Skip to content
  • Image
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Podcasts
  • Email
  • Subscribe to Ray’s Columns
  • Contact
The Arab Daily News

The Arab Daily News

Original news, features, opinions from Chicago to Jerusalem

  • About
    • About
    • Our Writers
    • Subscribe to Ray’s Columns
    • Book Store
    • Contact
    • Submit Book Reviews, Press Releases
    • Advertise
    • Privacy Corrections Policy
    • Profile on Ray Hanania
    • Submit Press Release
  • Features
    • Food
    • Book Review
    • Humor
    • Movies
    • Travel
  • Arab Stores Targeted
  • Arab Community Network Page
    • Arab Community Network Page
    • Arab Heritage America resources
    • Directory
      • Groups & Organizations
      • Mosques, Churches
      • Restaurants
      • 2008 & 2014 Arab Media Directories
    • National Arab Heritage Month
    • Video: Chicago Arab History
    • Video: Photo Array of Chicago Arabs
    • Overview of Arabs in America
    • Hanania standup comedy
    • Arabs on the Titanic
    • Obituaries
  • Podcasts
    • Ray Hanania on Politics Podcast
    • Arab News Ray Hanania Radio
    • Arab Radio Podcast intro
    • Radio Baladi Detroit
  • Hanania on Tiktok
  • Subscribe to Ray’s Columns
  • Toggle search form
  • photo credit author Nehemia Gershuni-Aylho www.NGPhoto.biz and Wikipedia
    Emergency Court Motions to Stop Elbit Drone Parts Shipment via Frankfurt Airport  Activism
  • American Journalist Shireen Abu Akleh murdered by Israeli soldiers May 11, 2022
    Documentary names soldier it says killed Shireen Abu Akleh in 2022 American Arabs
  • Committee to Protect Journalists, CPJ
    Jordan bans 12 news sites for ‘spreading media poison’ following corruption report Arab World
  • CAIR Logo. Council on American Islamic Relations
    CAIR Condemns MIT for banning Class President from Graduation Ceremony over Anti-Genocide speech Activism
  • ADC creates emergency fund to defend people who are being punished for expressing views on the American-sanction violence by Israel in the Gaza Strip. Photo courtesy of ADC
    ADC Condemns ADL, Rep. Torres’ Defamation of Dr. Lara Sheehi Activism
  • UN Special Committee on Israeli practices in occupied territories warns of a second Nakba  Arab World
  • Arab American community liaison Hassan Nijem, Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas and Bolingbrook Mayor Mary Basta at the Arab American Heritage Month event hosted by Pappas’s office.
    Pappas honors Arab American business and community leaders for Heritage Month Activism
  • 04-28-25 Pappas Arab Heritage Month
    Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas recognizes Arab American Heritage Month by honoring business and community leaders American Arabs
  • Stuffed Grape Leaves. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania
    A recipe on how to make Stuffed Grape Leaves with lamb, ox tail and rice American Arabs
  • Andrew Boutros, interim US Attorney Northern District of Illinois. Photo courtesy of the US Attorney's Office
    Andrew S. Boutros Takes Oath of Office as United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois American Arabs
  • Israeli massacres of Palestinian civilians March 18 2025
    Palestinians demand investigation of Israeli war crimes in Gaza Strip Arab World
  • Illinois Muslim Action Day April 9 2025
    Illinois Muslim Action Day Policies at April 9 Statehouse News Conference American Arabs
  • Investigation demanded in March 23 massacre of 15 first responders by Israel's military in Rafah
    Investigation demanded into Israel slaughter of First Responder in Rafah on March 23, 2025 Arab World
  • More than a dozen candidates running for various local offices in the Chicagoland suburbs attended an Ifatr dinner Thursday, March 13, 2025 hosted by the Arab American Chamber of Commerce at the Jerusalem Banquet Hall in Bridgeview.
    Candidates promise fairness and engagement at Arab Chamber Iftar event March 13 Activism
  • Orland Fire Protection District, Fiscal Voices, receive endorsement of the Arab American Democracy Coaliton
    Independent candidates for Orland Fire receive Arab and Muslim American endorsement Activism
The Furrha Family, major social media influencers on TikTok and instagram

Arab-American influencers Furrha Family share secrets of their success

Posted on February 6, 2021July 11, 2021 By rayhanania 1 Comment on Arab-American influencers Furrha Family share secrets of their success
SHARE ...
          
 
  

  • Tweet

Arab-American influencers Furrha Family share secrets of their success

Salem Furrha and his eight children @theFurrhaFamily on TikTok and Instagram represent a large movement of American Arabs who have turned to social media as a means of breaking up the boredom of coronavirus restrictions and sharing their lives showcasing a popular and positive  image of Arab family life and culture. The Furrha family was among several social media influencers showcased in a recent panel

By Ray Hanania

راى حنانيا. Ray Hanania
راى حنانيا.
Ray Hanania

Some of the Arab-American community’s leading social media influencers shared the strategies they use to build millions of followers during a panel discussion hosted Thursday by the Arab America Foundation.

The panelists said they strived to be authentic and blend humor and honesty into their content.

Chicago food blogger Mai Kakish, who posts at www.AlmondAndFig.com, said she put her recipes into the context of Palestinian culture, everyday life in the US and in occupied Palestine.

“I try to tell how much Palestinian food holds a special place in my Palestinian identity and share that,” Kakish said. “I want to take people not just for the recipes (because) our cuisine is often over-simplified in this industry. It’s never labeled as Palestinian cuisine. I started realizing people love our food. I use Palestinian food as a reflection of the fabric of our life.”

The Furrha Family, major social media influencers on TikTok and instagram
The Furrha Family, major social media influencers on TikTok and instagram

Her posts transported readers to a place they had never been, she added.

“I want to transport them to that place where my grandfather and grandmother were from,” said Kakish, whose grandparents still live in Israeli-occupied Palestine. “People talk about our food all the time, but they don’t talk about the back stories, which is often misunderstood.”

Salem Furrha and his eight children turned to social media as a means of breaking up the boredom of coronavirus restrictions. The family account on Tiktok quickly attracted millions of followers.

“We got into social media because of COVID,” said Furrha. “We started doing family skits that were fun. We got joy out of seeing people laugh. It was really a good feeling and we decided to continue it.”

The @theFurrhaFamily account has 3.2 million followers and 95 million likes on TikTok.

Furrha said people recognized him in stores even though he wore a face mask, asking him: “Aren’t you the guy on TikTok?”

Rocky Furrha, Salem’s son, said “We post at least two times a day.”

Salem added, “… our skits are relatable to everyday family life … and they realize that is what they have in their households …” He said, “It is hard to come up with content … but once you find that one, you can go viral with that it is all worth it.”

One post on TikTok he said, attracted 35 million views. “It was going 3,000 and 4,000 views a second,” Salem Furrha said.

It helps to go on vacation and do things outside of your home 

Salem is Palestinian and his wife is Palestinian and Lebanese. He wa born in Kuwait and lives not he West Coast.

Faiza Rammuny used her presence on YouTube, Instragram and TikTok as a relationship adviser for Muslim and Arab clients. She started her platform, www.ExpiredNFabulous.com, in 2015 on Instagram sharing her stories “and the stories of others who were voiceless.”

Saif Shawaf

She described her 370,000 Instagram and 400,000 TikTok followers as “a tribe of misfits.”

“I use my platform to give a voice to people who don’t have one, who can’t speak up because of their family cultural restrictions, or because of where they come from in the community or society. The platform gives them the ability to showcase or I share their stories,” Rammuny said. “We are human beings. We have to show our vulnerabilities and put the human aspect of what it means to be an Arab out there and I feel my work does that.”

Syrian-Canadian influencer Saif Shawaf became popular when he posted the “The Chicken Wing Arab Zaffe” song.

It features the lyrics “Chicken wing, chicken wing. Hot dog and bologna. Chicken and macaroni. Chilling with the homies” and is sung to a Palestinian tablah beat. The video shows him and his friends with black and white Palestinian keffiyehs draped over their shoulders.

Shawaf acknowledged that, while the song may sound silly, it had brought a lot of attention to his stories about Arab culture and life. Saif has more than 2.3 million followers and more than 46 million TikTok views under the handle @SaifShawaf.

“I want to show people what being an Arab really is,” said Shawaf, who was born in Saudi Arabia and lived in Dubai before settling in Canada.

The panel discussion was moderated by Shereen Ahmed, an Egyptian singer and actress who is currently starring as Eliza Doolittle in a production of “My Fair Lady.”

The panelists said their social media following generated income from sponsors seeking to use their platforms for product promotion.

This article originally appeared in the Arab News newspaper. Click here to see the story.

Here are the links to all of the five stories Ray Hanania wrote about the Arab America Foundation panel discussions including the one on social media influencers like the @TheFurrhaFamily (Follow them on TikTok and Instagram), with more to follow.

Panel 1 on Arab American political activism. Click here to read that story.

Panel 2 on Arab American cultural activism. Click here to read that story.

Panel 3 on Arab American business entrepreneurs. Click here to read that story.

Panel 4 on Arab American social media influencers. Click here to read that story.

Panel 5 on Arab American entertainers. Click here to read that story.

For more news and information visit the Arab News Newspaper, the Arab World’s leading English language newspaper with bureaus in Riyadh, Dubai, London, Japan, France, Pakistan and in the United States.

(Ray Hanania is the U.S. Special Correspondent for the Arab News. Email him at ray.hanania@ArabNews.com. His personal website hub is www.TheDailyHookah.com)

Subscribe to Ray Hanania’s columns

Full Name:
Email:
Select Type: Daily digest summary format
Subscribe
Unsubscribe

 

newswire info
  • About
  • Latest Posts
rayhanania
rayhanania
Op-Ed writer, author, radio host, podcaster at The Arab Daily News
Ray Hanania is an award-winning columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.  

His award winning columns can be found at www.HANANIA.COM Subscribe FREE today

Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.

Email Ray Hanania at rghanania@gmail.com.

Follow RayHanania at Twitter
rayhanania
Latest posts by rayhanania (see all)
  • Israelisnipers shooting and killing hospital workers in Gaza - December 11, 2023
  • CAIR Condemns Israeli Executions of Wounded, Unarmed Palestinian in West Bank   - December 11, 2023
  • Arab and Muslim American voters face a “simple choice” between Biden’s inhumanity and Trump’s edgy politics - December 9, 2023

  • Tweet

SHARE ...
          
 
  
 
          
 
 Tweet 
Activism, American Arabs, Arab News, Entertainment, Features, News, Palestine & Jordan, Ray Hanania, Satire, Social Media, Spotlight, The Arab Street Tags:Arab American, comedy, humor, influencers, Instagram, Said Shawaf, satire, SOcial Media, The Furrha Family Salem Furrha, TikTok

Post navigation

Previous Post: International Criminal Court authorizes investigation of Israeli war crimes
Next Post: Rasoul Introduces Virginia Marshall Plan for Moms

Related Posts

  • Water denied to Christian and Muslim residents of East Jerusalem by Israel's Government. HCJ 44918-08-24 Zgayar v. The Government Water and Sewage Authority., according to Adalah legal petition
    Israel’s racist government denies water to Christians and Muslims in East Jerusalem Activism
  • Cleveland Indians logo, "Chief Wahoo" is considered a racist image by many (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
    Cleveland Indians should change their name Baby Boomers
  • Vegetarian Potato Kibbeh, Ziyad Brothers Importing recipe Food
  • Open Letter to Mordechai Vanunu, Fans, and Detractors Arab World
  • Egyptian American stars in new Cable series on Hacking American Arabs
  • Hold Your Fire Podcast with Richard Atwood of the Crisis Group
    Podcast: No Going Back? Hamas’s Atrocities and Another Catastrophe in Gaza Activism

More Related Articles

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, announced Tuesday (Sept. 19, 2023) the filing of a lawsuit with a dozen plaintiffs seeking an end to the government’s secret watchlist that almost exclusively targets Muslims for harassment and humiliation when they travel. CAIR Announces Lawsuit in D.C., Mass., N.J., Mich. Seeking End to Secret Government Watchlist American Arabs
Faisal Abbas Book Anecdotes Book Review: Arab author shares his anecdotes living in the United Kingdom Arab News
Taking it to the Streets: March and Rally for The Nuclear Ban American Arabs
President Trump at UN Sept 25 2018. Photo courtesy of the United Nations Details of the Deal of the Century for Palestine-Israel peace Arab News
Iraqi American businessman Andy Shallal runs for Mayor of Washington D.C. American Arabs
Israel and its Apartheid-like policies Arab World

Comment (1) on “Arab-American influencers Furrha Family share secrets of their success”

  1. Pingback: Best 21 The Furrha Family Net Worth Honda Anh Dũng

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Ray Hanania's 4 times a week columns at https://RayHanania.com at Substack

Enter Your Email to Subscribe to Ray Hanania’s Columns

  • OPINION COLUMNS
  • Photo courtesy of Journalist Abdennour Toumi
    France: Political Compromise vs Political Instability
    August 28, 2024
  • Zakia Restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia
    Arabs eat Middle East food like they are making love
    June 27, 2024
  • Zwar lamb kabob and kufta with white and yellow rice
    Zwar ranked the Best Middle East restaurant in Chicagoland suburbs
    June 8, 2024
  • Pictured: Rahm Emanuel, Afghan activist Salman Aftab who was co-chair of the Iftar dinner, and several non-Arab Muslim leaders. Also pictured is Ald. Joe Moore. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania for Arab News
    Comprehensive look at the failings of former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel
    January 18, 2024
  • NEWSWIRE
  • CAIR Logo. Council on American Islamic Relations
    CAIR Condemns MIT for banning Class President from Graduation Ceremony over Anti-Genocide speech
    June 1, 2025
  • Arab American community liaison Hassan Nijem, Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas and Bolingbrook Mayor Mary Basta at the Arab American Heritage Month event hosted by Pappas’s office.
    Pappas honors Arab American business and community leaders for Heritage Month
    April 29, 2025
  • 04-28-25 Pappas Arab Heritage Month
    Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas recognizes Arab American Heritage Month by honoring business and community leaders
    April 27, 2025
  • Mike Ghouse
    Celebration of 500th Interfaith Marriage Ceremony
    February 14, 2025

Creative Commons License
All work on this website is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Do not edit original work. Give credit to the original source.

  • NEWS
  • photo credit author Nehemia Gershuni-Aylho www.NGPhoto.biz and Wikipedia
    Emergency Court Motions to Stop Elbit Drone Parts Shipment via Frankfurt Airport 
    June 7, 2025
  • American Journalist Shireen Abu Akleh murdered by Israeli soldiers May 11, 2022
    Documentary names soldier it says killed Shireen Abu Akleh in 2022
    June 1, 2025
  • BOOK REVIEWS
  • Faisal Abbas Book Anecdotes
    Book Review: Arab author shares his anecdotes living in the United Kingdom
    October 22, 2024
  • Columnist Ray Hanania at the ADC Convention in Dearborn with the author Susan Abulhawa
    Book Review: Mornings in Jenin bySusan Abulhawa
    September 14, 2024
  • ENTERTAINMENT
  • Television set and remote. Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash
    MBC GROUP unveils MBCNOW, its brand-new groundbreaking entertainment service aggregator
    February 24, 2025
  • ArabCon 2024 Gala Program features Dr. Cornel West, Macklemore, and more
    September 6, 2024
  • New-iTunes-1400-x-1400-The-Ray-Hanania-Show-Podcast-Icon-300-x-300.jpg
  • The-Kings-Pawn-Book-300-x-300.png
  • terroristbookcover-300-x-300.jpg
  • Podcast-iTunes-Logo-Chi-City-Hall-1985.jpg
  • powerpr300x300ad.jpg
Arab News Newspaper Logo
Read the Arab News, the leading English language newspaper in the MIddle East

Follow Ray Hanania at
Twitter
Facebook
TitkTok
BlueSky
RayHanania Columns

Click here to get information on The Ray Hanania Radio Show and its podcasts

Copyright © 2025 The Arab Daily News.

Powered by PressBook Premium theme