The Tahrir Square meme: Event series at the University of East London

“To live like a tree, lonely and free / To live as brothers like trees in a forest”

Professor Charles Tripp on Art and the Arab Uprisings (Event Recording)

Arab Awakening 13 May 2012

In the third and final event in Arab Awakening's 'Tahrir Square Meme' series, Charles Tripp, professor of middle east politics at the School of Oriental and African Studies, provided a feast for the mind and the eye in his exploration of the power of art in the Arab Spring.

Interview with Arab rappers Ibn Thabit and Deeb, Part 3

Arab Awakening 9 April 2012

In the third and final part of the interview, Libyan rapper Ibn Thabit and Egyptian rapper El Deeb tell openDemocracy's Bassam Gergi, Mazen Zoabi and Rosemary Bechler what their next steps are, the need for a democratic education and their desire to connect with young Arabs.

Rap and the Arab Spring, full event with Ibn Thabit, The Narcicyst, and El Deeb

Arab Awakening 5 April 2012

On February 29th, three Arab rappers were hosted in London by openDemocracy and the University of East London as part of a three-part lecture series, 'The Tahrir Square Meme'. Libyan rapper Ibn Thabit, Iraqi rapper The Narcicyst and Egyptian rapper El Deeb discussed politics, revolution and even performed for the audience.

Interview with Arab rappers Ibn Thabit and Deeb, Part 2

Arab Awakening 18 March 2012

In the second part of the interview, Libyan rapper Ibn Thabit and Egyptian rapper El Deeb tell openDemocracy's Bassam Gergi, Mazen Zoabi and Rosemary Bechler what their next steps are, what brought Egyptians and Libyans together, and how they are learning from one another.

Translating Egypt’s revolution: introducing an anthology of essays

Samia Mehrez 13 March 2012

The forthcoming volume, Translating Egypt's Revolution, draws on the interdisciplinary nature of the field of translation studies today as it seeks to describe and explain the myriad ways in which the Egyptian people wrested back control of their public space and public culture in 2011. Come and debate their findings at an event at the University of East London on Thursday night.

Translating Egypt's revolution: images from Tahrir

Laura Gribbon 9 March 2012

In a series of photos from Tahrir Square, Laura Gribbon previews some of the work she will discuss in the openDemocracy and UEL event, Translating Egypt's Revolution on March 15th in London.

Interview with Arab rappers Ibn Thabit and Deeb, Part 1

Arab Awakening 4 March 2012

Libyan rapper Ibn Thabit and Egyptian rapper El Deeb tell openDemocracy's Bassam Gergi, Mazen Zoabi and Rosemary Bechler what Tahrir Square meant to them, what it is like being the voice of a leaderless revolution, and what they cared about enough to make them poets.

Hip hop and the Arab uprisings

Ulysses 24 February 2012

People shouldn't divide Arabic rappers into pro- and anti-revolution camps and castigate one side - the Arabic hip-hip scene is too nuanced and complex for that. But if unity only comes at the expense of social justice, the Arab world will be even worse off than before.

The Tahrir Square meme: a series of events at the University of East London

Arab Awakening, Ibn Thabit, The Narcicyst, Mohamed ElDeeb, Samia Mehrez, and Laura Gribbon 25 January 2012

Hip Hop Revolution

Ulysses 16 December 2011

In the midst of the Arab Spring there is a group of dedicated young hip hop artists who are using their medium to disseminate revolutionary ideas. This piece documents how hip hop has impacted on the way young people interact with the revolution in Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Libya and elsewhere.

Egypt, Bahrain, London, Spain - Tahrir Square as a meme

Deterritorial Support Group editorial 23 May 2011

Certain tropes of struggle are spreading mimetically between movements against poverty, corruption and austerity measures. The Tahrir Square meme has been taken up across Africa, the Middle East and Europe, with its latest incarnation in Puerta De Sol in Madrid this week

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Arab Awakening

In the months following the start of the Arab Revolutions, articles and analysis poured into openDemocracy from contributors across the Middle East and Europe. Gradually, the impact of Tahrir Square began to extend well beyond the Middle East as democratic inspiration travelled from east to west. Arab Awakening tries to capture that inspiration and use it to help us read a rapidly changing world.

"As students of politics is it is vital to study the power of imagination." -Professor Charles Tripp, SOAS

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