I love old movies – especially love stories from the 40s and 50s that give you a glimpse into a world that no longer exists. It’s the details… the formality and elegance, the hats, gloves and letters and the lack of modern props – like cell phones and computers.

I watched Joseph Pevney’s classic Istanbul again this weekend. You seen it? Errol Flynn, Cornell Borchers and Nat King Cole. It’s a delicious flick. A remake of a 1937 film called Singapore, set around the Turkish capital, diamond smuggling and a stormy love affair.

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I recently discovered a groundbreaking group of female Tunisian filmmakers that are drawing international acclaim, but are barely heard of in their native land and I felt I just had to give them some kudos here!

Dora Bouchoucha, Kalthoum Bornaz, Nadia el Fani and Moufida Tlatli were names I’d never heard until I read a fantastic article in The Christian Science Monitor.

Tlatli is now one of Tunisia’s most famous directors, after her 1996 film “Silences of the Palace” earned her oodles of acclaim at the Cannes Film Festival. “Red Satin,” produced by Bouchoucha in 2002, was a hit in the US around the globe. Nadia el Fani’s  “Bedwin Hacker,” released in 2003, portrays a computer-hacking Tunisian woman and earned her international admiration and accolade.

Bornaz’s current flick, “The Other Half of the Sky,” depicts the last remaining legal difference between men and women in Tunisia – inheritance laws. According to the Koran and Tunisian law, a daughter is entitled to half the amount of inheritance as her brothers.

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I’ve often wondered how men fair amid the metropolises of Gulf malls. My female friends in Bahrain are shopaholics, as I probably would be too if I lived there , provided I could afford it.

They tell me there are two types of Bahraini man: Mr Shoptastic and Mr Shopaphobe. One example of the latter, and who tells his story with particular verve in his blog, is Ammaro.

Even Houdini Couldn’t Escape Bahrain Mall…

Ammaro gives a hilarious account of one Ramadan night post-ifta when, in dire need of clothing he finds himself in a compromising position: Can he get to his sneakers in time and bolt out of the door, or will he face, as he so eloquently puts it, yet another night of relentless ruthless shopping with his nearest and dearest.

“Honey?” She said.

“Dammit!” I thought, as I tried to slip my shoes on and make a run for it. “I need to go shopping today.”

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I often wonder what it must be like to marry for a second time. Having spoken to close friends who have endured the sadness of separation or bereavement, it seems starting again has a whole new set of challenges. By second marriage, I mean second time around, rather than multiple marriage…

Been There, Done That…

Second time marriage can be particularly challenging for us Muslims, and more so for us Muslim women. I join many others in the belief that life sometimes takes unexpected paths and leads us to unforeseen places, and that we’re all entitled to a second chance.

I’ve noticed a couple of second marriage agencies springing up in Muslim countries or those with a large Muslim population. One of these is India. In Hyderabad, India’s fast paced, modern “City of Pearls”, 2nd Vivah is a new marriage agency specifically dedicated to those who are marrying for the second time.

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Islam is everywhere, even where you’d typically least expect it. Our faith is growing, spreading, reaching out to the furthest corners of the globe, as far south as Australia, as far north as Scandinavia.

April 2009, heralded an important landmark for the Muslim community in Iceland, as the country’s first “all-Icelandic” couple got married at the Reykjavik Muslim Association Mosque.

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Seems like Lebanon’s got talent, beauty, style and pizzazz. I mean, I knew it had spawned onscreen siren Salma Hayek and sexy songstress Shakira, but I recently discovered three male icons that I never knew were Lebanese or had Lebanese blood. Ready for the revelations?

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I was quite surprised when I visited Tashkent a few years back. Girls were wearing a wide range of clothing:  I saw plenty in traditional Uzbek garments, a fair few hijabs and also a lot of very snappily dressed gorgeous Uzbek girls in bright, modern garb.

Yet when I went to go look at the clothes on offer to girls, hoping to snag myself a souvenir, I have to say the choice was kinda limited. It seemed that there weren’t hardly any clothing stores. The ones I did see were much more expensive than I had expected.

I read in Ferghana, the Russian news agency, trade constraints mean the flow of quality girls’ clothing into Uzbekistan was curtailed in 2002-2003, As such Uzbek traders had to shift to local low-quality goods and poorly fashioned clothes.

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I’m very interested in the issue of interfaith between our global Muslim community and those of other religions around the world. In 2010, there are almost as many Muslims in the world as there are Christians, and the religions are full of similarities and parallels. Some would say it’s time Muslims and Christians recognized just how similar we are, and that the fate of the world depends on it.

This was in fact the subject of an open letter signed in 2007, and launched from Jordan to the Vatican by 138 Muslim leaders and scholars.

First Class from Jordan to The Vatican

The 29-page letter — entitled A Common Word between Us and You  was organized by the Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought in Amman, Jordan.

The letter was addressed to Pope Benedict XVI, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams and 25 other named Christian leaders.  It emphasized that world peace depends on greater understanding between the two faiths. This powerful message for mutual understanding represented the first time so many high-profile Muslims united to make such a public call for peace.

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If you’re a gossip addict (like me), it will have been hard to avoid the waitress scandal surrounding Indian golfing ace, Tiger Woods. Perhaps it’s best we just gloss over that… Moving swiftly on, and in the name of helping Indian men in the public eye to retain their reputation as faithful partners and husband, The India Times ran an interesting article on some of the country’s finest examples of “true gentlemen.” So ladies (and gentlemen), here is a quick pick of five of India’s most chivalrous stars:

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You know, they say that if you’re a writer, provoking a reaction from your critics, be it good or bad, is an achievement. I hope Diane Johnson, former Pulitzer and Booker Prize nominee and the author of Lulu in Marrakech feels the same way.

I’d heard so much about Johnson’s latest book, Lulu in Marrakech – a CIA-spy-love story set in Morocco -  thatI had to read it. It got some good reviews but it also caused some fierce reactions from some noteworthy critics (including the New York Times, and the New York Times Book Review).

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