Author Archives: Arab America

Mahdi Abedrabbo, 18, speaks Arabic at home with his Palestinian-born parents and English at work in Corrado’s Market here, where customers hailing from all over the world buy everything from fresh Italian mozzarella to Turkish tahini. In nearby South Paterson, a mix of people from the Middle East and North Africa, including Muslims and Coptic … Continued

ANERA (American Near East Refugee Aid) honored Reach Out to Asia at its Annual Dinner for ROTA’s generous support and partnership in youth programs and vocational training in Lebanon.. Commenting on the honor, Rania Abou Mosleh, ROTA’s International Programs Specialist, said, “ROTA and ANERA’s work with Palestinians and marginalized communities in Lebanon is built on … Continued

The tiresome debate over whether Islam is somehow more violent than other religions unfortunately won’t go away. Recent spats between outspoken commentator Reza Aslan, TV host Bill Maher and neuroscientist Sam Harris — who said on Maher’s show that Islam was “the mother lode of bad ideas” — have launched a thousand blog posts and … Continued

US Secretary of State John Kerry is the last man on earth who still believes that lemonade can be made of the squeezed lemon otherwise known as the “peace process.” In his address in Egypt on Oct. 12, he said he would continue to try and promote the process. Along with reports about his plan … Continued

Some years ago, I was invited to a literary festival in London whose slogan was “change the world.” I had some festival brochures in my hand as I went through the usual entry process at Heathrow Airport. But before I reached the exit, I was surprised to be stopped by a police officer. He examined … Continued

Mohammed Assaf’s first ever music album “ASSAF” claimed the number one spot on music charts in Saudi Arabia, UAE and Jordan, and ranked in third place in Lebanon, only hours after its release. The long-awaited album, which was released in the early hours of Wednesday, includes 11 singles, which he created with some of the … Continued

A federal judge in Detroit has rejected prosecutors’ request that an anonymous jury be empaneled to hear the case against an Arab-American activist accused of hiding the fact she was convicted of terrorism in Israel more than four decades ago. Meanwhile, the government is pressing U.S. District Court Judge Gershwin Drain to overturn a decision … Continued

As Emiratis, Mohamed and Peyman Parham Al Awadhi thought they knew everything there was to know about their homeland. Over the past two years, the brothers behind the hugely successful ­television series Peeta Planet have crisscrossed the globe and visited 24 countries on a mission to educate a wider audience about Arab culture and traditions. … Continued

A Palestinian-American activist says police in the city of St. Louis, Missouri, put pressure on him to inform on others taking part in protests against violence by that force earlier this week. Bassem Masri, a 27-year-old self-described “pissed off citizen” from St. Louis, was arrested on Monday with around a dozen other demonstrators, including the … Continued

UNRWA USA proudly announces the addition of esteemed human rights champion and leader for peace, Mrs. Elizabeth Kucinich, to its board of directors. Mrs. Kucinich joins UNRWA USA’s work in supporting the mission of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) whose non-political mandate serves more than 5 million refugees from Palestine, in Gaza, … Continued

The sixth biennial convening of DIWAN: A Forum for the Arts (DIWAN6) will be held at the Arab American National Museum (AANM) in Dearborn, Mich., Thursday through Saturday, May 7-9, 2015. The conference will coincide with the launch of the Museum’s 10th anniversary programming year, as well as the Museum’s new visual arts exhibition, Ten. … Continued

While war and conflict in the Arab world are mainstream media’s current focus, in Los Angeles, House of Lebanon Artists Group are focusing on their passion for Art to promote culture. Their aim is to showcase their work that brings attention to their collective rich Middle Eastern heritage. As a group of artists, they are … Continued