Al-Bustan News

Covering Philadelphia’s Southwest Asian and North African communities

Guest User 8/3/23 Guest User 8/3/23

With Their New Show ‘Sabah il-Khara,’ One Philadelphia Comedian Is Not Taking Anti-Arab Racism Sitting Down

Kuwaiti-American comedian Alyssa Al-Dookhi (they/them) of South Philadelphia is slated to release “Sabah il-Khara,” an irreverent internet morning talk show created for the queer SWANA community.

Guest User 8/1/23 Guest User 8/1/23

The Gig Economy of Belly Dance in Philadelphia

As more Mediterranean restaurants draw in customers with the promise of live belly dance, belly dancers struggle to perform in a precarious and racialized gig work economy.

Guest User 7/25/23 Guest User 7/25/23

How SWANA Youth Are Re-Engaging With LGBTQ+ Art Scenes In Philadelphia

“‘I moved outside the city to be able to live more freely and experience the queer arts without vigilance.’”

Guest User 7/10/23 Guest User 7/10/23

How Medical Director Nazanin Moghbeli Uses Calligraphy as Meditation

“Lines of words, calligraphy, and blood-flow all mirror each other in the worlds that I straddle.”

Guest User 6/21/23 Guest User 6/21/23

‘Palestinian, Queer, and Hungry’: An Interview With Burlesque Dancer Leila Delicious

What does it mean for a Palestinian to be indulgent and taking up so much space?

Guest User 6/19/23 Guest User 6/19/23

At The Philadelphia Museum of Art, SWANA Curations Reinforce Colonial Legacies

The museum recreates the experience of a colonial-era traveler seeing the SWANA region as a place stuck in time.