Monday August 16, 2010
OCRACOKE ISLAND, N.C. We are just ending a family vacation on this little island off the coast of North Carolina. We have been coming here for 35 years now, and though so much has changed, the simple beauty of the place remains. It was Ocracoke's remoteness and its simplicity that brought us here 35 years ago. That, and stories about the Wahabs who lived there. Read More »
Monday August 09, 2010
Republicans have dug a deep hole for themselves on matters related to the Middle East and Islam reflecting the extent to which the Party has become captive of the neo-conservative "clash of civilization" crowd and their partners on the evangelical Christian right. This drift becomes clear listening to statements by Republican leaders and surveying the attitudes of the party's base. Read More »
Monday August 02, 2010
After a century in which tragedy has been heaped upon tragedy across the Middle East, it is distressing to see how many dangerous illusions still shape the behavior of so many of the region's principal players. Read More »
Monday July 26, 2010
As an Arab American, I can empathize with Shirley Sherrod, the Georgia Department of Agriculture official who, last week, after being falsely accused of making anti-white racist comments, was forced to resign from her post. Read More »
Monday July 19, 2010
White House spokesperson, Robert Gibbs, caused a bit of a stir last week when, in an appearance on Meet the Press, he suggested that Democrats might lose control of the House of Representatives in November. Read More »
Monday July 12, 2010
Two decades ago, I remember Jesse Jackson noting that when dealing with controversial issues that created deep divisions, one should be careful "not to excite one side, while only inciting the other". Although these cautionary words apply perfectly to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, they have too frequently been ignored. Read More »
Monday July 05, 2010
Two separate incidents of Muslim-bashing occurred last week. Because they involved comments by prominent individuals and were so brazen, they caused some concern. But because neither resulted in any benefit to the offenders, only embarrassed silence or scorn, there is some hope that we may be turning a corner. Read More »
Monday June 28, 2010
I am not easily shocked. I’ve been doing this work for too many years and I’ve seen too much to become outraged by bad behavior or acts of indecency or inhumanity. But two stories that recently came across my desk were so disgraceful, and in some ways dangerous, that I feel compelled to write about them. Both featured players in the Middle East crassly abusing the living and the dead. Read More »
Monday June 21, 2010
The success of a President is measured not only by how well he handles the agenda he sets for his term in office, but by how he responds to the unexpected. This week President Obama was tested by challenges of each type. Read More »
Monday June 14, 2010
In trying to change direction and find “a better approach” to dealing with the long running crisis facing Gaza, the Obama Administration is confronting several deeply entrenched obstacles. Read More »
Monday June 07, 2010
As expected, Israel matched its use of overwhelming force against the passengers on the Mavi Marmara with an equally vigorous attempt to shape both how the story played out in U.S. media and the official response from the U.S. Government. Read More »
Monday May 31, 2010
There is a persistent and pernicious myth that maintains that "Jewish money" is the determinant factor shaping all aspects of U.S. Middle East policy. Read More »
Monday May 24, 2010
One year ago, President Barack Obama traveled to Cairo to deliver what was billed as an “Address to the Muslim World”. Obama understood that after eight years... Read More »
Monday May 17, 2010
DUBAI: Ed Koch, the colorful and often controversial former Mayor of New York City, made it a practice as he walked the streets of his city to stop and ask average citizens “How am I doing?” in an effort to learn how they viewed the performance of his administration and its delivery of services. Asking and listening are always useful exercises. Read More »
Monday May 10, 2010
Back in the 1960’s Americans were deeply divided on matters of war and race. While Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. and religious leaders associated with his Southern Christian Leadership Conference led protests and committed acts of... Read More »
Monday May 03, 2010
This week, the Senate’s Democratic leadership advanced a proposal for comprehensive immigration reform that contains provisions long supported by Republicans. The framework calls for: Read More »
Monday April 26, 2010
The Arab World is once again waiting. This time they are waiting for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to respond to a series of demands it is believed the U.S. made of him following the March, 2010 flare up over settlement construction in Jerusalem; or they are waiting for the Administration to respond to Israel’s lack of response. Read More »
Monday April 19, 2010
This week the Arab American Institute (AAI) hosts its annual Kahlil Gibran “Spirit of Humanity” Awards Dinner in Washington, DC. This year’s event also marks the 25th Anniversary of the AAI... Read More »
Monday April 12, 2010
With the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) signed by the U.S. and Russia, a Nuclear Summit about to begin in Washington, and pressure mounting to rein in Iran’s nuclear ambitions, a few troubling issues need to be addressed. Read More »
Monday April 05, 2010
The arrests of nine members of an armed militia group in Michigan, hell bent on fomenting violence, should serve as a wake up call to those in political leadership roles who are inciting rage against the government. My fear, however, is that they will not see the connection between their rhetoric and the rage they inspire. (Michael Isikoff spoke about concerns of a possible rise in extreme right-wing, anti-government militia and hate groups on last week’s Viewpoint with James Zogby) Read More »
#NC lawmaker equates Islamic prayer w/ terror http://t.co/G9sp1NeLC1 @mostrolenk @aaiusa h/t @ozzyformayor
about 5 hours, 48 minutes ago.
Latest poll to be released Friday finds Americans are divided on continuing aid to #Egypt: http://t.co/1spZM1m9d2
about 8 hours, 28 minutes ago.
RT @MaiE_89: In the 1990’s, #Egypt had a 60% favorable rating among Americans, while today only 36% of US views the country positively via @AAIUSA
about 8 hours, 32 minutes ago.
Looking at Iran by James Zogby
Kahlil Gibran Awards Gala - April 16, 2013President Obama got it just about perfect in his Jerusalem speech when he urged Israelis to see the world through the eyes of Palestinians. That portion of his remarks was so compelling it deserves to be quoted in full: Read More »
Air Date: 5/31/2012
Fellows from Syracuse University’s “Leaders for Democracy Fellowship Program (LDF); Bill Press, Host of the “Bill Press Show” and author of the new book, The Obama Hate Machine: The Lies, Distortions, and Personal Attacks on the President---and Who Is Behind Them. Read More »
The story of Arab Americans coming of age as an organized community is a classic American tale of immigrants seeking opportunity, benefiting from America’s freedoms, but also experiencing, at times, the dark side of exclusion and discrimination that has so often been a part of our nation’s history. Read More »
Apr 16 2013
Apr 27 2013
Jul 19 2013
