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Author Archives: Arab America
The Arab ‘Peace Troika’
One paradox stands out in the Middle East. The lands of the three monotheistic faiths – essentially messages of peace – remain awash in conflict. The Holy Grail is peace in this region. The search for it has included Arabs – despite orientalist stereotypes to the contrary. Thomas Hardy’s apt observation that ‘war makes good … Continued
Arab-American Agent Sues the FBI
FBI’s highest ranking Arabic speaking agent opened his courtroom battle against his employer today in a Washington, D.C. federal court. Bassem Youssef is suing the FBI for job discrimination, saying he was denied a role in counterterror efforts after 9/11 despite his resume – and what he claims is a crippling shortage of qualified Arabic … Continued
Khaled Mattawa Receives Major Poetry Award
Khaled Mattawa has been selected as the recipient of the 2010 Academy Fellowship from the Academy of American Poets. The Fellowship is awarded once a year to a poet for distinguished poetic achievement and provides a stipend of $25,000. The Academy’s Board of Chancellors, a body of fifteen eminent poets, selects the Wallace Stevens Award … Continued
An Interview with Syrian-Born Artist Kevork Mourad
We speak with the Syrian-born artist… Your background is Armenian and you were born in Kamachli, Syria, and studied art in Armenia. How do your Armenian and Arab heritages influence your art? “Especially now that I am so far from both Syria and Armenia, I find myself all the more influenced by the landscapes and … Continued
Lebanese Poet Haddad Pushes Boundaries on Erotica
Joumana Haddad, the editor of an erotic Arabic-language magazine and author of a new book that challenges sexual taboos in the Arab world, is drawing praise and death threats alike. The Lebanese writer and poet publishes Jasad – Arabic for body – a glossy quarterly that deals with eroticism and body-culture. Published since December 2008, … Continued
Hillary Clinton Headed to Mideast for Talks
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton launches an intense week of Middle East diplomacy in Egypt Tuesday, joining Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for their next round of face-to-face peace talks. She begins in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, then plans to move on to Jerusalem on Wednesday and the … Continued
Students’ New Campaign Fights Islamophobia
Valarie Kaur is an award-winning filmmaker who has fought racism for the past nine years, and still she found herself overwhelmed and paralyzed by the anti-Muslim sentiment flowing from controversy over the planned Islamic center near Ground Zero in New York. A student at the Yale Law School, Kaur said the Islamophobia she first observed … Continued
Ever Wonder What It’s Like to Be a Muslim Woman in Post-9/11 America?
The controversy over Park51 has reached a fever pitch. Opinions and concerns from around the country have been expressed, with many falsehoods and stereotypes being propagated along the way. We feel that the voices of Muslim women are lacking in this debate, especially the voices of Muslim women who go to Park51, and as such, … Continued
Khaled and the Myth of Rai
Cheb Khaled, the Algerian rai singer who is probably the best-known Arabic singer on the planet, was selected this summer as one of NPR’s 50 Great Voices. Banning Eyre, a regular commentator on World Music on NPR and producer for Afropop Worldwide who has worked tirelessly to promote music from Africa, including the Maghreb, introduced … Continued
Metro Muslims See Some Progress, Hope for More
Over the past decade, Eide Alawan, 70, estimates he’s helped host about 10,000 non-Muslims at the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn, one of the bigger mosques in Michigan. And so when Alawan of Dearborn hears about the intense opposition to Islamic centers in New York and across the nation, or a Christian pastor who … Continued
Kristof: Message to Muslims: I’m Sorry
Many Americans have suggested that more moderate Muslims should stand up to extremists, speak out for tolerance, and apologize for sins committed by their brethren. That’s reasonable advice, and as a moderate myself, I’m going to take it. (Throat clearing.) I hereby apologize to Muslims for the wave of bigotry and simple nuttiness that has … Continued
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