THE LATEST
AL-BUSTAN NEWS
Covering Philadelphia’s Southwest Asian and North African Communities
By Lauren Abunassar
Today, the advocacy landscape is less about idealism and more about triage, grit and the endurance of caring under pressure.
By Lauren Abunassar
“Talking about art and creativity is not secondary or tertiary to Islam. It’s primary to Islam. There is a place in Islam for levity. There is a place for celebrating beauty.”
By Joseph Fahim
The cornerstone of works by diaspora filmmakers is identity and alienation, and intricate community dynamics in relation to diverse American environments. In the scant body of work by Arab Americans, these issues have never surpassed an elementary examination.
By Lauren Abunassar
“Talking about art and creativity is not secondary or tertiary to Islam. It’s primary to Islam. There is a place in Islam for levity. There is a place for celebrating beauty.”
By Joseph Fahim
The cornerstone of works by diaspora filmmakers is identity and alienation, and intricate community dynamics in relation to diverse American environments. In the scant body of work by Arab Americans, these issues have never surpassed an elementary examination.
By Gawhara Abou-eid
All evening, the sold-out venue felt like a citywide inside joke finally getting told out loud.
ARTS & CULTURE
By Ben Bennett
“It’s just a Palestinian’s addiction. You just know [when] you go to your parents’ house, you’ll have a couple big jugs of homemade olive oil.”
By Kenza Bousseloub
At three cafés in South Philadelphia, North African men gather for coffee, company and Kabyle music.
By Ben Bennett
The 2030 census will include a new racial category: ‘MENA’. Until then, these interactive maps, based on data from the Pew Research Center, show where some of Philadelphia’s SWANA communities have settled.
COMMUNITY
By Lauren Abunassar
Today, the advocacy landscape is less about idealism and more about triage, grit and the endurance of caring under pressure.
By Elissa Odeh
“It’s one thing to go to protests and give presentations, but to be able to help my people through henna — and for this business to be recognized as advocacy, as power for the people — that’s something truly meaningful.”
Within the context of organizing, the problem with ceasefires is that they feel like victory. If the problem is defined as "too much killing," then less killing appears to be progress. But the "quiet" periods between military assaults are also a form of violence.