WHO ARE WE?

Kalimat¹ is a non-profit, independent, media production organisation committed to providing an outlet for open expression for Arab creatives worldwide. Launched in 2010, it aims to be an open outlet for expression and to increase participation within the cultural/creative scene, providing a platform for Arab creatives to engage in thought and action around ideas, people and business—challenging the status quo.

Kalimat is a platform for Arab creatives to engage in thought and action. Here at Kalimat our mandate is and always has been “by Arabs, for everyone.” This might seem exclusive, or a bit cliquey, but this is not the case. For a long time, Arab writers, journalists, designers, artists, producers (creative and cultural people) have been a part of the Anglo-spheric world. However, more often than not, this tended to be in a way that wasn’t exactly in our interests. At worst, our presence was used to justify one agenda or another that didn’t end so well and our image was far from accurate—that is the basis of our motto “Challenge the Status Quo.”

Kalimat is not simply an outlet to write about the Arab region, but a space for Arabs interested in design, current affairs, media, literature, music, art, etc., to better their communities. If you are a designer and feel strongly about something (or just want to highlight your work), there’s a space here for you. If you’re a writer or a journalist, we can spare a page for your words. If you’re a photographer, a musician, a cartoonist, an engineer, a programmer, an architect, a scientist…anything that transforms the world around you, we want to show your work. And for non-Arabs who are curious or just simply want something good to read, watch and/or listen to, Kalimat is a great place to start.

[1] Kalimat means words in Arabic. It is inspired from the Majida el-Roumi song of the same name, originally a poem by the Syrian poet Nizar Qabbani.

Submissions/General:
kalimatmagazine@gmail.com

Creative Director & Editor:
danah@kalimatmagazine.com

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Kalimat Back Issues (05–08)