We rarely remember entire stories. We remember small moments that, on their own, can feel complete. Memories appear like brief, scattered clips of video, arriving without warning. They do not need to connect or form a single story, yet what matters most are the moments that shape these memories, and in turn, shape who we are. It is the small, fleeting moments that tend to shape us and shape our countries. Moments we catch online, on TV, or hear in passing, through conversations and headlines. The moments the world witnessed during the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, or the inauguration of Egypt’s second Suez Canal, marked by a ceremony that became ingrained in the memory of every Egyptian. And even though these moments might never reveal the whole story, one instant of witnessing war or violence can wipe out everything that came before it. It can erase everything that was once part of a person’s or a nation’s identity. The Arab world has, in the past few years, been shaped by these moments. Moments of violence, of war, of suffering, and of hardship often spread across online…
