- New Haven, Connecticut, United States
- Independent Researcher, Translation & Literary Studies, Department Memberadd
- Translation Studies, Feminism and the Politics of Sexuality, Postcolonial Feminism, نظرية الأدب, Middle East Studies, Women's Literature, and 52 moreLiterary Theory, Critical Theory, Comparative Literature, Levantine Studies, Syrian Literature, Palestinian Literature, War and Literature, War Trauma and Literature, Arabic Literature, Modern Arabic Literature, Arabic-English translation, Arab Spring (Arab Revolts), Feminist Philosophy, Aesthetics, Epistemology, English Literature, Postmodernism, Edward Said, Jacques Derrida, Michel Foucault, Karl Marx, Friedrich Nietzsche, Jacques Lacan, René Descartes, Sigmund Freud, Paul Bloom, Hegel, Immanuel Kant, Syrian Studies, Literary translation, Modernist Literature (Literary Modernism), Eroticism In Literature, Erotic Literature, Marxist theory, Baruch Spinoza, Creative Writing, Political Philosophy, War Studies, War Theory, Fiction Writing, Theater and film, Enlightenment, Creativity, Philosophy of War, Theory of the Novel, Narrative Theory, World Literatures, Literary Criticism, Theories of Gender and Transgender, Arabic Theatre, Sa'adallah Wannus, and Yuval Noah Harariedit
- Languages: Arabic, English, French, Maltese, Hebrew
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14058044.Ibtihal_Mahmoodedit
Beyond the Hollywood fairytale romance of Amal Alameddine and George Clooney, stories of Arab, Muslim women searching for and finding love outside their own communities are scarce, so much that one begins to wonder how their men have... more
Beyond the Hollywood fairytale romance of Amal Alameddine and George Clooney, stories of Arab, Muslim women searching for and finding love outside their own communities are scarce, so much that one begins to wonder how their men have managed to monopolize the right to a mixed romance, in a world that is growing more interconnected by the minute. Most Arab men wouldn't hesitate to publicize their "foreign affairs." Adventurous Arab women, on the other hand, when wishing to announce a similar involvement, must approach the feat in the same hesitancy that precedes coming out to one's conservative family. But one thing remains for certain: these women exist, their stories are real, and their frownedupon realities deserve a spot in the intricate collage of our shared human experiences. This book is a rare platform for women to let us in on their struggles, compromises, sacrifices, and ultimate victories in crossing borders, figurative and literal, toward love. They will paint a lively picture of their rocky paths, often clouded by ostracization and other forms of pain, reclaiming their right to choose a life partner against mountains of cultural, religious obstacles perpetuated by legislation.
Research Interests:
https://www.hurstpublishers.com/book/the-impossible-revolution/ by Yassin al Haj Saleh, translated by I. Rida Mahmood. The intellectual voice of the Syrian revolution recounts the devastating impact of the Assads’ tyrannical rule.... more
https://www.hurstpublishers.com/book/the-impossible-revolution/
by Yassin al Haj Saleh, translated by I. Rida Mahmood. The intellectual voice of the Syrian revolution recounts the devastating impact of the Assads’ tyrannical rule. Foreword by Robin Yassin-Kassab.
by Yassin al Haj Saleh, translated by I. Rida Mahmood. The intellectual voice of the Syrian revolution recounts the devastating impact of the Assads’ tyrannical rule. Foreword by Robin Yassin-Kassab.
Research Interests:
https://www.faraxabooks.com/product/snow-in-amman Translated by I. Rida Mahmood and edited by Alexander Haddad. Filled with deeply nuanced storytelling and vividly drawn, often heartbreaking human characters, Snow in Amman: An Anthology... more
https://www.faraxabooks.com/product/snow-in-amman
Translated by I. Rida Mahmood and edited by Alexander Haddad.
Filled with deeply nuanced storytelling and vividly drawn, often heartbreaking human characters, Snow in Amman: An Anthology of Short Stories From Jordan is a rich selection of contemporary Jordanian fiction which stands in stark contrast to many of the prevailing stereotypes of Arabic culture. Outside the archaeological lens, very little is known about life in Jordan, particularly in the English-speaking world. Such lack makes it more susceptible to falling into the soup of widespread generalizations about the Middle East. The 11 stories in Snow in Amman, published in their original Arabic in Jordan and appearing in this book for the first time in English, depict a wide array of social and feminist issues through a lens at once familiar and surprising, commonplace and yet intensely different.
Translated by I. Rida Mahmood and edited by Alexander Haddad.
Filled with deeply nuanced storytelling and vividly drawn, often heartbreaking human characters, Snow in Amman: An Anthology of Short Stories From Jordan is a rich selection of contemporary Jordanian fiction which stands in stark contrast to many of the prevailing stereotypes of Arabic culture. Outside the archaeological lens, very little is known about life in Jordan, particularly in the English-speaking world. Such lack makes it more susceptible to falling into the soup of widespread generalizations about the Middle East. The 11 stories in Snow in Amman, published in their original Arabic in Jordan and appearing in this book for the first time in English, depict a wide array of social and feminist issues through a lens at once familiar and surprising, commonplace and yet intensely different.
Research Interests:
https://arablit.org/2023/04/24/the-red-suns-purple-moons-and-gun-carrying-mice-of-syrian-poet-daad-haddad/ Although Da’ad Haddad published two poetry collections—Correcting Death’s Mistake and A Crumb of Bread is Enough For Me—in the... more
https://arablit.org/2023/04/24/the-red-suns-purple-moons-and-gun-carrying-mice-of-syrian-poet-daad-haddad/
Although Da’ad Haddad published two poetry collections—Correcting Death’s Mistake and A Crumb of Bread is Enough For Me—in the 1980s, the Latakia native’s literary influence and renown were to be posthumous, ushered in by the publication of The Tree Leaning Towards the Ground and There is Light after her passing in 1991 in Damascus, where she died at the age of 54. A full collection of her works was finally made available by the Damascus-based Dar al-Takween in 2018, prefaced by three Syrian poets: the late Bandar Abdel Hamid (d. 2020), Nazih Abu Afach, and Suzan Ali.
Although Da’ad Haddad published two poetry collections—Correcting Death’s Mistake and A Crumb of Bread is Enough For Me—in the 1980s, the Latakia native’s literary influence and renown were to be posthumous, ushered in by the publication of The Tree Leaning Towards the Ground and There is Light after her passing in 1991 in Damascus, where she died at the age of 54. A full collection of her works was finally made available by the Damascus-based Dar al-Takween in 2018, prefaced by three Syrian poets: the late Bandar Abdel Hamid (d. 2020), Nazih Abu Afach, and Suzan Ali.
Research Interests:
https://themarkaz.org/fragile-freedom-fragile-states-in-the-muslim-world/ Middle Eastern theocrats and dictators love to counter allegations by pointing out the persistent aspects of injustice in the West. Acquitted racial violence, for... more
https://themarkaz.org/fragile-freedom-fragile-states-in-the-muslim-world/
Middle Eastern theocrats and dictators love to counter allegations by pointing out the persistent aspects of injustice in the West. Acquitted racial violence, for example, when exercised or incited by state officials and public workers in the US, is a “godsend” to a Middle Eastern autocrat and his cronies. The same is true about violations of the rights of other historically marginalized groups. The old maxim about glass houses and stone throwing applies here. A more vigorous push for equality — not censorship à la Cancel Culture — can go a long way toward disarming opportunist tyrants across the globe.
Middle Eastern theocrats and dictators love to counter allegations by pointing out the persistent aspects of injustice in the West. Acquitted racial violence, for example, when exercised or incited by state officials and public workers in the US, is a “godsend” to a Middle Eastern autocrat and his cronies. The same is true about violations of the rights of other historically marginalized groups. The old maxim about glass houses and stone throwing applies here. A more vigorous push for equality — not censorship à la Cancel Culture — can go a long way toward disarming opportunist tyrants across the globe.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
https://themarkaz.org/americas-freedom-hinges-on-the-survival-of-its-democracy/
Calling out the hypocrisy and double standards of conservatives who once argued that no president is above the law.
Calling out the hypocrisy and double standards of conservatives who once argued that no president is above the law.
Research Interests:
https://themarkaz.org/tmr-weekly/on-american-democracy-and-empire-a-corrective The next US Secretary of State Antony Blinken prefers to think of the past four years as an “aberration and not representative of what America is and aspires... more
https://themarkaz.org/tmr-weekly/on-american-democracy-and-empire-a-corrective
The next US Secretary of State Antony Blinken prefers to think of the past four years as an “aberration and not representative of what America is and aspires to be.” However, the riot at the Capitol Building in Washington D.C. and its aftermath might have exposed a deep-seated authoritarian, anti-democratic mindset among Republicans—one that predates Trump.
The next US Secretary of State Antony Blinken prefers to think of the past four years as an “aberration and not representative of what America is and aspires to be.” However, the riot at the Capitol Building in Washington D.C. and its aftermath might have exposed a deep-seated authoritarian, anti-democratic mindset among Republicans—one that predates Trump.
Research Interests:
https://arablit.org/2018/01/18/three-poems-by-riyad-al-saleh-al-hussein-simple-like-water-clear-like-a-bullet/
Decades after the death of Syrian poet Riyad al-Saleh al-Hussein, his words remain alive among readers.
Decades after the death of Syrian poet Riyad al-Saleh al-Hussein, his words remain alive among readers.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
http://booksbywomen.org/valentine-by-george-sand-a-review/ Had it not been for picking up a copy of Impromptu, a 1991 British-American film that highlighted the dreamy, fragile musician’s love affair with the powerful woman novelist, I... more
http://booksbywomen.org/valentine-by-george-sand-a-review/
Had it not been for picking up a copy of Impromptu, a 1991 British-American film that highlighted the dreamy, fragile musician’s love affair with the powerful woman novelist, I might have never gotten the chance to experience the genius of her work or relish in the details of her vibrant being – her multiple love affairs, her unlawful s’habiller en homme (donning men’s clothing) and smoking in public, to name a few.
Had it not been for picking up a copy of Impromptu, a 1991 British-American film that highlighted the dreamy, fragile musician’s love affair with the powerful woman novelist, I might have never gotten the chance to experience the genius of her work or relish in the details of her vibrant being – her multiple love affairs, her unlawful s’habiller en homme (donning men’s clothing) and smoking in public, to name a few.
Research Interests:
https://arablit.org/2020/11/03/the-flying-flesh-of-amjad-nassers-adams-kingdom/ Nasser lets the anthropocentric triumph over the theological understanding of the world, a victory for the guilty of intellectual pride: Epicureans, Stoics,... more
https://arablit.org/2020/11/03/the-flying-flesh-of-amjad-nassers-adams-kingdom/
Nasser lets the anthropocentric triumph over the theological understanding of the world, a victory for the guilty of intellectual pride: Epicureans, Stoics, Averroists, and otherwise virtuous heathens who embark on an intellectual journey unhitched to a destination in a metaphysical world.
Nasser lets the anthropocentric triumph over the theological understanding of the world, a victory for the guilty of intellectual pride: Epicureans, Stoics, Averroists, and otherwise virtuous heathens who embark on an intellectual journey unhitched to a destination in a metaphysical world.
Research Interests:
In his second novel, Here is the Rose, acclaimed Jordanian poet and novelist Amjad Nasser probes deep into the tensions between the old and the new; the classic and the modern; tradition and innovation.... more
In his second novel, Here is the Rose, acclaimed Jordanian poet and novelist Amjad Nasser probes deep into the tensions between the old and the new; the classic and the modern; tradition and innovation.
https://arablit.org/2018/02/22/amjad-nassers-here-is-the-rose-we-can-no-longer-tell-tragedy-from-farce/
https://arablit.org/2018/02/22/amjad-nassers-here-is-the-rose-we-can-no-longer-tell-tragedy-from-farce/
Research Interests:
https://arablit.org/2022/11/03/new-fiction-by-basma-el-nsour-the-scorpion/ By Basma El-Nsour. Translated by I. Rida Mahmood and Marcia Lynx Qualey. He squirmed a bit, feeling heavy all over, and opened his eyes. They were full of wrath,... more
https://arablit.org/2022/11/03/new-fiction-by-basma-el-nsour-the-scorpion/
By Basma El-Nsour. Translated by I. Rida Mahmood and Marcia Lynx Qualey.
He squirmed a bit, feeling heavy all over, and opened his eyes. They were full of wrath, and it was with great difficulty that he raised his palm and brushed off the layers of dust that had gathered on his eyelids, struggling to move his stiff body. It wasn’t easy. When he stretched out an arm in search of...
By Basma El-Nsour. Translated by I. Rida Mahmood and Marcia Lynx Qualey.
He squirmed a bit, feeling heavy all over, and opened his eyes. They were full of wrath, and it was with great difficulty that he raised his palm and brushed off the layers of dust that had gathered on his eyelids, struggling to move his stiff body. It wasn’t easy. When he stretched out an arm in search of...
Research Interests:
https://arablit.org/2016/04/11/syrian-novelist-khaled-khalifa-i-have-always-wondered-about-the-ability-of-some-writers-to-remain-silent/
Interview by Rachael Daum, translated by I. Rida Mahmood
Interview by Rachael Daum, translated by I. Rida Mahmood
Research Interests:
https://en.qantara.de/content/syrians-in-germany-writer-widad-nabi-integration-is-the-search-for-common-ground
by Widad Nabi, translated by I. Rida Mahmood
by Widad Nabi, translated by I. Rida Mahmood
Research Interests:
https://newint.org/features/web-exclusive/2014/08/26/gaza-53-seconds/
By Rana Mourtaja, translated by I. Rida Mahmood
By Rana Mourtaja, translated by I. Rida Mahmood
Research Interests:
Literary and narrative discourses hold an inherent correspondence between themselves and the social, economic, national, and political issues that govern the atmosphere in which they emerge, including those concerning the war of the... more
Literary and narrative discourses hold an inherent correspondence between themselves and the
social, economic, national, and political issues that govern the atmosphere in which they emerge,
including those concerning the war of the classes and of the sexes. Using the erotic as a
parameter, this paper analyzes three novels by three contemporary women novelists from Egypt,
Lebanon, and Syria: Nawāl el-Sa’dāwī, Ḥanān al-Shaykh, and Samar Yazbek, respectively. An
analysis of the combination of language, culture, and space can lend itself to an examination of
the relationships of power and social hierarchies that govern societies, in a fashion that follows
the Foucauldian power/knowledge social theory. Adopting the Lacanian perspective of language
as an inherently sexist utility, this paper examines the approaches found in these three novels to
the objectification of the female body; the yearning to reclaim agency; and the success – and
failure – in regaining and retaining autonomy.
social, economic, national, and political issues that govern the atmosphere in which they emerge,
including those concerning the war of the classes and of the sexes. Using the erotic as a
parameter, this paper analyzes three novels by three contemporary women novelists from Egypt,
Lebanon, and Syria: Nawāl el-Sa’dāwī, Ḥanān al-Shaykh, and Samar Yazbek, respectively. An
analysis of the combination of language, culture, and space can lend itself to an examination of
the relationships of power and social hierarchies that govern societies, in a fashion that follows
the Foucauldian power/knowledge social theory. Adopting the Lacanian perspective of language
as an inherently sexist utility, this paper examines the approaches found in these three novels to
the objectification of the female body; the yearning to reclaim agency; and the success – and
failure – in regaining and retaining autonomy.