A collection of alternative world views
“When I think of what literature can do, and I think of the ways that literature has changed minds and opened imaginations, I want to say that we African writers must centre the African gaze. We must centre the Nigerian gaze, the Cameroonian gaze, the Ethiopian gaze, the Kenyan gaze. We need to be writing…
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Melanin Permission Slip by Jessica Fisher Hmmm, Brown skin, curly hair Intriguing Black? Latina? Native American? All three? Maybe, but surely too pretty to be black And not mixed with something Oh. Does that make it more acceptable to love me? Do you now have permission with the assumed dilution of my melanin? Could…
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On the 15th of April 2019, the famous cathedral Notre Dame in Paris, France, caught fire. The aftermath of the event and the conversations that have arisen since then can be used as a case study for how this world values, prioritises and discusses news. Looking back at this week, I want to recall…
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“Islam has ended homosexual practices, not homoerotic sentiment” – Homoeroticism and homosexuality in Islam, Sabine Schmidtke In this paper, the relationship between homoeroticism and homophobia in Muslim countries will be explained while mainly focusing on Egypt, through mentioning a brief introduction about Egypt’s history and the rise of Islam, and reflecting the differences between the past…
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We are finally releasing the trailer of our film “Because I am a Belly Dancer.”
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BECAUSE I AM A BELLY DANCER Rina loves and lives belly dance, a traditional Egyptian form of expression proudly celebrated in Arabic cinema and culture. However in Egypt’s conservative society dominated by men, the public loves belly dance as a folk and social dance as well as performance art, while at the same time shaming…
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Who am I? Who am I to myself and who am I to others? Does their opinion mold and influence who I am? A few questions that have crossed and constantly cross my mind. Well, I am a son, a brother, a student, a lover and more, but who is really me? I’ve struggled, like many…
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1 Learn from art; make art Your creativity is your safe space. Your room is your refuge; your pictures, your drawings, your books, your music and your writings are your tools for self-therapy. Be inspired both by yourself and other women. Share their strength, learn from them and learn from and about yourself. Listen to…
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“Muskizism” is a poem by Amuna Wagner about her experiences living in Egypt for a year. The poem was turned into a short film using footage she captured while observing her environment with the help of her dear friend Ahmed Doola. It is presented and produced by kandaka.blog and edited by Hannah Wolny.
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“I am here to confuse you” is the title of a speech the Egyptian Journalist Mona Eltahawy gave at TEDWomen2010. Mona uses confusion as a tool to shift perspectives and fight misogyny in the Arab world as well as in the West where Arab women are often times stereotyped as being helpless and obedient victims…
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