The most typical conflict that we face in our modern world is the frequent clash between the scientific and religious minds. There are many observations and examples that we face everyday that make us either stop and think deeply, or shut down the ports of scepticism and evidence based logical thinking, but the most striking of all observations in this conflicting part of the human mind, is the relationship between man and God or the divine being or beings that we call with different names.In his recently published book, the American writer Shalom Auslander gives a Jewish account on his […]
English
Poems on a tree (1)
Closer it gets closer I get to seven years of mornings and nights And Joseph still in prison baffled by the dream/nightmare reality that is never revealed Closer I get to the heart this spring hundred of moments passing not wasting a breath on my reflection. After Seven, Joseph realised his forsaken God and interpreted the dream Lots of seven years will fall like sour grapes from the hell of time beneath the cold heaven Closer I am lost in the streets never able to find my way to be him Failing to be failing what they want failing […]
While drinking tea
By: Omar Kikili** The incident of the opposite balcony: As he opened the door a heavy dry silence confronted him. His one year old son bursting towards the door, lisping “daddy, daddy” as soon as he hears the key in the lock, in recent days his mother hurries behind him and picks him up taking refuge in the bedroom, despite his screams, kicks and thumps of his head on her chest. He closed the door. Removed his shoes on the door step, and entered in the roughness of silence and the rumbling of obsessions. His wife might be at […]
Ahmed Ibrahim Fagih in America
The Libyan writer Ahmed Ibrahim el-Fagih was invited to give a lecture titled (A Writer’s Notes) at the University of New England (Maine –USA) on Monday 24 February 2009. The lecture was sponsored by the department Political Sciences and the department of English and Language Studies at the university. Professor Ali Abdullatif Ahmida chaired the meeting and introduced the Libyan writer to the audience of professors and students at Sutton Lounge with the following introduction: Ahmed Ibrahim Fagih, PhD. Is a Libyan writer of international standing, he was born in Mizda, Libya in 1942 and educated in Libya, […]
A bench for two Lovers
By: Salem Al Okali** A desert swelling on the map.. Cities searching in the pockets of the unseen For the keys of the century. Streets narrow for the smoke of your cigarettes Open terraces.. Deluded with the washing drizzle On the pavement you bow Under hanging meat You pass with a woman A driver gave her the way In return for the light of her legs. Posters on the walls Workers on the side of livelihood Consuming coals of the narghiles. Italian shoes Don’t understand the language of our streets. Lovers pretending to be relatives And kisses postponed to […]
2008.. a year in pictures عام في صور
Why?!
Stained white paper Splashes of dust on the nose of the sun How wonderful to feel so ridiculous Mounting my stupidity trying to face my face. I listened to her eyes While drinking hot chocolate with cream on top In Old Compton street, Trying to understand the colours of this side of the earth. Gays, straights, whites, blacks and in between. Night clubs, bars, and mosques. Rednecks, flat chests, bare feet Ugly heat It’s Soho, she mumbled Not recognizing her voice. She smoked her head Desperately and said You are not listening to me I threw it all saying why? […]
Ahmed Yousef Aqila: The Clock (Short Story)
By: Ahmed Yousef Aqila (1) We were waiting for the time to reach five o’clock. Actually we were waiting for the General. We Came and went, checking the stag and decorations, It’s true that the stage is slightly humble, and will nearly fit the General and his companions, but what can we do more than this, here in our village we don’t have any experience in preparing celebrations, and despite this, the organizers notified each other to any mistake, what ever small, and to tell the truth, the General is meticulous in these things, notices anything, doesn’t allow any […]
Drought
By: Al Sadiq Abudowara* (1) – But I don’t drink it… I don’t like coffee. – But the fortune lives in it…I will only see your face at the bottom of the cup. – I see it in the mirror and that’s enough. – The mirror shows only what you want to see…But your fortune doesn’t care…It happens every day…Renews…Approves deals… His face smiles and frowns… It might become skinny like starving children and it might die from fullness…Do you know that ones fortune might die?I knew someone whose fortune died…They say that it committed suicide or it drowned in […]
On reading and books
Few years ago the BBC launched a campaign to promote reading. The campaign was called (The Big Read) and used a book worm as a mascot for the project. The aim was to choose the favourite 200 books voted by the public and then choosing the best 21 titles. The survey carried out by the BBC, aimed on finding the “Nation’s Best-loved Book” by way of a viewer vote via the Web, SMS, and telephone. The project focused more on literary books especially novels, and many schools and public libraries across Britain established book clubs and some groups campaigned for […]