Original news, features, opinions from Chicago to Jerusalem
By Ray Hanania Ever since al-Jazeera (AlJazeera, Al Jazeera) launched as a mouthpiece for the Government of Qatar in 1996, Arab governments have been slowly assessing the power of an in-house and controlled news media. Although al-Jazeera (“The Island”) claims to be objective the Qatar-based government run news channel has drifted far away from professional…
Read More “Arab governments investing heavily in Satellite TV News” »
By Ray Hanania Well, one Arab-Israeli war won’t be fought this year, but there will be much debate over the messages in the controversial film American Sniper, the story of an American soldier during the illegal war in Iraq. Unlike in several past broadcasts of the Academy Awards, no Oscars have been nominated this year…
By Ray Hanania Last year during the Academy Awards, Oscar hostess Ellen DeGeneres ordered Big Mama’s & Papa’s Pizzeria (BMPP) pizza delivered to the show and then walked through the audience with the delivery driver, sharing slices with stars such as Harrison Ford, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. The humor drew big laughs at the Oscars…
Read More “Pizza franchise featured at 2014 Oscars makes Middle East debut” »
By Ray Hanania The Arab Community Center of Houston, one of the most active and energetic organizations in the American Arab community, announced the election of its new board members this week. “The ACC accomplished many things in 2014 and we anticipate that 2015 will be even better,” newly elected ACC President Kamal Khalil announced. “To start…
Read More “Houston Arab Community Center elects new leaders” »
By Ray Hanania UPDATE 2, Friday: Bridgeview Police released the following statement: Bridgeview Police today interviewed two individuals believed to be involved in an exchange of comments on Facebook that involved allegations of threats made against the Bridgeview Mosque. Both suspects were interviewed at the Bridgeview Police Headquarters. The names of the persons of interest…
Read More “Threats against Bridgeview Mosque investigated (Updated)” »
By Ray Hanania Saudi Arabia’s moderate leader and monarch, King Abdullah ibn Abdul Aziz al-Saud, 90, who has ruled the powerful Arabian kingdom for nearly a decade since 2005 when he succeeded his brother King Fahd, died Friday. His Majesty King Abdullah was succeeded by his brother, Crown Prince Salman who was named the kingdom’s new…
Read More “Moderate Arab World mourns loss of Saudi King Abdullah” »
By Ali Younes With the passing of King Abdullah Bin Abdel Aziz, King of Saudi Arabia, in the early hours of Friday, Saudi Arabia has now a new King in Salman Bin Abdel Aziz, the half brother of late King Abdullah. King Salman was born in 1935 and is the 25th son of the Kingdom founder. At…
Read More “Who is King Salman Bin Adel Aziz, Saudi Arabia’s New King” »
By Ali Younes A secret audio tape was released yesterday that showed a link between former president of Yemen Ali Abdullah Saleh discussing events and steps to be taken by the Shia rebels the “ Houthis” in order to complete their takeover of the republic of Yemen. The tape which was first uncovered by Al…
Read More “Secret Audio tape Reveals Coup Plot by ex-Yemen President and Shia rebels” »
By Ray Hanania When people talk about UFOs and the Middle East, much of the discussion focuses on Israel’s stealth abilities to massacre people using fast-flying jet fighters made in America or missiles that come out of nowhere and kill scores of people. But occasionally, a few UFOs — Unidentified Flying Objects — involve the extra-terrestrial…
The Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies has condemned the Government of Egypt for flogging a blogger who allegedly criticized Islam, and for banning travel to critics of government policies. Here are the two press releases from the CIHRS: A Serious Violation to the Constitution and a New Way to Harass Democracy Advocates The undersigned organizations…
Read More “Egypt Human Rights group condemns government crackdowns” »
By Ray Hanania President Barack Obama delivered his 6th State of the Union Address before a joint session of the U.S. Congress and vowed to use his power of veto to block any partisan effort to undermine the economic gains, social changes, healthcare advances and even foreign policy strategies. Obama specifically called on Americans to…
By Mohammed Asad Palestine Strawberries from the Gaza Strip are ranked as being among the world’s best. Every year, the Palestine Strawberry industry employs hundreds of farmers to harvest the strawberry crops to pick, package and ship the popular fruit to locations around the world. Despite exporting restrictions imposed by Israel’s military occupation, which controls the flow of…
Read More “Strawberry harvest continues in Gaza Strip, Palestine” »
By Maria C. Khoury, Ed. D. It was simply a most glorious celebration of the Epiphany on the Jordan River today according to the Old Julian calendar. There were hundreds of priests, nuns and thousands of people from all walks of life coming to the precious site where over 2,000 years ago “…the heavens were…
Read More “Celebrating the Baptism of Christ on the Jordan River” »
Ambassador Riyad H. Mansour, the permanent observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations, will visit Indiana University and speak at its Maurer School of Law on Tuesday, Jan. 20. Mansour will speak on the theme “States of Palestine at the International Arena: A Discussion on Current Events in Palestine,” beginning at 7:30…
Read More “Event: Palestine Ambassador to speak at Indiana University” »
As world’s most wanted woman, Hayat Boumeddiene is the subject of manhunt of every intelligence service in the world,looking for clues to find her . The last known whereabouts of Boumeddiene was in Turkey where she crossed from France a day before the attacks last week on French Satire Magazine Charlie Hebdo. Boumeddiene is now…
Combating terrorism must include religious reform, which cannot take place in absence of comprehensive political reform The Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) condemns the terrorist acts that shook the French capital city, Paris last week, and which took the lives of 12 people at the Charlie Hebdo newspaper, and four others in a…
Read More “Cairo Institute condemns those who justify Charlie Hebdo attack” »
By Abdennour Toumi Ankara – Turkey — I thought the West had finally gained some understanding of Arabs and Muslims in the aftermath of the 9/11 tragedy a decade ago. For instance Americans attended Arabic classes en masse at any nearby community college or state university program. Their interest greatly increased book sales about Arabs and…
By Mohammed Asad A winter storm brought unusually cold weather and snow and rain to Occupied Palestine this past week. Snow blanketed much of the Holy Land adding a nice touch to the Orthodox Christmas which was celebrated throughout occupied Palestine. Hit hardest were residents of the Gaza Strip which was devastated by Israel’s war…