Zajal – this form of Arabic poetic duelling has broken onto TikTok

By Marlé Hammond, Reader in Arabic Popular Literature and Culture, SOAS, University of London
Nada Elzeer, Senior Lecturer in Arabic, SOAS, University of London

“I am a king of angels, from beginning to end. Arrani you’ll soon be crying out, weeping endless tears,” sings Akram Qawar in Arabic while gesticulating at his opponent. Muhammad al-Arrani sings back: “What are you mumbling about? No one understands your verse, did you just come here to make a fool of yourself in the arena?”

“Who’s [sic] uncles are out here doing battle raps,” one fan exclaims in the caption on a video in which he dances along to the sound of a similar exchange to the one above.…

Read complete article

~	Iran: President Trump’s apocalyptic threats of large-scale civilian devastation demand urgent global action to prevent atrocity crimes

~	Why organisations pick the wrong leaders

~	Why AI shouldn’t be used even to decide ‘simple’ court cases

~	Expecting charity shops to recycle your unwanted clothes is creating a rubbish pile – here’s how to help to avoid that

~	What ‘The Bachelorette’ cancellation reveals about gendered expectations and violence

~	Local music scenes across Canada depend on post-secondary music programs

~	The dark side of music as ‘therapy’

~	Why starting a hobby as an adult can feel so hard — and why you should embrace beginnerhood

~	Ten years stolen: sister of detained Uyghur entrepreneur Ekpar Asat

~	India: Death penalty for nine police officers will not end custodial torture in India