The surprising Middle Eastern origin behind hen nights
A hen night conjures up images of a bride-to-be surrounded by her friends drinking prosecco, having a joyous time dancing and savouring her last days of freedom before settling into…
Category: Arts & Culture
Seven MESA influencers you should follow
The internet can be an accessible platform for anyone who wants to share their story, content and voice. Generally, mainstream media does not represent individuals from Middle Eastern and South…
Six times Turkish rock band Duman captivated the music scene
If there was ever a competition for a band that combines elements of traditional Turkish folk music with modern rock and grunge, Duman would unquestionably be the triumpher. Founded in…
Forgotten History: Tape Letters and the oral legacy of Potwari in Britain
In Ashton, a small town east of Manchester, a family was rifling through cassette tapes of their late father’s naats, when they found a cassette filled with recorded messages which…
Forgotten History: Seeking a blue plaque for Ayahs’ Home
A woman cruelly abandoned in King’s Cross station with just £1 in her pocket. Another kicked out onto the streets of Hornsey carrying boxes of her own possessions. A third…
Celebrating the release of Buz Gibiyim with queer-performer Ceytengri
Ever envisaged your job as a dictator, belly dancer or a writer one day? Ceytengri, the 22-year-old Turkish queer performer and musician dreamt of becoming all of those things throughout…
Charities connecting Muslim communities during Ramadan in quarantine
Muslims across the world are currently observing Ramadan. It’s the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, and more importantly, one of the most sacred. The Quran was revealed to the…
MESA Reviews: Haifaa Al Mansour’s The Perfect Candidate
Like most of us living in the west, I could only really imagine what day-to-day life for a Saudi Arabian woman is like. Unless you’re going off personal experiences or…
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