As Belgium toys with the idea of allowing mothers to pass on their surnames, is there a way to make naming practices fairer?
Byte-sized muse and views
Although alcohol is 'haraam', Muslim societies have rarely managed to stay on the wagon, and vital parts of their culture have developed under the influence.
Can Israelis and Palestinians learn something about building bridges between divided communities from the Egyptian revolution?
Egypt's 'baksheesh' culture helps poor people get by and maintains relative social peace, but it encourages subservience.
Animal rights activists are calling for global vegetarianism, but the Middle East is not ready to sacrifice its meat-eating lifestyle.
Islamophobia is common in western society, so the classroom is a good place to start combating it.
Some in the west are more likely to believe in elves in Middle Earth than in Arab men in the Middle East who are secular and do not oppress women.
Love is a universal theme in music, but there are good reasons for the Arab world's preoccupation with romance.
