Culture

Why are Algorithms called Algorithms? A brief History of the Persian Polymath you’ve likely never Heard of

By Debbie Passey, The University of Melbourne | – (The Conversation) – Algorithms have become integral to our lives. From social media apps to Netflix, algorithms learn your preferences and prioritise the content you are shown. Google Maps and artificial intelligence are nothing without algorithms. So, we’ve all heard of them, but where does the […]

Anti-intellectualism

“Intifada” in Arabic just means Uprising or Mass Protest; it is used for the Jewish Warsaw Uprising

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – A key feature of American bigotry toward people from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and toward Muslims more generally, has been the demonization by journalists, politicians and interest groups of ordinary, everyday Arabic words. Arabic words have a proud and positive history in the English language. Consider a […]

Books

Stories from the Center of the World: New Middle East Fiction

Jordan Elgrably

Excerpted from Stories from the Center of the World: New Middle East Fiction Available from City Lights The center of the world, where recorded civilization got its start over 7,000 years ago, can be found in southwestern Asia, in ancient Mesopotamia. It can be found in The Epic of Gilgamesh, in the Torah and the […]

Culture

Piety and Sexuality: The Subaltern Poetry of Mir Taqi Mir

Anthony A. Lee

Mir Taqi Mir (1723-1810) is recognized as one of the greatest poets of the Urdu language. He is claimed by Pakistan as one of the premier poets who helped to shape the language and its literature. Of course, he is hardly known in the West. So, we hear him as a subaltern voice. A new […]

Culture

The Music of the late Iranian Singer Faramarz Aslani, Forced into Exile by a Puritan Revolution

Fariba Amini

Newark, Del. (Special to Informed Comment) – Amidst war and genocide in Ukraine and in Gaza, a new spring came along. For millions of Persian-speaking people, March 19 marked the beginning of Nowruz or new day this year. A holiday with Zoroastrian roots, Nowruz is celebrated in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and parts of India and […]

Books

The film ‘Dune’: Techno-Orientalism, and Intergalactic Islam

Ibrahim Al-Marashi

“Based on Herbert’s 1965 science fiction classic, “Dune” is a tale of a rising duke, intergalactic power struggles, a precious spice, and lethal spaceworms. The story, which deals with religion, politics, myth, destiny, heritage, environmental decay and colonialism resonates as much with audiences today as it did when the novel was first published.” ( TRT […]

Anti-Zionism

QZionism hits Peak Conspiracy Theory with Smears of Oscar-Winning Jonathan Glazer

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The brave and highly ethical Oscar-award-winning director, Jonathan Glazer, has been targeted by the crazies on the Zionist (Israeli-nationalist) right wing, as were all the actors and film people who expressed horror at the genocide in Gaza. Their allegations on social media are so bizarre and crazed that they are […]

Culture

The Ongoing Genocidal Violence against the Palestinian People and their Cultural Heritage in Gaza: MESA

Committee on Academic Freedom

The Middle East Studies Association of North America | Letters from the Board | Committee on Academic Freedom | The Board of Directors of the Middle East Studies Association and its Committee on Academic Freedom condemn in the strongest possible terms the ongoing attack on Gaza by the state of Israel, which has now claimed […]

Books

Dune Part Two: The Islamic Dimension

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Journalist and science fiction writer Frank Herbert’s Dune epic has many themes. One is, clearly, environmentalism and the need for humans to adapt to their environment. Another is the struggle between regimented bureaucratic civilization and individualism. Yet another is the temptation to use religion for liberatory purposes. The Denis Villeneuve […]