Alex Shams

Featured Mexico Reporting

The Arab heart of Mexico City

November 15, 2016 by Alex Shams

Originally published on Middle East Eye on November 15, 2016. Arab immigrants have become a normal part of everyday life, but in many ways they remain a community apart A

Reporting USA

“Obama Built the Structures for Trump”: A Terrifying Legacy of Mass Deportation

October 16, 2016 by Alex Shams

Originally published by Truthout on October 16, 2016. Jose Juan Moreno sits in the room at the University Church on Chicago’s Southside where he has sought sanctuary from Immigration and

Featured Iran Reporting

Iran Hits the Beach

September 13, 2016 by Alex Shams

Tourism is booming, and millions of Iranians are re-discovering the seductions of their northern Caspian Sea coast.

Iran Reporting USA

The Tourist’s Guide to Tehrangeles: Exploring the Capital of the Iranian Diaspora

August 10, 2016 by Alex Shams

Originally published by Ajam Media Collective on August 10, 2016. Los Angeles is the undisputed capital of the global Iranian diaspora. Home to a community of at least 700,000 Iranians

India Reporting

Syriac Churches and Sephardic Synagogues: The Urban Legacy of Indian Ocean Cosmopolitanism in Kerala

June 11, 2016 by Alex Shams

Originally published by Ajam Media Collective on March 2, 2016. At the southwestern tip of India in the state of Kerala sits the elegant port city of Kochi, the bustling

Iraq Reporting USA

Chicago’s Assyrians embrace new technology to save ancient language

June 8, 2016 by Alex Shams

Assyrians based in Chicago are united in keeping Syriac alive in the US while hoping to spark a revolution in language learning

Israel Opinion

‘Broad City’ Didn’t Just Go on Birthright — It Spent 21 Minutes Mocking It

April 18, 2016 by Alex Shams

Originally published on The Forward on April 28, 2016. Written by Alex Shams. When Ilana and Abby from “Broad City” announced last week that they were going on Birthright Israel,

Reporting

Transgender Muslims in America Fight Bigotry on Two Fronts

April 15, 2016 by Alex Shams

Originally published on Muftah on April 15, 2016. The wave of Islamophobia erupting across the United States has taken a toll on every aspect of Muslim American life. A climate of

Reporting

Palestinian Christians celebrate identity in Easter rituals

April 12, 2016 by Alex Shams

Palestinian worshipers across Holy Land mark ‘Saturday of Fire’, an Orthodox celebration and yearly revival of community pride

Opinion

Neither Taharrush Gamea Nor Sexism Are Arab ‘Cultural Practices’

January 25, 2016 by Alex Shams

Originally published on Huffington Post. In recent days, a new term has suddenly appeared in the media to describe a supposedly Arab cultural practice: “taharrush gamea.” The term, which