Author Archives: Arab America

Seeing someone eating Girl Scout cookies makes me happy. Seeing Girl Scouts selling them makes me even happier.

I was a Girl Scout leader for my daughter’s troop from the time she was in first grade until she graduated high school, so I have an affinity for Girl Scout cookies and the Girl Scout organization. Girls learn a lot when selling cookies, including self-confidence, marketing, public speaking skills, money management and a slew of other skills. As Muslim Girl Scouts, my troop and I benefited in other ways as well. …

I started both a Girl and Boy Scout troop in 1995 at the Islamic center where my children attended weekend Islamic school. I wanted my children to build camaraderie with their fellow Muslims while also engaging with people of other faiths and backgrounds. I wanted them to learn that being a Muslim living in America didn’t mean they had to choose one identity over the other.

Source: www.charlotteobserver.com

A political battle to install a water pipeline for the first planned Palestinian city of Rawabi is now over, with Palestinian American entrepeneur finally able to reach his goal of establishing a beautiful city in area A of the West Bank.

Source: www.ynetnews.com

Somewhere between stepping off the school bus and climbing into the go-kart, Sandra Ibrahim, 14, took off her pink hijab. She was on a trip to an indoor amusement park in New Rochelle, N.Y., with her Islamic weekend school, surrounded by other Muslim children, parents and teachers. She knew the adults would like her to keep the head scarf on. But there she was, zooming along the track, her dark brown ponytail swinging freely behind her.

Sandra wants to wear the hijab when she is ready, because she wants to follow the guidelines of her religion. She thought she was ready in fifth grade, when her parents rewarded her with a Barbie video game and other prizes for each week she kept it on. But there was teasing and bullying, her family said. Students at her public school yanked it from her head at least twice. So she took it off. She tried again in the middle of sixth grade, and again in seventh. This year, in eighth grade, she had not even tried.

Source: www.nytimes.com

In a recent two-part post, Martin Indyk argued that the United States has only two highly imperfect options for dealing with the current disorder in the Middle East: a “condominium” with Iran, or rebuilding a coalition of regional “status-quo” actors including major Sunni states and Israel. He concludes that Iran’s regional orientation is too determinedly destabilizing to make it a viable partner. So America must overcome its inward focus and a re-forge an alliance with the Sunni Arab states and Israel to bring order to the Middle East. 

Source: www.brookings.edu

Hayv Kahraman was in her fourth grade history class in Baghdad when the question was asked: Is Iraq a democracy or a dictatorship? Not knowing what either word meant, she guessed “dictatorship.” This proved to be the wrong choice, no matter how right the answer was: the next day she was punished with a ruler in front of the other students.

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Official sources in Iraq reported today the destruction by Islamic State forces of the United Nations World Heritage property of Hatra, the capital of the first Arab kingdom, ‎and a city that bears the roots of Islamic Arab cities, according to a statement released by the UN body charged with protecting cultural sites.

“The destruction of Hatra marks a turning point in the appalling strategy of cultural cleansing underway in Iraq,” said the Director General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, Irina Bokova, and the Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, in a joint statement.

In recent days, attacks against the culture of Iraq have seen a dramatic escalation, with brutal destruction of invaluable cultural items at the Mosul Museum and bulldozing of the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud.

“With this latest act of barbarism against Hatra, Daesh shows the contempt in which it holds the history and heritage of Arab people, which had been rightly recognized as a World Heritage site,” the statement said.

Hatra, a large fortified city under the influence of the Parthian Empire, withstood invasions by the Romans in 116CE and 198CE thanks to its high, thick walls reinforced by towers. The remains of the city, especially the temples where Hellenistic and Roman architecture blend with Eastern decorative features, attest to the greatness of its civilization.

The statement said this latest direct attack on the history of Islamic Arab cities confirms the role of destruction of heritage in the propaganda of extremists groups.

It also drew attention to the cultural toll paid during the conflict, noting that, in addition to the tragic loss of human life and the humanitarian crisis, persecution of cultural and religious minorities, as well as the targeting of cultural heritage for intentional destruction have been practised, with the aim of erasing the history of the country and thus undermining the peaceful coexistence of diverse communities.

“UNESCO and ISESCO are fully mobilized to respond to this emergency and stand ready to assist the Iraqi authorities in any possible way,” said Mrs Bokova and Mr. Altwaijri.

Source: www.un.org

The Daily Star has put together a list of some of the best spots around Beirut to enjoy brunch.

Source: www.dailystar.com.lb

She has just finished her first book – Headscarves and Hymens: Why the Middle East Needs a Sexual Revolution, which comes out in the UK in May. It is an extension of her essay Why Do They Hate Us?, which provoked huge controversy in 2012 for its examination of misogyny in the Arab world.

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Aside from the renowned linguist and philosopher Noam Chomsky, Norman Finkelstein is perhaps the best known, and most provocative, American Jewish critic of Israel. The son of holocaust survivors, Finkelstein was banned from entering Israel after a visit to Lebanon in which he expressed solidarity with Hezbollah; and frozen out of US universities after a fierce academic conflict with civil liberties lawyer and Israel supporter Alan Dershowitz. 

More recently he has angered some “pro-Palestinians” by his adherence to a two-state solution, and criticism of some elements in the Boycott Diversity and Sanctions (BDS) campaign for equivocating over the continued existence of Israel.

A political firebrand, Finkelstein has advocated for the Palestinian cause, presenting himself as a beacon of moral truth in the murk of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. His work, accusing Jewish charities of exploiting the Holocaust for monetary gain and attacking Israel for oppressing the Palestinians, has made him many enemies. Leon Wieseltier, the literary editor of the New Republic, described Finkelstein as “poison: a disgusting self-hating Jew.

Source: www.middleeasteye.net

The flashy Gulf city with a skyline that looks like something out of a science fiction movie is embracing its love of all things new with plans for a “Museum of the Future.”

Emirati Minister of Cabinet Affairs Mohammed al-Gergawi told reporters Wednesday the museum in Dubai will showcase innovations in design and technology, in fields such as transportation, health and education.

The $136 million project is expected to open in 2017. The curving, oblong — and of course futuristic-looking — building will feature poetry written by the Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is also the Emirati prime minister.

Al-Gergawi said the museum aims to change its exhibits every six months to keep pace with changing technology, with a goal “to always be 10 years ahead of today.”

Source: abcnews.go.com

The 1942 film starring Humphrey Bogart immortalized Casablanca in gauzy splendor, but the winds of economic change stalk its dusty streets today.

Source: www.thedailybeast.com

Over the past 16 years, Queen Rania of Jordan has become a champion of women’s rights, a vocal proponent of education in the Arab world and a strong voice for peace in the Middle East.

And while some associate royalty with stuffy traditions and secrecy, Queen Rania isn’t afraid to Instagram a pic of herself eating a burger to kick off the weekend.

With nearly 4 million Facebook followers, 3.6 million Twitter followers and more than 470,000 Instagram followers, Her Majesty has definitely embraced the 21st century. But she uses these platforms to let her guard down, and invite people to see who she is — not just a queen, but also a mother, wife and activist.

Source: mashable.com