Tastes of Vancouver’s Little Tehran In the north of the city is a flourishing Iranian community whose delicious restaurants, cafés and food stores feel like home

for @financialtimes.com I wrote about Vancouver's Little Tehran – a neighbourhood where immigrants began arriving after the revolution and which has seen a surge of new arrivals in recent years. At times, it feels like their memories of Iran merge on these streets: www.ft.com/content/e92f...

Ugliness How do power and beauty join forces to determine who is considered ugly? What role does that ugliness play in fomenting hatred? Moshtari Hilal, an

"Hilal implores us to think about what we have learned about ugliness throughout our lives and the history these ideas are steeped in." @dazeddigital.com UGLINESS is translated by Elisabeth Lauffer.
newvesselpress.com/books/ugline...

My interview with @moshsky.bsky.social on the release of her book UGLINESS, published in @dazeddigital.com

A look into Gaza’s cash crisis and its toll on Palestinian lives With banks shut down and ATMs too dangerous to access, Gazans are forced to pay excessive fees to cash traders, turning financial desperation into daily reality

My story for @thenewarab.bsky.social on the underreported but ever troubling crisis of cash in Gaza: www.newarab.com/features/loo...

It's being reported that Iran's (somehow more than already) draconian hijab law will enable use of AI to go after uncovered women. but importantly, this is already happening – CCTV captures 'violators', IDs them via chips in their Karte Melli & sends texts to the 'offender' outlining punishment

Iranian dissident rapper Toomaj Salehi released from prison | CNN Toomaj Salehi, an Iranian dissident rapper and activist, has been released from prison, according to a statement issued Monday by his international legal team.

Reporting today on the release of Toomaj Salehi from Isfahan's Central Prison after 753 days in detention. many call him the 'son of Iran' - arrested for supporting the Woman Life Freedom protests and making music critical of the Islamic Republic
www.cnn.com/2024/12/02/m...