are issues that continue to be relevant in both the U.S. and the Middle East. In all of these countries the fight continues for women to feel safe walking home alone at night or in some cases just being seen alone with a man. These are not […]
Read more "The fight for safety; more than taking back the night"The United States and Lebanon both boast of ideas of diversity and progressiveness, however, neither seems to be particularly adamant on practicing these ideas. LGBT communities in both countries still fear discrimination and oftentimes violence. The difference between the two countries however can be seen in the legal system. Currently in the U.S. eight states […]
Read more "LGBT Rights in the U.S. and Lebanon: How Much Progress Has Really Been Made?"The United States and Lebanon both boast of ideas of diversity and progressiveness, however, neither seems to be particularly adamant on practicing these ideas. LGBT communities in both countries still fear discrimination and oftentimes violence. The difference between the two countries however can be seen in the legal system. Currently in the U.S. eight states […]
Read more "LGBT Rights in the U.S. and Lebanon: How Much Progress Has Really Been Made?"Interfaith dialogue and action is a growing trend heard of more and more in the United States, particularly among college campuses. It is, however, not something that most Americans associate with the Middle East. Government and the media both play a huge role in the associations that we as a society make about foreign countries, […]
Read more "Religious peace; not so impossible after all?"
Across Cultures 