The hijab, or headscarf, is arguably the world’s most misunderstood garment. Whether viewed as a personal choice, political statement, or cultural mandate, its simple notice-ability makes it vulnerable to debate. Its message is modesty, but what happens when it's paired with tight clothes and pretty heels? Then the comments really fly. What’s a modern girl to do? The Islamic dress code for women is nuanced; it's a total package that moves beyond dress-sense into behavior. But what does that look like, exactly? And where do you stand in the debate?

Rickie Fowler of the United States celebrates with his trophy after winning in the final of the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship in the capital of the United Arab Emirates on January 24, 2016. Fowler opened up a two-shot lead following a 65 in his third round that was eventually completed in the morning, and then shot a three-under par 69 for a 16-under par total.

Hawala is the main means by which migrants move money, a system that enables users to transfer cash via an ancient compact founded solely on trust. It’s use has expanded with the millions of MidEast migrants moving towards the EU since the start of the Syrian conflict. It’s banking at it’s simplest, devised by medieval tradesmen who needed to outsmart highway robbers on the dangerous Silk and Spice Roads. The same benefits apply today to migrants crossing international borders. While it could serve criminal activity , experts maintain that’s a ...

Al Bawaba wants to know: why play with snow when you can eat and drink it? We rounded up recipes that recycle any windfall of the white stuff into tasty snacks and cocktails. Skip the alcohol for perfect snow-mocktails. A much-hyped blizzard hit Lebanon hard this week, with strong winds dumping drifts on higher elevations. But it fizzles to a drizzle in Palestine, Jordan and Israel where the promised winter wonderland is mostly icy rain. All you people in places passed over by Snowmageddon or discouraged by dodgy snow - ...

In December, the Israeli government banned the award-winning novel Borderlife from school curriculums. The book, by Israeli author Dorit Rabinyan, told the story of a Jewish woman from Tel Aviv falling in love with a young Palestinian artist. Israel’s Ministry Of Education justified the ban by saying Israeli schoolchildren were not concerned enough with the “significance of miscegenation.” But Israel is far from the only country in the Middle East that has officially prohibited “dangerous” novels from besmirching the minds of their noble citizens . Let’s take a look at ...

In 1605, a young Englishman named Guy Fawkes tried to plant a massive bomb beneath the British Parliament. The goal was to kill the king--a Protestant--and replace him with his nine-year-old daughter, who Fawkes and his co-conspirators believed would give greater power to England’s Catholics. It wasn’t meant to be. Fawkes was caught in the basement of the House of Lords with three dozen barrels of gunpowder, which he said was designed to “blow you Scotch beggars back to your native mountains.” The Protestant monarchy of England had him tortured ...

Arab celebs tend to be super secretive about their kids, rarely sharings pics of their little ones on social media. But cute these kids are, so we thought a roundup of adorable celebrity darlings was in due order. From young to full-grown, these kiddos are utterly gorgeous. It’s no wonder their famed parents keep them in hiding; they know they’d steal the show! Here’s a dose of superstar descendant sightings just for you.

Real Madrid's French forward Karim Benzema celebrates after scoring during the Spanish league football match Real Madrid CF vs Real Sporting de Gijon at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on January 17, 2016. AFP PHOTO/ PEDRO ARMESTRE