Artistic heart of Iraq's Kurdistan thrives, but wants more public engagement Sulaimaniyah, often called the Kurdistan Region of Iraq’s “culture capital,” has become something of a haven for artists, though obstacles remain for the vibrant and self-sustaining artistic center they envision. Iraq
Libyan artists turn to black comedy to show youth exploitation A play dubbed “Chocolate Egg” uses black comedy to show the exploitation of young Libyans by officials to lure them into military formations. North Africa
Saudi 2030 to expand art scene in Jeddah, Riyadh With Saudi Arabia’s new social reform plan the local art scene is blooming with a plethora of cultural initiatives. Legacy: Gulf
Gaza's first female beekeeper expands apiary The enclave's first female beekeeper speaks about the challenges facing Gaza's beekeeping profession. Palestine
Um Sameh, the wonder woman of eastern Ghouta With famine gripping the besieged enclave of eastern Ghouta, Um Sameh stepped in with One Hand, an organization she founded, to fill the gap left by international organizations unable to deliver aid to starving residents. Culture & Society
Young Egyptians start campaign to battle sexual abuse A group of young Egyptians launched a graduation project that turned into a public campaign on sexual abuse of children in Egypt. Egypt
Syrian women in Egypt learn to fight through fear A Cairo group is helping Syrian women gain the confidence and skills they need to confront the harassment they often face as refugees in Egypt, and even non-Syrians are joining up. Egypt
Iran risks losing clout in Iraq by arresting Shiite cleric Shirazi The arrest in Iran of cleric Hussein Shirazi, who belongs to an influential religious family in Iraq, sparked outrage and protests among his supporters in several countries. Iraq
Mystery lingers over Turkey’s missing weapons The Turkish government is reluctant or unable to explain the extraordinary increase in lost or stolen guns in the country, including weapons distributed and now missing since the 2016 coup attempt. Turkey
Why Erdogan called for updating Islam Misogyny in the name of Islam proved shocking to Turkey’s secularists, but it also was disturbing to most moderate religious conservatives, many of whom vote for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey
Egyptian campaign speaks up for architectural heritage Inspired by the plight of an Alexandria villa that has played an important literary role, a group of Egyptians are working to educate the public and protect the remaining palaces and other architectural wealth of Egypt. Egypt
Animators with passion bring humor to digital content in Gaza Three young Palestinians are determined to create socially relevant and sometimes-humorous digital content in Gaza despite some obstacles. Palestine
Gazan family discovers Roman site in backyard A Gaza family’s discovery of the remains of a Roman cemetery in their backyard spurred a major conflict between the family and the authorities. Palestine
The dueling states of Palestine Hamas-organized protests on Land Day and Nakba Day in Gaza appear planned to lead to bloodshed, while in the West Bank, the PLO is planning on recognizing a Palestinian state. Palestine
The topsy-turvy world of Jewish-Arab relations Despite evidence of a serious deterioration in relations between Jews and Arabs in Israel, one researcher contends that Israeli Arabs continue to show a strong link to a Jewish and democratic Israel. Palestine
Tunisian women fighting for equal inheritance rights Increasing numbers of women are organizing to pressure the government into legislating equal inheritance rights to replace the current law, which is based on the Quran. Tunisia
