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7 things Arabs say when enough is enough

By Leyal Khalife StepFeed If you’re short-tempered, you know how hard it is to get by in this world without disrespecting others. There are times where enough is really enough, and all it takes is a max of two words to get your point across. Here are 7 words that have definitely come in handy … Continued

A Non-Muslim’s Journey through her First Ramadan

  BY: Clara Ana Ruplinger/Contributing writer This year, I decided to embark on a challenging journey: My first Ramadan. I am a 21-year-old woman, born to a Catholic family, but decided to explore faith through fasting. A culmination of all the learning that I have done about Islam in the past few years guided me in … Continued

Dallas Shooting: Stop the One Equals All Mentality. Join in Solidarity.

BY: Eugene Smith/Contributing Writer The Tragedy: On Thursday evening, the Dallas Police presided over a peaceful demonstration held by the local Black Lives Matter movement protesting the recent shootings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. The deaths of the two young men weighed heavily on the frustrated crowd as they marched chanting “enough is enough.” In a sign … Continued

5 Reasons Why Arab Americans Should Say #BlackLivesMatter

BY: Nisreen Eadeh/Staff Writer America witnessed two more fatal shootings of black men by police officers this week – Philando Castile in Minnesota and Alton Sterling in Louisiana. Cities across America, big and small, demonstrated on the streets Thursday night, demanding an end to the unnecessary deaths of black men by white cops. The level … Continued

Bassem Youssef, the “Egyptian Jon Stewart,” on new Fusion web series, “The Democracy Handbook”

CBS News

 

Bassem Youssef is well known as the “Jon Stewart of Egypt” for his comedy show, “Al Bernameg,” nicknamed “The Daily Show” of the Middle East. It was actually Jon Stewart himself who inspired Youssef to ditch his career as a heart surgeon to host his own comedy show in Egypt during the 2011 Arab Spring.

“Al Bernameg” became one of the most-watched shows in the Middle East, garnering an estimated 30 million weekly viewers. But in 2014, Youssef left it all behind, citing political pressure and safety concerns for his family. He has since moved to California and in his latest project he takes a jab at American politics in a 10-part web series for Fusion called “The Democracy Handbook.” The timing couldn’t have been more perfect.

“When I went out in the field and I spoke, for example, to Trump supporters, it kind of resonated with me because I heard the exact same things back home with empty, fake patriotism, demagogic speeches, empty rhetoric,” Youssef told “CBS This Morning” Thursday. “It’s as if we are talking in an echo chamber. It doesn’t make sense… but it does for them.”

While the idea of a Donald Trump presidency is troubling to some — including some members of his own party — Youssef said it’s “not the worst thing.”

“I’m not worried about Trump, I’m worried about what’s behind Trump,” Youssef said. “I mean, Trump is one person, but the support he has massed, what he’s coming from — I mean if Trump is saying racist, stupid stuff out of making a show, there are other people… in the Republican party who said this out of conviction. I mean the stuff that Marco Rubio, Ben Carson and Ted Cruz said about Arabs are even worse.”

In addition to the presidential election, “The Democracy Handbook” — which debuts Thursday, July 14 — also looks at a range of other topics, from guns to free speech. As a Muslim and Arab, Youssef aspires to bring new perspective for the American audience.

“I think what I want to achieve with this new show, first of all, is to have people think about topics in depth in a different way from a different perspective,” Youssef said. “And second, I’m an outsider. I’m a Middle Eastern with a very obvious accent. I hope people accept me to talk about their issues.”

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But this also comes at a time of heightened fears and anti-Muslim sentiments in the wake of recent terrorist attacks. For example, in one clip of the show, Youssef has a conversation with a gun shop employee, who makes several anti-Muslim remarks, oblivious to Youssef’s Muslim identity. But Youssef maintains his cool by letting “him hang himself with his own words.”

“He was saying all these horrible things about Arabs and Muslims,” Youssef said. ” I mean this is the thing that you do with hateful people — you just let them speak and expose themselves.”

“The Democracy Handbook” premieres Thursday July 14 on Fusion.net, followed by an hour-long television special Sunday, July 17 on Fusion’s cable network.

Source: www.cbsnews.com

One Man’s Dream City Rises In The Occupied West Bank

Courtesy of Bashar Masri and Rawabi. Monica Wang Forbes.com A fine slab of carved stone stands out against the wild rocks and shrubs scattered about the mountainous Palestinian landscape. It is a sign that reads “Rawabi,” meaning hills in Arabic, and it points to a narrow path up the slope. As the paved road winds … Continued

Beer in the Middle East: A Brave New Market

Middle Eastern brewers look to expand their market as the region starts to get a taste for better beers. Beer and barley have a long history in the Middle East, but drinking culture is not popular as it was in the era before Islam. But in Lebanon and Jordan, microbreweries have experienced spikes in popularity … Continued

Eid Events July 6-July 13

Eid Events In Your Area!  July 6th through July 13th, 2016       ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ CALIFORNIA  Eid Festival July 9, 2016- July 10, 2016 12:00-10:00 PM Bay Area Star Hamada Sultan Eid Party @ Paradise Hooka Lounge July 9, 2016 8:00-11:00 PM ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ CANADA  Eid Breakfast July 6, 2016 11:30 PM – 2:00 AM CAMWL … Continued

Malta’s Arab Heritage

  BY: Habeeb Salloum/Contributing writer “Islam may have disappeared after 1249 but an Arabic dialect is still spoken by the mass of population… The staunchly Catholic Maltese are concerned to play down the Arab nature of this dialect, which since the 18th century has been written in the Latin script and called ‘Maltese’. Its origin is … Continued

10 things that just have to happen at #ArabWeddings

By Leyal Khalife Stepfeed There’s nothing more entertaining than Arab weddings. We’ve all had our fair share of annoyances, that’s for sure. Getting asked when you’re going to be next is probably the worst of all. But, there is something about the weddings that really makes them stick out. These 10 things make Arab weddings … Continued

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