The Arabic short story first appeared in the late 19th century in daily newspapers and weekly magazines. Some argue this is because the Arabic short story was short enough to be published and could be read quickly and easily.

By the end of the 19th century, Egyptian, Lebanese and Syrian publications increased the number of Arabic short stories: these were called Riwaya , Qissah, or Hikayah.  The Arabic short story can be classified in different periods.  Read more>>

The Egyptian National Soccer team improved its chances to qualify for the World Cup by defeating Rwanda 3 – 0 on July 5, 2009. Although the Egyptian national team holds the record for winning the African championships an unprecedented six times, it has not been able to qualify for the World Cup since 1990.

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The glaring sun, the waves lapping against the shore, children laughing and playing, bodies displayed for all to see with only scant swimsuits for protection. These are some of the images that come to mind when thinking of the beach, but for many Muslim women, they are not able to enjoy the beach in the same way.

Many modest women avoid swimming in public areas because of the lack of any proper swimsuits that cover them according to Islamic standards. There has been a need for proper swimsuits that would make a woman comfortable enough to step out in as well as to swim in, but these needs had not yet been met. Many women who would swim, would either so do in large swaths of clothes or ingeniously make their own version of a modest swimsuit.  Read more>>

Michael Jackson’s death felt like a shockwave throughout the world. The King of Pop, dead at 50. People didn’t believe the headlines, fans mourned his passing like that of a family member, there were even cases of fans committing suicide because they simply couldn’t live on. The outpouring of grief from the Muslim world and Arabs in particular has also shown what a global fan base Jackson truly had.  Read more>>

On June 27, 2009, Amr Diab released his new album “Wayah”.  Like most of his albums, it was eagerly awaited by his fans around the world.  Diab is regarded as a pioneer and innovator within mainstream music world, as well as within Arab and Meditteranean communities.

To illustrate, he has won the prestigious World Music Award for best selling artist in the Middle East on 3 separate occasions: in 2007 for his album “El LelaDy”; in 2001 for his album, “Aktar Wahed”; and in 1996 for his triple platinum album “Nur Al-Ayn”.  Diab has won many other awards, such as “Artist of the Year”, “Song of the Year” and “Video of the Year” through many Arab and Egyptian organizations.  Read more>>