Author Archives: Arab America

Video producers Adam Saleh and Sheikh Akbar admitted Tuesday that their viral video purporting to show Islamophobia on New York’s streets was in fact staged. “This video is a Dramatization of previous events that occurred with us in our tradition clothing while filming in NYC,” they wrote in an updated description of their video. “This … Continued

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said he is setting up an inquiry into attacks on UN facilities during Israel’s recent offensive in Gaza. He said the independent investigation would look into most serious cases where innocent people were killed. The inquiry will also analyse the reported use of UN facilities by Palestinian militants to … Continued

From October 23 – 27, a 1,760 foot art installation painted by more than 1,000 Syrian refugee children, entitled “Peace and Hope,” will be displayed on the National Mall. The art exhibit is a non-political cultural diplomacy initiative aimed at educating the public about the plight of Syrian children and youth. “Peace & Hope” shares … Continued

The Arab American Political Action Committee (AAPAC) will host its 17th Annual Banquet this Wednesday, October 22, 2014 at 6:30 p.m. at the Bint Jebail Cultural Center, 6220 Miller Road in Dearborn, MI. Prominent local and national politicians, including both candidates for governor are expected to attend the largest political event in the Arab community. … Continued

The final stop of the “Saudi Archaeological Masterpieces through the Ages” exhibition will be staged in San Francisco on Oct. 27, to showcase part of the Kingdom’s rich cultural heritage. The last “Roads of Arabia” show in the United States was opened in May by Prince Sultan bin Salman, president of the Saudi Commission for … Continued

With the U.S. currently engaged in an air-war against ISIS in Iraq and Syria and with voices now calling for deeper engagement in both conflict zones, the American public is being bombarded with commentary and analysis about ISIS, Syria and Iraq, and Muslims. Unfortunately, too much of it is shallow — mostly a stringing together … Continued

When Obama came into office, he appointed Dalia Mogahed to his advisory council on faith-based partnerships and gave her a seemingly impossible task: improve Muslim perception of the United States. In 2009, the U.S. was fighting two wars in Muslim countries, imprisoning hundreds of Arab men without charge at Guantánamo Bay, and another Israel-Gaza battle … Continued

For the last few weeks the American public has been inundated with news about Ebola, leaving other news — like the ongoing crisis in Syria and the Middle East — in the background. But for many Middle Easterners in Kansas City, news from home remains important, and they often struggle to find information. As a … Continued

Some big-name politicians are joining Jewish protesters in a growing firestorm against an opera they say glorifies Palestinian terrorists. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Gov. George Pataki and two US congressmen are among hundreds expected outside the Metropolitan Opera on Monday to protest the Met premiere of “The Death of Klinghoffer.” It’s based … Continued

Mohammad Assaf returned to his old stomping grounds on Saturday night with a nostalgic Arab Idol performance. A year since he won the title of the competition, he returned to the show’s stage armed with tracks from his debut album, Assaf. The Palestinian singer also evoked memories by singing one of his most popular covers, … Continued

The Abu Dhabi Film Festival features seven world premiers of Arab films as part of its showcase of the finest Arab and international cinema. Regional films will be presented alongside international titles in the Narrative, New Horizons, Documentary and Short Film competition categories during the festival, which opens on Thursday and runs until November 1. … Continued

George Clooney and his wife are quite the power couple. The Hollywood actor’s new wife, Amal Clooney, recently came in at No. 4 on the U.K. Evening Standard’s list of the 20 most influential Londoners, ranking higher than any other woman. The attorney newlywed beat out some impressive names on the list. Mrs. Clooney was … Continued