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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

5 Arabic Words That Have No English Equivalent 

By Lena Kassicieh

Barakabits

Arabic is a wonderfully expressive, visual language. Many terms used throughout the Arab world would not make much sense out of context, or if translated into another language. Oftentimes, colloquialisms or even idioms are the hardest part of a language for a foreigner to understand, as they are so deeply rooted in the culture. Arabs, a traditionally desert people, have several words that describe particular kinds of desert winds, something very unique to the language, just like Eskimos in Alaska have several words to describe different types of snow and ice.

 1) Na’eeman (نعيماً)

-A term used after someone gets a clean shave, a haircut or takes a shower. It’s kind of like blessing them and saying “Congrats on looking cleaner/fresher” and there is certainly no way of saying it in English. Oftentimes, after a man gets a fresh shave or hair cut, his pals will slap the back of his neck saying this term. The response is “Allah yena’am ‘alek”.

2) ‘Ala Rasi (على راسي)

-Literally translated into “On my head”, this is a saying commonly used when someone asks you for something or demands something. If a friend says “I need you to give me a ride later today,” the response could be “‘Ala Rasi”, kind of like saying “Anything for you”.

3) Kol Sana Wa Enta Salem/Enti Salmeh (كل سنة ونت سالم)

-A phrase said to someone on their birthday or on religious holidays like Easter, Ramadan and Eid, it translates to something akin to “With each year you’re safe/peaceful”. Of course in English there is nothing similar to this, but in Arabic it can be more common than saying Happy Birthday or Ramadan Kareem.

4) To’oborni (تقبرني)

-Used quite often in Lebanon, this term literally translates to “You bury me”, but means more like I love you so much I would rather die and you bury me before losing you. Again, probably not something you’d commonly say in English, but this term is used quite often from mothers to their children or to a friend or person you really adore. Though it sounds cryptic when translated, it’s used in a loving and upbeat way.

5) Wafaret/Wafarti (وفرت)

-Though this is an older term that is not commonly used these days, I recall many times my grandmother would say this word to me as she offered me food and I refused it. It translates to something like, “Fine, you don’t want it? That’s more for me, and it saves me the trouble anyway”. I used to laugh when she would say it to us before understanding it probably wasn’t meant sarcastically by any means.

Source: www.barakabits.com

PBS to Air Documentary About Morocco on July 10

Moroccan World News

 

A multi-part documentary where three musical friends travel 10 Moroccan cities in 15 days exploring the country”s historical musical influences will air on PBS’ KLRU on Sunday July 10.

For the first part of the documentary, Noumaine Lahlou, a Moroccan superstar singer, songwriter and producer; Hassan Hakmoun, a master Gnawa musician; and Laurent Le Gall, a film director and producer, travel from Casablanca to Tangier and then to Chefchaouen exploring Morocco”s traditions with music.

”The history of Morocco”s music continues to weave thread into the fabric of today”s melodies,” it says.

The team will meet several Moroccan artistic personalities including Noumane Lahlou himself, award-winning musician Abdelouhab Doukkali, singer kaouTar Berani, and rap artist Don Bigg.

Each reveals their personal influences for the music they produce, ranging from its emotional strength, Amazigh influences, themes in education and even historic musical scales.

The documentary is part of a travel and music television series, Music Voyager, that ”explores the most musically exciting cities in the world,” according to the Tantra film company”s website who produced the series.

Source: www.menafn.com

Politicization of Learning Arabic

By Anna Ellison

Chicago Monitor

When people find out that I am an Arabic major, the conversation quickly dips into possible career tracks in the FBI, the CIA, and the Foreign Service. I did not start my degree with the intention of working for the government or involving myself in politics. Three years later, I still hold this to be true. But when I reflect on my interactions with people and my own experiences as an Arabic student in higher education, I feel that my language experience has been highly politicized.

So then why do I feel constantly corralled into working in politics or with the US government? Why don’t those who study French or Spanish receive the same line of questioning? The short and easy answer is because the relationship between the US and most Arabic-speaking countries is highly political.

My experience learning Arabic has been a beautiful, yet highly politicized one.

The vocabulary found in the first chapter of Al-Kitaab, one of the most widely used Arabic textbooks; the terms “Palestinian” and “The United Nations” are nestled amongst the verbs to “study” and to “work.” In the second chapter , we encounter the words for “army,” “officer,” “international relations,” and “religion.” Chapter three includes how to say “The Rightly-Guided Caliphs” among other vocabulary words. If I had to guess, no Italian, French, or Spanish textbooks would consider it appropriate to confront students with the word “The United Nations” in the first lesson. While “Palestinian” is not an outwardly political term, it does feel that way considering the chapter does not cover how to say Jordanian, Lebanese, or Algerian.

I do not think that learning these words early on is a bad thing , but it is unusual because other languages are not taught this way. Show me a textbook in which such politically charged terms are introduced so early on. If Jane Doe decides Arabic is too difficult after the first semester, at least she can still discuss military strategy and international intervention policies. Contrastingly, Jon Doe who dropped French after a semester can only discuss what he wants to do over the weekend.

I was not made aware of the political undertones of my textbooks and my experience with the Arabic language until I was studying abroad in Amman, Jordan. My host mother often put on a news channel that displayed what appeared to be a newspaper page with several articles. Every few moments the page would “flip” and show a new grouping of articles. Considering the political climate surrounding Jordan at the time (Fall, 2015) it is unsurprising that the majority of the news stories were politically related. And the fantastic thing was that I could understand a fair amount of what the articles were saying. Moments later, when my host sister would make a joke in Arabic and I would awkwardly laugh just because I didn’t want to be left out of a joke, she would nod at me to say “you understood that?” To which I would admit that I had no idea what they were talking about. More often than not it was not a political joke. It was just small talk. But it was lost on me.

Several months into my time in Amman, a fellow Arabic major from my university was telling me about the course she was taking called “Arabic in the Media.” She told me she was learning a lot of  vocabulary such as “suicide belt” and “bomb.”  I distinctly remember how useful those words must be. But why? I found myself interested in seeking out vocabulary that would elevate my language when discussing politics or foreign affairs, but would do little to help me connect with the members of my host family. I was becoming increasingly comfortable interacting with the Jordanian media, but increasingly nervous about interacting with Jordanians themselves.

This was not a total loss, however, because if you have been to Jordan, you will know that Jordanians love to talk politics. And so that’s precisely what I did. In taxis I would announce that I was indeed from America (it was usually the topic of discussion) and wait to see if the taxi driver was in the mood to discuss American intervention into the Middle East. One of the reasons I loved these discussions was because Jordanians never saw me as my government. I was never an object of their anger or hurt or betrayal. And so that’s how I interacted with Jordanians. It was rarely through conversations about my favorite Jordanian dishes or where I had travelled, but rather about the war in Syria or how Donald Trump could never possibly become president.

But reflecting upon my time in Jordan, I truly regret not pushing myself. I regret staying in what, at that moment in time, felt like a comfort zone. I could discuss food, religion, and politics. And that’s mostly what I discussed for four months. But I found that these discussions left me on the outskirts of Jordanian culture.

The politicization of Arabic in higher education is not surprising considering the political atmosphere of the times. The vast majority of people who are enrolled in Arabic courses intend to pursue a career in politics. This is evident in the sharp spike in enrollment in Arabic courses following the 9/11 attacks. A report done by the Modern Language Association found that American student enrollment in Arabic language courses grew by 126.5% from 2002 to 2006. Chances are, the spike in students studying Arabic was not caused because there was a sudden interest in the study of Arab culture.

As I am writing this I can’t help but feel hypocritical because the chances of me using Arabic in political settings or with political motives in the future is not unlikely. But, at the same time, my intention in writing this article is not to condemn the politicization of the language but rather ask: What are we losing in doing so?

Arabic is a rich language that allows those who learn the language to communicate with people in the Arabic-speaking world. But if the only motive for learning the language is to go into politics, I believe that is a disservice to ourselves and a disservice to the Arab world.

More than all of the political debates I immersed myself in, more than the news blurbs I was able to read, what I miss most about speaking Arabic in Jordan is the small yet beautiful details of the language. I miss greeting my program managers with a common phrase that roughly translates to “morning of roses” and receiving in response a hope for a “morning of light”.

Source: chicagomonitor.com

How One Designer Is Using the Caftan to Bridge Morocco With the West

by LIANA SATENSTEIN

VOGUE

Bakchic’s Instagram is basically an ongoing advertisement for all of what Morocco has to offer. It’s a rich feed, full of shots that include plump fresh figs and sequined babouches, Zellige enameled tiles, or a shot of designer Sofia El Arabi posing in front of a whitewashed wall in a bright red fez hat and an armful of silver Berber cuffs. El Arabi embraces all things Morocco, as does her label which includes everything from riffs on traditional caftans to more contemporary pieces like simple tees.

From the looks of El Arabi’s output, both physical and on social media, it would seem that the designer has spent her life dedicated to Moroccan culture, but the idea to create Bakchic stemmed instead from a lack of exposure to her surroundings. El Arabi grew up in a family that she considers “Western oriented,” and spoke French and English while living in Morocco, as well as attending a French-speaking high school. It was only when she returned to Morocco after studying in France that she discovered what her country had to offer. “This period of my life was really about trying to discover Morocco,” she says. “My own identity has been divided between something Eastern and Western so I tried to find a way between these two worlds.” That way came from clothing, and El Arabi soon began making custom caftans for her family. Soon after, El Arabi quit her job at a French television station and launched Bakchic in 2012.

Though El Arabi has amassed more than 35,000 followers on her Instagram, fans of her brand tend to be abroad, rather than in the cosmopolitan areas of Morocco, where general style tends toward a more Western aesthetic. She has found it difficult to tap into the local market. “The problem in Morocco, is that people are not totally proud of this cultural wealth that we have, because no one before really took it seriously,” says El Arabi, “This is a challenge of making Arab style cool again. People are more attracted to the universal culture, which is Western. Universal culture is easier to access. It’s a style that people understand so you don’t really take a risk wearing different clothes.” Of course, there are also the political connotations. “I really wanted to show the world that being Arab doesn’t mean being violent, or all of these cliches that you can watch on TV,” says El Arabi. “Even if you may think that clothing is not as serious, or [cannot] solve the political problems that the world is going through, I think it is cool to communicate a certain identity and vision of the Arabs.” And to that end, El Arabi wears her caftans with Adidas track pants, or blue jeans. “The most important thing to remember is to stay simple because these pieces are full of embroideries,” says El Arabi. “The thing is to wear a pair of jeans for example, or a simple T-shirt, and then to add something Moroccan with embroideries. It’s staying simple on the Western side of your outfit.” The other part? Wearing your culture proudly on your sleeve.

Source: www.vogue.com

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