Author Archives: Arab America

A response to “How do you stop racism in the Arab American community? Heck if I know” I write this in response to a deeply problematic blog post published by Muslim Matters on December 11th. The piece was met with objections and critiques by some Arabs and non-Arab Muslims on Twitter [1]. The original post … Continued

  Thousands of Christian pilgrims from around the world packed the West Bank town of Bethlehem for Christmas Eve celebrations on Tuesday, bringing warm holiday cheer to the biblical birthplace of Jesus on a cool, clear night. The heavy turnout, its highest in years, helped lift spirits in Bethlehem as leaders expressed hope that the … Continued

Federal agents who detained a college student after an airport screener found him carrying Arabic-English flashcards with such words as “bomb” and “terrorist” cannot be sued for their actions, a U.S. appeals court said Tuesday. Reversing a lower court ruling, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia said three Transportation Security Administration agents … Continued

When Texan photographer Dylan Hollingsworth started sharing his photos from a trip to Palestine this summer, he was disheartened by some of the confused and resentful reactions he received from friends of various religious backgrounds. “I also think I may have lost a few rural Texas Facebook friends that just weren’t real comfortable with seeing … Continued

The Muslim-American community seems to have adopted several cultural and religious traditions as it has established its presence here. However, every year a debate seems to emerge amongst local residents over how to mark the nationally celebrated holiday of Christmas. For Americans, the presence of Christmas can be felt nonstop during the month of December, … Continued

Eight years after Washington’s biggest construction project in two decades was launched, City Center was just a sad expanse of parking lots on seven blocks of prime downtown real estate, a project paralyzed by the economic downturn, according to city officials. Then came Qatar. A tiny nation of sand dunes and salt lakes jutting into … Continued

A year ago, Mohammed Assaf was a 23-year-old wedding singer in a Gaza refugee camp. But since he won the “Arab Idol” singing competition in June, in front of more than 100 million viewers, he has become something of a pop superstar in the Arab world. Now, Mr. Assaf is trying to conquer North America, … Continued

It has been 20 years to the day since the famous handshake between Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Chairman Yasser Arafat. On September 13, 1993, on the White House lawn, the two former enemies, flanked by President Bill Clinton, signed a historic “declaration of principles” (DOP) pledging to pursue a … Continued

The full membership of the American Studies Association (ASA) has voted by a two-to-one margin to endorse an academic boycott of Israel, it was announced today. The referendum was called after the National Council, the ASA’s governing body, endorsed the boycott itself on 4 December. The vote is likely to be seen as an historic … Continued

On the wall outside a restaurant in southern Hamtramck, larger-than-life Yemeni faces gaze out at the neighborhood, their piercing eyes painted with people in their pupils. The mesmerizing 80-foot-wide by 16-foot-tall mural in one of Michigan’s most diverse cities is a striking addition to the landscape of a place that has long been the home … Continued

This past week, Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly and her guests were discussing an article recently published on Slate.com by culture blogger Aisha Harris. Harris described how Santa’s consistent depiction as a white man made her feel uncomfortable and excluded as a young black girl in American. As her panelists began to broach the topic, … Continued

The Zahi Khouri Fellowship (ZKF) program provides Palestinian American students and graduates the experience of professional development in Palestine in the fields of education, youth/female empowerment and economic development based on a psychosocial and multigenerational approach. Based at Tomorrow’s Youth Organization (TYO), an American non-profit based in Nablus, Fellows will have the unique opportunity to … Continued