Peacemindedly

We Wrote in Symbols is

• the first anthology to feature writing by Arab women on lust, love and the erotic.
• spanning 3000 years, it includes the works of classical authors, award-winning contemporary authors and emerging writers, published in English for the first time.

It is a little-known secret that Arabic literature has a long tradition of erotic writing. Behind that secret lies another – that many of the writers are women.

We Wrote in Symbols celebrates the works of 75 of these female writers of Arab heritage who articulate love and lust with artistry and skill. Here, a wedding night takes an unexpected turn beneath a canopy of stars; a woman on the run meets her match in a flirtatious encounter at Dubai Airport; and a carnal awakening occurs in a Palestinian refugee camp. From a masked rendezvous in a circus, to meetings in underground bars and unmade beds, there is no such thing as a typical sexual encounter, as this electrifying anthology shows.

Halal for Muslims is not just about food. It’s a way of life that encompasses the notion of tayyib, connoting a body of ethical principles designed to promote healthy, clean, and wholesome living. Halal is the corporate social responsibility for Muslims.

With executives of Halal Expo and Summit USA, we discuss implication of halal lifestyle in American Muslim communities.

This is the story of a child raised in Canada by parents who embraced a puritanical version of Islam to shield them from racism. Chaudhry explores the joys and sorrows of growing up in a fundamentalist Muslim household, wedding grand historical narratives of colonialism and migration to the small intimate heartbreaks of modern life.

In revisiting the beliefs and ideals she was raised with, Chaudhry invites us to reimagine our ideas of self and family, state and citizenship, love and loss.

Ayesha Chaudry is the Canada Research Chair in Religion, Law and Social Justice and Associate Professor of Islamic studies and Gender studies at the University of British Columbia.

Listen to our new season

Recipes for Refuge is a delicious and unique collection offering readers an experience that transcends mere cookery. First, the food. These are the recipes that are passed down from mother to daughter, father to son, recipes that connect these global refugees to the place they once called home.

Kevin Jones is Assistant Professor of History at the University of Georgia, and author of The Dangers of Poetry: Culture, Politics, and Revolution in Iraq. Levi Thompson is Assistant Professor of Arabic at the University of Colorado Boulder, who translated Syrian-Palestinian poet Ramy al-Ashegh latest poems My Heart Became a Bomb. They will talk with Sara Jamshidi about the dangers and implications of poetry in the Middle East.

With this program, we will honor the month of April announced as the month of poetry.

Susanne Koelbl is an award-winning journalist and foreign correspondent for the German news magazine DER SPIEGEL. In her recent book Behind the Kingdom’s Veil: Inside the New Saudi Arabia Under Mohammed Bin Salman, she chronicles the changes in Saudi Arabia in recent years. Sara Jamshidi will talk with Koelbl about Saudi Arabia and the murder of Saudi Journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Leila Rafei, author of the Spring, a daring beautiful novel about Egypt and Arab Spring, studied Middle East Studies at the American University in Cairo. Originally born to Iranian-American parents, Leila knows a great deal about Egypt, its culture, food, music and its revolution. She will talk with Sara Jamshdi about Spring, her novel took place in Egypt.

Ron Bourke, filmmaker exploring issues of displacement, education, and healthcare directed Terror and Hope: The Science of Resilience. He features Rana Dajani, scientist, world expert in genetics and founder of We Love Reading Project, as well as other other experts to learn about how Syrian children's not only cope with terror in refugee camps, but to create resilience and happiness.

Terror and Hope: The Science of Resilience offers a unique window into the impact of war on children through the work of an international team of scientists led by Yale University working closely with Mercy Corps' team in Jordan.

Medina Tenour Whiteman is a writer, poet, translator, musician, and an Anglo-American born to Sufi converts. In her recent book The Invisible Muslim: Journey Through Whitness and Islam, she discusses how her white privileged background has not helped her to feel ‘at home’ with her Muslim friends in Europe. Sara Jamshidi will talk with Whiteman about what it means to be an invisible Muslim, examining the effect of white Muslim (un)privilege in Europe.