A collection of stories which convey the horrors of civil war in 1975, in Lebanon, and also the rich social and religious diversity of a country whose legacy of generosity, courage and tolerance is being eroded by a climate of greed.

One of the most intriguing minority groups in the Middle East is now a thousand years old. It emerged in the city of Cairo, spread to what is today Lebanon, Syria, and Israel, and subsequently became known by outsiders as Druze (in Arabic, Durooz, meaning Druzes). Druzes have played a major role in the history of the Middle East and often been misunderstood by neighbors and outsiders because of their esoteric religious doctrine, the secretive nature that such a doctrine has instilled in them, and the variety of perspectives or divisions prevalent among members of the community. This second edition of Historical Dictionary of the Druzes covers their history through a chronology, an introductory essay, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 1000 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about the Druzes.

Since the work of Edward Said first appeared, countless studies have shown the ways in which Western writers--sometimes unwittingly--participate in the oversimplified East/West dichotomy of Orientalism. Yet no study has considered how writers from the so-called Orient approach this idea. A wide-ranging survey of the vast and diverse world of Anglophone Arab literature, Immigrant Narratives examines the complex ways in which Arab emigres contend with, resist, and participate in the problems of Orientalism.Hassan's account begins in the early twentieth century, as he considers the pioneering Lebanese American writers, Ameen Rihani and Kahlil Gibran. The former's seminal novel, The Book of Khalid sought to fuse Arabic and European literary traditions in search of a civilizational synthesis, whereas the latter found success by mixing Hindu, Christian, mystical, and English Romantic ideas into a popular spiritualism. Hassan then considers Arab immigrant life-writing, ranging from autobiographies by George Haddad and Abraham Rihbany to memoirs of exile by the Egyptian-born Leila Ahmed and Palestinian refugees like Fawaz Turki and Edward Said. Hassan considers issues of representation in looking to how Arab immigrant writers like Ramzi Salti and Rabih Alameddine use homosexuality to reflect on Arab typecasting. Ahdaf Soueif's fiction reflects her growing awareness of the politics of reception of Anglophone Arab women writers while Leila Aboulela's fiction, inspired by an immigrant Islamic perspective, depicts the predicament of the Muslim minority in Britain.Drawing upon postcolonial, translation, and minority discourse theory, Immigrant Narratives investigates how key writers have described their immigrant experiences, acting as mediators and interpreters between cultures, and how they have forged new identities in their adopted countries.

In 2003, Osama al-Kharrat returns to Beirut after many years in America to stand vigil at his father's deathbed. As the family gathers, stories begin to unfold: Osama's grandfather was a hakawati, or storyteller, and his bewitching tales are interwoven with classic stories of the Middle East. Here are Abraham and Isaac; Ishmael, father of the Arab tribes; the beautiful Fatima; Baybars, the slave prince who vanquished the Crusaders; and a host of mischievous imps. Through Osama, we also enter the world of the contemporary Lebanese men and women whose stories tell a larger, heartbreaking tale of seemingly endless war, conflicted identity, and survival. With The Hakawati, Rabih Alameddine has given us an Arabian Nights for this century.

The Druzes are one of the smallest, least studied, and most esoteric religious communities in the Middle East. This is because the Druze teachings remain inaccessible not only to outsiders but also to uninitiated members within the Druze community itself. Furthermore, proselytizing--inducing someone to convert to one's own religious faith--has been prohibited since the establishment of the sect in the 11th century. In order to resist assimilation by the various empires and colonial powers that sought to dominate them--the Byzantines, various Arab dynasties, the Mamluks and Ottomans, the British and French, in addition to the nations that govern them--the Druzes disguise and conceal their beliefs. Therefore, not much is known by outsiders about the Druzes. This dictionary provides nearly 1,000 concise and informative cross-referenced A to Z entries on religious, political, and cultural themes, as well as entries on a number of major families and individuals (artists, writers, diplomats, and leaders) who have contributed to the Druze communities. This volume is also complemented with a chronology, an introductory essay, and a bibliography.

Can education be run as a profitable business and still be driven by a humanitarian vision? SABIS® shows the answer is yes. Now with 60 schools in 15 countries and over 60,000 students, SABIS® is a global education company committed to improving lives. The book is a journey through time - tracing the company from its humble origins in 1886 Mount Lebanon, through the civil war to the present day. It's also a journey through geographies, from Kurdistan to Katrina - from the first international schools in war-torn northern Iraq, to the first charter school to reopen after the hurricane devastated inner city New Orleans. SABIS® goes where other educational providers are unwilling to tread, helping to rebuild lives shattered by war and natural disaster. It's finally a journey through the minds of committed educators, watching as they grapple with the fundamental question of how we educate young people in the virtues that have stood the test of time, whilst still enabling them to be prepared for a future of unknown possibilities.