Aslan Media Columnist Denise Romano delves into the Mideast Diaspora community of Brooklyn's Washington Street, and beyond into New York.
Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty may be known as America's immigrant gateway, but what happens when those immigrants start building lives here? At the heart of NYC, Grand Central Station sees the world's people flood through its corridors every minute of every day. People of all backgrounds, religions, and ethnicities cross paths thousands of times a day in her halls, pulsing lives pursuing their dreams. Grand Central Stories brings to life the varied and unique experiences of NYC's MidEast Diaspora community and its Washington Street community, giving voice to a population that still believes in the American Dream.
This column is no longer active as of April, 2012.
In Good Faith: Stories of Hope and Resilience
- Published on Wednesday, 21 September 2011 05:00
- Category: Grand Central Stories
“How will we comprehend the reality we woke up to after the dust settled?”
That is the question Daisy Khan, Executive Director of the American Society for Muslim Advancement (ASMA) asked a room of nearly 300 people last Friday at the beautiful and spacious Interchurch Center, located in Morningside Heights, Manhattan. New Yorkers of all colors and creeds had gathered to memorialize the victims of the September 11th terrorist attacks at the event named, “In Good Faith: Stories of Hope and Resilience: New York Muslims honor a decade of multifaith collaboration toward a peaceful path to coexistence.”
Profile in Peace: Arab Lutheran Pastor Works To Unite All Creeds
- Published on Wednesday, 21 September 2011 05:00
- Category: Grand Central Stories
Khader El-Yateem, the Pastor of the Salam Arabic Lutheran Church in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn has had to make some tough decisions in his life, but he always opts for the greater good of the community.
El-Yateem came to the U.S. in 1992 from Bethlehem, Palestine, where he was born and raised, becoming the pastor of the Salam Lutheran Church in 1995. Recently, he shared with Aslan Media the more than 100 year-old church’s history. “In a nutshell, the church was first called the Salem Danish Lutheran Church,” he said, noting that Bay Ridge was once home to a large Nordic and Scandinavian population.
“About twenty years ago, the neighborhood was changing and more Arab people were coming,” El-Yateem said. “The Danish church leadership was closing and they wanted to give it to another ministry.” The Arab church thrived until the recession hit in 2008.
New Yorkers React to the CIA and FBI's "Mosque Surveillance" Program
- Published on Monday, 29 August 2011 05:00
- Category: Grand Central Stories
Last Wednesday August 24, New York City’s Muslim and Middle Eastern residents experienced yet another low blow. According to an investigative report by the Associated Press, the New York City Police Department (NYPD), with help from the CIA, set up dozens of “surveillance stations” around mosques, bookstores, cafes, nightclubs and hookah bars.
Undercover NYPD officers, called “rakers” were sent into several locations to listen to conversations, in hopes of finding evidence of terrorist activity. There were also “mosque crawlers” who infiltrated mosques and served as informants to the police department.
The CIA is prohibited from spying on Americans, so this report not only raises concerns of xenophobia from within the US government, it may also indicate illegal activity. The Council of American-Islamic Relations has already asked the U.S. Justice Department to investigate.
About the Columnist: Denise Romano
Denise is a freelance reporter extraordinaire. She is Brooklyn born and raised with a Print Journalism degree from Brooklyn College. Though not of Middle Eastern descent, she started a blog to tell the stories of Iranians and Iranian-Americans after the 2009 election fallout. Ever since, she has been dedicated to giving voice to those who are marginalized by the mainstream media. When she is not writing, Denise spends time with her husband, sings in a barbershop chorus, cooks Italian food, and watches Saturday Night Live. Because she is in tune with the beat of the Big Apple, she launched this blog to share the everyday concerns of New York's Middle Eastern diaspora communities exclusively with Aslan Media.