Zeid Hamdan: the Power of Music in Love & Politics
Credits: Zeid Hamdan playing his guitar – Photo Courtesy of Sachyn Mital Foreword: I met Zeid Hamdan by pure coincidence as I was volunteering at a French music festival in Paris. Looking at the line-up, I noticed a Middle Eastern duo called Bedouin Burger and after researching them, discovered that the musician Zeid Hamdan, was […]
Rasha Hamade: Two Years With Grief
“Since August 4th, 2020, 6:07 pm, no survivor of the Beirut blastperceives life the same way they did before. I find it therapeutic to create and live this continuous grief next to others who share similar yet contrasting experiences. I gathered the experiences of survivors living in Lebanon or part of the diaspora and channeled […]
Fann w Fenjen: Yasmine Darwiche
Foreword Yasmine Darwiche is a freelance graphic designer and illustrator based in Beirut. We came to appreciate Yasmine’s illustrations during the early days of the Lebanese Revolution in 2019 and have since fallen in love with her visual illustrative style. Her Arabian style is, to use her own words, “a way to document and […]
Can Lebanon’s Winds of Change Extend to Prison Reform?: A Discussion with “Second Wind” Directors Nessim Stevenson and Tariq Keblaoui
Foreword: In a fabric of collapsing infrastructures, the daily challenges endured by former prison inmates in Lebanon often go untold. Many inmates charged with nonviolent crimes are indiscriminately housed in overcrowded prisons across the country for durations that far exceed their sentences due to significant delays to the tribunal process. Even after their release, former […]
The Stigma, the Struggles, the Shame: An Interview with Nour Abou Fayad
Editor’s note: Your mental health is important; do not ignore it. We urge you to seek help or talk to someone. If you are suffering from mental health issues or are having suicidal thoughts, please seek assistance immediately and reach out to the national helpline or suicide hotline in your country of residence. Know that […]
Fann w Fenjen: Carlo Kassabian and Badih Ghanem
Foreword: Having moved to Paris in August, I was excited to discover the art and design scene that the city is so well-known for. Scrolling through my Instagram feed, I came across an acquaintance’s story which immediately caught my attention. It had a picture of a flier in it with BEY-PAR-BEY, and within 5 minutes, […]
Being a Part of the Solution, One Garden at a Time: An Interview with SOILS Permaculture Association Lebanon
Foreword: Harmonizing the interaction between humans, nature, and food systems is the very mission of SOILS Permaculture Association Lebanon. For the past seven years, SOILS has been working on introducing permaculture in Lebanon, organising workshops and apprenticeships in permaculture and other related topics such as beekeeping, as well as preparing informational material. In this article, […]
Hamza Mekdad: Redefining Interdisciplinary Art
https://al-rawiya.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Al-Rawiya-Anmiated-Poster.mp4 Credits: [Photo/Animation: Issue 3 cover art by Hamza] Breathing life into static imagery, interdisciplinary artist Hamza Mekdad creates engaging 2D illustrations and animations by combining minimalism with strategic coloring, kinetic typography, line art, symbolism, and sound. Communicating concise messages through visual storytelling, he touches on personal and universal themes associated with the mental, social, political, […]
Pride Month in Lebanon: Celebrating, Mourning, and Remembering
Author’s note: In honor of June being Pride Month, I (virtually) sat down with Karim Nammour, Lary BS, Sasha Elijah, and Sinine Nakhle to discuss the challenges, issues, and successes faced by the LGBTQ+ community in Lebanon on both an individual and community level. They come from different backgrounds and careers, ranging from legal experts […]
Anghami’s Meteoric Rise: A Chat with Co-Founders Eddy Maroun and Elie Habib
From their earliest founding days in 2012, to their recent merger and New York Stock Exchange listing, Eddy Maroun and Elie Habib continue to oversee a modern-day Lebanese success story. Their company, the widely-recognized Anghami, is the first legitimate content streaming platform in the Middle-East and North Africa (MENA) and has risen to host more […]