Nèdeem Elmahjoub's blog

"The border in this sense is a very recent, twentieth century form of racial sovereignty. It is no more inevitable or natural than the existence of concentration camps. The fact, however, that it feels natural, that it has achieved the appearance of 'the way things are', that it seems inevitable, is an indication of how powerful the ideology is." The border as political fantasy

State violence Crammed into cells and forced to drink from the toilet in Syrian prisons? No, in American detention centres. "callous indifference to human life that is normalised among agents", [and among those who knew about and those who pretended that did not know about it.] Note: here too the dentention centres are called 'concentration camps'. I disagree with that. I think one should read about the British concentraion camps and the Nazi ones, for example, before using such an inaccurate comparison.  However, given that we are not in Syria or Libya, but in the richest country on earth [though not per capita] and, as the report states, it is not a problem of resources, and with all her bragging of "freedoms", "helping to liberate" Iraqis and Venezuelans, among others, it is an act of barbarism to treat vulnerable people in such a way. But should we wonder? Just look at the American prisons, Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib ... Crammed into c

"Jinn  is a lazy, by-the-numbers drama with no real insight into Jordanian teenage lives, no position on modern Jordanian society and no redeeming artistic vision.  Bou Chaaya and Matalqa show no knack for directing actors and fail to convey their characters’ existential ennui in a country grappling with a sense of identity. They briefly touch upon class, but never fully explore the subject. Everything in  Jinn  feels like a carbon copy of tired American formulas, including the basic arcs of the characters and their inner conflicts, their relationship with one another; and even the brand of horror that blends the grisly with the supernatural. Nothing feels authentic, emotionally real or believable." Note: kissing in Egyptian movies was not uncommon. One can see that in the 1970s-1980 movies, for example . Netflix in the Middle East: how Jinn became a nightmare

If you have a kindle, here is a free e-book that looks interesting: The Strangers Among Us: Tales from a Global Migrant Worker Movement

The Return of the 'C' Word: SASE Conference 2019

Britain Wealth creators, life savers and science developers at the BBC Their salaries are justified. And as long as consent (or the "ideology of consent") is still there, the majority accepts it. and 40% of adults have less than £51,200 in wealth each   Wealth includes property, savings and pension. 30% of adults have less than 13,700 in wealth each. That is about the annual salary of a bus driver (after tax).

"The hidden story of Arab mental health"