Forthcoming
Snatching liberty seemed compelling. Some of us thrived; some of us died. All of us had a taste. from author Toni Morrison, on friendships.
I don't want to see stores looted or buildings burned; but African- Americans have been living in burning buildings for years, choking on smoke as flames burn closer and closer. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
That’s not a chip on my shoulder. That’s your foot on my neck. – Malcolm X
"We must never, ever give up. We must be brave. We must be courageous." John Lewis, activist, congressman. 1940-2020
This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness. ~ Dalai Lama
"Never forget that justice is what love looks like in public." Professor Cornel West.
"Only by learning to live in harmony with your contradictions can you keep it all afloat." Audre Lorde
"The serious function of racism is distraction". 1995, Toni Morrison; Portland lecture, Playing in The Dark
“If I tell the story, I control the version. Because if I tell the story, I can make you laugh, and I would rather have you laugh at me than feel sorry for me.” Nora Ephron
"Freeing yourself was one thing; claiming ownership of that freed self was another." author Toni Morrison (1931- 2019)
“If I tell the story, I control the version. Because if I tell the story, I can make you laugh, and I would rather have you laugh at me than feel sorry for me”; Nora Ephron, author/comedian
"Make your story count". Michelle Obama
"Social pain is understood through the lens of racial animus". Researcher/author Sean McElwee writing in Salon, 2016
"We are citizens, not subjects. We have the right to criticize government without fear." Chelsea Manning; activist/whisleblower
“My father was a slave and my people died to build this country, and I’m going to stay right here and have a part of it, just like you, And no fascist minded people, like you, will drive me from it. Is that clear?” Paul Robeson; activist/singer
“We have a system of justice in this country that treats you much better if you're rich and guilty than if you're poor and innocent”. from civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson
“This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn. To drag a man in fetters into the grand illuminated temple of liberty, and call upon him to join you in joyous anthems, were inhuman mockery and sacrilegious irony. Do you mean, citizens, to mock me, by asking me to speak today?” Frederick Douglass, WHAT TO THE SLAVE IS 4TH JULY? 07.05.1852 (full text in blog)
Senator Elizabeth Warren "We're a country that is built on our differences; that is our strength, not our weakness"
"We are more alike than we are different" ~ Maya Angelou
As a Black writer, I was expected to accept the role of victim. That made it difficult in the beginning to be a writer. James Baldwin
I often feel that there must have been something that I should’ve done that I didn’t do. But I can’t identify what it is that I didn’t do. That’s the first difficulty. And the second is, what makes you think you’re it?
Harry Belafonte, activist and singe
It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble; It's what you know for sure that just ainst so.
Mark Twain
You can't be brave if you've only had wonderful things happen to you.
Mary Tyler Moore
You can’t defend Christianity by being against refugees and other religions
Pope Francis:
"I don't have to be what you want me to be". Muhammad Ali
"The Secret of Living Well and Longer: eat half, walk double, laugh triple, and love without measure" attributed to Tibetan sources
Recent audio posts include interviews with Rumi interpreter Shahram Shiva, London-based author Aamer Hussein, South African Muslim scholar, professor Farid Esack, and Iraqi journalist Nermeen Al-Mufti's brief account of Kirkuk City history. Your comments on our blogs are always welcome.
Authors
- Laila Lalami
- author of "The Other Americans", "The Moor's Account", "Secret Son", and "Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits"
- Mahmoud Darwish
- 5 poems, in Arabic; read by Darwish at various venues. Also hear Fady Joudah reading Darwish under our 'a poem, a song' section.
Sample "In Jerusalem" (Arabic) 3:23
Sample "The PineTree Has Broken" 2:26
Sample "The Beauties are the Beauties" 1:52
Sample "A Man and A Deer in the Garden" 3:02
Sample "She/He" 2:39
- Dr. Salma Khadra Jayyusi
Dr. Jayyusi, director of PROTA, is editor of eight published anthologies of translations and collections of Arabic literature. Her most recent compilation Modern Arabic Fiction, was released in 2005.
In three 30 minute interviews with Tahrir, Jayyusi speaks about a range of issues in Arabic culture, history and literature.
Sample from Dr. Jayyusi 's interview about Arabic fiction 6:27
- Poet Rachida Mohammedi
- Algerian based poet and translator Mohammedi, has published two
collections of her poetry in Arabic. She also complied and translated
into French, a collection of the work of Iraqi poets, written under
embargo.
"Maraya" audio commentaries by R Mohammedi: In 2005, in New York, Mohammedi produced several Arabic language commentaries for WBAI Radio.
"Maraya 4: English summary"
Sample "Maraya" commentary by Rachida Mohammedi, Arabic 3:12
Sample Rachida Mohammedi reads from "Tears"; Arabic 2:25
Sample Maraya "Land Day" commentary. Arabic 3:35
Sample commentary on Martin Luther King Jr. by Rachida Mohammedi, Arabic 5:20
- Hanan al Shaykh author
- Al-Shaykh speaks with BN Aziz about the release of the English translation of her mother's story, "The Locust and the Bird". Hear clips from our interview on RadioTahrir.
- Zaid Shlah poet
Sample "Comply" from Taqsim, read by Zaid Shlah 3:51
Sample speaking about Taqsim in music and poetry, with BN Aziz 6:15
- Labeebah Sabree
- "Get Your Lips off My Dress", a poem by Labeebah
- Etel Adnan
- Artist and writer Etel Adnan is a poet, essayist and novelist, the author of numerous books. Her latest book "In the Heart of the Heart of Another Country" is published by City Lights.
Sample 'Arab Apocalypse', excerpt by the author 1:26
Sample Etel Adnan reading from 'The Indian Never Had A Horse' 00:42
Sample 2003 Interview; talking about Arab American literature 4:47
Sample "In the Heart of the Heart of Another Country"; a passage, recorded in 2006 2:32
Sample 2004 interview excerpt; Adnan and BN Aziz 5:34
- Ahdaf Soueif
- Novelist, author of ""Map of Love" (a Booker Prize finalist), and more
recently a collection of essays "Mezzaterra:Fragments from the
Common Ground" 2004.
A highly regarded literary figure based in London and Egypt, Soueif also frequently writes reviews and commentaries for The Guardian, London. Her other books include "Aisha, The Sandpiper", and "In the Eye of the Sun."
In the accompanying 1999 interview, Soueif talks with Barbara Nimri Aziz about writing "Map of Love."
Sample Soueif talks about her novel "Map of Love" with BN Aziz 6:08
- Yvonne Wakin Dennis
- Arab/Native American author Dennis writes books for children on American Indian history. This is from her Dec 8/09 conversation with Reem Nasr.
Sample 5:00
- Ghalib Halasa
- Jordanian author; lived in exile in Egypt and Syria; died in Damascus 1991. This is a clip from a lengthy interview in Syria in 1990 by BN Aziz. After his death, an association was established in Jordan to honor his work.
Sample exiled Jordanian author and critic speaks with BN Aziz during their 1989 meeting in Damascus 3:30
Sample 5:47
- Lisa Mohammed
- New York based poet, Lisa Mohammed, author of two collections of
poetry, also teches writing to young people in New York. The poem, "Is This A Test?", was performed in celebration of the release from prison of Brother Geronimo Ji JaJa.
Sample "Is This A Test?" 5:23
Sample Lisa Mohammed reads "I Am From" 4:57
- Nahid Rachlin
- author of "Persian Girls" a memoir; host Saadia Aslam
Sample 4:48
- Ghada Karmi
- Palestinian writer, author of "Married to Another Man", and the memoir "In Search of Fatima", 2008 interview by S Malaika.
Sample 4:58
- Deema Shehabi
Sample 2006 interview and poems, with BN Aziz 5:37
Maturity is learning to walk away from people and situations that threaten your peace of mind, self repect, values morals and self-worth
www.e-buddhism.com
Tahrir Diwan
- a poem.. a song..
- Popular Palestinian Vocal
traditional song of The Homelands, Arabic Flash - Talaal Badru Alayna
praises to the Prophet, from Nazira CD, female voices - Book review
- Rajia Hassib's
In The Language of Miracles
reviewed by BNAziz. - Tahrir Team
Sarah Malaika - Read about Sarah Malaika in the team page.