A lot of Arab-Americans are disappointed that Bernie Sanders is all but out of the running for the nomination for president. Our community supported him because he listened to our concerns. He was the first major presidential candidate to bring up the rights of the Palestinian people as a major concern. He stood for social […]
Category: The Civil Arab
After Janna Jihad, we have no excuse
At 22 years old, I want to be a journalist. And while I seek inspiration from many different people, my most recent comes from Janna Jihad, who resides in the West Bank of Occupied Palestine. She’s 10. Let that sink in. At 10 years old, she’s not playing with Barbies or trying on makeup. She’s out on […]
Israeli citizens are victims of Israel too
They say ignorance is bliss. But in today’s world, especially in places like Palestine and Israel, ignorance is lethal. It is the weapon that allows oppression and cruelty to occupy. It is the way for governments to pacify their concerned citizens. And it’s precisely the way these murderous regimes are maintained. Yes, as a Palestinian, […]
We Arabs are complicated
I really don’t want to use “I” a lot, but hello, I’m human. I love life. I love peace. I love my faith. I love everything about my culture… Oops, I lied. Arab culture. Let’s see. We are generous, we make good food, we have nice upbeat music, our movies are cheesy, and our love […]
Why we Palestinians don’t have freedom
All oppressed people had one thing in common: great leaders. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Nelson Mandela. Mahatma Gandhi. These are recognized names that command respect. These gentleman were esteemed leaders that knew the game of oppression and cracked its crippling codes. Gandhi gained overthrew British rule in India with peaceful boycotts. Dr. King quelled […]
A Letter from an Angry Hijabi
Dear Muslim Men, I don’t need another enemy. Last night, I came across a tweet that someone on my feed retweeted. It was authored by a black Muslim female who wears hijab: “Let me just listen to Views two more times and I’ll have all the lyrics memorized like it’s Quran.” It came as no […]
When Palestine comes up in restaurant
What I imagined was going to be a fine evening with a good friend for her birthday ended up reverting back to Palestine and the occupation. Now, I know it sounds crazy. In a dimly lit, cramped restaurant, with waitresses flying around and serving multiple tables at once, who’d expect a conversation about Palestine? I certainly […]
My Palestinian “Bern Notice”
Sixty seven years ago, the fledgling Israeli army massacred my infant father’s village, leaving my grandparents little choice but to flee. The entire village, but a few elderly and infirm members of the community who could not be moved, fled to the neighboring village, for what they believed to be but a short period of […]
Mandela’s statue arrived in Palestine, but his legacy hasn’t yet
Five days ago, the Palestinian people received a gift from the people of South Africa. Last Tuesday, a massive 6-meter tall bronze statue of Nelson Mandela was unveiled in Ramallah. (That’s about 20 feet to us Americans.) The occasion was met with much fanfare, and the ceremony was led by the current president of the Palestinian Authority, […]
This election is a reality show, and Bernie isn’t a contestant
Hillary Clinton supporters seem to miss a fundamental difference between her and Bernie Sanders. It’s called integrity. Integrity is a value that is fundamental to the development of trust, and thus, when one is seeking a relationship with a people, trust becomes a rather imperative value. In order to build trust, one must implicitly and explicitly […]
Mental health & our Arab community
Growing up in an Arab family is fun. There’s great food, noisy gatherings, and parties that are so wild you’d swear the world is ending. But there also comes a distinct stubbornness. When you’re Arab, numerous expectations are placed upon you. In many cases, your choices of a career and significant other are heavily influenced. […]
Bernie is the real hope and change
In 2008, we said, “This is the most important presidential election in a lifetime.” We were wrong. In my role as a surrogate for Bernie Sanders in his presidential run, I get to talk to voters about why they should cast their ballots for the senator from Vermont. Last week, I joined a few other […]
Be Proud of Who You Are
In today’s society, all minorities are scrutinized. Walk into a room, and you’ll see a TV displaying a news anchorman disparaging Muslims as terrorists. Turn on a news radio station, and Donald Trump’s speech about building a wall to keep immigrants like Mexicans out of our country will be blaring. We live in a world […]
Hillary strikes out in New York
New York, its time to talk baseball. It’s the World Series. It’s the bottom of the ninth inning and the bases loaded. Who do you put in the batter box? Alex Rodriguez (A-Rod) or Derek Jeter (The Captain)? If you chose A-rod, then vote for Madam Secretary, because as great as A-rod’s record is, with […]
Gaza, darkness, and romance
Honestly, if I had to tell one story about my country, it would be about politicians. They literally sacrifice their lives for us. I am serious. In my free time, I watch the news, and I like to think of the Palestinian cause and our political system. Just kidding. I never watch the news. It’s […]
Why I will never have a daughter in Gaza
Here are a set of assumptions you might make about me after reading the above title: She is too feminist. She’s short and ugly. She likes the word spinster. She’s a liberal, too busy questioning marriage. She’s a philosopher. She’s a drama queen. She doesn’t want her daughter to see President Trump. Well, some of those things are accurate, but none are the […]
A week of being Palestinian
There is absolutely no shortage of drama in being a Palestinian. No matter where one lives, a Palestinian experiences constant ups and and downs. Now, am I saying that a Palestinian’s daily life is necessarily more of a spectacle than anyone else’s? Yes. Yes, I am. And this week was no exception. It all started […]
Bernie, Palestine, and Empire
This is a note to those who followed the AIPAC performances and read Sanders’ Middle East policy speech. The standard maintained by Clinton, Cruz, and Trump, Congress, your state legislatures, corporate media talking heads, your high school history teachers, etc. is so bizarrely inhumane, aggressive, and nihilistic that reading Sanders’ position seems hopeful. In reality, […]
They don’t hate our freedom
I’m not sure I will ever understand the double standard. I’m not sure that I will ever understand what makes one life more valuable than the other. Each time something happens in the world – an attack, an earthquake, a plane crash, something that unexpectedly takes human life – we react as though we’ve witnessed the […]
My Arab American vote? Trump before Clinton
Why would anyone vote for Trump over Clinton? Why would a minority vote for Trump? Truthfully? Revenge! Madam Secretary stood by while 500 Palestinian children were ripped apart by flechettes (which are illegal according to international law, which is meaningless because no one is held accountable anyway). Not only is Hillary Clinton supported by every pro-Israel, pro-Zionist organization under the […]