We have no right to be shocked
What happened last night in Charleston triggered a range of emotions. President Obama said he felt “heartache,” “sadness,” and “anger.” We all feel those things […]
Articles by Amer Zahr
A Palestinian’s guide to Palestine
I have just returned from a two-week trip to Palestine. I am quite sorry that I was not very active online during that time, but […]
After 67 Years, Palestinians are finally cool
Today is Israeli Independence Day. We Palestinians call it “Nakba Day.” “Nakba” translates from Arabic into English as “catastrophe.” Independence. Catastrophe. You say Po-tay-to. I […]
Some advice for Pamela Geller
Dear Pam, I’ve been watching you. Now, I don’t mean that I’ve been “watching” you in the same way the FBI watches us Arabs and […]
Welcome to the Black Spring
Sidi Bouzid is a modest city of about 120,000 in central Tunisia. Mohamed Bouazizi was a fruit vendor on its streets. He never graduated from […]
Why do some people hate America so much?
I’m noticing something going on in my country. America is under attack. This week, at the University of Michigan (my alma mater), Arab and Muslim […]
Aren’t “terrorists” depressed too?
The media has damaged me. I must confess something. I was watching CNN last week when the first reports of the Germanwings tragedy hit the […]
A quick lesson on “allah”
Last week, in upstate New York, many residents of a small town got all bent out of shape. Pine Bush High School decided to celebrate […]
When racism is a minor offense
Imagine this. A ninth-grader sits in school every day. He has no disciplinary problems. He is the only black student in his French class. His […]
She wished there were more Palestinians like me
This past Monday night, I participated in a panel debate at the Jewish Community Center in West Bloomfield, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The panel […]
We need to talk about white people
We spend a lot of our time talking about immigrants, minorities, and foreigners. But we almost never talk about white people. And we should. After […]
From ‘American Sniper’ to Chapel Hill
After Tuesday’s events in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, some are saying that the triple murder of Deah Barakat, Yusor Abu-Salha, and Razan Abu-Salha was just […]
Murdered for being Muslim, and the news is unfazed
The killing of young, promising college students would normally be a pretty big story. Shootings on or near campuses are usually a hot topic for […]
There are no excuses for ‘American Sniper’
By most accounts, American Sniper depicts its Arab Iraqi subjects in a simplistic and shallow fashion. No one has accused director Clint Eastwood of portraying […]
Why is Netanyahu crashing Congress?
The prime minister of Israel is coming to visit us. He’s not coming to meet with President Obama. He’s not coming to see Secretary of […]
Where do I apply for “terrorism expert”?
Terrorism. Islamic terrorism. Islamism. Jihadism. ISIS. Al-Qaeda. AQAP. Muhammad. Or just Islam. It is the top story in the news. In order to fully inform […]
I refuse to condemn
I refuse to condemn. I refuse to condemn ISIS. I refuse to condemn Paris. I refuse to condemn 9/11. I refuse to condemn, not because […]
Jerusalem, Yerushalayim, (Al-Quds)
Two weeks ago, I was in Jerusalem. I stayed in the Jerusalem Hotel, one block from the largest entrance to the Old City. I ventured […]
Headline: America still clueless about Islam
The events of the past couple weeks have confirmed something we Arabs and Muslims have known for some time: America is still clueless about Islam. […]
The occupier has no clothes!
We all remember Hans Christian Andersen’s short tale, “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” the story about two weavers who promise an emperor a new suit of […]