Tuesday May 15, 2012
From May 14th – 17th, the American Islamic Congress will once again host the DC International Human Rights Film Festival to show and discuss films on pressing social and civic issues from around the globe. Read More »
Monday May 14, 2012
The most effective way to dispel misconceptions, break down barriers and expose injustices facing any community or group of people is to tell individual, real life stories - stories of sacrifice, hardship and triumph. And that is precisely what a young group of filmmakers are trying to do with their new and inspiring film, “Adeela.” Read More »
Friday May 11, 2012
On April 25, the Arab American National Museum was a part of a national discussion on the role that “culturally specific” or “ethnic” museums play in the United States. Helen Samhan, who is a founding member of AAI and the current Senior Outreach Advisor for the Museum, was invited to participate in a day-long symposium hosted by the Smithsonian Institution. The symposium, called “(Re)Presenting America: The Evolution of Culturally Specific Museums,” sought to address the debate on whether these museums serve to divide the nation along ethnic lines or whether they instead offer a more thorough look at the diverse history of the United States. Read More »
Monday May 07, 2012
By Merik Tadros
River Jordan is a cross-cultural Arab American graphic novel set in Chicago, USA and Amman, Jordan. The heart of the story is about a young boy named Rami who learns to overcome his father's death with the help of an artist named Nabil, in becoming a true artist. Read More »
Friday April 27, 2012
By Jeffrey Wright
When Susan Abulhawa’s novel Mornings in Jenin (originally titled The Scar of David) was published in the US in 2010, it created significant attention. Though the novel received generally positive reviews, some objected to its frank descriptions of one Palestinian family’s years of suffering after the establishment of Israel in 1948. Read More »
Friday April 20, 2012
By Dalal Hillou
There’s a good chance that you may have, in your lifetime, seen a Rami Kashou gown. You may have seen it within the pages of Vogue, Elle or In Style. You may have seen photos of stylish celebrities wearing timeless pieces by him, or you may have tuned in to watch Rami on the hit show “Project Runway” in past seasons. In all these settings, he has stood out as a Palestinian designer whose gorgeous designs are one of a kind. Read More »
Wednesday April 11, 2012
By Dalal Hillou
A year ago at the Atlanta Arab Festival, I came across an art display that took my breath away. It was there that I met Palestinian artist Nancy Alhabashi, whose art and poetry is a seamless blend of East meets West. Read More »
Thursday August 04, 2011
"I will never forget the moment when my dream became reality, when I saw the prayer flags flapping in the thin air, marking the summit of the greatest mountain on earth" Read More »
Wednesday June 22, 2011
The Nazareth Polyphony Youth Ensemble is performing a special concert at the U.S. Department of State on June 29. It’s a fitting venue for an orchestra that seeks to “transcend cultural and social boundaries to educate both performers and listeners in the art of listening.” Read More »
Friday June 10, 2011
By Ed Gaier
A recent New York Times Op-Ed by Council on Foreign Relations senior fellow Ray Takeyh argues that the Middle East is headed for a post-American era. In this era, the United States would ostensible have limited ability to project its power and cajole Arab regimes to pursue policies aligned with American interests. He posits that new Arab countries in democratic transitions in the “era of self-determination” will not be as subjective to American foreign policy priorities as previous alliances of patronage have been. Read More »
Thursday April 07, 2011
The Kahlil Gibran Memorial Garden was founded in 1991 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the poet’s birth in Besherre, Lebanon. Located across from the British Embassy at 3100 Massachusetts Avenue, the memorial was designed by renowned sculptor Gordon Kray. Read More »
Monday April 04, 2011
Actor Jeff Fahey will present the special recognition award to the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) at the Kahlil Gibran Spirit of Humanity Awards Gala Wednesday May 4. Fahey is a well known actor, appearing and starring in a wide range of movies and television shows throughout his career. Recently, Fahey played the role of Captain Frank Lapidus on the popular ABC series Lost. Read More »
Friday April 01, 2011
As an Iraqi American, Stephen Said has watched the recent events in Egypt and Tunisia with nervousness, wonder, and hope. Like many Arab Americans, he wondered what he could do to contribute to the cause, not simply for the ouster of President Mubarak from Egypt, but for “equality and freedom not just across the Arab world, but for the entire world.” His contribution, like that of Abdel Halim Hafez, Sam Cooke, or countless other socially-conscious musicians, comes in the form of song. Read More »
Monday March 28, 2011
Browsing the internet the other day, I found a series of videos about The Kahlil Gibran Awards Gala on YouTube which I thought were great. The videos contain original footage, serving as a comprehensive recap of the awards gala from years past. I wasn't surprised when I saw the name of the individual who posted them: Voice of America's Mohamed Elshinnawi, who has been a Gibran Gala regular for several years. His videos shed light on the reason why the Arab American Institute Foundation (AAIF) holds its prestigious awards gala in Kahlil Gibran's name. If you haven't seen his videos before, they definitely warrant a look. Read More »
Monday March 14, 2011
For those of you who read our post on Karim Rashid, make sure to attend his interior design lecture on March 24 at 6:30pm at George Washington University! Seating is limited, so RSVP at intdes@gwu.edu Read More »
Friday February 18, 2011
Music and politics have always gone hand in hand. From Beethoven’s 3rd Symphony (originally titled “Bonaparte”) to Public Enemy’s Fight the Power, artists have used music to echo the hopes, dreams, and frustrations of the people. The Arab world is no exception; it’s no coincidence that the Egyptian revolution of 1952 coincided with the rise of Arab greats such as Abdel Halim Hafez, Umm Qultum, and Mohammed Abdel Wahab. Umm Qultum rose to fame partly through songs inspired by the political revolution of Gamal Abdel-Nasser. Read More »
Monday February 07, 2011
Aside from your clothes, can you name the designer of any other items in your house? If you can, chances are that name would be Karim Rashid, alternately known as the Poet of Plastic, the Prolific Designer, and most notably, the Most Famous Industrial Designer in All the Americas. Read More »
Friday January 14, 2011
The 21st century has seen something of a reputation flip for a few of the small emirates in the Arabian Peninsula, particularly Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Qatar. Once sandy flyovers that barely registered on the radars of the jetsetter crowd, these tiny states had become something of an ultra-luxury must-see in the early 2000s. Read More »
What Comes First: #Media Impact or Influence? discussed on @aaiusa blog #Arab American Institute http://t.co/CiGquFfO @ramahkudaimi @ramisms
about 53 minutes ago.
#Assad gives interview to Russian channel, warns other countries that "sow chaos" in #Syria could suffer same fate: http://t.co/0m0whyNt
about 1 hour, 30 minutes ago.
Have truer words ever been spoken? “What’s important is the policy, not the tourism" -- http://t.co/y7LTODbT #Countdown #Israel #Romney
about 1 hour, 52 minutes ago.
Be Part of the Change!Benjamin Netanyahu, ever the master maneuverer, has done it again. Just moments before the Israeli Parliament was to ratify the call for new elections, the Kadima Party announced that it had completed negotiations with the Prime Minister and would join the government producing Israel's largest governing coalition in history (including 94 of 120 Members of the Knesset). The announcement sent shockwaves throughout the region and here in the US. Speculation was rife about what this sudden move might mean. Read More »
Barbara Slavin, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and correspondent for Al-Monitor; Ron Kampeas, Washington Bureau Chief for the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA), Shane D'Aprile, editor of Campaigns & Elections. Read More »
The subcommittee's meeting today to explore whether there are risk factors or preincident indicators of terrorist activity identified by intelligence and law enforcement organizations to enable them in thwarting attacks while preserving -- let me repeat that -- preserving individuals' right to privacy and civil liberties. Read More »
May 26 2012
May 31 2012
Jun 21 2012
