Last week, President Obama hosted an Iftar at the White House. “Iftar” is the nightly breaking of the fast during Ramadan, the holy month during which Muslims abstain from food and drink during daylight hours. The president has hosted an Iftar dinner for five years now. Mr. Obama is, of course, very familiar with Ramadan. […]
Month: July 2013
Does Israel Really Care?
This week, there has been much talk about John Kerry’s efforts to reignite the stalled peace process between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Kerry is confident, or so he seems, about the prospects of bringing everyone back together for fruitful talks. Israel has put off negotiations for some time, opting to keep the status quo […]
There’s a Palestinian in the NFL!
Palestinian-Americans are split on a fundamental American issue: football. Many of those from my father’s generation of immigrants are simply confused by the whole concept. They came from a land and time where “football” meant kicking a ball with your foot into a goal. Trying to divorce them from this word association is extremely difficult. […]
Merry Ramadan 2013!
Ramadan, in part, is meant to be a reminder to all Muslims as to how lucky they are to have constant access to food and a few dollars in their pockets. And it’s also a reminder of how they have survived. For a group of people that have spent the last hundred years being the […]
I Love America…
(This post has been slightly revised from July 4, 2012, and re-posted now) I love America, but sometimes it’s hard. America was built by white men fleeing religious persecution in Europe. They wrote an amazing Constitution, a document that both exhibits and secures our civic and political values. Within it they enshrined the doctrine of […]