Category Archives: Blog

Today, I was delighted to see that the above event is scheduled to take place this week at our university. In addition, I was happy to read an Op-Ed in the Times of Oman today on the need to improve care for people with special needs in Oman. As a disability advocate and scholar who publishes on disability (my recent article on disability in Iranian film, “From Leprosy to The Willow Tree: Decoding Disability & Islamic Spirituality in Iranian Film,” was included last year in the Rethinking Disability on Screen symposium at the University of York), I am excited to be witnessing first-hand a growing awareness in Oman about people with disabilities and special needs. My experiences of raising awareness about physical, emotional, and mental disabilities through workshops and public events (in high schools and universities) in Lebanon and Oman have greatly enriched my life in the Middle East and Persian Gulf over the past five years. I’ve learned so much from my friendships with activists like Laila Atshan, a blind Palestinian Harvard-educated therapist treating Yazidi victims of ISIS, and even had the chance to speak about disability rights with heads-of-state like the Dragon King of Bhutan. Further, working with Syrian refugees in Beirut as a professor, yogini, mentor, and volunteer has made me more aware of the intersections of disability and war. It has been a great honor and joy to be a part of the global conversation on disability. We have so much more work to be do — and we need as many allies as we can find. Every attempt to cultivate disability awareness is a step towards achieving greater justice, equality, and understanding for people with temporary and permanent disabilities around the world.

I enjoyed exploring Rayen — a preserved medieval citadel & city molded from the red desert clay of Kerman in Iran…

As a playwright, one of my favorite moments in the theatre was when a Dada play that I had written was performed in Lincoln Center’s Directors Lab (some of the actors in it included Aasif Mandvi, my chihuahua Anubis (as the maestro), and me). The performance was designed to coincide with the 2006 Dada exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art — the first in the United States to focus exclusively on Dada (one of the 20th century’s most influential avant-garde art movements). Recently, there has been renewed worldwide interest in Dada — from New York to Lebanon — in response to widespread conflict and migration. A new exhibit in Beirut, Yalla Dada at Station (curated by Nabil Canaan), is dedicated to resurrecting the Dada movement in the Middle East.
On the occasion of the centennial celebrations of the radical avant-garde Dada movement, STATION presents an interdisciplinary exhibition featuring international and Lebanese artists who embody the creative, revolutionary and universal spirit of Dada. At a time when the Middle East finds itself in a predicament of violent upheaval as Europe was during World War I, YALLA DADA will explore Dada’s artistic reach, contextual significance and potential for resonance in the region. Through a month-long series of parallel events, Yalla Dada will also explore ways to stimulate a Dada impulse in the region.

I have fond memories of visiting Mazar-i Sharif in Afghanistan, so I was alarmed to read about the latest Taliban attack on the German Consulate there.

Rainbow explosion! I tried to blend in while visiting the kaleidoscopic “Pink Mosque” (Nasir al-Molk Mosque) in Shiraz.

When I was in Iran eight years ago, I visited the banks of the Zayanderud, the River of Life, in Isfahan, and was sad to discover that the river had run dry. A few weeks ago, I returned to the legendary arched bridges of Isfahan with members of the Commonwealth Club of California — and found that the river was dry once again. While we were admiring the arched bridges stretched across this thirsty riverbed, I spoke a bit about how scholars and analysts have linked the ongoing conflicts in Syria and Iraq to dwindling water supplies in the Middle East. I also discussed how water wars may be imminent in Central Asia as well. So I was intrigued to see an Al Jazeera story today on Iran’s water crisis — an important environmental phenomenon which has not been received the media attention it deserves. Any sophisticated and nuanced analysis of the future of the Middle East cannot discount the potential destabilizing impact of the intensifying water shortages in the region.

Many thanks to Al Qurum Veterinary Clinic in Azaiba for taking such good care of my chihuahua Anubis and me today–and always. Comforted to know that there is such high quality (and caring) vet care in the Sultanate of Oman!

I enjoyed giving a lecture last night for the World Affairs Council at Shangri-La Muscat — a lovely luxury hotel in the Sultanate of Oman. Before I spoke, I stumbled upon this enormous coffee cup in the hallway — the perfect size for my caffeine fix.

While giving a series of lectures for the Commonwealth Club of California in Iran, I had the opportunity to explore Armenian churches and Christian art in Isfahan…

While giving a series of lectures for the Commonwealth Club of California in Iran, I was surprised and delighted by the large number of foreign tourists that we encountered around the country. The last time that I was in Iran (during the presidency of Ahmadinejad), I hardly saw any international tourists. Today, however, tourism in Iran is so popular that there are not enough hotel rooms in some cities to accommodate all of the travelers. It was exciting to see first-hand that Iran, long avoided by tourists, is suddenly a hot destination.

As you can see, the city center of Yazd is spellbinding at sunset — we were lucky to make it there right before dark.

I was thrilled to return to Naqsh-e Rostam last week to explore the colossal cruciform tombs of ancient Persian kings.

My eyes felt pure delight gazing upon the tallest minarets in all of Iran, while I was exploring Persian mosque architecture in Yazd.

I bought this shirt etched with Hafiz poetry last week in Shiraz, while giving a giving a series of lectures in Iran…