Alex Shams

Opinion

On Women’s Day, Thinking Beyond American Flag Hijabs

March 8, 2017 by Alex Shams

Originally published by Ajam Media Collective on March 8, 2017. Among the most iconic images from the Women’s March in January was a poster of a woman wrapped in a hijab covered

Palestine Reporting

Yacoub Shaheen, the Assyrian singer from Palestine taking Arab Idol by storm

February 17, 2017 by Alex Shams

Originally published by Ajam Media Collective on February 17, 2017. In just a few short months, Yacoub Shaheen has gone from a local singer in the West Bank town of

Opinion

Don’t normalize Trump’s vision for America

February 2, 2017 by Alex Shams

Originally published on CNN on February 2, 2017. I am a child of a Muslim refugee. My father found safety and shelter in the United States after fleeing violence in

Featured India Reporting

Welcome to the Beef Capital of India

November 20, 2016 by Alex Shams

In Hyderabad, a cosmopolitan culinary culture fights back against the Hindu nationalist current sweeping the nation. A dish of tallava gosht slow frying in peanut oil on a cast-iron tava

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