Category Archives: Blog

This winter, when I was invited to be a guest of honor at a wonderful conference on Sufism in India and Central Asia at Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi, I had the opportunity to discuss my research and visit India’s most popular Sufi shrines. On my visit to the beautiful tomb of Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti (b. 1141) in Ajmer, I carried some roses with me to scatter in his shrine. It’s customary to bear gifts when visiting the revered Dargah Sharif–a peaceful place of remembrance for this beloved “benefactor of the poor.”

Earlier this week, a red chadar (cloth) with the message “Greeting of Peace” was sent by US President Barack Obama to the shrine of Moinuddin Chishti on the occasion of the Sufi saint’s 803rd urs. US Ambassador Richard Verma delivered the cloth to Haji Syed Salman Chishty, Director of the Chishti Foundation. Prime Minister Modi also sent a chadar to the shrine. Dergah Sharif, one of the most important pilgrimage sites in India, is visited by people from all different religions. For example, when I visited the shrine, I was accompanied by a yogi and a Christian–both of whom draw inspiration from Chishti’s dedication to the poor. For the annual urs celebration, the tomb is ritually anointed with rose water and sandal wood paste, qawwali songs are sung, Sufi poetry is recited, and many prayers are offered from pilgrims around the world…

The film 74 (The Reconstitution of a Struggle) aims to recreate the 1974 student occupation of the American University of Beirut, while drawing many parallels between the struggles of the 1970s and the political realities of Lebanon today. A meditation on revolution, the film focuses on members of the student council who led the occupation one year prior to the Lebanese civil war…

Today in Beirut, I hosted this exciting talk by my colleague Dr. Paul du Quenoy. It’s always a joy to discuss Slavic Studies in Lebanon. When I was speaking Russian this afternoon with Alexander Serov‘s great-grandson, I found myself longing to return to Russia…

When I was living on a research grant in Slovakia and re-connecting with my Slovak roots, I noticed that many adults were living at home with their parents. An article in today’s NYTimes reports that 74 percent of adults in Slovakia from ages 18 to 34 — irrespective of employment or marital status — are currently residing with their parents. Among older adults (25 to 34 years old) 57 percent are living at “Hotel Mama” — a common phenomenon throughout Eastern Europe…

While exploring the town of Matmata in southern Tunisia, I paid a visit to the troglodyte dwelling used as a filming location for Luke Skywalker’s home in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977). The location also appeared in the 2002 prequel film Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. Today, the dwelling functions as Hotel Sidi Driss, though I didn’t see any guests staying in its spartan cave rooms…

While exploring the oasis town of Tozeur in southern Tunisia near the Algerian border, I wandered through its tranquil date-palm groves until I came to an opening with a large face carved into a mountain. The face is that of Tunisian poet Aboul-Qacem Echebbi (d. 1934), who was born in Tozeur. During the 2011 Tunisian demonstrations, his powerful poem Tyrants of the World became a popular chant. Here are some of my favorite lines of his poetry translated from Arabic to English by Mahmoud Abbas Masoud…

Whisper your gentle love to the breeze and clouds
Hum soulful tunes to the stars and moon
Talk to life with the language of your heart
And commune with the captivating beauty of a unique existence

Darkness, too, revealed a hidden charm
Stirring the imagination, inspiring thoughts
A strange mystic harmony engulfed the universe
Skillfully manipulating it as an ingenious magician

Candles of glittering stars were lit all
The sweet perfume of flowers wafted about
A spirit of strange beauty fluttered by
With wings made of moonbeams bright

The sacred song of life rang out
Within a dreaming, charmed temple
Announcing this truth to the whole universe
Aspiration is the fuel and flame of life
The spirit and stamina of victory
Yea, when souls aspire for a worthy and noble existence
The Fates will accordingly respond.

It was jarring to see bullet holes on a number of glass display cases at the Bardo Museum in the wake of the recent terrorist attack that left over 20 people dead in Tunisia. Even more disturbing was watching children put their fingers through the bullet holes to take photos…

This week, while on a desert safari in the south of Tunisia, I visited several sets and landscapes used as shooting locations for various Star Wars films. Because my friend and I arrived early in the morning to the Mos Eisley Cantina, we had the place all to ourselves–which is probably why we felt comfortable enough to dress up as Darth Vader and duel with lightsabers. The buildings are surrounded by large dunes–which periodically threaten to destroy the whole set. If you’re planning on traveling to Tunisia, definitely take a journey to these iconic spaceports in the sands of the Sahara…

Last week, on a visit to the Bardo Museum in Tunis, I found myself drawn to the “mirror” depicted in this fine mosaic…

I passed by this long wall of graffiti while exploring Kébili–a lovely oasis town in the south of Tunisia…

Waking up has been easy this week with a delicious breakfast waiting for me every morning at La Chambre Bleue–a hidden B&B treasure in the medieval medina of Tunis…