Author Archives: Arab America

Administrators at the University of Illinois – home of the offensive Chief Illiniwek sports mascot – may face censure by the American Association of University Professors for violating the principles of academic freedom. The violation occurred last summer when the administrators dismissed Professor Steven Salaita from his tenured teaching position in the American Indian Studies program after he tweeted criticisms of Israel’s 51-day siege of Gaza that left more than 2,200 Palestinians dead, including 500 children.

The report clears the way for the association’s general membership to vote on a motion of censure at its annual meeting in June. A censure vote is a serious black mark against a university “informing Association members, the profession at large, and the public that unsatisfactory conditions of academic freedom and tenure have been found to prevail at these institutions.”

The report, released April 28 finds the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) administration and the board of trustees of the University of Illinois violated principles of academic freedom as well as Salaita’s due process rights as a faculty member when they dismissed him just weeks before classes were to begin on August 16.

“The dismissal of Professor Salaita has roiled the UIUC community and much of academia; it is one of the more significant violations of academic freedom this decade,” Henry Reichman, professor emeritus of history at California State University, East Bay, said in a statement. Reichman chairs the AAUP’s Committee on Academic Freedom and Tenure and also chaired the investigating committee in this case. “The issue in the case has never been the content of Salaita’s message. One may consider the contents of his tweets to be juvenile, irresponsible, and even repulsive and still defend Salaita’s right to produce them.”

Salaita is a Palestinian American scholar in American Indian studies, who has done groundbreaking work in comparative analysis of the Native American and Palestinian peoples’ experiences. In October 2013, he accepted the UIUC tenured job offer, which was subject to approval by the university’s board of trustees. He had received course assignments, resigned from his existing tenured position, sold his house, and put down a deposit on a condo in Illinois before being informed by UIUC Chancellor Phyllis Wise in an email August 1 that she would not submit his job offer to the board for approval after all. The next board meeting with approvals on the agenda was scheduled to occur after Salaita was to start teaching, which in itself was a violation of recommendations made by the AAUP and the Association of American Colleges and Universities, the report says. “Professor Salaita’s appointment should have entitled him to the due process rights of a tenured faculty member,” the report says.

The AAUP report came as no surprise, Salaita told ICTMN in an email, “because every other body to investigate UIUC’s administrative decision has reached the similar conclusion that the university acted against both its own rules and the principles of academic freedom to which it claims to be committed.”

The censure would be on the UIUC administration collectively, AAUP Associate Secretary Anita Levy told ICTMN. “We’re careful to indicate that the censure is not on the university per se and it’s not on the faculty and we’re not censuring the students, that we’re calling attention to the fact that the climate for academic freedom and tenure – when and if we censure – is not favorable to faculty and to students,” Levy said.

Robin Kaler, the UIUC’s associate chancellor, said in a statement that he hopes a censure won’t happen. “We would be very disappointed if the AAUP chose to censure the University given the many positive steps we have taken to bring our campus together, move forward … and reaffirm our commitment to principles of academic freedom and shared governance: the Board of Trustees will make decisions on proposed new hires well in advance of their arrival on campus; the chancellor is beginning the process to create a Chancellor’s Faculty Fellows program that will facilitate frequent and rapid faculty guidance around critical campus issues,” he said.

The AAUP report was written by an investigating committee and was based on an investigation and report conducted by the UIUC academic senate’s Committee on Academic Freedom and Tenure. Other findings include:

—Rejecting the appointment without demonstrated cause and without due process amounted to a summary dismissal, in violation of both AAUP and university policies.

—Rejecting the appointment without … even informing those involved in several previous levels of evaluation contravened widely accepted standards for the conduct of academic governance. 

—The climate for academic freedom at UIUC is uncertain. The chancellor’s and the board of trustees’ stated reasons for Salaita’s dismissal – that his tweets were uncivil – “have cast a pall of uncertainty over the degree to which academic freedom is understood and respected at UIUC. The chancellor and the board claimed on multiple occasions that ‘civility’ is an appropriate standard by which the fitness of a scholar and teacher may be judged, a claim which is inimical to academic freedom.”

If an institution is censured, the AAUP immediately makes efforts to remove it from the censure list, Levy said. “We try to come up with mutually satisfactory resolutions to the issues that led to the censure in the first place,” she said. “In fact, we look at the censure almost as a failure because our goal is to try to remediate the situation rather than have to end up censuring.”

If the UIUC administrators and board were censured in June, AAUP would start working with them to correct the policies that led to the problem and urge them to redress the violations against Salaita, Levy said. Redress in this case would likely be his reinstatement.

Salaita has said all along that he wants his job back. After unsuccessfully seeking reinstatement last fall, Salaita’s lawyers from the Center for Constitutional Rights and the Chicago firm of Loevy and Loevy filed a lawsuit on his behalf in January against the administrators, members of the Board of Trustees and a group of “John Doe” defendants who had threatened to stop donating to the university if Salaita wasn’t fired because of his criticism of Israel.  The lawsuit alleges violations of Salaita’s constitutional rights to free speech and due process of law, as well as the basic principles of academic freedom, breach of contract, conspiracy, tortious interference, promissory estoppel and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The lawsuit seeks reinstatement and unspecified compensation for the economic hardship and damage to his reputation.

Source: indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com

Ninety-nine years ago, on May 16, 1916, the Sykes-Picot Agreement, officially known as the Asia Minor Agreement, laid down the borders of the Middle East as we have known them for a century. The diplomats, Francois Georges-Picot for France and Sir Mark Sykes for Britain, had worked out the details in five months of negotiations, from November 1915 to March 1916.
The agreement was marked out on a map with grease pencil in a series of straight lines, most likely to create “uncomplicated borders.” The agreement divided the land that had been under Ottoman rule since the early 16th century into new countries in two spheres of influence: Iraq, Transjordan and Palestine under British control; and Syria and Lebanon under French control.

Sykes-Picot had two fatal flaws. The first flaw was that the agreement was concluded in secret, negating the main promise that Britain had made to the Arabs in the 1910s — that if they rebelled against the Ottomans, they would be granted independence.

The second major flaw of Sykes-Picot was that the straight lines drawn delineating countries’ borders did not correspond to the actual sectarian, ethnic or tribal distinctions on the ground. At first, from the late 1950s to late 1970s, these differences were buried, first under the Arabs’ struggle to eject European colonial powers and later by the sweeping wave of Arab nationalism and the “united front” necessary to confront the challenge of the establishment of the state of Israel.

Both flaws contributed to the chaotic conflict that has plagued the Middle East and is today tearing the region apart at the seams. Instead of building and nourishing the key ingredients of a healthy nation-state such as civil institutions, a free press, free and fair elections, equality, religious tolerance and pluralism, national citizenship, and multiparty systems, Sykes-Picot laid the groundwork for intensified tribalism and violent religious sectarianism. They created a playing field for global and regional proxy conflicts amid a collection of self-serving dictatorial regimes, monarchies and eventually even a theocracy.

Source: ncronline.org

US intelligence agencies have failed to utilize the skills of Arab-American employees in the War on Terror because of existing prejudices and discrimination, National Whistleblowers Center Executive Director Stephen Kohn told Sputnik.

“There has been willful and intentional discrimination against loyal and patriotic Arab-Americans who have necessary skills that could have helped,” Kohn said on Monday.

The expert explained that because of prejudices and discrimination, US intelligence agencies have failed to anticipate that al-Qaeda would take advantage of the political turmoil in the Middle East after the 2010 Arab Spring.

The agencies’ inability to provide accurate intelligence was brought into light by former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Deputy Director Michael Morell, who recently stated that CIA’s inability to anticipate al-Qaeda’s steps allowed the group to regain strength after the killing of its leader Osama bin Laden in May 2011.

Kohn argued that there is not a single person who speaks Arabic in the leadership of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The expert said the Whistleblowers Center obtained under oath testimony from the leading FBI officials that supervisors and managers, who were being assigned to the counterterrorism division to manage all US-related terrorism cases, were not required to have any subject matter expertise in terrorism and the Middle East.

“The person…. who was given the authority to build the entire FBI counterterrorism program after September 11, 2001, did not know the difference between the Shia and the Sunni Muslims,” Kohn added.

The expert recalled a major whistleblower case in which the FBI refused to use their highest-ranking fluent Arabic speaker, Bassem Youssef, who is currently a Unit Chief in the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, because of being an Arab American.

In July 2006, the US Department of Justice’s Office of Professional Responsibility ruled that the FBI illegally held Youssef back.

“That’s an indication that they don’t use the resources on the human intelligence that they should be using to protect the United States from another terrorist attack,” Kohn said.

The expert concluded that the FBI and other US intelligence agencies need to target existing discriminatory conduct, eliminate the discrimination and use all resources at their disposal.

Source: sputniknews.com

When Pamela Geller and her controversial organization, the American Freedom Defense Initiative, announced it would hold a cartoon contest in Garland, Texas, their plan to satirize and lampoon the founder of Islam was intended to have both a defiant and provocative free-speech edge.

Sunday’s contest and its $10,000 prize were prompted in part by the Paris Charlie Hebdo massacre in January, Ms. Geller said in March, as well as the riots in Muslim countries sparked by the publication of satirical anti-Muhammad cartoons by a Danish newspaper in 2005. And indeed, as if on cue, two gunmen with apparent ties to Islamic militants overseas tried to storm the heavily secured event in a similar fashion, before being shot dead by a local police officer Sunday night.

The incident comes at a time when tensions between some segments of American society and Muslims appear to be becoming more fraught – with protests against Muslims in Texas and anti-Muslim social-media attacks after the release of the film “American Sniper.” In that context, Geller’s actions raise questions about speech seen by many as motivated to incite anger and hatred.

Source: www.csmonitor.com

We reported last week that supporters of convicted terrorist and immigration fraudster Rasmea Odeh were protesting a Justice Award to U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade, Rasmea Odeh Prosecutor to get Justice Award.

For background on the case, see Rasmea Odeh rightly convicted of Israeli supermarket bombing and U.S. immigration fraud.

The Justice Award was given by the Michigan-based Arab-American Civil Rights League (ACRL) among other groups, including the local NAACP chapter.

Rasmea’s supporters were furious, demanding that the Justice Award be revoked. They launched a social media campaign encouraging people to dall the ACRL, and issued veiled threats of retaliation.

Many of the tweets were what we have come to expect in the case, a complete distortion of the reality of Rasmea’s guilt:

Source: legalinsurrection.com

Former President of the United States Jimmy Carter and Gro Harlem Brundtland, former Prime Minister of Norway, concluded their trip to Israel and Palestine with a statement calling for “meaningful steps to stop the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and reconcile the different Palestinian factions”.

Source: wallwritings.me

The other side of the coin in the relations between the West, primarily the US, and the Middle East — especially Israel — is frustrating and disappointing, if not damaging. Despite the recent “war of words” that took place between the vociferous Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Barack Obama, the relationship is now mending. To cite but one appeasing gesture, US Vice-President Joe Biden promised last week the delivery next year of top-flight fighter jets, Lockheed Martin’s new F-35s, making Israel the only country in the region to have the new stealth warplanes.

Biden announced his gesture before a primarily Jewish audience at an Israeli Independence Day celebration in Washington, hosted by Israeli Ambassador Ron Dermer — a Netanyahu confidante who has been blamed by Obama’s aides for orchestrating the prime minister’s recent Congressional address.

The low-key American gesture was immediately followed by a loud call from Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif for Israel to give up its nuclear weapons. He was speaking at the United Nations before the 120-nation Non-Aligned Movement (Nam) conference aimed at advancing prospects for a nuclear-free world, particularly in the Middle East.

This response matches others made by the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) in the past few months, mainly to compel Israel to negotiate a peace settlement following its 51-day war in the Gaza Strip last year, which resulted in the deaths of more than 2,200 Palestinians, including about 500 children. The severely-damaged region remains besieged and no sign has emerged of rebuilding the area where 1.7 million refugees live. About 19,000 homes have been destroyed or severely damaged in Gaza and another 134,000 have suffered some damage. Moreover, about 100,000 have been displaced, living in United Nations schools, tents pitched on rubble or rented apartments and storefronts. Donor countries and international organisations have pledged $3.5 billion (Dh12.87 billion) but only $945 million has been received so far — about a quarter of the donations pledged.

The Association of International Development Agencies (Aida) earlier this month urged the international community to adopt a new approach to Gaza, including pressuring Israel to lift its border blockade. Its report, signed by 45 groups, said only open borders and a durable ceasefire can bring economic, social and political stability to Gaza. Otherwise, a return to conflict is inevitable. Coincidentally, the UN released a summary this week of its findings in an official internal inquiry it had been conducting for several months, in which it charged that Israeli military actions had killed 44 Palestinian civilians who had sought refuge in seven UN schools in Gaza. The UN also said that 227 Palestinians were wounded in the schools.

Adding insult to injury, the Israeli government invited tenders last Monday for the construction of 77 homes in colonist neighbourhoods of Israel-occupied East Jerusalem, the capital of the projected Palestinian state, colony watchdog Peace Now said. Israel has so far paid $10 million to the UN for damages to its other sites in Gaza.

The New York Times added that the findings “may serve to buttress the Palestinian [National] Authority’s intention to hold Israel accountable to the International Criminal Court, which it officially joined this year”.

What has been glaringly obvious here is the failure of Arab governments, particularly the PNA, to tell their side of the story to the West, especially the US. On the other hand, Israel has hardly left a stone unturned in reaching out to supporters and contributors — and now particularly to their new-found friend, the Republican Party.

The Palestinians have many supporters and admirers in the US but disappointingly they are not mobilised for their cause. A case in point is the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America, established in a Washington neighbourhood. Their brochure says that “every day for almost 800 years, Holy Land Franciscans have been caring for the people of the Holy Land and preserving sites located there”. The monastery is home to many replicas of the holy sites, notably the large portrait in the church of the Virgin Mary, which is identified as the “Lady of Palestine”. This portrait still appears in many Palestinian towns and villages.

Interestingly, the BBC Magazine had earlier this month carried a news feature about St George, who was born in Palestine, and who both the British and Palestinians Christians regard as their patron saint. “While the saint’s father is usually traced back to Cappadocia, an area in modern Turkey, it is believed his mother was Palestinian from Lydda,” a still-existing town near occupied Jerusalem.

There are still many other issues that the Arab and Middle East governments could use in highlighting their stance and diminishing the seemingly hallowed image of the Israeli government. If none could establish think-tanks or the likes in the US to explain their side of the story, they could use advertising in local media, as others do, especially Israel and its supporters in the US.

George S. Hishmeh is a Washington-based columnist. He can be contacted at ghishmeh@gulfnews.com

Source: gulfnews.com

He whisked his nearest and dearest away to an exclusive hotel 2000 miles away to celebrate his milestone 40th birthday.

But David Beckham ensured his fans did not miss out on the star-studded party, reported to have cost £250,000, – by joining Instagram for the first time and posting a series of pictures over 24 hours which saw him acquire nearly 4m followers.

As the sun rose above the luxury Amanjena resort near Marrakesh, Morocco, on Saturday, the former England football captain shared an early morning snap of himself from his bed on the social networking site.

It signalled the start of a day which included a camel ride with his sons, as guests continued to jet in for the evening’s Arabian-themed revelries which did not end until 7am on Sunday.

Celebrities including Strictly co-host Claudia Winkleman, 43, who used budget airline EasyJet, TV chef Gordon Ramsay, his wife Tana, Hollywood actress Eva Longoria, 40, and hairdresser Jason Collier – who no doubt ensured tresses were camera-ready for Instagram – all found themselves on the invited list.

Mrs Beckham’s former Spice Girls band members, Melanie Chisholm, 41, Emma Bunton, 39 and Geri Halliwell, 42, also made an appearance but Mel Brown, 39, was notably absent. It has been rumoured in the past that Mrs Beckham, 41, does not approve of Miss Brown’s husband Stephen Belafonte, 39. It was left to Miss Longoria to make up for Miss Brown by dubbing herself ‘Latina Spice’ in pictures posted.

Beckham was presented with not one but four Red Velvet (his favourite) birthday cakes – one from each of his children Brooklyn, 16, Romeo, 12, Cruz, 10, and Harper, three.

The children left birthday messages for their father in icing on the vanilla cakes which were made with fresh berries by staff at the hotel.

Beckham’s birthday party was held in a Berber tent in the grounds of the luxury resort and saw family and friends dine on traditional Moroccan food including monkfish tagine and whole lambs roasted in holes dug in the earth.

Sources claim the Beckhams paid £27,200 upfront for the evening event for 60 guests – but the total bill for the exclusive hire of the hotel will run to considerably more, with some luxury rooms costing £2,500 per night.

Entertainment was provided by local dancers, traditional folklore musicians and a flock of camels. Over 200 staff were on duty to cater to their every wish.

Ever the sportsman, Beckham requested television screens were installed so guests could stay up late to watch the boxing match branded the ‘fight of the century’ between Mayweather Jnr vs Pacquiao live from Las Vegas, which did not start until 4am.

To perk up guests after a long evening of drinking and dancing, shawarmas (Moroccan kebabs) and sandwiches were served in the small hours.

Security was tight around the resort during the weekend, with bodyguards inside the hotel and armed police stationed at the entrance.

The five-star venue, which was used in the Sex and the City 2 film, is a favourite of Beckham and his wife, who reportedly renewed their wedding vows there back in 2004 and have visited several times as the sportsman believes it is an auspicious venue.

A source at the hotel said the couple know the staff on first name terms and Beckham has even acquired his very own butler. 

He said: ‘Beckham believes that visiting the hotel brings him good luck and makes his wishes come true. That is why he keeps going back. He always has a good time.’

However the steady flow of pictures on Instagram and messages suggested Beckham’s birthday was deliberately chosen to tie in with his use of Instagram to ensure his arrival on the picture-sharing site was done in a blaze of glory and provided a boost for Brand Beckham.

The snap of him in bed was accompanied with the message: ‘It’s great to finally be on Instagram, been a long time coming but I can’t wait to start sharing all my special moments with you.’

Mrs Beckham coined the hashtag #DB40 ahead of the celebrations, suggesting some thought had gone into a social media strategy for the big day.

By Sunday, Beckham had amassed a staggering 3.7million followers on Instagram.

His teenage son Brooklyn also benefited, reaching 2million followers on Instagram – doubling the 1million mark he passed on his mum’s birthday just two weeks ago.

Sources said Mrs Beckham, who orchestrated the event, kept a close eye on the photographs that were sent out and appeared anxious that all should go to plan: ‘She and David are in the best place that they’ve been as a couple. She’s earned his admiration and respect as a businesswoman with her own success and his retirement has meant that he’s more involved with the family and she loves that. They have never been happier as a couple.’

Posting a selfie of himself with his fashion designer wife at the end of the evening, Beckham’s message read simply: ‘Thanks to my beautiful wife for such an amazing day x.’ 

Source: www.albawaba.com

The Moroccan cuisine is ranked 7th among international cuisines British diners would like to see available in their local areas.

The Caribbean cuisine has topped the top 10 list of most in-demand world foods by British diners. It is followed by foods from Greece (2), France (3), Britain (4), Mexico (5), Italy (6), Morocco (7), Brazil (8), Japan (9) and the United States (10).

The survey, cited by BigHospitality, has found that thirty four per cent of those surveyed said they do not like certain foods despite never having tried them before, while 39 per cent admitted they rarely try something new.

“It appears that certain food types aren’t broadly represented, causing some people to be less adventurous,” Bookatable chief executive Joe Steele said.

“Our goal is to encourage people to be more adventurous when it comes to eating out because there are so many exciting foods for people to discover.

“But given the huge demand for emerging cuisine types such as Caribbean, Moroccan and Brazilian, it’s clear that diners just need a push in the right direction,” he added.

Bookatable is an online restaurant reservation service headquartered in London, United Kingdom.

Source: www.moroccoworldnews.com

Work has often brought me to Poway over the past couple of years, so I’ve driven past this strip mall at the intersection of Pomerado and Scripps Poway Parkway at least a hundred times. Maybe two hundred. There’s a gas station there, and a bank. Until recently there was a Carl’s Jr., but it closed. I’d never once noticed a small cluster of restaurants braced against a hillside at the shopping strip’s western corner. I was amazed to discover they exist.

That Carl’s Jr. was the only thing you could see from the street, aside from the pumps of Chevron. If a friggin Carl’s Jr. failed at the front of this location, what chance do the other restaurants have?

I’m hoping Grenadine can make it. The Lebanese eatery opened less than a year ago and has done a splendid job making the interior seem removed from its surroundings. A high ceiling and wide floor plan contribute to a clean, airy atmosphere, and a partially enclosed dining patio has enough decorative flow to ignore the parking lot just beyond it.

Baba ghanoush and a basket of fresh flat bread
Perhaps more importantly, the Mediterranean bistro bakes its own bread. As regular readers might know, I started with baba ghanoush. I’m always on the lookout for a good rendering of this eggplant staple, and Grenadine’s won me over. Though it leans heavily on both garlic and tahini, I devoured the $5.50 half-order without complaint, particularly enjoying the basket of warm pita slices and crispy zaatar-encrusted flatbread that accompanied it.

A little research tells me zaatar gets used on a lot more than just bread and that it often incorporates roasted sesame seeds, thyme, sumac, marjoram, and oregano. While they wouldn’t tell me their recipe here, it definitely starts with thyme and sesame, and the heavy dusting of herbs on the crispy wafers boosted my enjoyment of the ghanoush and tasted great on their own.

A bowl of dry soup and a tasty chicken shawerma wrap
For my main dish, I thought I would escape the baba ghanoush and shawarma rut I seem entrenched in when it comes to reviewing Mediterranean restaurants. However, when I asked my server to suggest something, she responded with “chicken shawarma” faster than I could say “recommendation.” Who am I to argue? I ordered a chicken shawarma wrap and expected the best.

I got it with a side of lentil soup, which wasn’t bad, considering lentils have the uncanny ability to make even soup taste dry. The wrap itself was simple — just marinated chicken cooked over an open flame, tomatoes and garlic paste rolled into a fresh pita. The chicken cooked well, and the tomatoes actually contributed flavor — not the watery, mushy sort of tomatoes you’ll find at lesser restaurants and markets. The garlic paste tied everything together.

For $8.75 I might have expected something more substantial, or at least a wider variety of toppings, but we’re talking about a strip mall restaurant in a business park opting for quality ingredients while trying to survive where even fast food fears to tread. If Grenadine can’t find a way to make it here, it’s at least worth noting there’s sister restaurant Amardeen, over by UTC.

Source: www.sandiegoreader.com

Tucked in the back of an alley lined with various shops, restaurants and stores, Aleppo’s Kitchen brings to life the culture and food of one of the Arab world’s ancient cities: Aleppo, Syria’s oldest and largest.

Syrians’ struggle for freedom that began with the March 2011 uprising has had a devastating effect on Aleppo’s people, ages-old mansions, alleys, souks, heritage and spirit. The city that in 1986 was named one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites, so designated because they are thought to have special cultural or physical significance, has been reduced to rubble, burned buildings and heartbreaking stories of torture, separation and death.

But over at Anaheim’s Little Arabia District, the restaurant, with its Ottoman-style tea machines and Arab culture-inspired artwork, provides a snapshot of Aleppo and stands as a constant reminder of home, said Nidal Hajomar, who opened the business in summer 2013.

“We used to live there and moved because it’s not safe anymore for me and my family. We lost everything in Syria,” Hajomar said. “I knew my wife is excellent with food. She cooks by measurement and recipe, not the old-fashioned way. So we said, ‘We will open a restaurant in Anaheim.'”

The taste of kibbeh, one of Syria’s specialty dishes, the smell of Turkish coffee, the sound of Egypt’s legendary Um Kalthoum songs playing overhead, the hookah smoke dancing in the air and the gatherings of family and friends are reminiscent of the Arab world, and it is what Little Arabia District portrays with its shops and restaurants.

The district that runs between Euclid Street and Beach Boulevard in West Anaheim and from the 91 Freeway to the southern border of the city is recognized unofficially as Little Arabia.

“I think the Little Arabia community is not only a positive for the businesses and residents, but for the entire general population of that area and all of the city,” Anaheim Councilman Jordan Brandman said. “This is the American experience. Little Arabia, like Little Saigon, like Koreatown, are a vital part of our fabric as Americans. It is only a good thing, and it leads to better understanding of where we all came from.”

Although the city doesn’t officially recognize the district, the Anaheim Orange County Visitors and Convention Bureau lists it on its website as one of the places to visit when in Anaheim, a place where “the best of Arab hospitality awaits you.”

There was never a plan to create a Little Arabia District in Anaheim. It all began 33 years ago when Sammy Khouraki opened Altayebat Market, a small grocery shop where customers can find a variety of fresh bread, teas, nuts, honey, tea biscuits, vegetables and fruits not usually available at ordinary grocery stores, like mulberries and green almonds.

Today, Khouraki has handed the management of the store to his son, Romy, 35, but continues to work there. He asks customers if they need help, advising them on which kind of honey to try and cracking jokes here and there.

“We made it,” Khouraki said of Little Arabia.

Ethnic spices, foods, snacks and bread aren’t the only items found at Altayebat. Stepping into Altayebat is something like stepping into a modern souk — or Arab marketplace — in the Middle East. Parking spots are scarce, and the store is crammed with goods and people having to move steadily to make room for one another.

Other businesses followed, including La Mirage Pastries & Chocolate, Knafeh Cafe and Kareem’s Restaurant — then hookah lounges, hair salons, clothing stores that cater to modestly dressed women, more restaurants and shops, office buildings and nonprofits catering to the Arab and immigrant community.

Sacramento resident Mona Aboueljoud, 49, visits Little Arabia with her husband and children a couple of times a year.

“It’s humbling for me when I come here,” the Lebanese native said. “This country is really great. It accommodates people and gives them the chance in order to make a living and live happily and comfortably and have your own rights. And you pick up a lot of good habits they have here, and you don’t lose your identity. You are still the same person, but it enhances you.”

Little Arabia serves multiple purposes, said Rashad Al-Dabbagh, managing partner of a new marketing venture that promotes the district.

“New immigrants, students, refugees, asylum seekers from the Arab world usually come to Anaheim when they first move to the area, because it helps them assimilate and keeps them in touch with their homeland,” Al-Dabbagh said.

“In Anaheim, nonprofit community organizations help resettle refugees and direct them to resources and find them jobs, while restaurants, shops and lounges help them reconnect with their culture, food and meet new people. For second- and third-generation Arab Americans, Little Arabia keeps them connected to their roots and heritage.”

The area used to be referred to as Arab Town or Little Gaza because of the concentration of Arab shops and restaurants. Then, in 2010, Al-Dabbagh and two friends, Omar Masry and Roqaya Ashmawy, began promoting it on social media platforms as Little Arabia.

“The reasons we started promoting the Little Arabia District were to recognize the Arab American community in West Anaheim, to help improve local businesses and promote this area to those outside Anaheim as a cultural destination,” he said.

The three held meetings with city and state officials in an attempt to improve the district and officially designate it as Little Arabia, but that goal hasn’t fully been realized yet.

Brandman said he hopes to see the area officially designated, much like Little Saigon in Westminster and Garden Grove and Koreatown in Los Angeles.

“It is important to officially designate Little Arabia District in order to recognize the contributions of Arab Americans to Anaheim both economically and culturally,” Al-Dabbagh said.

“The fact is, for many years, Arab community members throughout Southern California visited Anaheim to shop and eat, which resulted in tremendous contributions to the economy of Anaheim. An official designation will bring more attention to the area, which will help the dozens of small businesses thrive and ultimately have a positive effect on Anaheim.”

Official or not, the Little Arabia name endures.

On Easter Sunday, Yolande Smith, 47, sipped Turkish coffee while waiting for her food order at Al Wadee Bakery & Restaurant. The Garden Grove resident was visiting Little Arabia to order her family’s Easter feast.

She said her family loves the food and the hospitality in the area.

“I feel very privileged that I live so close to good food,” Smith said. “They’re super-nice people with their own unique culture. When you can’t travel, you have places like Little Arabia, and it introduces you to other people and cultures. It pushes you to have an open mind.”

Source: www.dailypilot.com

According to the University of Chicago, “Mesopotamia” or “The Land between Rivers” is considered to be the cradle of civilization because this is where archeologists have found the origins of agriculture, written language, religion, government, and cities.”

In the Bronze Age, Mesopotamia included Sumer, Babylonia, and Assyria, corresponding to most of modern time Iraq, northern Syria and small parts of Iran, Kuwait, and Turkey. This land’s invaluable historical heritage is in danger of total annihilation.

Over the past few months, people around the world witnessed chilling footages of mass destruction and looting of the ancient civilization’s cultural heritage. Takfiri ISIL fanatics destroy almost all heavy objects too big to move with sledgehammers, jackhammers, bonfires, fire axes and even grenades. However, in reality, such destruction is nothing compared to the most significant threat to invaluable objects. The historical artifacts small enough to move (and in most cases more precious) are stolen, channeled through an enormous, lucrative European antiquities black market, ending up in London antique shops. London Portobello antic market is flourishing these days. Antique dealers are rubbing hands while batches of smuggled artifacts are being delivered to their doorsteps on a daily basis.

A short walk through London Portobello market with a keen eye can quickly expose how London is now turned into a fanfare for smuggled and pillaged Syrian and Iraqi artifacts. Collectors can find anything they fancy: Roman Mosaics, glassware, potteries, gold items, coins, ancient Babylonian cuneiform tablets, whatever a collector may dream, you name it!

The smuggling route begins from archeologically important areas mostly in Mosul in Iraq and Aleppo in Syria. Mosul is very close to the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud and Aleppo is well known for being the oldest inhabited city of the world. Both cities are currently within territories occupied by ISIL terrorists.

From day one, ISIL has made all connections overseas keeping the business under their control. The stolen artifacts are smuggled trough either Lebanon or Turkey, which are used as transit stations.

Gangs smuggle the artifacts from there to Eastern Europe. European smugglers, who enjoy their illicit trade, have business cards and official offices in the USA, UK, France, and the Netherlands.

The United Kingdom is the 2nd largest arts and antiquities market in the world, and it is estimated that over 60% of looted Syrian antiquities end up in London. That was also the case during the wars against Afghanistan and Iraq.

Source: www.presstv.ir