Lena Jayyusi

One of the most beautiful and fascinating medieval Arab-Islamic folk romances is presented in English for the first time. For contemporary readers, The Adventures of Sayf Ben Dhi Yazan offers unusual perspectives on issues of gender, religion, race, and ethnicity, as woven into the art of an oral narrative. Composed between the thirteenth and sixteenth centuries during the Mamluk age, this folk romance is still cherished by storytellers in the Middle East. Sayf Ben Dhi Yazan was a historical figure, a sixth-century Arab king who ruled in Yemen before the rise of Islam. In the tale he is presented as a Muslim warrior; his exploits range across Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan, where his Muslim followers do battle with pagan peoples. . Colorful panoramas of heroic feats, magical escapades, bizarre landscapes and beings, brief or long-lasting love affairs, sincere friendships, demonic hatreds, supernatural forces, and dark spells propel this sira - an Arabic romance in the grand tradition of The Thousand and One Nights.

"This book addresses the roles of various media in the shaping and active contestation of particular conflicts and political agendas in the Arab world. Interdisciplinary contributions examine the sociopolitical dynamics generated in and through media, with perspectives emerging from media studies, anthropology, religious studies, and political science. This book explores both new media and older media forms and formats including the press, satellite television, Facebook, Web 2.0 technology, posters, and music videos. Topics range across the politics of popular culture, women scholars' religious fatwas, the Palestinian visual public sphere, Hezbollah's media policy, women's presence on Arab satellite television, and the uses of Facebook in the Tunisian revolution. Contributors include such well-known scholars as Charles Hirschkind, Marwan Kraidy, Amahl Bishara, and Olfa Lamloum"--Back cover.