Ricordare la guerra, il dovere di memoria in letteratura Ero la settimana scorsa nel Kurdistan iraniano e lì, ho potuto vedere un documentario che descrive un viaggio alla ricerca degli 8000 scomparsi del clan Barzani, rapiti da Saddam Hussein. Il viaggio si svolgeva attraverso tutto l’Irak, dal Nord al Sud; e lungo tutta la strada, la ricerca conduceva sistematicamente ad uno di questi due risultati: la scoperta degli archivi del servizio segreto di Saddam, o la scoperta di una fossa comune. 2011-05-10

On my relative Muhammed from South Lebanon (I) Muhammed disappeared from the house. A kid of eighteen, no more than a sweet boy during the July War of 2006, who spent most of his time either in the countryside or school, simply vanished. 2009-01-07

On my relative Muhammed from South Lebanon (II) A trip to Bint Jbeil (South Lebanon) confirms at least one of Lebanese journalist Youssef Bazzi’s idea: “every group in Lebanon has its own news. Lies are the business of poets and poetry lovers”. 2009-01-07

Quei coffee shop che uniscono Beirut L’unico simbolo dell’unità di Beirut, l’unico elemento che tiene insieme Sasin Square e Al-Hambra sono i coffee shop Starbuck’s e Costa che hanno sedi in entrambi i luoghi e servono entrambi i versanti con la medesima attenzione ai dettagli e la stessa professionalità. 2008-11-27

Lebanon: The hotel by the cedars How is it that since the foundation of the Lebanese state in 1920 it hasn’t been possible to enlarge this pitiful forest of the national symbol, the tree in the middle of the flag? It is a symbol threatened by death, by annihilation. 2008-11-25

Beirut’s unity? The only symbol of Beirut’s unity, the only thing that holds Sasin Square and Al-Hamra together are the Starbuck’s and Costa coffee shops with branches in both locations, serving both sides with equal attention to detail and professional excellence. 2008-10-30

Al-Jaayibi’s Play ‘Khamsoon’: Vision Comes First ‘Khamsoon’ recounts the experience of fifty years of national independence proving that cultural, political an social vision of the writer-director duo Bakkar/al-Jaayibi, remains unchanged. 2008-10-08

Mahmoud Darwish: the poet of our ambivalence For over twenty years I have avoided writing about him; that was my way to thwart my perplexity about him and the ambivalence of my relation to the experience of his poetry which I loved, hated, and respected. 2008-10-07

Salon du livre de Paris, le folklore d’un boycott: quelle culture cela sert-il? Israël a su s’imposer alors que les Arabes en se retirant ont occulté la Palestine. Une fois de plus, Israël était là, les Arabes non. 2008-04-06

Khalas : a banquet for cats devoured by dogs Khalas, by Burhan Alawiya, is a marriage of a “director’s movie”, which has long dominated Lebanese cinema, and a “producer’s movie”. The start of a new Lebanese cinema? 2008-01-21

If not then let Paris swallow me! Paris is a compendium of names, names that are monuments, monuments that form a living memory, an awesome retinue to the city’s might. We arrive first at the airport named for Charles De Gaulle, the evergreen of modern France. 2007-11-30

Alexandrie Une bibliothèque disparue, Alexandre le conquérant, les vers du poète Cavafy, l’âge d’or d’un cosmopolitisme suranné..Que retrouve-t-on de tout cela dans l’Alexandrie d’aujourd’hui? Que peut-on découvrir au delà de la nostalgie et du mythe inscrustés dans son nom? Et pourquoi continue-t-on de s’interroger sur son identité? Rencontres avec les écrivains Ibrahim Abdel Meguid et Robert Solé, suivies d’un colloque improvisé avec un groupe d’artistes et intellectuels alexandrins pour fouiller les dessous et ouvrir les perspectives d’une ville égyptienne à part... 2007-11-20

Theatre in Beirut: How Nancy Wished... This summer, the Medina Theatre in Beirut hosted two presentations of the play "How Nancy Wished That Everything Was an April Fool's Joke." Written by Fadi Tawfik and Rabih Mroue. The play delves into confessions and remembrance of the war. The censor's decision was inspired on the contrary by the dominant "culture" of not calling things by their name.. 2007-10-11

Syria: “Inner-changes are impossible without an international support” (I) Our Lebanese journalist Youssef Bazzi met the Syrian deputy Maamun El Homsi “somewhere”. He is one of the best renowned political opponent in Damascus, and a member of “Damascus Spring”, repressed, jailed, exiled, and publicly oppressed by the Syrian secret services. 2007-10-04

Syria: “Inner-changes are impossible without an international support” (II) In this second part of the interview, Al Homsi unveils the “success” of the dictatorship, the one-party regime and the secret services domination on public life, to transform a peaceful and a reformative politician, willing to deal flexibly with facts in pursuing public demands, into a radical opponent who considers the complete fall of the regime as the only solution. 2007-10-04