AL-BUSTAN NEWS
Covering Philadelphia’s Southwest Asian and North African Communities
Seeking SWANA Actors: Minou Pourshariati Navigates the Opportunities and Pitfalls of ‘Umbrella Casting’
By Gauri Mangala
The last decade of American theatre has pushed theatre owners, producers and casting directors to think more deeply about how to consider casting along racial and ethnic lines.
Video | Ahmad Almallah: Not the Usual English
By Ahmed Hassouna
Palestinian-American poet Ahmad Almallah describes how loss — of his homeland, his language, his mother’s memories — has shaped his life and work.
Art as Resistance | The Risograph Book Offering a Glimpse of Palestinian Survival
By Lauren Abunassar
“Jadu’i Book,” curated by Philadelphia-based artist Rami George, is a nuanced archive of Palestinian diaspora, advocacy, resistance and grief.
Cinema, Etcetera | Why Does the West Ignore Arab Comedies?
By Joseph Fahim
“Comedy doesn’t translate,” distributors and curators insist; cultural specificity, local pop culture references and the very rhythm and tone of humor are seen as impossible to universalize. Yet this is precisely why comedies are arguably the most authentic expression of their cultures.
Cinema, Etcetera | The Oscars and Berlinale Show the Limits on Political Speeches at Awards Ceremonies
By Joseph Fahim
Film, however politically explicit, can rarely match the immediacy of a speech. Unlike cinema, which, no matter how direct, remains open to interpretation, a speech is an unambiguous articulation of an artist’s political stance, delivered in real time on a global stage.
The Comics Behind Next Month’s Eid Comedy Jam Believe in the Power of ‘Halal Humor’
By Lauren Abunassar
“When I'm on stage, I do feel a huge sense of obligation to make sure that the comedy that I'm doing and the environment that I curate for people is in line with what my ideals are. I’m a representation of something bigger than me.”
Al-Bustan News Team
Editor
Nisa Qazi
Current Journalism Fellows
Gawhara Abou-eid
Amna Khalafalla
Columnists
Lauren Abunassar
Joseph Fahim