PHILADELPHIA: Everybody needs a tribe. One person alone faces a frighteningly big, sometimes brutal world. Even a family can be too small to deal with some challenges that come down the pike – while if family relationships are the only ones around, obsessive family closeness can suffocate us. No, tribes are the way to go, [...]

CAIRO: Uganda has banned female circumcision, or female genital mutilation (FGM), a traditional rite of passage that has sparked widespread international condemnation against the country, other African, Middle Eastern and Asian societies. The move to pass legislation has left a number of Arab women’s advocates pleased over the decision, but they say the time to [...]

It is Eid el-Adha again! Kids wearing new clothes, adults conducting Eid prayers as soon as the sun rises, and relatives, neighbors and friends exchange Eid salutes and congratulations with much happiness and excitement. Yet, the most important feature is the sheep and other sacrificial animals – e.g. buffalo and cow – slaughtered, literally, in [...]