A place for our readers to share their thoughts about Al-Raida.
Al-Raida has pioneered, for over four decades, to highlight and amplify the diversity of voices in understanding and fighting for women and gender issues throughout the Arab region. It stands alone among publications for its steadfast commitment to scholarship, activism, and engagement across all sectors of Arab society and all issues of relevance to women and gender.
Suad Joseph, UC Davis
I am writing as the President of the Association for Middle East Women’s Studies (AMEWS) and on behalf of the Board of AMEWS, and the Editorial Team of the Journal of Middle East Women’s Studies (JMEWS) to describe how important your journal is for all of us women (and men) in the MENA region. Your well-selected theoretical and academic essays, the methodological and pedagogical statements, as well as the poetry and art are valuable contributions to our scholarship. We know that this is a very difficult time in Lebanon, and we do admire your strength in continuing your/our struggles against hegemony in the region, but also globally. We strongly support you. Please keep up the good work, so much of which is inspiring.
- Fatima Sadiqi, AMEWS & JMEWS
Al-Raida is one of the most significant journals in the Arab world. Every issue is powerful in its scope and it’s representation of all women, paying attention to diversity and accurate representation. They were happy to publish my article on disability and literature, and provided editorial support and a welcoming and nurturing feminist circle worked to see my work come to light. They kept in touch even after the article’s publication and I received a personal call to let me know the print issue was on its way to my house. I never received such personalized support as a scholar of literature working in the Gulf. The team cares about scholars in the region and believe in supporting their publications and insight. My article was widely read and those who read it ended up enjoying the entire issue. I also assign many articles from Al-Raida for my women’s studies classes and believe it is an indispensable source.
- Shahd Alshammari, Gulf University for Science and Technology
Al-Raida has not only been a rich academic resource for feminist and human rights topic, but it has been also a re-source of inspiration for anyone who wants to be educated on the feminist movement in the Arab world. I have resorted to Al-Raida on countless occasions to prepare for seminars, write academic papers, and seek information to present in international conferences. Al Raida has been my reliable resource for many years of graduate and undergraduate studies, and a motivator for deeper research on the women movement in the region.
- Fatima Hallal
After receiving the link for the special issue on “Gender & Revolution,” I thought it would be a good time to let you know how important Al-Raida is to me. For one thing, I first published an essay in your journal in 2001, “Comparative International Gender Discourse.” I got good feedback on that article, not just from my colleagues at UCLA, but from outside the States. The second article is the one that you just published that I wrote with my Sudanese writing partner, Dr. Gada Kadoda—“The Radical Imaginations of Sudanese Women: A Gendered Revolution.”
In between these two I was always in communication. After all, Al-Raida was the perfect place for this essay. Gada and I are so pleased to be in a Special Issue with such outstanding colleagues writing on related themes. The Editorial Team did some excellent editing on our article, which was much appreciated. You improved it a great deal.
But Al-Raida is much more than a place where I have published, it is one of the most important communications in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Regionally and globally the journal brings to bear some of the most important issues facing MENA and offers courageous challenges to hegemonic power. The journal is varied in its content—i.e., not just articles, but also art, poetry, editorials, etc. In addition, you have published useful and important pieces on methodology and pedagogy. Your publication must be one of the important intellectual statements coming out of Lebanese American University. This is a perfect time for Al-Raida to exist—for Lebanese women and men living there in a troubled time. But it is not only important for communication among Lebanese in Lebanon, but for Lebanese in the diaspora.
I have shared the journal with my colleagues at UCLA, and have used some of the essays in my classes. As you can see, Al-Raida is important to me, to all of us thinking and writing about the MENA in the global environment.
I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your work and your spirit, and to hope that Al-Raida will remain our intellectual and academic companion.
- Sondra Hale, University of California Los Angeles
Al-Raida, for me, symbolizes a uniquely feminist perspective from and for the Arab region that is thoughtful, dynamic, and diverse. The journal, and the community it represents, provide an opportunity for scholars, activists, students, and practitioners to come together and challenge assumptions about the region and the women living within its borders.
- Stephanie Chaban, UN ESCWA
Al-Raida is a great resource for the Arab region, it reflects reality with great objectivity and diversity.
- Mehrinaz El Awady, UN ESCWA
Al-Raida is unique in that it is an academic platform reflecting the experiences of feminist practitioners from the field and on the frontlines, not just academics. The authors are diverse and so are the tackled topics. Given its regional focus, the publication contributes to exchange of learning and expertise across borders and countries. It reflects the reality of gender equality and women’s rights in the Arab world/states.
- Rachel Dore-Weeks, UN Women