Author Archives: Arab America

A new article about ISIS in The Atlantic has reignited the perennial debate over the relationship between jihadist terrorism and the religion of Islam. 

The article, by Graeme Wood, repeatedly emphasizes the “Islamic” in Islamic State, calling out what it describes as “well-intentioned but dishonest campaign to deny the Islamic State’s medieval religious nature.”

“The reality is that the Islamic State is Islamic.Very Islamic,” Wood writes.

The Ku Klux Klan is also white. Very white. The problem with framing discussions of extremism in this manner is that, for many people, it extends into causality and a too-intimate merging of a mainstream demographic with the identity-based extremists who claim to be its exclusive guardians.

Wood’s piece rolls out, coincidentally, the same week that the White House convenes a massive summit on countering violent extremism (CVE), which is uncoincidentally also focused on Muslims and Islam, albeit with gentle but disingenuous disclaimers. Actions speak louder than words, and the White House’s CVE strategy shows it is clearly only interested in tackling Muslim extremism. 

What is the relationship between Christianity and Christian Identity? What does being German mean to Nazi ideology? What about the neo-Nazi movement Golden Dawn, a Greek identity movement heavily influenced by German Nazism? Should we understand that as German or Greek? How does Hinduism inform Abhinav Bharat, and how does Abhinav Bharat inform our understanding of Hinduism?

The 969 Movement in Myanmar is led by a Buddhist monk, and its very name refers to the Buddha and his teachings. It is very Buddhist. But is its xenophobia very Buddhist? Is a graduate-level understanding of Buddhism our only path to understanding the persecution of Muslims in Myanmar?

Source: www.brookings.edu

Eman Abdelhamid, center, 24, of Pembroke Pines, stands in vigil with Nour Haykal, right, at the Torch of Friendship for a candlelight vigil in remembrance of the three people of Muslim faith that were killed in Chapel Hill, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2015. CARL JUSTE MIAMI HERALD 

“After the Paris attacks, there has been a lot of sensationalist and biased coverage of American Muslims by the media: from assertions that Muslims did not condemn the Paris attacks to asking a human rights lawyer whether he supported ISIS on national television. Muslim Advocates, along with 19 other organizations, have signed onto an open letter to the media. As coverage on Muslims continues, we hope that media outlets will seriously consider the role they play in creating stereotypes, keep their coverage factual and avoid divisive rhetoric.

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

This weekend, we watched in horror as ISIL-linked extremists in Libya beheaded 21 Egyptian Christians. Two weeks ago, people across the world were repulsed by the killing of the Jordanian pilot Mouath al-Kasaesbeh. This brutal act revealed ISIL’s bankrupt ideology of death and destruction. This and the many other atrocities committed by ISIL—mass murder, rape, brutal suppression of local populations—have united the people of Jordan and millions across the Middle East in a call for justice and military action against violent extremists. 

Now more than ever, like-minded people and leaders in the region see this as our fight—we must win both the clash of armies and ideas. The entire civilized world has a lot at stake in the outcome. But after seeing close up what life is like under extremist control, we are starkly aware that for us, everything is at stake.

Source: www.politico.com

A strong advocate of social justice and social change, as well as an avid humanitarian, Laila Mokhiber has worked on helping those less fortunate, acting as a model figure for young people wishing to achieve change in the world.

Laila is currently the Communications Officer at UNRWA USA, a nonprofit agency that supports the work of the UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East), having worked there a year and a half. Prior to joining UNRWA USA, Laila worked at the American-Arab Anti Discrimination Committee (ADC). Both positions illustrate Laila’s passions: humanitarian concern for the people of Palestine and the fight for social justice. The Center for Arab American Philanthropy (CAAP) spoke with Laila Mokhiber to learn more about her work and her commitment to social and humanitarian issues.

CAAP: Tell us about UNRWA and the work you do for UNRWA USA.

LM: The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), in short, is the UN agency that serves Palestinians. UNRWA provides direct humanitarian aid, human development, and protection for more than 5 million Palestine refugees registered with the Agency. UNRWA USA is an independent 501c3 nonprofit that aims to educate the general American public about the situation of Palestinian refugees and generate support for UNRWA’s work in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan.

CAAP: Why did you want to work at UNRWA USA?

LM: I applied to work for UNRWA USA because I wanted to contribute my communications skills to an organization that is doing something measurable and tangible for Palestinian refugees. In this case, UNRWA USA is working to fund specific UNRWA programs where our support can provide the greatest benefit to the Agency. One of the programs I am most passionate about is the Community Mental Health Program in Gaza, which provides counseling to children suffering from PTSD and other psychological trauma. These children are the future of Gaza, and their future depends on the help of our donors. The counseling they are provided through UNRWA aims to give them the hope and stability needed to become contributing members of a strong Palestinian society.

CAAP: What would you like most to achieve either now or in the future, either with UNRWA USA or individually? What is your dream for the future?

LM: Through my work at UNRWA USA I hope to raise awareness and educate others about the issues affecting Palestine refugees, focusing on the humanitarian aspect. In doing so, I hope to significantly influence the American public opinion on Palestine and compel more folks to donate to our cause.

One of my other desires is to become a social entrepreneur and start my own business that will make a profit and benefit society.

CAAP: Do you identify as Arab American? What advice do you have for other Arab Americans who want to give or help others?

LM: Absolutely! I am a fourth generation Arab American. My father’s family immigrated from Beit Mery, Lebanon in the early 1900s (back then it was still considered greater Syria). My mother’s family originates from Ramallah, Palestine and immigrated here in 1957, she was the first of her siblings to be born in the United States. My family instilled in me the importance of being involved in the Arab American community, and supporting causes that mean something to you.

I implore my fellow Arab Americans to do the same. Giving back creates opportunities for others – it has the potential to give a voice to the voiceless, help to the helpless, and hope to the otherwise hopeless. If you’re not sure where to start, write a list of your passions, see which organizations are working towards those efforts, follow them on social media, sign up for their email lists, get your hands dirty and sign up to volunteer for the ones that speak most to you! Determine what you can afford to give to, and commit to it!

CAAP: Do you have other passions? Who/what inspires you to give back or to want to make a difference?

LM: Too many to list! Lately I feel very strong about music and its power to promote healing and social change.

If we’re talking about other charitable causes I’m passionate about, there are several that I donate to. I found I tend to support organizations that focus on social justice, civil rights, culture, music, media, humanitarian aid, Palestine, and the Arab American community. I choose them based on a personal connection or experience—I’m often inspired through the stories they tell.  

CAAP: Anything else you’d like to add?

LM: I believe in positive energy and the power of positive thinking—the energy you put out in the world comes back to you.  Use that energy to create change!

Thanks so much for your time Laila and we hope you continue to share your love and positive energy with the rest of the world! 

Source: centeraap.tumblr.com

More than 50 people came out for a protest against islamophobia and racism, Feb. 17, in response to the killing of three Muslim students last week. Gathered at a busy intersection in the heart of the local Somali community, near the University of Minnesota campus, they held signs and chanted for an hour, as temperatures dropped below zero.

Organizers sought to honor the lives of Deah Shaddy Barakat, 23, his wife Yusor Abu-Salha, 21 and her sister, Razan Abu-Salha, 19, who were executed by a neighbor in their home in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, on Feb. 10. While local police and media have said the murders were motivated by a parking dispute, family members of the victims say the crime was fueled by islamophobia and racism. Protesters slammed the media silence on this story in general, and the unwillingness to name racism and islamophobia as contributing factors in this case.

Sabry Wazwaz of the Anti-War Committee led chants throughout the event, along with Caleb Murphy. The rally closed with brief remarks by Wazwaz, as well as Sahro Ismail, a member of the large local Somali community and Tarik Rasouli and Karmel Sabri, who are organizing a major event for Palestinian activist Rasmea Odeh. Some at the rally carried signs for Rasmea Odeh, and all were urged to attend Rock for Rasmea on Feb. 21 at Intermedia Arts in Minneapolis.

Source: www.fightbacknews.org

Source: www.facebook.com

Comedian Russell Brand has never been one to shy away from controversy — in fact, he seems to run toward it. If there’s a heated debate about a topic, you can bet Brand has an opinion on it. This week, Brand spoke out about differences between media coverage of the terrorist shooting suspect in Copenhagen and the man who murdered three young Muslims, execution-style, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

In a video recorded in his bed, Brand points out that the media treats the Copenhagen terrorist as a representative of Muslim culture at large, whereas the alleged Chapel Hill murderer, Craig Stephen Hicks, is labeled a “disturbed individual.”

“If we acknowledge that the Chapel Hill murders were a hate crime, then we have to examine our cultural climate,” Brand says from the comfort of his plush bed.

The actor also takes issue with the film American Sniper’s simplification of Middle Eastern society, as well as with the media’s treatment of the three students murdered in Chapel Hill as Muslims first and Americans second.

Source: www.dailydot.com

The U.S. has screened about 1,200 moderate Syrian rebels who could participate in a new training program so they eventually can return to the fight against Islamic State insurgents who have taken control of large portions of Syria, the Pentagon said Wednesday. Press secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby says the fighters will continue to be … Continued

The White House plans to work closely with tech companies to counter groups like Al Qaeda and ISIL online, part of a new campaign unveiled Wednesday to counter “violent extremist messaging.”

Under the new initiatives, the U.S. government will organize “technology camps” alongside social media companies, which will “work with governments, civil society and religious leaders to develop digital content that discredits violent extremist narratives and amplifies positive alternatives,” according to the White House.

Source: www.politico.com

There is no place in the world today where chaos is more prevalent and the reestablishment of order more critical than the Middle East. The “great game” between rival great powers may have originated in Central Asia but it found its most intense expression at the “crossroads of empire” in the Middle East. As long as American interests are still engaged the United States cannot desist from playing it.

The United States used to have a strategy for the Middle East. It was known as the “pillars” strategy, and it was based on working with the regional powers that were committed to maintaining the status quo—Iran, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Turkey. The challenge was to contain the revisionist powers—Egypt, Iraq, and Syria—who were backed by the Soviet Union. Over time, the United States lost the Iranian pillar but gained an Egyptian one, reinforcing the Sunni Arab order, but now confronting a Shia revolutionary power in the Gulf.

In 1992, the United States became the dominant power in the region in the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union and the eviction of Saddam Hussein’s army from Kuwait. After that, Bush ’41 and Clinton ’42 adopted a clear, common strategy for preserving stability that involved three components:

Source: www.brookings.edu

#MASRZAMAN  is a trending hashtag on Twitter that has amassed hundreds, if not thousands, of contributions from tweeps in the form of photographs and news snippets spanning the last hundred years and more of Egyptian history. This mostly black and white tapestry of images chronicling the changes that happened to Egypt in that period proved to be more colourful than most documentations.

The hashtag is riddled with rare photographs of Egyptian celebrities across the ages.

Source: egyptianstreets.com

The Italian Parliament is preparing to discuss the recognition of the State of Palestine with a series of motions that will be presented, perhaps as early as this week, in the House.

Promoters of the motions are the Left Ecology Freedom party, the Italian Socialist Party and the Democratic Party. A first meeting occurred yesterday, during which it was shown the text developed by the responsible for the party’s foreign affairs, Enzo Amendola, to accelerate the explicit recognition of the State of Palestine. Even the New Centre-Right party of Minister of Interior, Angelino Alfano, presented his motion. The chairman of the Foreign Affairs commission, Fabrizio Cicchitto, explains that the text of the New Centre-Right, unlike that of the Democratic Party (that will match the motion approved by the European Parliament) “will provide for the recognition of the principle of ‘two peoples, two states’ but as part of a policy option: the respect of negotiations between the parties, so as to favor the agreements between Israel and the Palestinians. The unilateral recognition, however, would be a mistake”.

Source: english.pnn.ps