The rise of the #metoo movement made me question the status of the Coptic women in our current society. Part of my PhD research is focused on feminism in Egypt. While there are prominent Coptic feminists…
I had been driving to school in college, flipping through the radio stations when it hit me. Just about every song on the radio was on love. Having it, losing it, pining for it. Songs were…
It's Peter not Betar... “Mom, you’ve lived in America for 25 years, why do you keep calling it beanut putter???” I am going to preface this by saying that our Egyptian parents, no matter how thick their…
Egyptian Treatment of the LGBT Community Coptic Americans are constantly struggling between their culture and their Orthodoxy. Egyptians have infused their faith with cultural traditions that have been passed on from generation to generation, making…
Until I reached the age of eight, my mother soothed the thunders of my mind prior to my bedtime by reciting stories to me. In particular, she engraved the story of St. Marina, who took responsibility…
When I returned to Egypt in August 2014 after studying civic engagement in the US, I found a country of failed revolution and lost aspirations; a country polarized and torn apart following three years of protests…
And you should too Recently I have undergone a feeling of despair. Looking at the world around us can be very overwhelming, with things like poverty, starvation, exploitation, slavery, racism, mass shootings, sex trafficking, persecution,…
In general, I don’t think tattoos are attractive, and sure never expected that I would get one. I mean, I just turned 65, and I had never gotten a tattoo in all those years, so it…
When I think about the Coptic Church, I think of a church revered for its rich history, its apostolic influence, and the many, many stories of martyrs and the power of their faith. Fasting and prayer…
Tracing the history of Middle Eastern racial classification in America A few weeks ago, I was working on a grant that would help to decrease tobacco-related health disparities among minority populations. The table I was using…