Rome Reports Jacqueline Isaac is young but she has already amassed the following titles to her name: Attorney, Human Rights activist and Entrepreneur. She has dedicated her life to traveling the world to publicize the genocide suffered by women and religious minorities like Christians and Yazidis in the Middle East.
BY MAGGIE MALLON Glamour BENJO ARWAS Quantico actress Yasmine Al Massri’s life has been extraordinary in every sense of the word. Over the past decade, Al Massri has dominated the indie film circuit, won numerous awards, and landed a starring role as identical twin sisters Nimah and Raina Amin on ABC’s breakout drama. However, through all … Continued
Robert Kitson
The Guardian
There will be plenty of inspiring swims in the Rio pool this week but few to match the personal odyssey completed by Yusra Mardini on the opening day of competition. Last year the Syrian teenager was battling in the sea for survival with fellow asylum seekers while trying to reach the Greek island of Lesbos. To go from there to winning the opening heat of the 100m butterfly at the Olympic Games is the ultimate illustration of drawing strength from adversity.
For those minded to complain about minor irritations in Rio such as humidity in the aquatics centre or a few nibbling insects, the 18-year-old’s story should serve as a timely reminder of life’s more pressing issues. Last summer Mardini and her sister Sarah fled their home in Damascus for Beirut, Istanbul and finally Izmir in Turkey, where they managed to squeeze on to a dinghy crossing the Mediterranean. Thirty minutes into their journey the motor stopped and the overcrowded boat, carrying 20 people, threatened to capsize.
There was no option but for Yusra, Sarah and another woman to enter the water and push and drag the dinghy towards the shore. They were the only ones on board who could swim. “I thought it would be a real shame if I drowned in the sea, because I am a swimmer,” Mardini said last week. The proximity of the open ocean off Rio might have stirred some uncomfortable flashbacks.
All of which made her first Olympic experience such a momentous one. The venue may have been far from full and her heat loaded with competitors entertaining nil hope of reaching the final but Mardini was the most popular of winners in a time of 1min 9.21sec, just over a second faster than her nearest heat rival. Afterwards she could scarcely contain her joy: “Everything was amazing. It was the only thing I ever wanted was to compete in the Olympics. I had a good feeling in the water. Competing with all these great champions is exciting. I’ve only been back swimming for two years so we’re only now getting back to my levels of before.”
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Rio 2016 Olympics, day one: What you might have missed
Now living and training in Germany, Mardini is competing in Brazil under the banner of the specially-formed refugee team made up of 43 athletes who have been forced to flee their homelands. Unlike some competitors she also attended the opening ceremony and has been determined to enjoy her Olympic experience to the full: “The ceremony was really amazing but I couldn’t stay because I had to race.”
For her next trick Mardini hopes to be back for the 2020 Games in Japan but has already made good on her personal pre-Olympic pledge. “I want to make all the refugees proud of me. It would show that, even if we had a tough journey, we can achieve something.” It is the kind of narrative from which everyone on Earth can draw strength.
Source: www.theguardian.com
BY: Kristina Perry/Contributing Writer WASHINGTON, DC: Dr. Shibley Telhami is one of the leading researchers on public opinion polling and research, examining American foreign policy priorities. His research often focuses on opinions toward the Middle East, Muslims, and Arab communities. His recent research presented at the Brookings Institute in Washington, DC examined the shift … Continued
BY: Andrew Hansen/Contributing Writer On Monday, Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump, made a switch in his seemingly prejudiced language towards Muslims, refugees, and the entirety of the Arab region. On the popular Fox News segment Hannity, Trump responded to the recent attacks in Germany by a Syrian refugee, saying, “People don’t want me to say … Continued
Leland Scott celebrates his birthday with his students at the Bajid Kandall 2 Yazidi refugee camp in Iraqi Kurdistan region, May 17, 2016. By Rikar Hussein VOA- Voice of America It has long been a tradition of the ethnically Kurdish Yazidi community to bury their loved ones in their holiest shrine of Sharfadin in the … Continued
By LOUISE BROWN THE TORONTO STAR At first glance, it’s just a recipe for Arab tabbouleh salad, scribbled on a classroom blackboard. “Six tomatoes. Three cucumbers. Ten parsley. Two lemons. Olive oil. Salt. Bulgur.” But Mississauga teacher Kristen McGinn does so much more with it at this intense summer day camp for Syrian refugee children … Continued
By Ted Hesson VICE News A recent potluck dinner for members of the Arab community, hosted by the University of Toledo Muslim Students Association. Photo courtesy of the UTMSA Zein Torbey knew he needed to leave his home in Damascus when the Syrian civil war began to escalate in 2012. The violence made everyday life … Continued
© YouTube My One Thing | Marcelle Aleid with the hourglass she took with her from her native Damascus. by Charlotte BOITIAUX France24 Syrian filmmaker Marcelle Aleid has asked exiles from her country to tell her about the unique object they took – or would have liked to have taken – with them as they … Continued
BILL CHAPPELL NPR Muhannad M. stands to get a reward of less than $5,000, after turning in some $150,000 in cash and bank documents that he found in a used piece of furniture. Minden Police The windfall must have seemed heaven-sent. How else to explain a young man who had fled Syria’s violence and reached … Continued
BY: Andrew Hansen/Contributing Writer In October of 2015, President Barack Obama pledged in front of the American public to admit 10,000 Syrian refugees into the U.S. in response to the growing refugee crisis. After his announcement, many criticized that this number was far below the actual number that America is able to host with its … Continued
Trump could never be an Arab because of his ongoing and past behaviors. He could learn a few lessons from us on how to be a little more Arab-like. It might be better for his health, improve his manners, and make him a better person overall. Here’s a list of ten reasons why Trump doesn’t … Continued
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