Arts and Culture in the Mideast

An Afternoon With Bassem Youssef: The Egyptian Jon Stewart

A feeling of hushed expectancy and formality hung over the crowd until a slightly scruffy, curly headed guy dressed casually in a t-shirt and jeans sprang lightly onto the stage. He rested his arm around the microphone stand as though it was his best friend’s shoulder and began, “Why do we do this event? We do this event to bring people together.” It was as if he had opened the door to his home and the entire audience was suddenly family.

Everything You’ve Always Wanted to Know About Islamic Banking

Islamic banking has made rapid inroads in Muslim countries and spread to other regions with sizeable Muslim populations, growing 15 percent annually in the recent decade. Its increasing popularity has even led some large Western banks to open Islamic windows. According to some estimates, there are currently more than 300 Islamic banking institutions worldwide spread in over 50 countries.

On the Dearborn Drama: Pig-Headed Engagement of Islam

At a recent festival held annually by Dearborn’s Muslim community, it was reported that a group of Christian missionaries disrupted the event as they engaged in responses that challenged deeply valued Islamic ideals. This included holding up signs that attacked Islam’s prophet Muhammad, shouting at Muslims participating in the festival, and hoisting a pig’s head on a pole, an animal considered unclean by Muslims. Less tense forms of engagement also reportedly took place, such as the sharing of evangelistic literature outside the largest mosque in Michigan.

Mosque Building and Zones of Comfort

USA Today released an article a few days ago about the controversy surrounding the building of mosques in America today. I will not speak to this or that particular controversy related to zoning laws and similar matters (Not all issues pertaining to the building of mosques and churches are bound up with religious expression). Instead, I will address the matter of zones of comfort for many Christians and others in America today.

“Language Rooms” Strikes High Fidelity on the Arab Front

Patriotism and fidelity. Translation and mind games. CIA interrogation and the American Dream. Arabs. As if one of these themes wasn’t enough to craft an entire script, the L.A. premiere of the play Language Rooms decides to keep you on your toes by exploring what means to abuse loyalty and the divided allegiances immigrants encounter when they realize that the American Dream is not as forthcoming as Horatio Alger would have you believe. Part political thriller, part comedy, Language Rooms is as hilarious as it uncomfortable, a provocative balance between humor and sobriety where if you don’t laugh, you’ll cry... or die. You will most certainly squirm.

“Aftermath”: Using the Stage to Explore the Iraq War

Run — don’t walk — to San Francisco-based Theatre, Period’s production of Aftermath and its mesmerizing real life stories of Iraqis from the pre and post-American invasion of their homeland in 2003. Interviews, in Arabic then beautifully translated into English, form the basis of this docudrama that opens a unique door to a world normally closed to America by barriers of language, culture and propaganda.

Schaduf Puts Egypt’s Rooftops To Work

If traditional mentality in the Arab region discourages risk-taking, Sherif Hosny of Schaduf rejected that tradition in one fell swoop when he quit his job to become a farmer. More accurately, he quit his job to pursue an entrepreneurial career in sustainable urban agriculture.

MIT Arab Business Plan Competition finalist Schaduf, founded by Hosny and his brother Tarek, is a startup that works to promote micro rooftop farming among low to medium income families in Egyptian cities.

“The idea is to generate a small income for these families,” explains Hosny. “So we provide them with everything they need to be successful. We help them with technical support, quality control and training in how to operate the farms. We also link them up with micro-finance organizations, so they can afford to install the farms. Ultimately we want to help them sell the crops.”

The Illustrious Gold Mine: Ramadan Conference

With just over a month left till the Holy month of Ramdan begins an innovative conference is set to be held in London on the 1st of July at the world-renowned Emirates Stadium, home to Arsenal football team. The conference is being organized by Human Relief Foundation and is fundraising money for essential Ramadan food packs for those in desperate need in Syria who are suffering due to the protracted volatile political situation. But this event not only aims to fundraise but also just as importantly, to help prepare Muslims for the month of Ramadan whilst also educating non-Muslims on the importance and significance of Ramadan in the Muslim calendar.