Editorial Note, e-Journal July 2014

With further discord occurring within the Middle East, extending and crossing borders and a new chapter in the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict upon unfolding, it has never been more important to show and promote the other side of the region: namely the People, as well as its diverse culture, history and geography etc. Living outside of the … Continued

Samira Makhmalbaf: Educationalist

Over the last fifteen years or so, there has been a buzz around Iranian cinema, albeit arguably quite a modish interest in a country otherwise so hidden from view. Praise has been heaped upon the likes of Abbas Kiarostami, Jafar Panahi, Asgar Farhadi, and the Makhmalbaf family for their contributions to the ‘New Iranian Cinema’ … Continued

Review – Walid El Masri: Cocoon

Three years after the beginning of the Arab Uprising, and despite numerous supposed false dawns since, there remains little reason for optimism in Syria today. In Cocoon, Paris-based artist Walid El Masri’s intricate reproductions of the dormant subject matter serve both to evoke the isolation and withdrawal prompted by the ongoing bloodshed in Syria, as well as coaxing out a deeper meditation on the wider life-process. While El Masri’s first solo exhibition in London is undoubtedly challenging, the strength of his work as a totality reveals itself in the lingering sensations of unsettling horror and flickering beauty which remain long in the memory.

The Death of the One-State Solution in Israel

The idea that multi-national states have indeed been proven to fail in the on-going Arab Spring, will stand as the premise for this article, and the work will analyse why any option for one-state, arguably an acceptance of the status quo, will fail. The article will also look towards Israel within the newly established Islamist … Continued

All writers' views in articles are their own and do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Asfar team.

Published by Asfar in London, UK - ISSN 2055-7957 (Online)