Category Archives: Blog

Kudos and congrats to the brave and talented cast of “Love & War on the Rooftop: A Tripolitan Tale.” Last night, I had the pleasure of going with a few of my students from the American University of Beirut to see this unique play — which brings together former militiamen from Sunni and Alawite communities in Tripoli. This impressive theatrical endeavor is a rare example of reconciliation in Lebanon. In their radical transformation from snipers to players on the stage, these young actors embody and project the cathartic power of acting and theatre. One of the Sunni actors (who threw his first bomb when he was 13) noted: “I didn’t want to take part in it. The politicians who exploited us taught us that these [the Alawites] are our enemies, but I had never seen them or dealt with them. But all those ideas changed when I came down and met them.” In the words of director Lucien Bourjeil: “At the end, they are the protagonists. Not them as actors, them as people in real life. And the journey they are going through is from being a fighter in a mini civil war to an actor.” As a playwright, I felt inspired by the committed performances of these gifted young theatre artists–and I’ll be thinking of them today while trying to finish my new play…

When I was studying in Russia and getting in touch with my Russian roots, I visited all of the mosques in Moscow and St. Petersburg for my research on Islam in Russia. In Moscow alone, there are over 1.5 million Muslims–the fastest growing and most ethnically diverse demographic group in Russia. Several days ago, Al Jazeera published an article covering the demographics and history of the Muslim community in Moscow. Similarly, the NYTimes posted a video feature today on Muslim image-makers in Moscow. Having studied this community and history for over a decade, I’m certainly finding this current media spotlight on Islam in Russia intriguing…

Every week, my Iranian friends and I like to translate Rumi poems from Persian into English.  Here’s a selection from what we’ve been working on this week:

Where there is kindness, be it peace or be it war.
Where goodness acts, be it prayer or be it quarrel.
When a man’s accepted, be he Roman or be he African…
Surrender and yield we must–if not, your pride’s a stone…

— Rumi

When I was wandering through the Gobi desert on camelback this summer, my Mongolian guide asked me if I’d like a smoke. “No thanks,” I replied, “I don’t smoke.” But after a few strides in the sand, I realized that I’d never taken a photo smoking on a camel. Always game for new experiences, I grabbed one of her cigs and struck a pose in the dunes–wishing I could have gotten the camel to smoke a Camel too…

I’ve been very fortunate to live and work in Turkmenistan (twice!) for extended periods of time. I feel right at home there–and I’m very grateful for all of the experiences I’ve enjoyed while traveling through the country’s spectacular Silk Road cities. Turkmenistan, for reasons too numerous to name, is truly one of a kind. Today, Turkmenistan found another way to stand out–when World Health Organisation chief Margaret Chan declared it the most non-smoking country in the world. I’m looking forward to returning to Ashgabat someday soon to further my research and re-connect with my Turkmen friends–who, of course, don’t smoke…

I took this photo on the Silk Road while exploring the Sufi shrine of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi in southern Kazakhstan…

Eid Mubarak (عيد مبارك)! Wishing everyone celebrating Eid ul-Fitr a joyful and peaceful holiday week-end…

Every week, my Iranian friends and I like to translate the Persian verses of Rumi together. Here’s a short selection from what we’ve been translating and contemplating this week:

Wake up, oh my heart! The world is passing by;
Life froths and flows by, free for the asking.
In the house of the heart, don’t sit oblivious and stupid,
As the caravan passes through the house of life…

— Rumi

Last night, I witnessed a spectacular sunset over the Mediterranean, while prepping to serve Ramadan iftar to Syrian refugees in Beirut. Since we have to hustle every night to get dinner on the table for hundreds of people before sunset, I find that volunteering during Ramadan makes me pay more attention to the sun, the sky, and the sea…

How happy am I about today’s Iran deal? THIS happy! A beautiful ray of hope for future cooperation & peace…

Today in Vienna, diplomats struck a historic deal to curb Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for billions of dollars in sanctions relief. In what is obviously the most significant diplomatic exchange between the United States and Iran since the Iranian Revolution in 1979, Iran agreed to the continuation of the U.N. arms embargo for up to five more years and restrictions on the transfer of ballistic missile technology to Iran for up to eight years. U.N. inspectors will be allowed to press for visits to Iranian military sites, though access will not be guaranteed. While much progress has been made so far, negotiations will continue in the weeks and months ahead. Either way, today, there’s plenty to celebrate–diplomacy (for now) has won. In the words of Iran’s foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif: “I believe this is a historic moment. We are reaching an agreement that is not perfect for anybody but is what we could accomplish. Today could have been the end of hope, but now we are starting a new chapter of hope.”