Author Archives: Arab America

Moroccan-American media producer Driss Sekkat has been awarded the Bronze World Medal at the 2015 New York Festivals held on Tuesday in Las Vegas, the United States.

Sekkat has been honored at the 2015 New York Festivals as the executive producer of a documentary for Alhurra Television’s ‘Street Pulse’ Show on Egyptians living in cemeteries

“[I am] very proud as a Moroccan to be recognized among such an impressive list of filmmakers and TV personalities,” he told Morocco World News.

The New York Festivals awarded its 2015 winners at a ceremony held at the National Association of Broadcasters’ Conference in Las Vegas on Tuesday, April 14th.

The New York Festivals honored world’s best TV programs and films from among works submitted by participants representing over 50 countries.

To watch his documentary “Egyptians Living in Cemeteries”

Source: www.moroccoworldnews.com

TV chef Julie Ann Sageer — better known by her on-screen name, Julie Taboulie — has partnered with Visit Syracuse to promote tourism to the Syracuse area.

The organization, formerly known as the Syracuse Convention and Visitors Bureau, made the announcement in a news release Wednesday.

Taboulie, a chef specializing in Lebanese and Middle Eastern cuisine, will visit Ottawa this coming weekend, April 11 and 12, with Visit Syracuse for the National Women’s Show, where she will give live cooking demonstrations and interact with fans.

“This show is the perfect introduction to our partnership,” Visit Syracuse President David Holder said in the release. “It is known to have an attendance of 20,000 people —most of whom are ecstatic to see Syracuse there every year.”

Then on April 13, Taboulie and Visit Syracuse will promote tourism to the Syracuse region during a private media reception in Ottawa being hosted by I LOVE NY. The reception is part of an initiative called the Canada Road Show to promote New York State tourism to Canadians, according to Nikita Jankowski, a Visit Syracuse communications manager. She says this is the second iteration of the Canada Road Show; the first was in 2013.

Taboulie’s partnership with Visit Syracuse developed when the tourism/convention promotion organization became the largest sponsor for her new cooking TV show, “Julie Taboulie’s Lebanese Kitchen,” according to Debra George, a public-relations representative for Taboulie. George says the show is expected to premier sometime this fall.

Holder told BJNN that Taboulie’s new show has been in the works since last summer when she brought the idea to Visit Syracuse and struck up a strong working relationship. “She could take her show anywhere in the world but she chose to stay and show off some of the diversity of Syracuse. She knows the value of our destination,” he said in the release.

Her previous food show was called “Cooking with Julie Taboulie,” and has aired on WCNY-TV along with some other PBS stations in New York state and around the country.

Taboulie is a Central New York native. She was born in Utica and moved to Syracuse with her family at age 6. A first-generation Lebanese-American, Taboulie’s shows focus on Lebanese and Middle Eastern cuisine. Her home is in Marietta, where she will film the studio portions of her upcoming program.

Source: www.cnybj.com

Immigrants and refugees have come to our shores in search of opportunity and freedom since before the founding of our nation. The process of integrating into a new land – to achieve self-sufficiency, political and civic involvement, and social inclusion – can be difficult but the rewards can be immense. We are both children of immigrants and can attest to the success that stems from successful integration into the fabric of our nation.

Yesterday, we had the honor of submitting to President Obama a report from the Task Force on New Americans entitled Strengthening Communities by Welcoming All Residents: A Federal Strategic Action Plan on Immigrant and Refugee Integration. This plan outlines a robust federal immigrant and refugee integration strategy that will advance our global competitiveness and identifies ways to ensure our nation’s diverse people are fully contributing to their communities, and welcomed into them.

Established by President Obama as part of the immigration accountability executive actions announced in November 2014, the Task Force is comprised of 16 federal departments, agencies, and White House offices. Its work was extensive, fast-paced and – most importantly – rewarding. To prepare this action plan, we conducted an assessment of existing federal integration initiatives, engaged with stakeholders at the local and national levels, and solicited recommendations from the public.

Our initial strategic action plan provides, for the president’s consideration, specific recommendations which are intended to help:

–Build welcoming communities

–Strengthen existing pathways to naturalization and promote civic engagement

–Support skill development, foster entrepreneurship, and protect new American workers

–Expand opportunities for linguistic integration and education

One of the most effective ways for gaining a sense of belonging is to help those in need within your community. Recognizing the positive impact of volunteer and national service, the Task Force has revitalized a New Americans Project to encourage volunteerism among all Americans, including U.S. citizens and those who are new to the nation. You can support the initiative, by visiting WhiteHouse.gov/New-Americans. This website provides a ZIP-code based search engine that identifies local organizations in need of volunteers.

Although submitting this action plan to the president was an important milestone, it is just the beginning of our work. Task Force members will begin implementing the recommendations outlined in the action plan over the coming months. Our partners can anticipate our continued engagement with key stakeholders – those who are working diligently each day in communities across the country – as we further refine and review the plan. We look forward to providing the president with an update on the Task Force’s efforts in November 2015.

We are proud of the work we have done to identify and establish common-sense solutions that move President Obama’s vision of building welcoming American communities that integrate immigrants and refugees forward. Immigration is an issue that is critical to our nation’s continued economic success and global leadership. Welcoming immigrants and refugees reflects our proud traditions and distinctive characteristics. We are, after all, a nation of immigrants. 

Cecilia Muñoz is Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council. León Rodríguez is Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Source: www.whitehouse.gov

In his 25 years manning a stall at Cairo’s storied Ezbekiya book market, Ali El Shaer has often had to revise his stock. When local students favored socialist treatises, he bought Karl Marx by the carton. As the country grew more socially conservative, he lined his rickety shelves with ornate Qurans and histories of the Prophet Mohammed’s life.
The past few years, however, have created a demand for an altogether different variety of literature.
“People want things they couldn’t really read before,” he said, grinning as he pushed aside a stack of medical textbooks to reveal two leather-bound Arabic editions of Salman Rushdie’s Satanic Verses, which is deemed blasphemous by many Muslims. “After the revolution, they just want to be challenged.”

Source: qz.com

A
fter the security guard cursorily checks our vehicle for bombs we drive into the car park of the Bardo museum in Tunis. I had expected it to be almost empty. Instead there are half a dozen coaches parked outside and scores of children playing noisily in the entrance. They skip around the flowers on the ground. A family smiles as they pose for a portrait next to the memorial; the father jokes as he drapes the Tunisian flag around his head like a scarf. I cannot help but feel priggish: two weeks earlier, this was where gunmen killed 23 people.
The attack shocked the only country to have made a peaceful transition to democracy after the 2011 Arab uprisings. It has tested its fragile constitutional settlement; leftist groups boycotted the Bardo reopening ceremony the week before my trip, citing the presence of an Islamist party. Human rights organisations worry that terrorism will be used as a pretext to reinforce the structure of the police state that they say the revolution left largely unchanged.

Source: www.ft.com

Over 70 workshops being held at Arabic calligraphy exhibition.
Gold leaf painting, principles of gilding art, and Diwani typography are just a slice of the pie. On till April 27, The Dubai International Arabic Calligraphy is conducting over 70 workshops for various age groups led by experts on Arabic calligraphy. The best news is that it’s free for all. Those interested can register on site.
Along with this, an exhibition on the art of calligraphy is on at Oudh Metha’s Wafi Mall till May 15. The workshops, at Raffles Hotel, Wafi City, will be in Arabic but with English translations.
Attendees will learn about a range of topics — from the secrets of pen shaving, to Nasta’aliq typography and the basic rules in Kufic Fatimid calligraphy. There will also be a special workshop on writing the Holy Quran, and one on the preparation of golf leaf.
Dr Salah Al Qassim, Advisor to the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, said: “Arabic calligraphy is one of the leading expressions of creativity of the written word and its stylish and aesthetic expression has its origins in Islamic heritage”.
They will cover diverse topics including workshops on how to draw paintings using Arabic letters and words, Thulth Jali, illumination, in-line workshop, gold leaf preparation and its application on patterns, materialising Arabic script, principles of gilding art, and specialised workshops Kufic, Roqa’a and Diwani typography.
Other highlights of the workshops: the Typographic landscape in the Arab world today by Tarek Atrissi and Arabic matchmaking of Latin logotypes by Wisam Shawkat.

Source: en-maktoob.news.yahoo.com

Fans of Lebanese singer Haifa Wehbe are going crazy for the Arabic-only singer’s newly released music video for her first-ever English track, “Breathing You In.” The launch of the new music video coincides with the launch of a Vevo channel for the Arab star.

Source: stepfeed.com

Western collectors have increasingly become more interested in the works of Middle Eastern artists, said Ashkan Baghestani, specialist, the Middle East Department at Sotheby’s.

“I think Western collectors are realising the potential of this market, the art market is currently a very strong one,” he stressed.

Baghestani was speaking at the media preview of highlights from Sotheby’s April 21 Contemporary Art auction in Doha on Tuesday at Katara – the Cultural Village.  Sotheby’s will hold an evening auction of

58 artworks of renowned Arab and international artists on April 21.
Besides creating good quality artworks, he pointed out that artists in the region are also focusing more in expressing their opinions, something that has attracted many Western collectors.

He also noted that the masterpieces of Arab artists are well represented by good galleries and good museums. Another reason he cited is due to Sotheby’s’ coming out of very traditional type of art such as the arts of calligraphy.
“I really think that a decade or so, we’ll reach a level of prices that will be a bit more difficult for young collectors but we are really using this trend of Western collectors,”

Baghestani said. “We are getting a strong feed for the Middle Eastern market and it is very exciting for us.”

Sotheby’s also saw a lot of Western collectors in Dubai this year and he believes that “Doha is the perfect reflection of it.”
Sotheby’s has been uniting collectors with world-class works of art since 1744. It has been trying to reach out to its consigners worldwide to bring the best in Doha, according to Baghestani.

“A lot of these artworks would not be accessible in an open market and I think the art world in the region is doing extremely well,” he said. “It is very vibrant with Dubai, with Abu Dhabi, with all the patrons, there is a real desire to grow this market and I think people are very supportive of it.”

About the auction on April 21, he expressed optimism that they will do extremely well (break records again like last year) since the sale is a tightly curated show.

Baghestani describes the selection as extremely fresh, exciting, vibrant, and has the best artists from each country.
He said the artworks of extremely good artists are very well priced especially the highlights.

“Doha is a great platform. We really get international exposures by mixing Middle East and Western contemporary art. Each work is very thought through before consigning it,” he added.

While the market in the region “has blossomed” in the past 10 years, he admitted that it take time for it to grow further. “You have to give time especially in a world where everything is so fast, people don’t have the patience anymore but we are doing extremely well,” he said.

The Middle East market is another entry point for a lot of collectors that cannot necessarily afford the “super expensive” artists but still has a good budget to acquire the really good Middle Eastern artists, according to Baghestani.

Source: www.gulf-times.com

A Japanese manga artist who is fascinated by Arab culture is trying to nurture the art form in the Middle East.

Noting the growing popularity of manga and anime in the Arab world, Manaru Tenkawa, 37, offers guidance online.

She has also held classes in Cairo for aspiring artists and is now developing an app to release her manga in Arabic.

Tenkawa serves as an instructor on drawing comics at a vocational school in Osaka. She creates manga with stories set in the Arab world for magazines and the Internet.

In late January, Tenkawa volunteered her time to hold manga classes in Cairo for two days. For the first day, she used a room of the Japan Foundation, a cultural exchange organization affiliated with the Japanese government. About 70 people turned up. On the second day, she held the class in a local culture center for about 40 people.

As a teaching material, she used an eight-minute video she made herself to help students grasp how to draw manga with ease.

Tenkawa, who is from Akashi, Hyogo Prefecture, began to draw comics when she attended senior high school. After she graduated, she studied in a vocational school for one year. Then, she became an assistant to a manga artist.

When she was around 22, Tenkawa looked for a new challenge. She decided to learn Arabic because she was enchanted by the cursive script. As she studied the language, her exchange activities with foreign students from Arab countries grew. She was fascinated by differences in customs between Japan and Arab countries.

In September 2008, Tenkawa started a blog focusing on her exchange activities through comics. The blog is titled “Arabiiki,” which expresses her high regard for Arab countries.

According to Tenkawa, the Middle East has a growing legion of fans of Japanese manga and anime.

Fanzine sales events and cosplay attractions are held in Dubai and other cities. Shops that sell anime-related goods are common.

At present, she is developing an app with an Egyptian friend to release her comics to Arab people.

“I want this app to become a place for aspiring comic artists in the Arab region to release their works,” Tenkawa said. “It is my hope that the Arab world produces many comic artists.”

Source: ajw.asahi.com

This is a letter written by Rula Salameh. 

“I am proud to share that Just Vision’s Creative Director Julia Bacha has been awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship for our media project on women’s leadership in the First Intifada.
 
This project fulfills my dream to tell the story of one of the most important periods of collective organizing and unity in Palestinian history. Women were the backbone of the movement, and I’m thrilled that we’re able to bring their under-documented stories to light.
 
Interviewing the remarkable women leaders from that era has taken me on a profoundly inspiring journey.
   
The First Intifada was a time when the spirit of volunteerism was abundant. Everyone had a role to play. Teachers organized underground schools. Wealthy families helped disperse resources to those in need. Children and grandmothers participated in sit-ins and strikes. We planted community gardens and organized mass boycotts and demonstrations. We were unified, and we believed our freedom was imminent. No matter the obstacles, we resolved to push forward, driven by our desire to live in dignity, free of occupation.
 
It took decades of organizing to lay the groundwork for the mass participation of the First Intifada. Now, a new generation of leaders across Palestine continues to organize their communities and shape this chapter of the struggle to end the occupation. Our project brings to life the lessons of a previous generation who took leadership in a game-changing historical moment. It creates an opportunity for intergenerational sharing of strategies and challenges.
 
As today’s grassroots leaders emphasize the critical need to revisit these lessons, the Guggenheim Foundation’s recognition will meaningfully help us move this project forward, but it only covers a fraction of the production costs.
 
My seventeen-year old son and his generation did not grow up in the freedom we envisioned for them. Instead, as many experience the ongoing violence and persistence of military rule, they question the very possibility of a future of freedom, dignity and equality.
 
I want to reignite hope in my son and his friends. I want my son and all young women and men in Palestine to believe that a better future here is possible – and to unite and participate in building that future. I believe the creative, courageous stories from this unique moment in history can renew their vision for the future.
 
We need your help to finish shooting and start the editing process. Please consider supporting this important project by making a tax-deducible donation today.
 
With purpose,

Rula Salameh
Education and Outreach Manager, Palestine

Source: myemail.constantcontact.com

By Nancy A. Youssef The Daily Beast Bassem Youssef is a comedian who doesn’t always have to be funny. Rather, the former TV host, often called “the Jon Stewart of Egypt,” has transformed himself into an educator as a fellow at Harvard University—and a hilarious, biting “senior Middle East correspondent” for Stewart’s The Daily Show. In … Continued

Worsening conflicts, poverty and gender discrimination in the Middle East and North Africa are driving 21 million children and young adolescents out of school, two United Nations agencies said on Wednesday.

One in four children are either not in school or are at risk of dropping out in a region that has otherwise made significant progress in attendance rates, according to a joint report by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Institute of Statistics.

“At a time of such change and turmoil, this region simply cannot afford to let 21 million children fall by the wayside,” said Maria Calivis, UNICEF’s regional director in the Middle East and North Africa.

The region has recorded a 40 percent drop over the past decade in the number of out-of-school children.

But more than 12 million children and adolescents are not attending school, with an additional 6 million at risk of dropping out, said the report.

A further 3 million children are out of school in Syria and Iraq, where conflict has destroyed large parts of the education system, data from the report showed.

WAR AND DISCRIMINATION

Save the Children said last month that a quarter of school buildings in Syria have been destroyed by the war, and many parents are too frightened to send their children to school.

The U.N. report said worsening violence in Syria and Iraq now threatens millions more of becoming a “lost generation” without education.

Across the region, child marriage, as well as a lack of female teachers and deep-rooted social attitudes are drastically reducing girls’ chances of getting an education.

The report, which is part of the two agencies’ Middle East and North Africa Out-of-School Children Initiative, urged governments to ramp up efforts and devise new policies to tackle school drop-outs and gender discrimination in education, among other things.

“We need targeted interventions to reach the families displaced by conflict, the girls forced to stay home and the children obliged to work,” said Silvia Montoya, director of the UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com