Leila Molana-Allen

Literature and lattes in Baghdad

Demand for books is growing in the city, so is the need for good coffee as Iraq steps out of the shadow of war and discovers a love of reading.

The road to Karbala

Millions of Muslims are gathering in the Iraqi city of Karbala for Arbaeen, one of Shia Islam's most important annual events. What exactly is it and why is it so important?

Inside the mausoleums of Hezbollah’s secret Syria dead

Hezbollah has lost scores of fighters in Syria, yet families claim to be proud of their dead, who are glorified as "martyrs". Was the bloodshed necessary– and where do the bodies end up?

Survivors of Israeli massacre in Lebanon rebuild their lives

No one in the village of Qana is waiting for a miracle to heal the deep scars left by Israeli air strikes that slaughtered over 100 civilians in 1996 and 28 in 2006. But, with the help of younger generations, residents are determined to move on.