When Punk Rock and Hijabs Collide

An Iranian-American Artist's Veiled, Metal-Studded Self-Portraits

In the 1980s, punk rockers wore black leather jackets dotted with metal, pyramid studs to signal their rebellion and toughness. Today, those studs are a popular fashion embellishment found on everything from designer high heels to inexpensive T-shirts. They’re also—in the hands of artist Roya Falahi—creative fodder to explore politics, music, and identity.

“Study of Studs,” an exhibition of Falahi’s work at the Vincent Price Museum at East L.A. College, includes a series of studded and masked self-portraits. After covering a hijab and mask in hundreds of studs, Falahi photographed herself …

November 26, 2014

The Path to Mars Goes From Lebanon to Pasadena

Growing Up in the Middle East, I Loved John Wayne and Gazing at the Stars. I Came to America Believing Nothing Was Impossible.

by Charles Elachi | September 25, 2014

“Only the United States could do this.” Those words were uttered by the head of a foreign space agency who was one of my VIP guests at NASA’s Jet Propulsion …

My Stages of Grief for Iraq

The Country I Loved Died in 1990. The Rise of the Islamic State Is My Worst Nightmare.

by Saif Al-Azzawi | September 8, 2014

When people ask me how I feel about the latest events in Iraq, I tell them I feel sad. All these people—both Americans and Iraqis who have died since 2003—died …

Can We Stop Worrying and Love Iran?

A Lot Could Go Wrong in Continuing U.S.-Iran Negotiations. But So Far, A Lot Has Gone Right.

by Hussein Banai | February 7, 2014

If no good deed goes unpunished, no good diplomatic deed goes unopposed, and certainly the ferocity of opposition to the tentative nuclear deal between Iran and the international community (represented …

What the Heck is Hamid Karzai Thinking?

Omar Samad and Douglas Ollivant On What’s Ahead for Afghanistan and Its Obstinate President

Hosted by Anne-Marie Slaughter | December 13, 2013

Afghan President Hamid Karzai is refusing to sign the U.S. peace agreement that outlines the terms of our 2014 withdrawal. What is he thinking, and how will his actions impact …

Reality Checks for Watchers of Journalism and the Middle East

Michel Martin on the State of the News and Leila Hilal and Dina Sherif on Women’s Empowerment

Hosted by Anne-Marie Slaughter | December 6, 2013

Anne-Marie Slaughter turns the tables on Michel Martin, interviewing the NPR host about the future of journalism—and gets surprising news about changing audience demographics. Leila Hilal, director of New America’s …

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