Saoirse Ronan and other Oscar contenders

The BBC Arabic did program about female contenders for Oscar honors later this month. They focused on female contenders in light of the #MeToo movement. So I think they started talking about Harry Weinstein, but then they quickly switched to interviews with the director and cast of "Ladybird", and then with Meryl Streep. Can you believe all those big names are doing interviews with the Arabic news?!

They started off with Greta Gerwig, who directed "Ladybird". Have you seen it? I have not. But I like what the director said. She was talking about how much or how little the film is based on her own life. It's about a teenaged girl in high school. But lots of people like the film. Greta Gerwig said: "The more specific you make a story, the more universal it is."

Then they talked to Saoirse Ronan, the actress playing the teenage girl. Saoirse has had a profound impact on my life, for reasons too addle-brained to explain. So watched her pop up on the BBC Arabic was quite something!

Then finally, here's the BBC Arabic man interviewing Meryl Streep about her movie, "The Post". They also started talking about #MeToo. She said: Maybe what women want is not empowerment; just inclusion. 50-50% at the top levels, at the board rooms, etc. It makes the world wacky when it's out of balance. If women aren't at the leadership level, then you can't blame men for thinking women are something less.

Bookstore in Mosul

The BBC Arabic  visited a bookstore in Mosul, one of the businesses trying to put things together now that Daesh has been kicked out.

The people browsing the books have big hopes:

"Me and some of the other young people here are getting together and trying to do something to bring culture back."

"We want to show people that after all the death and sadness, we are more than that."

Cake Lady in Libya

The BBC Arabic did a little report about a lady who makes cakes in Libya. They're really nice looking. She doesn't have a store. I didn't catch if that was because she's not allowed as a woman, or because her family's too poor to start one, or because there's no infrastructure or customers for that where she lives.

But she said: Libya has problems, that is true, but we must be optimistic.

Oh, she had made a special cake for the BBC!

Pretty miniature houses in Iraq

There's a man in Iraq whose mom used to read books to him when he was little. Many of them depicted scenes from Europe and the US.

So he started recreating those scenes by making little miniature houses and filling them with exquisite details! They're called dioramas. He's made scenes of London, Paris, and New York.

This looks real, doesn't it? But it's smaller than a dollhouse.

Here you can see a bookstore in Paris! Boulevard Books!

The man doing all this was interviewed on the BBC Arabic. Dioramas are not a widespread art-form in the Middle East, so he didn't really have a ready stock of material he could buy. So he makes all the little pieces himself:

Here is the man himself, talking to the BBC Arabic through Skype:

He is currently living in Turkey as a refugee because of the very unsafe situation in Iraq. At one point, he did have an exhibition of his works in Baghdad, but that was two years ago before he fled with his kids and wife. "Obviously, I don't have the exhibition now, but I pray, and we all pray, that the conditions there will get better and if so, then surely I would love to go back and do more exhibitions."

Here you can see his finger on a little toy horse, in a little bedroom, in a tiny little house!

The BBC Arabic lady who did the interview said: I'm assuming you do scenes from Europe and the the US because most of the books you read when younger were set in these areas. But would you ever consider doing a scene from the Arab world?

And he said:

No, I do not pick Arab places because I do this so I can remove myself from my reality. I cannot at the moment think about doing a scene of Iraq. One day, inshallah, I'll make one of these of Iraq, and it will fill me with joy. If i do it now, it will surely fill me with pain.

It takes him 2-3 months to make a diorama. He first studies the place he is recreating for a month.

"If I want to build Paris, I have to look at the windows, the doors, the floors. But it's fine that it takes that long, because it fills me with joy."

The BBC Arabic interviewer asked if part of this had to do with reconnecting with his childhood.

He said: yes, it reminds me of my youth, even though my childhood was so hard, but I don't know, when i think back to childhood, I still get happy.

The interviewer next asked: this is a very small artform in the Middle East. Why do you think the Arab world doesn't care about dioramas? Do they just not care about details?

"Well," said the Iraqi artist, "I think Arabs do care about details, but you know even in the world at large these dioramas are not very widespread or popular."

The interviewer asked: have you ever gotten to visit these places, or is it all based on books you've read and movies you've watched?

He said: No, I have not, but Inshallah, one day I'll get to visit these places, if God wills it.

Since he's living in Turkey as a refugee, it's impossible for him to travel at the moment, but he said, Inshallah something will work out.

Iraqi culture and Iraqi Jews

The BBC Arabic did a little dialogue at the end of May about the state of Iraqi arts and the cultural scene.

They are having a hard time because, as this man says, people like Daa-esh (ISIS) don't like things like music and books and art.

"The Middle East is crazy right now, culture is trying to defend itself from Daa-esh and all the militias."

And besides, there's been so much war and devastation it can be hard to think about pure, beautiful things. One of the Iraqis in the conversation said: 'Being cultured in Iraq is like combing your hair when you're bald'.

This is, I think, one of the scenes of devastation that makes it so hard to get beyond:

This man interviewed at a book market said that Iraqi arts have lost their voice. It has been affected by the religious and political challenges, and these days people are religious rather than exploring the cultural side of things.

Amazingly, they also interviewed a man from the Iraqi military. I didn't catch if this was just his philosophy, or if this is the official position of the Iraqi military, but he said that 'we need culture' in our lives, it's very important for our society.

And here is a concert that the military was holding:

And then they talked about how when there is so much war and unhappiness, people feel like they are being shallow if they enjoy music and art (again, like combing your hair when you're actually bald.)

People feel like they can't deal with cultural things, because it's so far below what is going on.

One old man said: I believe there's a group of young Iraqis trying to stay with music and books. I believe and trust in them, and that they can improve the politics.

The next day, the BBC Arabic was talking about Iraq again, this time about how there are so many divisions in society. So this old man came and was talking about how Iraq used to be, before the second World War:

He said that in those days, Iraq had many Jewish people among its population, and they lived in all parts of the country, from the north to the south. And they did not live in ghettos like in Europe. Other Iraqis would buy kosher from them. The Jews and the Muslims were living side by side.

But as we all know, these days are over; that ship has sailed.

Another person in the conversation was asked: do you think that Iraqi could go back to all the minorities living together in peace?

The answer: Yes, but not soon. Because Daa-esh has ruined things. It will need a long period of healing first.

Making Syrian cheese in Britain

This is Razan:

She is Syrian, and she is now living in Yorkshire in Britain.

She was interviewed on the BBC Arabic because she got the bronze prize for a cheese-making contest. People submitted their cheeses from all over Britain. Razan submitted a sample of 'halloum' cheese from her shop in Yorkshire.

Halloum is a kind of cheese from the Middle East. I've had it before. It's really good!

I think the report said that Razan was a recent arrival to Britain. When she first came, and got the idea for opening a shop where she made and sold cheese, she says that she heard two hundred "no's". Not from British people, but from her own family and other Syrians and Arabs. Razan says: "we Arabs have a very negative attitude." People don't think they can do anything. 

But, Razan persevered and opened her shop regardless. 

She got money - either a loan or a grant - from the British government, or maybe the local Yorkshire government, to help open the shop. And now she has assistants and everything. It looks like a science lab!

Turkish flowers in Holland

The BBC Arabic had a report about a big flower festival in Holland.  One of the participating groups were Turkish. So they were all interviewed and they were talking about how proud they were of their massive display, and how all the visitors liked it! This was April 21, 2015:

Maggie Gyllenhaal on the BBC Arabic

Maggie Gyllenhaal was interviewed on the BBC Arabic for their 'independent film' show because she starred in a TV series set in Palestine and Israel.

The interviewer told her: you've often been known for your open-minded attitude towards the Middle East. How did that play out in this TV series?

She said: I think when it comes to the Middle East, portraying it in this TV show comes from a place of compassion ...

And then the interviewer asked her: However, there is a scene in the TV show where a rape occurs. And the person committing the rape is Palestinian. So the show just seems to make everything about Arabs seem worse.

And Maggie said:  All I can say is, please watch the entire eight-part series. Don't just focus on that one scene. I don't want to say too much and give it all away, but ...

She explained something about how the main character is an Israeli woman who is trying to promote equality with Palestinians, and I think she said that the dad of the main character had killed tons of Palestinians, and his daughter is ashamed and trying to make things right. I think the point was that no group of people in the show are portrayed as totally good or totally bad.

Then she finished by saying: Please trust us, and I really think you would have to watch all eight episodes. And please, just trust us.

Hindu Festival of Lights

Yesterday, the BBC Arabic reported on some cheerful news.

First, they reported on the Festival of Lights in India, although I think they were referring to it as the Festival of Colors. Update: it turns out it is called the Festival of Colors! Isn't there also a Festival of Lights?

The report said: this is a celebration not just for Hindus, but for all religions; and it is celebrated in all countries, including in Europe and the United States.

They interviewed either an American or a British lady - I couldn't catch the accent because the interpreter was speaking over her - who was on site. She said: I am just so happy to be here.

And then they closed by saying that the Festival of Lights is rivaling the Carnival in Brazil by size.

After that, they talked about the Eurovision Song Contest. This is a song contest for all of Europe. Every country picks a singer and sends them to the big show in May. So right now, each country is in the process of voting on who it will be. Apparently, the Germans voted for some guy. But right afterwards, this guy said: I am a bad singer, and I shouldn't compete.

That brought tears to the second-placer, whose name is Sophie or something, because now she gets to move forward with her song. So she wiped her tears and took the stage to sing in victory.

German Protests and Spanish Festivals

Here is the BBC Arabic on January 6, 2015 with a report about the anti-immigrations protests taking places in Germany.

This lady says that if you go to a place in Germany called Offenbach, which I guess has a lot of immigrants, you will not hear a single word of German being spoken. And she adds that this is not good.

Then here is the German Prime Minister or Chancellor giving a speech in which she protests the protests:

She is saying: don't follow the ideas of the people at the protests.

But I liked what the BBC Arabic did here. They didn't show just gloomy news from Europe. The very next report was from Spain, where they are having a great festival involving the three Kings:

Lots of lights and dancing!

The Mosque in Washington DC

On my way to the Swedish Embassy, we happened to pass the mosque in DC! So in we went. 

 First glimpse of the minaret as you walk along the fancy street in DC towards the mosque

The mosque has a large courtyard out front, and what feels like several lodges spread out to greet you first. It's like those old manors from the English aristocracy, where you first pass the porter's lodge, and the gatekeepers, and the barns and what not, but now I'm getting a bit too fanciful! There's not big lawns and winding paths, but just office space and a bookstore. You walk into the courtyard enclosed within them and that is where you get to the entrance of the mosque. 

When we got there, a bunch of little kids were sitting on the floor. The buses outside said St. Stephen's and St. Agnes' School. Some of the kids looked serious, others looked impish. They were all clustered around the mosque representative who was talking to them about Islam.

Then, while the little kids were still seated, a group of high schoolers walked in, also clearly on a field-trip. All the girls were wearing scarves on their hair, though most managed to have the tips of their hair pouring fashionably out out the back. The little kids left to get back on their buses, and I remembered how Claudia and Jamie from "The mixed-up files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler" had joined school tours in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, just by pretending that they belonged. I decided to do the same here. I caught the whole interaction between the mosque imam and the high school kids. 

The mosque representative, who I think turned out to be the Imam himself, was a very kind-looking old man. He has an accent and when he talks he kind of drones on and on. 

First thing, he told the high-schoolers that Islam means submission to God, and that we believe in all the Prophets starting with Abraham. 

Then he said that every year for one month, we fast from "food, drink and bad things", and that this is supposed to remind us of people who have nothing to eat and drink. 

Then he said Islam teaches that we all have pre-planned lives. "Every Muslim in the world believes this," said the Imam. I personally hate it when a Muslim says, "every Muslim thinks this" or "every Muslim thinks that." No, actually, we probably don't. 

Then the Imam said that it's mandatory to give money to "eliminate or reduce poverty," and that this brings intimacy between people, and that money should be donated discreetly. 

FInally, the Imam rounded things off, Muslims go to Mecca. Why? Because Islam is an old religion and Mecca was built by Abraham. 

Then it was the question-and-answer time. And since I actually am Muslim, I of course had many of them. 

I asked: how can we have a pre-planned life, and still have the free will to choose between doing good and evil? 

The Imam said, oh, that's a beautiful question, thank you for that beautiful question. But then he just kind of preached aimlessly about something, I got lost, and I don't think he answered. 

A high school boy asked: why can't you depict Mohamed?

Imam: What?

High school boy: why can't you depict Mohamed?

Imam: What?

So the boy repeated himself yet again, and I think on the third try the Imam finally understood. The Imam said:

Oh, God bless you, that is a beautiful question!

And so it went on. I didn't write down all the answers and questions, so let me describe what the mosque looks like from the inside. 

It's small. It's a rectangular room, but you can't see all of it all at once because columns and pillars rise like a forest. When I say small, I still mean that it held about 100 students tucked onto the floor all at the same time, and could have held many more. But still, it's kind of small. 

The floor is spread with many, many Persian rugs. 

The pillars: I think there were 16 pillars spaced out evenly. Some were pale green marble with a lantern-like lamp posted onto them. Others had garish tiles plastered on them. 

The walls of the mosque were constructed of the same garish tiles. These can be describe as displaying flowery, scrolling designs: dark blue, light blue, green, orange-brown scrolls and blooms on a white background. Each tile has only a small part of the entire design, so you have to see a whole wall of tiles. But really, there's not a bigger image to see. It's just variation after variation of flowery scrolls. 

One of the high schoolers asked: why don't you believe that Jesus was the son of Mary?

The Imam said: we believe that Jesus was a spirit that God conceived in Mary, but not his son. 

While all this was happening, four too-cool-for-this boys sitting in the back were on their cell phones. One boy's boxer shorts were poking out. This particular boy kept lying down, and the girl in front of him kept slapping his knee when he did so. 

Someone asked: how does Islam view other religions?

Imam: we consider Christians and Jews to be 'People of the Book'. 

The pillars rise up, and near the ceiling they all get connected with archways - arches that are very reminiscent of Islamic architecture. They look like this:

Finally, these archways rise higher and become the ceiling. There are insets up there with Arabic words. First, there's a green inset border, then a yellow one, then dark red, and finally white; and a blue background behind everything. The Arabic words are written in white with a red outline, and the same words are written again, just behind the white, but in light green this time. 

The arches and the ceiling are all connected with triangles coming together, and finally, way way up, there's small church-like windows of stained glass - this is the part where the dome is. 

Then, we got to the questions about women. 

High-school kid: Why do men and women separate when praying?
Imam: Because of how we kneel down. We have to only be thinking about God. 

High-school student: Why do women cover their hair?
Imam: Women spend hundreds of dollars on their hair! Why? We need to limit attraction so that no one becomes interested in you. Besides that, after a women gets married, she has to focus on her family. (as an afterthought, the Imam remembered to say: and so does the husband.)

And then someone asked: what is up between Sunnis and Shias?
And this is where it became very apparent just how sunny, united, and brotherly this Imam really is!
The Imam said: Sunni means that we follow the teachings of Mohamed. The Shia is a sect that grew out after 30 years. They believed that Mohamed's son-in-law should take power. They became a political sect. So to summarize, the Sunni follow the law of Mohamed, and the other one came up with a political system. 

I told someone about how the Imam answered that question, and we both agreed, wouldn't it have been better for him to say: you know what, we're all Muslim, we all believe in the same basic things, and this Sunni-Shia fighting happening today is really stupid and juvenile. But clearly, that's not happening. 

Finally, a girl asked about Arabic and how it is spoken. 
The Imam obliged and asked her, "keef al haal", or كيف الحال, or how are you doing? Really, the girl's whole reason for asking the question was so that she could say: I know how to say Asalam Alaykum! So she did that and the Imam gave her a pleased smile, and that was the end. 

The Imam said: it was a great pleasure to have you all here today, with which the student responded by clapping strongly. 

It was time to leave. The assistant Imam walked up and gave instructions. He asked the young ladies to leave and get their shoes first (everyone leaves their shoes by the doorway before entering the mosque.) The Imam said: oh-ho!

So the girls piled out into the courtyard first, and the boys followed. Groups of friends took pictures together, and then everyone took a big class picture. One or two girls unveiled their hair immediately, but most were still wearing their scarves during the picture-taking and everyone seeming very pleased, and I thought they all looked good. 

 It appears the mosque is across from the Spanish embassy!

And finally, they went back to their buses, and one blonde teacher kept her scarf on the whole time. 

Now I just need to finish describing what the walls look like. I said that they have the same garish tiles plastered on, but that's just the lower part of the wall. Above the garish tiles it's just bare white. Above the white, there are the same sort of Islamic-looking arches, except they are laid right into the walls. The insides of the arches are brownish-looking cement, but stars and clouds have been cut into the brown, with yellow panes of glass inserted, and the sunrays come through that. The clouds all have seven lobes, the stars all have eight points. 

Big chandeliers are hanging from the ceiling.

Matisse and Prelude on the BBC Arabic

The BBC Arabic has a show on culture, and on October 13, the show was on an exhibit of Matisse paintings.

I guess Matisse is nice, but the background music was Prelude on the cello, and that was really nice. I think that is a nice thing to get to listen to on the news.

Islamic museum in Canada opens

For the first time, a museum about Islamic history is opening in North America, and the BBC Arabic ran a report about this.

The museum is located in North America, and will have all sorts of artifacts:

These are from Andalusia.

This are Islamic things from China:

A nice bit of calligraphy:

A Quran from the 8th century!

Here's the name of the museum:

Movie from Italy to Sweden

I am back in the Arabic news business! (I hope!)

On September 5, the BBC Arabic had a little report on a movie made that followed five undocumented Syrian refugees. They had fled Syria to arrive in Lampedusa, Italy. But of course, it sucked there, so the movie was about them making their way to my darling Sweden.

My Arabic apparently sucks as much as Italy, so I don't actually know what was going on, but there was something about a wedding. So they kept showing shots of the dancing wedding-goers. Ho ho ho, Arabs are so jolly!!!

 A jolly Arab. 

 Thoughtful Arabs

 This map is the map showing the flight of the refugees from Italy to my own beautiful Sweden. 

Arabs in hiding

Music, Palestine, and the EU

An art school in Palestine held a national music competition back in March or April, 2014.

The BBC Arabic covered it.

Here is a Palestinian violinist performing:

I think she said: art is a big thing, because it can travel and many people can watch it.

 The EU gave money so that nice prizes could be given to the winners. That's how come you see EU flags in the background.

Here's a singing lady. I think they said that she wowwed everyone!

Peaceful face of an audience member: