Author Archives: Arab America

So you think Arabs can dance? Say it together now: na’am. The Arab version of hit TV show So You Think You Can Dance is finally coming to the Middle East. Called Yalla Nor’os, the show will premiere on Fox Movies from September 28, with an audience-voted final winner walking away with a $100,000 (Dh367,295) … Continued

Sir Rateb Rabie, CEO and president of The Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation (HCEF), opened the second panel of the “In Diffence of Christians” (IDC) summit this past Thursday with the words, “I am not a scholar, a priest, or a politician, I am just a Palestinian Christian with a mission.” He began by recounting … Continued

Responding to a question on the potential of art to transform at Jewish Book Week in 2013, Palestinian-Israeli writer Sayed Kashua commented, “Sometimes people talk about culture and literature and art as something that can connect people together…to bridge between cultures. I hate bridging between cultures. It should be tunnels.” I was reminded of his … Continued

The administration’s response to the conjunction of this weekend’s People’s Climate March and the International Day of Peace? 1) Bomb Syria the following day, to wrest control of the oil from ISIS which gained its foothold directly in the region through the U.S., Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey and Jordan funding and arming ISIS’ predecessors in … Continued

If you believe what what some (at best misinformed, at worst bigoted) people say, Muslims have a lot to answer for. Practically any atrocity committed by persons claiming to be acting in the name Islam has been met not with a measured response, but a demand for all Muslims to take responsibility. A bit like … Continued

If you believe what what some (at best misinformed, at worst bigoted) people say, Muslims have a lot to answer for. Practically any atrocity committed by persons claiming to be acting in the name Islam has been met not with a measured response, but a demand for all Muslims to take responsibility. A bit like … Continued

Since the dawn of the written word, governments and leaders across the world have worked both openly and subversively to keep the views and opinions of writers in check. In the Middle East, an incredibly diverse region with a clamor of languages, dialects, and opinions, authors who clash with the prevailing rhetoric often have to … Continued

Maher S. Mahmassani’s new novel, “Islam in Retrospect: Recovering the Message,” by Olive Branch Press, is an essential read for Muslims and non-Muslims alike. The scholarly work provides a better sense of understanding to help readers easily grasp the foundation of the religion that is Islam. The concepts presented are nothing new. The ideals laid … Continued

Twenty-four Arab artists, including nine from Egypt, have made it to the final stage of the regional singing competition Arab Idol, according to MBC’s website. In addition to the top 24 contestants, the judges have opened the floor for two additional participants to join the final performance round, “Singing Live on Stage” which will be … Continued

The common saying that one person’s freedom fighter is another’s terrorist well describes how the world is often divided over the Palestinian resistance. One of the continuous and often angry arguments between Palestinians and Israelis concerns the form of Palestinian resistance. Israelis showcase cherry-picked acts of Palestinian violence in which Israeli civilians are killed as … Continued

US forces who bombed Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) fighters in Syria also targeted a separate armed group plotting an imminent attack against US and Western forces, the US defence ministry has said. Arab allies Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates took part in the strikes, which started … Continued

The London pan-Arab daily “Hayat” [Life] reports this morning on the air strikes conducted on ISIL positions in Raqqah, Syria, by the United States and several Arab allies. The Syrian government acknowledged that the US gave fair warning it would bomb Raqqah to the Syrian ambassador to the UN. That is, the US may not … Continued