Category: Entertainment

Award-Winning Palestinian Film Opens 25th Annual Arab Film Festival

November 12, 2021November 12, 2021 rayhanania No Comments

Award-Winning Palestinian Film Opens 25th Annual Arab Film Festival The country’s largest and oldest festival of Arab films returns with in-person events showing 54 cutting-edge pieces, with a full slate of films streaming online throughout North America. This year, the 25th annual Arab Film Festival will take place November 18 to 24 in San Francisco,…

American Arabs, Culture, Entertainment, Event, Events, News

Stories My Father Told Me by author and artist Helen Zughaib

November 1, 2021November 1, 2021 rayhanania No Comments

Stories My Father Told Me by author and artist Helen Zughaib Stories My Father Told Me: Memories of a Childhood in Syria and Lebanon contains 24 full color plates of original artwork by the established Arab American artist Helen Zughaib and accompany her father Elia Zughaib’s family stories of his childhood in Syria and Lebanon…

American Arabs, Book Review, Culture, Entertainment, Features, immigrants, Middle East, News

New Book: Girl Fighters: Break Tradition in Yemen

October 25, 2021October 25, 2021 rayhanania No Comments

New Book: Girl Fighters: Break Tradition in Yemen A tale of strife in Yemen, a novel by Carolyn Han In traditional Yemeni society girls remain hidden behind walls, doors, and veils. Until the men in their family were killed in the war. This historical anti-war novel introduces two girls who challenge tribal traditions vowing, against…

Arab World, Book Review, Entertainment, Features, News, Saudi Arabia

Arab American race car driver Toni Breidinger receives NASCAR Hall of Fame award

October 7, 2021October 7, 2021 rayhanania No Comments

Arab American race car driver Toni Breidinger receives NASCAR Hall of Fame award Toni Breidinger, first Arab-American female driver of NASCAR, received the NASCAR’S Drive for Diversity Development Series Driver Award today at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. In her thank you speech she stated “Thank you to my partners Roman Empire, Elite Models, Huda…

American Arabs, Entertainment, News, Sports

New book: I was a French Muslim by Mokhtar Mokhtefi

June 17, 2021June 17, 2021 rayhanania No Comments

New book: I was a French Muslim by Mokhtar Mokhtefi Coming later this year Born in 1935 in a French-colonized Algerian village, Mokhtar Mokhtefi came of age amidst the growing independence movements. He saw the effects of France’s 130-year colonization of his country, and the brutal tactics they used to stay in power: arresting and…

Arab World, Book Review, Entertainment, Features, Middle East, North Africa, Spotlight

Salem Furrha guests on the “It’s Not So Late Show” with Aaron Hanania

June 12, 2021August 10, 2021 News Editor News Editor No Comments

Salem Furrha guests on the “It’s Not So Late Show” with Aaron Hanania Salem Furrha, whose west coast family has become one of the most popular social media entertainers on Tiktok, Instagram and Youtube, said the secret to going viral is to stand out, be funny and be creative, during an appearance this week on…

American Arabs, Culture, Entertainment, Features, mainstream, News, NewsWire, Podcast, Satire, Social Media, Spotlight, Video

Theatreworks Silicon Valley Streams new Works Festival online

April 20, 2021April 20, 2021 rayhanania No Comments

Theatreworks Silicon Valley Streams new Works Festival online TheatreWorks Silicon Valley will stream an advance look at tomorrow’s hits in New Works Festival Online. Transforming the Tony Award-winning company’s hit annual festival into a virtual experience, New Works Festival Online offers digital audiences an extraordinary opportunity to view new plays and selections from new musicals,…

American Arabs, Civil Rights, Culture, Entertainment, Event, Events, Features, mainstream, News, NewsWire, Spotlight

A Free Virtual Reading of Mosque4Mosque by Omer Abbas Salem

March 29, 2021March 29, 2021 rayhanania No Comments

A Free Virtual Reading of Mosque4Mosque by Omer Abbas Salem A Deeply Moving and Relatable Story about a “Normal” Muslim American Family Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s new play development initiative, SCOUT is pleased to present A Virtual Reading of Mosque4Mosque by Omer Abbas Salem on Sunday, March 28th at 2pm CST. The free reading follows a…

American Arabs, Culture, Entertainment, NewsWire, Press Releases

An Online Art Auction for Emergency Financial Aid

February 19, 2021February 19, 2021 rayhanania No Comments

An Online Art Auction for Emergency Financial Aid Lebanese American University fundraiser on view (online): February 18 – March 1, 2021 The Lebanese American University, in collaboration with ArtScoops, is thrilled to announce the launch of LAU’s first online art auction, titled LAU ArtsRising, which will run from Thursday, February 18 to Monday, March 1,…

American Arabs, Culture, Entertainment, Features, Lebanon

Arab-American influencers Furrha Family share secrets of their success

February 6, 2021July 11, 2021 rayhanania 1 Comment

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…

Activism, American Arabs, Arab News, Entertainment, Features, News, Palestine & Jordan, Ray Hanania, Satire, Social Media, Spotlight, The Arab Street

New Arab American play Layalina explores dealing with love in turbulent times

January 14, 2021January 14, 2021 rayhanania No Comments

New Arab American play Layalina explores dealing with love in turbulent times DEBUT “FUTURE LABS” READING—LAYALINA BY MARTIN YOUSIF ZEBARI—TO STREAM JANUARY 30, FREE ***THE NEWEST OF GOODMAN THEATRE’S ARTISTIC PROGRAMS TO DEVELOP NEW PLAYS, “FUTURE LABS” SEEKS BOLD, IMAGINATIVE WORKS BY PLAYWRIGHTS OF COLOR*** Layalina by Martin Yousif Zebari, the first play of Goodman Theatre’s…

American Arabs, Culture, Entertainment, mainstream, News, Spotlight

New Book: Empower a Refugee: Peace of Thread & the Backyard Humanity Movement

November 23, 2020November 23, 2020 rayhanania 1 Comment

New Book: Empower a Refugee: Peace of Thread & the Backyard Humanity Movement Refugees who have fled famine and violence and resettled in the US too often are isolated, disconnected, living in despair. They typically have housing, food, clothing. Yet they miss the large inter-connected families, the all-embracing social fabric of their previous homes. They yearn…

Book Review, Culture, Entertainment, Features, News, refugees

Rachel Corrie Foundation hosts Olympia Washington ArabFest

September 20, 2020September 20, 2020 rayhanania No Comments

Rachel Corrie Foundation hosts Olympia Washington ArabFest Oct 5 – 30, 2020 Month long virtual online festival will begin October 5 through Oct. 30 with new events each day from 8 AM until 5 PM. Check out their website at https://rachelcorriefoundation.org/ Since 2012, the Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice has provided a biennial…

American Arabs, Civil Rights, Culture, Entertainment, Events, Features, Food, Israel, News, Palestine & Jordan, Spotlight

“Ramy” is entertaining, but does little to dispel Arab stereotypes

June 24, 2020June 24, 2020 rayhanania No Comments

“Ramy” is entertaining, but does little to dispel Arab stereotypes The Hulu comedy series “Ramy,” now in its second season, is entertaining, but it stops short of tackling the challenges most Arabs and Muslims face in America. The series still presents Arabs as all Muslim and in the context of a religious struggle rather than…

Bloggers, Christian & Muslim, Commentary, Egypt, Entertainment, Features, Humor, Middle East, Opinion, Satire, Television

Netflix fuels war on truth in new season of Fauda

May 10, 2020May 10, 2020 rayhanania No Comments

Netflix fuels war on truth in new season of Fauda Netflix fuels war on truth in its new series “Fauda,” which purports to show the reality of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a distortion that waters down Israel’s oppressive brutality while exaggerating the threat from the Palestinians. The 3 season series is so disgusting I am…

American Arabs, Arab World, Bloggers, Commentary, Culture, Entertainment, Israel, mainstream, Middle East, Opinion, Palestine & Jordan, Politics, racism, Ray Hanania, Spotlight, Television, Terrorism

Muslims applaud Spongebob Square Pants Ramadan Mubarak message

April 23, 2020April 23, 2020 rayhanania 1 Comment

Muslims applaud Spongebob Square Pants Ramadan Mubarak message Popular American children’s cartoon offers Ramadan Greeting to Muslim worshipers in a first from popular American culture for children and young people Today, the television show that has brought smiles to so many, brings smiles to Muslims across the globe with an Instagram post depicting the show’s…

American Arabs, Christian & Muslim, Culture, Entertainment, Features, mainstream, News, religion, Television

Profile: Hanania argues American Arabs need more networking and greater involvement in local society

April 10, 2020September 28, 2020 rayhanania No Comments

Profile: Hanania argues American Arabs need more networking and greater involvement in local society Freelance writer Thabet al-Arabi profiles Ray Hanania, an Op-Ed columnist, former Chicago City Hall political reporter, and radio talk show host. The profile explores Hanania’s life from wanting to study medicine to turning to journalism, communications and standup comedy to challenge…

American Arabs, Culture, Entertainment, Features, Guest Columnist, Journalism, mainstream, Palestine & Jordan, Politics, Ray Hanania, Spotlight, US Arab Politics

Our Arab identity is being smothered by our religion

January 9, 2020January 15, 2020 rayhanania No Comments

Our Arab identity is being smothered by our religion Arab Christians are marginalized, ignored and pushed aside by everyone even though we can play a critical role in trying to bring the East and the West, the Christian and Muslim Worlds, together towards understanding. This issue surfaces all the time and most recently when the…

American Arabs, Bloggers, Chaldean, Christian & Muslim, Commentary, Culture, Entertainment, Features, Humor, Media Bias, Opinion, racism, Spotlight, Terrorism