Author Archives: Arab America

Linda Sarsour, the executive director of the Arab American Association of New York, was a victim of a hate crime this week that wouldn’t have occurred had it not been for the phenomenon of the terrorist group “Islamic State” (ISIS). Sarsour, who has become a voice for Muslim Americans nationally, discussed the incident on social … Continued

Last night, Ted Cruz made headlines when he confronted a group of Middle East Christians at an “In Defense of Christians” conference with the bizarre claim that “Christians in the Middle East have no greater ally than Israel.” This led to protests from the crowd, triggering an escalation of more egregious statements from Cruz and … Continued

The Iraqi parliament finally voted in the government of new Prime Minister Haydar al-Abadi on Monday, in what US Secretary of State John Kerry called a “turning point.” There are reasons, however, to be cautious about pinning too many hopes on the new government. Although al-Abadi is a more congenial and less paranoid figure than … Continued

Israel has a habit of justifying its actions in the occupied Palestinian territories, however illegal and indecent, in the name of security. But denying any security to the other side only perpetuates the conflict. Five days after reaching a ceasefire with Hamas to end the latest round of fighting in Gaza, the Israeli cabinet decided … Continued

The latest season of Arab Idol kicked off last week with its first episode in Lebanon and Dubai. Here we met Japanese singer Nao Koyasu, who made it through with a ‘golden ticket’ after singing a classic song by Fairouz in Arabic. Watch her performance here: <iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”//www.youtube.com/embed/HGNdvYHS3_0″ frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen></iframe> And she’s not … Continued

Hundreds of activists, including Christian clergy from across the Middle East and more than a dozen members of Congress on Tuesday begin a three-day conference aimed at training a serious policy-impacting force in Washington to protect persecuted Christians overseas. Concern has been building for two decades about the plight of minority Christians in certain hot … Continued

The organization September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows has launched a campaign against Islamophobia through a new bus ad promoting religious tolerance and interfaith unity in New York City. This comes just after a recent poll conducted by the Arab American Institute shows that Americans have an increasingly negative attitude toward Muslims in the United … Continued

Lady Gaga arrived in the Middle East Monday night with the promise that she wouldn’t be donning any revealing costumes when her ArtRave: The Art Pop Ball tour hits Dubai on Wednesday. Speaking at a short press conference shortly after landing at Dubai International Airport, the singer — renowned for her headline-grabbing outfits — answered … Continued

We’ve covered the backlash against a Yale chaplain for his letter to the New York Times saying that Israel’s “carnage” in Gaza and its footdragging on the peace process were a factor in growing anti-Semitism in Europe. Well, that three-sentence letter to the Times has now produced the resignation of the chaplain, Father Bruce Shipman, … Continued

US Muslims have been receiving letters from their banks from Washington to Florida, notifying them that their accounts will be closed soon, moves decried by Muslim civil rights group as motivated by racist policies. “We never understood what’s going on,” said AbdulHyee Waqas, who had his Bellevue, Washington, nonprofit group’s account closed, told Los Angeles … Continued

KKadra Mohamed walks into an old haunt, the Grocery and Meat Market on the city’s north side, where as a girl she shopped with her mother. She breathes in the heady smell of Somali spices, halal meat and the bread she has loved since growing up in a nearby public housing project. Two girls in … Continued

Commercially successful rock and pop stars have tended to be silent about the oppression of Palestinians. There are exceptions, of course. Roger Waters, formerly of Pink Floyd, and the Primal Scream frontman Bobby Gillespie have both been speaking out against Israel’s crimes for quite a few years. Other high-profile artists like Madonna, Elton John and … Continued