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Tuesday May 21, 2013
Last night, the Senate Judiciary Committee adopted an amendment by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) that would require the Department of Homeland Security to conduct “additional security screening” on applicants for legal residency if they are or were previously a “citizen or long-term resident of any such country or region.” The countries in question are those that “pose national security threats” to the US, but Graham’s amendments fails to specify those nations. Read More »
Posted by Yasmine Taeb at 5:11 pm / / Leave a comment
Tuesday May 21, 2013
The Center for American Progress, along with the Brennan Center for Justice, recently held a discussion on new bills emerging from different states that aim to ban the implementation of international and foreign law in U.S. courts. The discussion was a follow-up to a report released earlier by the Center for American Progress that described the shift in focus, at least on paper, from the earlier explicit attempts to ban Sharia law to more recent attempts to ban international and foreign law. Read More »
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Monday May 20, 2013
Tomorrow, May 21, is the last day to register to vote, change your party affiliation, or update your voting address for the upcoming primary election on June 11. As an Arab American, it’s important to make your voice heard at this year’s primary elections, but you have to be registered to vote. If you’re not sure whether you’re registered, you can check the status of your voter registration here. Read More »
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Monday May 20, 2013
Pennsylvania municipal primary elections will be held tomorrow, May 21st, and it is important that you take the time to vote. Polling locations will be open from 7:00am to 8:00pm (please note that polling places tend to be less busy mid-morning and mid-afternoon). Read More »
Posted by AAI at 2:44 pm / / Leave a comment
Thursday May 16, 2013
Today, AAI learned that an amendment (see below) that would eliminate federal funding for bigoted federal law enforcement training programs and materials has received bipartisan support, and will be inserted in the annual Department of Homeland Security Appropriations bill. The amendment was drafted by Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA) who has been a steadfast advocate of minority rights on Capitol Hill. Read More »
Posted by Omar Tewfik at 11:54 am / / Leave a comment
Wednesday May 15, 2013
Despite a disappointing loss in his bid to become Mayor, former Richardson, Texas City Council member Republican Amir Omar said he “would not change a thing” about his campaign, and vowed to stay involved in community service. In an email to supporters over the weekend, Omar wrote, “I sincerely want what is best for our City and you can count on me staying very involved by giving back to our community.” Read More »
Posted by Omar Tewfik at 2:46 pm / / Leave a comment
Monday May 13, 2013
By Jade Zoghbi
Jim Coury, Arab American and Georgetown University student at the School of Foreign Service (Class of 2015), has made it to the Semi-Finals of the Jeopardy! “College Championship.” Coury will be competing against other students from University of Wisconsin/Madison and Washington University in the Semi-Finals on May 15, 2013. The competition is part of the two-week “College Championship” in which college students are quizzed on issues from a variety of categories. Read More »
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Monday May 13, 2013
On Saturday, May 11th, Arab American organizations in 13 cities across the country took part in the 9th annual National Arab American Service Day. Organized each year by the National Network of Arab American Communities (NNAAC), National Arab American Service Day brings together Arab Americans for a day of giving back to their communities and building bridges with local charities and organizations. Read More »
Posted by Hilary Robertson at 9:25 am / / Leave a comment
Friday May 10, 2013
The Senate “Gang of Eight” immigration bill (S.744) is currently in markup. Since the beginning of the national push for comprehensive immigration reform, we, along with our friends in Washington, have been working hard to make sure that any legislation includes provisions to protect Arab Americans and other communities impacted by racial profiling. As currently written, S. 744 addresses profiling based on race or ethnicity, but it also has two major problems: Read More »
Posted by AAI at 3:54 pm / / Leave a comment
Friday May 10, 2013
The Arab American Institute submitted the following statement from Executive Director Maya Berry to the first House Homeland Security Committee hearing on last month’s bombings in Boston. Immediately after the attacks, false information about the motives, origins, and perpetrators of the attacks were widely disseminated by members of the media, elected officials and members of the intelligence community to an anxious American public. Predictably, and without any knowledge of the facts, proponents of increased surveillance and ethnic and religious profiling - practices which target the Arab American and American Muslim communities - used Boston to make the case that such programs should be expanded. Read More »
Posted by Omar Tewfik at 11:43 am / / Leave a comment
Friday May 10, 2013
By Jade Zoghbi
Is your child interested in studying Arabic? Would you like your child to get a real sense of Middle Eastern culture while growing in a nurturing environment with other youths? The King’s Academy offers high school students from the United States the opportunity to experience the culture of the Middle East in Jordan while enrolled in an intensive Arabic language study. With fellow students and professional teachers, the program is the gateway to Middle Eastern cultural immersion and experiential learning. Read More »
Posted by Guest at 11:39 am / / Leave a comment
Thursday May 09, 2013
The Arab American Institute is collecting stories of American citizens who have been harassed, detained, or deported when attempting to enter Israel or Palestine. If you've personally experienced such an incident, please provide details in the form below. All personal information will be kept private and stories will not be distributed without your expressed permission. Fill out the form. Read More »
Posted by AAI at 3:57 pm / / Leave a comment
Thursday May 09, 2013
By Jade Zoghbi
The foundation established programs for Israeli, Palestinian, and Arab nationals to create music, build friendships, and learn how to harmonize their voices.
http://www.aaiusa.org/page/-/Images/blog/Yamen_Saadi2.jpg Read More »
Posted by Guest at 3:48 pm / / Leave a comment
Tuesday May 07, 2013
AAI held a congressional briefing on Friday entitled “Drones: A Slippery Slope on Lives and Liberties” which served as an important discussion that not only highlighted the high number of civilian casualties as a result of targeted strikes, but the lack of oversight over the Administration’s drone policy, and the expansive interpretation of the Authorization for the Use of Military Force. Read More »
Posted by AAI at 10:03 am / / Leave a comment
Monday May 06, 2013
Excellent question, and we’re pleased that Mayoral candidate Jon Liu asked it at yesterday’s Mayoral Forum in New York. The event was convened by the Arab American Association of New York and the Islamic Center at New York University. All six democratic candidates (Sal Albanese, Bill de Blasio, John Liu, Christine Quinn, Erick Salgado, and Bill Thompson) participated, as did Independent Adolfo Carrion, Jr. Republican candidates were invited, but declined to take part. Read More »
Posted by Jennine Vari at 3:04 pm / / Leave a comment
Thursday May 02, 2013
The Arab American Institute has organized a special briefing on Friday, May 3rd, featuring Farea Al-Muslimi, who will offer his personal perspective on the impact of drone strikes on his home village of Wessab, Yemen. Other speakers will address the civilian impact of targeted strikes and the legal framework (AUMF) underlying U.S. drone policy. Read More »
Posted by Yasmine Taeb at 3:07 pm / / Leave a comment
Thursday May 02, 2013
Tonight will be the opening reception of an exhibition in downtown New York featuring the life and culture of the "Little Syria" community that once inhabited Lower Manhattan. Read More »
Posted by Samer Araabi at 10:41 am / / Leave a comment
Wednesday May 01, 2013
By Jennine Vari
Under the motto “Serving Communities, Connecting People”, each year thousands of Arab Americans join together to create positive change in their communities. Read More »
Posted by Guest at 2:23 pm / / Leave a comment
Wednesday May 01, 2013
While the US Congress continues to debate the use of drones to spy on or target US citizens, the Florida legislature has moved forward, unanimously passing a law limiting how police can use unmanned drones for surveillance. On Thursday, Governor Scott signed the bill into law, saying “We shouldn’t have unreasonable surveillance of ourselves.” The law precludes law enforcement’s use of drones without a warrant or threat of terrorist attack. It also prohibits the use of information collected by drones as evidence in court. The law’s Senate sponsor, Joe Negron, said “It’s important that, as American citizens, we respect the role of law enforcement, but we just don’t want a general practice of drones hovering in the sky monitoring the activities of lawful Floridians.”
Read More »
Posted by AAI at 2:45 pm / / Leave a comment
Wednesday May 01, 2013
On Monday evening, May 6th, AAI will host a reception and performance by an outstanding group of Arab Israeli and Jewish Israeli musicians involved with The Polyphony Foundation. Four of Polyphony’s musicians will be here in our office to perform and to share their stories--and how their program is helping to bridge the cultural divide between Arabs and Jews.
More than just an orchestra, The Polyphony Foundation supports a multi-tiered grassroots programming structure that reaches over 2,000 Arab and Jewish youth in Israel, and enhances the educational and personal development of students using music as the common medium. It enhances a love of classical music, provides cultural training, helps close the education gap within Israeli society, and creates common ground for Jewish and Arab youngsters to work and play together. Read More »
Posted by AAI at 2:38 pm / / Leave a comment
Looking at Iran by James Zogby
