Read an excerpt of Marwan Kraidy's latest book The Naked Blogger of Cairo here. On Tuesday, December 6, 2016, a strange sight appeared on Rabin Square in Tel Aviv. Close to city hall, passersby saw a four-meter high gilded statue of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a suit, legs firmly planted …

During a lecture entitled “‘I Think We Will be Calm During the Next War’: Past, Present, and Future Violence in Lebanese Comics,” Ghenwa Hayek, assistant professor of Modern Arabic Literature at the University of Chicago, discussed Lebanese comics as a means of reflecting war and conflict. After her presentation she …

The field of comics scholarship has expanded radically in the past decade as the medium has entered into the realm of mainstream academic discourse, thanks to the contributions of scholars who are themselves comic artists, like Will Eisner and Scott McCloud, and others, notably Hillary Chute and Jared Gardner.[1] Comics …

Eshtebak (Clash) defies convenient stereotypes of heroes and villains. There are no comfortable answers, and there is no feel-good storyline; it is unapologetically raw and gritty. Clash compels audiences to doubt their perceptions of conflict and political antagonism, a vexing challenge for an Egyptian public accustomed to propagandist narratives on …

July 31, 2016—Friction between passionate football supporters and their depiction in sports media has developed over the past few years. Ultras Ahlawy, the Egyptian organization under which the fans gather, is at the epicenter of violence and anti-government conspiracy theories.

TUNIS—The American Embassy in Tunis and the fan club Star Wars Tunisia will host “Star Wars Day” tomorrow. The day is dedicated to exploring the iconic films and their roots in Tunisia. Many scenes from the first six films were taped in the south of Tunisia, including nearly all of …

July 26, 2016—Following a sudden health crisis, Egyptian director and filmmaker Mohamed Khan died this morning at age 73. He changed the face of Egyptian cinema in the 1980s with the expansion of neo-realism. Khan was born in Cairo in 1942 and studied at the London International Film School.

CAIRO—Renowned tycoon Naguib Sawiris has sold the company that owns the television channel ONTV. According to a spokesperson today, Egyptian Media Company bought the company. Egyptian Media Company, owned by businessman Ahmed Abu Hashima, released a statement announcing the signed acquisition contract with Sawiris. The deal handed over complete ownership …

February 20, 2016—Egyptian writer and novelist Ahmed Naji was sentenced to two years in prison on Saturday after publishing "obscene sexual content" from a chapter in his novel, The Guide for Using Life, in a state-owned literary magazine in August 2014.

February 3, 2016—American media company Fusion and the office of Bassem Youssef announced on Sunday that the Egyptian heart surgeon turned award-winning television show host will be working with the network.