ArabishWay

Seffarine
2026-03-10 19:30 - 21:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Triple Door, 216 Union Street, Seattle, WA, 98101, United States
“Seffarine’s music can melt the coldest hearts” -Chicago Reader
At a momentous first meeting at a coffee shop in Fez, Moroccan vocalist Lamiae Naki and multi-instrumentalist Nat Hulskamp composed their first song and decided to get married. Brought together by their deep knowledge of the music of both sides of the Straits of Gibraltar — Spanish flamenco and Moroccan Arabic music — they created Seffarine.
Seffarine takes its name from the ancient metalworking square in Fez, which is famous for the complex rhythms that ring out from the blacksmiths’ hammers, and where Lamiae’s family is well known as masters of the tradition. Seffarine’s music embraces and extends Morocco’s musical collision between Arabic, Iberian and West African cultures, forging vibrant original music deeply rooted in their backgrounds in flamenco guitar, oud and Arab Andalusian music. Nat and Lamiae built an international quintet bringing in all star musicians from Iran, the US and Spain, who infuse the sound with textured instrumentation and inspired improvisation. Sweeping oud (Arabic lute) ornamentation plays off gritty bass grooves and explosive flamenco percussion, with Lamiae’s fluidly riveting voice at the center, sending up sheets of cascading Andalusi melodies punctuated by the catchy hooks of North African Chaabi, sung in her native Moroccan Arabic. Their sound has taken them around the world, from touring Indonesia, Australia and Europe to receiving grants to study Ottoman singing in Turkey, to recording with top flamenco musicians in Spain such as Latin Grammy Award winner Antonio Rey.

Seffarine
2026-03-11 19:00 - 21:30 | McMenamin’s Elks Temple, 565 Broadway, Tacoma, WA, 98402
At a momentous first meeting at a coffee shop in Fez, Moroccan vocalist Lamiae Naki and multi-instrumentalist Nat Hulskamp composed their first song and decided to get married. Brought together by their deep knowledge of the music of both sides of the Straits of Gibraltar – Spanish flamenco and Moroccan Arabic music – they created Seffarine.
Seffarine takes its name from the ancient metalworking square in Fez, which is famous for the complex rhythms that ring out from the blacksmiths’ hammers, and where Lamiae’s family is well known as masters of the tradition. Seffarine’s music embraces and extends Morocco’s musical collision between Arabic, Iberian and West African cultures, forging vibrant original music deeply rooted in their backgrounds in flamenco guitar, oud and Arab Andalusian music. Nat and Lamiae built an international quintet bringing in all star musicians from Iran, the US and Spain, who infuse the sound with textured instrumentation and inspired improvisation. Sweeping kamancheh (Persian spike-fiddle) ornamentation plays off gritty bass grooves and explosive flamenco footwork, with Lamiae’s fluidly riveting voice at the center, sending up sheets of cascading Andalusi melodies punctuated by the catchy hooks of North African Chaabi, sung in her native Moroccan Arabic. Their sound has taken them around the world, from touring Australia and Europe to receiving grants to study Ottoman singing in Turkey, to the Rainforest World Music Festival in Borneo, to recording with top flamenco musicians in Spain such as Diego del Morao and Latin Grammy winner Antonio Rey.

Seffarine
2026-03-12 18:30 - 21:30 | Alberta Rose Theater, 3000 NE Alberta St, Portland, Oregon, 97211

Material Identities: Regional Dress in Late Ottoman Syria
2026-03-13 09:00 - 11:00 | Virtual
Virtual Lecture Registration

Material Identities: Regional Dress in Late Ottoman Syria
Date: Friday, March 13, 2026
Time: 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM EST
Location: Online, Zoom link will be emailed at 10am EST on event day
Instructor: Wafa Ghnaim, Dress Historian, Researcher & Educator
Registration Fee: Sliding scale
Description: This lecture examines the regional styles of embroidered traditional dress produced within the geographic boundaries of present-day Syria during the late Ottoman period, roughly 1850–1922. It centers on historical garments from various villages, towns, and desert regions across Syria, as well as the textile traditions that shaped them. Participants will learn about Syria’s role as a major center of textile production, including the rise and decline of its fabric industries and the historic cloth types most commonly used in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The lecture surveys distinctive village and regional styles, with attention to materials, structure, and surface design, beginning in the Northern Galilee and extending into southern Syria and beyond.
The presentation draws on surviving garments, visual documentation, and the work of leading scholars in the field of Syrian dress history. This research is informed by the expertise of Aida Dalati, Anne Marie Weiss-Armush, Hanan Munayyer, and other leading collectors and historians in the field. Through this focused visual and historical review, the lecture situates Syrian dress within its social, economic, and cultural contexts, highlighting how regional identity was expressed as a broad regional tradition shared by communities of the eastern Mediterranean over centuries. While many have argued that the cultural knowledge of Syrian dress styles is extinct, Wafa argues that new digital archives led by a new generation are ensuring its survival and revival.

Rainbow Story Time (online) w/ Lindz Amer
2026-03-13 11:00 - 11:30, 2026-03-20 11:00 - 11:30, 2026-03-27 11:00 - 11:30, 2026-04-03 11:00 - 11:30 | Virtual
Join Lindz Amer, the award-winning LGBTQ+ activist, author and co-host of the beloved indie web series, Queer Kid Stuff, for songs and stories that celebrate the LGBTQ+ community all-year-round.
All ages welcome with adult.
Please register:
https://kcls.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEvdOuqpzssGtC5XlvnFdvIAD2bwlBzP-RA

Weekly Peace Vigil
2026-03-13 16:30 - 18:00, 2026-03-20 16:30 - 18:00, 2026-03-27 16:30 - 18:00, 2026-04-03 16:30 - 18:00 | Percival Landing, 217 Thurston Ave NW, Olympia, WA, 98501
ONGOING LOCAL ACTIONS FOR PEACE

WEEKLY PEACE VIGIL
Every Friday 4:30 – 6:00 pm
Percival Landing in Downtown Olympia
4th & Water Street

We continue to vigil, network, and advocate for Palestinians, for peace with justice, and for our civil rights. Despite an agreed ceasefire, Israel continues to attack Gaza. Bring a sign and a friend, and join us at Percival Landing every Friday!
Thanks to the Olympia Fellowship of Reconciliation for organizing these peace vigils through the years, and for inviting us to share this space as we advocate for peace.

Community at Ya Hala
2026-03-13 18:00 - 21:00, 2026-03-20 18:00 - 21:00, 2026-03-27 18:00 - 21:00, 2026-04-03 18:00 - 21:00 | Suzanne Zahr, Art & Architecture, 2441 76th Ave SE, Ste 160, Mercer Island, WA, 98040, United States
Games, Music, Cafe
Remember, Ya Hala’s café and retail space is open to all
More details about each weekend’s events will drop on the Monday before. 👀

Virtual Movie Screenings: Every Saturday with Palestine Museum US
2026-03-14 09:00 - 11:00, 2026-03-21 09:00 - 11:00, 2026-03-28 09:00 - 11:00, 2026-04-04 09:00 - 11:00 | Virtual
Check website: https://www.palestinemuseum.us/events for current showings and for registration links!
Often the screening ends with a Q&A with the director!

Arabic Storytime @ Lake City Branch / وقت القصص بالعربية في فرع ليك سيتي
2026-03-14 10:30 - 11:30, 2026-03-21 10:30 - 11:30, 2026-03-28 10:30 - 11:30, 2026-04-04 10:30 - 11:30 | Lake City – Seattle Public Library, 12501 28th Ave. N.E., Seattle, Washington, 98125, United States
At storytime, children from birth through elementary school and their families can enjoy stories, songs, and fun learning activities.
Event in English and Arabic.
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في وقت القصص، يمكن للأطفال الذين تتراوح أعمارهم من حديثي الولادة وحتى سن الخامسة وعائلاتهم الاستمتاع بالقصص والأغاني وأنشطة التعلُّم المرحة.
نرحب بالعائلات من جميع الأعمار.
يُعقد الحدث باللغة الإنجليزية والعربية.
Registration is not required.

Comedy: Bassam Youssef
2026-03-21 18:30 - 20:30 | Moore Theater, 1932 2nd Ave, Seattle, WA, 98101, United States
Bassem Youssef was the host of popular TV show Al Bernameg – the first political satire show in the Middle East. Originally a 5-minute show on YouTube, Al Bernameg became the first online-to-TV conversion in the Middle East and the most-watched show across the region with 30 million viewers every week, and over a million subscribers to its YouTube channel. In recognition of his success, Youssef was named among the Time Magazine most influential list for 2013 – under the “Pioneers” category, was awarded the International Press Freedom Award by the CPJ, and was chosen by Foreign Policy magazine as one of the global thinkers during the same year. The first title in Bassem’s children’s book series, The Magical Reality of Nadia published on February 2nd, 2021 by Scholastic and is currently being developed as an animated series. Bassem can be seen in MO (Netflix), RAMY (Hulu), LIONESS (Paramount+) and UPLOAD (Amazon). In October of 2023 Bassem’s interview with Piers Morgan saw worldwide acclaim and was shared and reposted on the internet all over the world – it is now the most viewed interview in the history of Piers Morgan Uncensored. In 2024 Youssef sold over 100,000 tickets to his one-man stand-up comedy show, THE MIDDLE BEAST where he performed in theaters and arenas all over the world. Bassem lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two children.

وقت القصة باللغة العربية / Arabic Story Time - KCLS
2026-03-26 17:00 - 17:30, 2026-04-02 17:00 - 17:30, 2026-04-09 17:00 - 17:30 | Virtual
Enjoy stories, music, movement and rhymes in Arabic that develop your child’s early literacy skills, then stay to play, have fun and make new friends.
All ages welcome.

وقت القصة باللغة العربية
!انضموا إلينا في وقت القصة باللغة العربية عبر الإنترنت، كل يوم خميس من الساعة 5:00 مساءً حتى 5:30 مساءً
.تمتعوا بالقصص العربية، والحركات المفعمة بالحيوية، والأناشيد التي تهدف إلى تنمية مهارات القراءة والكتابة…

Registration requiredRegister for event

Amal El-Mohtar in Conversation With Kelly Sue DeConnick - TICKETED EVENT
2026-03-29 19:00 - 21:00 | Powell’s Books, 1005 W Burnside St., Portland, OR, 97209, United States
Full of glimpses into gleaming worlds and fairy tales with teeth, Seasons of Glass and Iron (Tordotcom) is an enchanting short story collection by Amal El-Mohtar — the bestselling, award-winning co-author of This Is How You Lose the Time War.

With confidence and style, El-Mohtar guides us through exquisitely told and sharply observed tales about life as it is, was, and could be. Like miscellany from other worlds, these stories are told in letters, diary entries, reference materials, folktales, and lyrical prose.

Full of Nebula, Locus, World Fantasy, and Hugo Award-winning and nominated stories, Seasons of Glass and Iron includes “Seasons of Glass and Iron,” “The Green Book,” “Madeleine,” “The Lonely Sea in the Sky,” “And Their Lips Rang with the Sun,” “The Truth About Owls,” “A Hollow Play,” “Anabasis,” “To Follow the Waves,” “John Hollowback and the Witch,” “Florilegia, or, Some Lies About Flowers,” “Pockets,” and more.

El-Mohtar will be joined in conversation by comics writer Kelly Sue DeConnick.

Seasons of Glass and Iron by Amal El-Mohtar
2026-03-30 17:30 - 18:30 | Central Library [Spokane], 906 W Main, Spokane, WA, 99201
Full of glimpses into gleaming worlds and fairy tales with teeth, Seasons of Glass and Iron (Tordotcom) is an enchanting short story collection by Amal El-Mohtar — the bestselling, award-winning co-author of This Is How You Lose the Time War.

With confidence and style, El-Mohtar guides us through exquisitely told and sharply observed tales about life as it is, was, and could be. Like miscellany from other worlds, these stories are told in letters, diary entries, reference materials, folktales, and lyrical prose.

Full of Nebula, Locus, World Fantasy, and Hugo Award-winning and nominated stories, Seasons of Glass and Iron includes “Seasons of Glass and Iron,” “The Green Book,” “Madeleine,” “The Lonely Sea in the Sky,” “And Their Lips Rang with the Sun,” “The Truth About Owls,” “A Hollow Play,” “Anabasis,” “To Follow the Waves,” “John Hollowback and the Witch,” “Florilegia, or, Some Lies About Flowers,” “Pockets,” and more.
