Egypt’s disturbing actions in the Gaza Strip
By Ray Hanania – The Egyptian Wall is nothing like the Israeli Wall, but they are designed to achieve the same purpose. Except while Israel controls it’s Wall, Egypt is merely a pawn enslaved to the changing political dynamics of a Middle East and the fast weakening of once proud Arab nationalism. Read more »
Musharraf, Mubarak, the same old sad story: America should make the choice between military dictators or Democracy
By Aladdin Elaasar – General Musharraf has imposed emergency rule on Pakistan after months of unrest. He refuses to step down as head of the military or share power with former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. He has put judges and opposition leaders, who contest his authority, under house arrest. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice described the situation as deeply disappointing. Historically, the military in Pakistan have moved against civilian governments and took over. Musharraf himself came to power in 1999 overthrowing prime Minster Nawaz Sharif, after ten years of democratic rule. Read more »
Egyptian Christians: Strangers in their Native Land!
By Aladdin Elaasar – The issue of the Christians of Egypt, Copts, has gained international media coverage in the last decades. Reports of persecution and discrimination against them in their native country of Egypt have made headlines around the world. Amidst that, the Mubarak government has maintained an official line of denial that the problem even exists! Anti- Coptic, anti-Semitic and anti-American sentiments, have been on the rise and often promoted by the Egyptian state media branding the Copts as un-loyal to their home country of Egypt. It promoted a public discourse about Muslim-Coptic relations in Egypt and their role in Egypt and the role of the Expatriate Copts in the West, generating awareness about the Coptic issue, as a whole. Read more »
America Betrayed by its Allies! Will Mubarak turn into another Ahmedinajad?
By Aladdin Elaasar – America is the biggest philanthropic nation on earth, and perhaps in human history. We literally give away hundreds of billions of dollars to many nations around the globe. Some of them we call allies. We give that taxpayers money in the best of intensions. Because we are such trusting people and we tend to give people the benefit of the doubt, we assume that our money will help the needy and promote democracy everywhere. But often times this is not the case. Read more »
Wanted: Young leader for ailing Egypt: Demagogues, zealots and fundamentalists need not apply
By Aladdin Elaasar – The old ailing nation of Egypt needs your help and this is why? Egypt has held a special place in the hearts and the imagination of poets, writers, and ordinary folks who admire its rich history and glorious past. It has a special place in minds and hearts of Arabs, Moslems, Jews, and Christians, where Egypt was mentioned as a holy place in their holy books. Read more »
The amorphous Arab Street
By Justin Martin – Western pundits and journalists are fond of talking about the “Arab Street” as a gauge of Middle Eastern public opinion. They may write, for example, that a given political directive “will only worsen attitudes toward the United States on the Arab Street,” or that “discontent with America’s policies is festering on the Arab Street.” As a term in American journalism, “Arab Street” has come to represent the place where Arabs gather to collectively examine Western policies. Read more »
Mubarak: America’s “Strong Man” in Cairo is losing it!
By Aladdin Elaasar – America’s “Strong Man” in Cairo, President Hosny Mubarak is losing it. The 82 years old military dictator has caused an outrage by recently jailing three journalists who dared to raise concerns about his failing health condition and who has refused to appoint a vice president for 26 years. Read more »
RAY HANANIA writes for The HuffingtonPost.com. He is political columnist based in Chicago with the Southwest News-Herald Newspaper, and publisher of the National Arab American Times Newspaper. Named Best Ethnic American Columnist for 2007 by the New America Media, Hanania hosts the weekly Radio Chicagoland talkshow on WCEV AM 1450 Tuesday & Thursday from 4 - 6 PM. He is an internationally acclaimed standup comedian. View his complete Bio?
ALI ALARABI is a veteran journalist and columnist and an expert on the Arabic language. Managing Editor of The Arab Desk web site. Ali's columns appear in newspapers across the country. He is a 2002 recipient of the National Arab American Journalists Association Excellence in Writing Award.
SHERIF HEDAYAT is a widely acclaimed standup comedian and satirist whose topics include family, education, religion, careers, dating, television, stereotypes, racism and growing up in the Middle East. With a B.A. in Mass Communications/Public Speaking from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, Sherif taps his experiences in America and the Middle East to bridge the cultural gap in a way everyone can understand. View his complete Bio?
ANISA MEHDI is an Emmy Award-winning journalist specializing in religion, the arts, and people. For over 20 years she has reported, written, directed and produced television news and documentary programs for major American media outlets, including National Geographic, PBS, ABC News, and CBS. Her commentaries have been heard on NPR’s “All Things Considered.” Ms. Mehdi is founder and president of Whetstone Productions, a New Jersey-based production and consulting company. She is adjunct Professor of Communications at Seton Hall University. She writes a twice weekly for the Newark Star-Ledger Newspaper blog. View her complete Bio?
ALADDIN ELAASAR is an award winning Arab American journalist and author of several books including "Silent Victims: The plight of Arabs and Muslims in Post 9/11 America." Elaasar is also a member of the National Arab American Journalists Association.
SAFFIYA SHILLO is a peace activist, communications specialist and community editor for the National Arab American Times Newspaper. Ms. Shillo serves as a Board Member of the Palestinian American Women's Society. Her activism is extensive, having served as the former President of the Palestinian American Congress-Chicago Chapter, as a National Board member of the American Task Force on Palestine, and as Director of the Arab American Institute's Chicago office. Active in Jewish/Israeli-Palestinian dialogue, Ms. Shillo gives presentations to national organizations on strategies and methods to achieve peace through dialogue. Ms. Shillo also served as Director of Ethnic Affairs for the State of Illinois' Office of Lieutenant Governor, and worked as a domestic violence/sexual assault counselor serving Chicago's Arab community. She can be reached at smshillo@yahoo.com
RAY HANANIA'S NEW BOOK "The Catastrophe" is now available. The book details "how the fanatic secular Arab left and the extremist Islamic right took the disaster brought on by the creation of Israel, and, using rejection and violence, hijacked the just Palestinian cause and prevented statehood. Order the Book? Only $19.95. 224 PAGES.
More than 2.5 million Muslims from across the globe embark on a Hajj and converge on Mecca, Saudi Arabia, to ask pardon for their sins and renew their spiritual commitment though a elaborate series of ancient rites and rituals. And it's not optional - every adult Muslim who is physically and financially able to do so is expected to make the hajj at least once in his or her lifetime. Despite the enormity of this annual pilgrimage, it has seldom been witnessed by outsiders, as Mecca is strictly off-limits to non-Muslims. Now, with unprecedented access to Islam's holiest city, National Geographic takes the spiritual journey of a lifetime, following three Muslims from very different backgrounds - an executive from Malaysia, a radio evangelist from South Africa, and a blond-haired, blue-eyed professor from Texas - as they take part in an epic five-day quest for salvation.
Author and columnist Aladdin Elaasar examines the impact of Sept. 11, 2001 on the Arabs and Muslims in America.
Arabs first settled in Chicagoland in the mid-19th century, when immigrants from all parts of the world were flowing steadily into the U.S. As tensions in the Arab world flared, immigration increased—the first to arrive were Lebanese Christians, followed by Muslim Palestinians. Today, there are more than 250,000 Arabs in the Chicago area, with equal numbers of Christians and Muslims. A part of the fabric of Chicago, Arabs serve in many roles, from business leaders to elected officials to judges, doctors, engineers, journalists, and more. In the wake of the tragedy of September 11, 2001, Arab Americans have come under great scrutiny and have suffered much misunderstanding. Now, this book, which explores their integral role in Chicagoland’s growth, is especially important.
A collection of essays on the experiences growing up Arab and Palestinian living in a Jewish community in America on Chicago's South Side. Includes humor and anecdotal stories along with serious topic discussion. The first book to detail Arab American life first published in the United States in 1996. This 2nd Edition is published in 2007.
The ONLY directory of Arab American ethnic media -- newspapers, radio and TV. Plus organizations and religious institutions and more.
