AL-BUSTAN NEWS
Covering Philadelphia’s Southwest Asian and North African Communities
Despite Sanctuary City Status, Philadelphia’s Immigrant Communities Are Under Siege
By Ragad Ahmad
The human cost of ICE raids and escalating immigration enforcement has been profound and pervasive.
Cinema, Etcetera | My Six Hopes for Arab Cinema in 2026
By Joseph Fahim
What Arab cinema needs now is not decorative Oscar recognition, but sustained community engagement and inventive, grassroots marketing strategies.
‘Palestine 36’ Reveals the Cruel Logic of Empire and the Limits of Endurance
By Gawhara Abou-eid
The film poses a question that echoes long after the credits roll: Is endurance the only solution Palestinians are permitted?
Art as Resistance | Lara Bedewi Is Telling One Arab Story at a Time — and That’s the Point
By Lauren Abunassar
While Bedewi has often worried that her films will be misconstrued as representative of all Arab experience, she has increasingly felt permitted to tell ‘one’ Arab story, not ‘the’ Arab story.
An Area Couple Celebrates their Engagement with Iraqi Traditions — and Some New Ones (Video)
By Kenza Bousseloub
On December 19, Amani's and Lucio's families and friends came together for a one–of–a–kind North Philly engagement party.
Explainer: The ‘Invisible Crisis’ in Sudan
By Ben Bennett
The current conflict in Sudan, now in its third year, is being called “the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.” But awareness about the crisis continues to be limited..
Al-Bustan News Team
Editor
Nisa Qazi
Current Journalism Fellows
Gawhara Abou-eid
Amna Khalafalla
Columnists
Lauren Abunassar
Joseph Fahim