Author Archives: Arab America

In my article ‘Time for an Arab Astronomy Renaissance’, published in Nature in June 2013, I decried the sorry state of Arab astronomy today, in stark contrast with its golden era, which lasted from the early 9th century to the end of the 16th century CE. Today, the whole Arab world is home to only … Continued

<b>Women of Karantina, Nael Eltoukhy, trans. Robin Moger (AUC Press)</b> A favorite of several prize-winning Egyptian authors, novelist and short-story writer Mohammad Abdelnaby says the book has “an epic tone that laughs at everything, an unusual lightness of spirit, and a surprisingly fresh treatment of old motifs such as violence or succession, al-Toukhy creates something … Continued

Bowing to pressure from leftwing pro-Palestinian activists, Macy’s has decided to scrub Israeli-made SodaStream products from their shelves. In case you’re unfamiliar with the product, it’s a carbonation system paired with flavorings which allows the consumer to create their own soft drinks from the comfort of home. Sounds innocent enough, right? Not to the progressive … Continued

Arab Idol winner and Palestinian singer Mohamed Assaf scooped the top prize for Best Middle Eastern Act at the MTV European Music Awards (EMA) on Thursday. The MTV EMA award ceremony is scheduled to be held in Glasgow, Scotland on 9 November. Assaf beat Egyptian band Cairokee, Lebanese singer Jana, Saudi DJ, producer and record … Continued

Hundreds gathered in Beirut to pay tribute to Serena Shim, a Press TV reporter who died in a car crash near the Turkish-Syrian border. Shim was covering the crisis in the besieged Syrian city of Kobani and had allegedly been accused of ‘spying’ by Turkey. Live rounds were fired into the air as her body … Continued

Ouachita Baptist University professor Dr. Raouf Halaby recently presented a paper at the Olympia Arab Festival, an event co-sponsored by the Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice. The conference was held Oct. 4 in Olympia, Wash., in conjunction with the city’s Fall Arts Walk. “This festival is an opportunity to celebrate, learn and experience … Continued

When the Arab Museum of Contemporary Art and Heritage (AMOCAH) opens in Galilee in December, both Jews and Palestinians will be able to take the credit. Though the museum is largely dedicated to Palestinian Arab culture, it is run by Jews, creating a unique opportunity for collaboration and cooperation between the two groups, reports Haaretz. … Continued

هل تريد أن تتعلم اللغة العربية؟ Or, “Do you want to learn Arabic?” The Arabic Program at the University of Tennessee, which currently consists of language courses from elementary Arabic to third year studies, hopes to expand in the coming years to include fourth year studies as well as an Arab Studies major and minor. … Continued

Greek Orthodox Bishop for Baghdad, Kuwait and their surroundings, Ghattas Hazim, realizes that the position assigned to him by the Holy Synod of Antioch, presided over by Patriarch John X Yazigi as patron of that diocese (the area under supervision of a bishop), is not easy. Hazim is also aware that his mission might be … Continued