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Contact: jsalan@aaiusa.org / 202-429-9210 June 23, 2017   Following the Daily Beast’s reporting that Sebastian Gorka delivered an anti-Muslim lecture to FBI officials in August 2016, long after the agency was ordered to end bigoted presentations, the Arab American Institute’s Executive Director, Maya Berry, issued the following statement about Gorka, who continues to serve...

By Dina Al Zubi Growing up, iftars have always been my favorite part of Ramadan; water after a long day, a feast with wonderful food, and being surrounded by a feeling of celebration and appreciation for community (and the meal, of course).  Last week, on Thursday, June 15th, AAI hosted...

ARAB AMERICAN INSTITUTE  Media Advisory: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 22, 2017 Contact: Jennifer Salan jsalan@aaiusa.org / 202-429-9210    Hill Briefing to Discuss Rise of Hate Groups, Hate Crimes & Formulating a Response [Washington, DC] The Arab American Institute will hold a briefing for congressional staff on the increase in hate groups and...

William "Chad" Hanna, back left; Senator John F. Kennedy, right. At the age of 14, in 1904, George Hanna emigrated from Mashta al-Helu, Syria to Pennsylvania, settling in the town of Clymer, 70 miles east of Pittsburgh. George supported himself as a businessman, selling housewares in a cart to local...

The injustice of Israel’s occupation of Palestine is so glaring that it is difficult for its supporters to defend it, so they tend to opt for suppressing the voices exposing it. This was the case a couple of weeks ago, when an event on Capitol Hill on the abuse of...

By Haley Arata Anti-Muslim hate has spread rapidly through the U.S. over the years. While some politicians are stepping up to promote anti-discriminatory efforts, others are pushing more xenophobic legislation like Michigan’s anti-Sharia bill, HB 4499, proposed in April. This bill joins the ranks of proposed anti-Sharia bills across the country. Since 2010, 35 states have either...

By Haley Arata Ten hours writing, three coffees, and two hours on the Internet: the magic writing formula for award-winning Arab American writer Hisham Matar.  Matar was born in New York, grew up in Tripoli and Cairo, and now lives in England. Hisham’s father, Jaballa Matar, opposed the Gaddafi regime and when...

By Annie Riley The world is currently experiencing the most significant humanitarian catastrophe since World War II. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the number of forcibly displaced people hit a record 65.3 million in 2015. The sheer numbers of this tragedy mean it is more important than ever to stand up, support, and help...

By Annie Riley Today we’re marking the United Nations’ 17th World Refugee Day and sharing ways you can make a difference. At difficult times like this, one of the most important things we can do is help create a warm and welcoming community for immigrants and refugees. In the case of refugees, part...