ArabishWay

Ya Hala
2025-04-04 17:00 - 21:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Suzanne Zahr, Art & Architecture, 2441 76th Ave SE, Ste 160, Mercer Island, WA, 98040, United States
Remember, Ya Hala’s café and retail space is open to all on weekends this April, Fridays 5-9p, Saturdays and Sundays 10a-1p.
📣 IMPORTANT: Some events will require registration/RSVP so you can save a spot!
Take a look ahead at the calendar and then keep an eye out for links to sign up for specific events. You won’t want to miss out.
More details about each weekend’s events will drop on the Monday before. 👀

The Mideast Focus Film Series 2025: Where Olive Trees Weep
2025-04-03 19:00 - 21:00 | Virtual
April 3, 2025
Film: “Where Olive Trees Weep” Speaker, Issa Amro
Screening online together 6:30pm, followed by Zoom discussion.

Arabic-English Language Exchange: Chatting and Games at Teku Tavern:
2025-04-03 18:30 - 20:00 | teKu Tavern, 552 Denny Wy, Seattle, WA, 98109
هلا يا جماعه
We’ll meet at Teku Tavern for some chatting in Arabic/English and possibly some games. I’ll bring conversation starters and games but feel free to bring your own!
*Teku Tavern is all ages and has both non-alcoholic, cafe drinks and beer*
Come join us, all dialects welcome!

Canvassing Training for Tax Day Divestment Actions
2025-04-03 16:00 - 18:00 | Virtual
In this training, you’ll learn:

Why canvassing is critical to winning campaigns: How canvassing works to popularize your campaign and grow leadership in your community to sustain every phase
Messaging & Framing: How to craft compelling conversations that resonate with different audiences
Handling Tough Questions & Opposition: Strategies for navigating challenging discussions and overcoming skepticism
Role-Playing & Practice: Interactive exercises to build confidence and refine your pitch
Building Long-Term Support: How to track and follow up with people to sustain momentum
Taking Action: Committing to local canvassing/outreach efforts on Tax Day & spreading the word via the Tax Day of Action map.

Get ready to hit the ground running. Sign up now for our Canvassing Training on Thurs. April 3 at 7PM ET / 4PM PT

Art: Resilience in Ruins: Reem Bassous
2025-04-03 - 2025-04-17 | Slip Stitch Studio, 604 2nd Ave, Seattle, WA, 98104
“Resilience in Ruins” powerfully explores trauma, memory, and resilience through the art of Reem Bassous, a Lebanese painter whose practice is deeply rooted in her personal experiences of war and its aftermath. Bassous confronts the destruction and emotional scars of the Lebanese Civil War through abstract, layered compositions and symbolism while creating space for healing, survival, and resilience.
​
This exhibition explores the enduring power of memory in shaping identity, community, and responses to ongoing violence. Bassous’s work transcends her personal history, engaging with universal themes of conflict and recovery, making her art deeply relevant in today’s geopolitical context. The Middle East remains fraught with tensions, mainly due to the recent escalation of violence between Israel and Hamas, as well as Lebanon’s precarious position.
Bassous is continually reckoning with her past, present, and future self. She uses her art to resist violence and question how we witness conflict while inspiring compassion and resilience. The exhibition examines how personal and collective memory can serve as a means of resistance, offering a narrative of endurance and recovery in the face of trauma.

Misconceptions and stereotypes about Arab Americans
2025-04-02 09:00 - 10:00 | Virtual
Join us to reflect on and debunk some common myths, misunderstanding and biases about the Arab American community.

As we honor Arab American Heritage Month, let’s reflect on and debunk some common myths, misunderstanding and biases about the Arab community. This discussion is designed to increase participants’ knowledge about Arab Americans and to challenge misperceptions about people of Arab descent.
For questions about this event contact Kristina Marshall kmmarsha@oaklandcc.edu
ASL interpreters will be provided for this event.
If you need additional accommodations, click below:

Students can email ACCESS
Employees can email Julie Hoyt at jahoyt@oaklandcc.edu
Community Member can email DEIJ@oaklandcc.edu

Tamino
2025-04-01 20:00 - 22:00 | Moore Theater, 1932 2nd Ave, Seattle, WA, 98101, United States
Tamino
“During a soundcheck at a small Italian festival, which took place in between the walls of a medieval castle, I would start playing a newly written song called Babylon. My band, noticing that something special was happening, quickly caught on and joined in, improvising their parts along the way, following my lead along a nearly 6-minute dynamic journey. By the end of the epic outro we all looked at each other with an excitement that had been absent from our faces for a while. Tour can get repetitive and turn even the most passionate people indifferent, so injecting a boring soundcheck with the newness and grandeur of Babylon felt great. We played the track for the first time that night and have been playing it ever since.
Going into the studio to record my new album, the song proved to be a cornerstone there as well, and even though I had been playing it in front of audiences, getting the right feel on record required many different approaches. The groundwork was laid in an old church turned recording studio in New Orleans. From there it traveled to Brussels and then back to New York. Three monumental cities, each in their own way modern Babylons. I’m still excited about the release of this song, even after playing and working on it so much. That means something.”

Palestinian Author Safa Suleiman at Brick and Mortar presenting Hilwa's Gifts
2025-04-01 18:30 - 19:30 | Brick and Mortar Bookstore, 7430 164th Ave NE - Suite B105, Redmond, WA, 98052, United States
Safa Suleiman and Anait Semirdzhyan, author and illustrator of HILWA’S GIFTS

Tuesday Apr 1st, 2025

6:30 PM

–

7:30 PM

Kids’ event

Brick & Mortar Books

Join us to welcome debut author Safa Suleiman and local illustrator Anait Semirdzhyan as we celebrate the release of their new picture book, Hilwa’s Gifts!
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Ali has arrived in Palestine for a visit just in time for the olive harvest. His grandfather, Seedo, and Hilwa—his favorite tree—greet him in the grove, where Seedo explains that Hilwa has many gifts to share. Other family members whack the trees’ branches with sticks, singing “Zaytoon, ya zaytoon” while cousins clap and dance and happily pick up fallen olives. (Luckily, a gentle whack is all it takes for Hilwa’s fruits to rain down!) The next day, at the olive press, Ali watches the drip of gold liquid into a can, another of Hilwa’s gifts. Later, they picnic under the tree’s branches with hot mint tea, pita, and delicious olive oil swirled on hummus. Tradition is the greatest gift of all: the family gathering—generation after generation—to celebrate a bountiful harvest. Dynamic illustrations and a graceful text peppered with Arabic words, plus a glossary and author’s note, make for an intimate picture-book debut about a child discovering his heritage.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Safa Suleiman is a Palestinian American educator with more than twenty years of experience in undergraduate and elementary school pedagogy. She now focuses on writing and teaching through storytelling centering the Palestinian and the American Muslim communities. Hilwa’s Gifts is her first book. She lives with her family in Colorado on the homeland of the Ute Nation.
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR:
Anait Semirdzhyan is the illustrator of Just Us by Molly Beth Griffin, Bábo: A Tale of Armenian Rug-Washing Day by Astrid Kamalyan, The Great Banned-Books Bake Sale by Aya Khalil, and many other acclaimed books for children. Born in Kazakhstan and raised in Armenia, she now lives in the Seattle area with her husband and twin daughters.

Tamino [Portland]
2025-03-31 20:00 - 22:00 | Aladdin Theater (Portland), 3017 SE Milwaukie Ave, Portland, Oregon, 97202

No Other Land: SIFF
2025-03-31 19:00 - 20:00 | SIFF Cinema Uptown, 511 Queen Anne Ave N,, Seattle, WA, 98109, United States
For half a decade, Basel Adra, a Palestinian activist, films his community of Masafer Yatta being destroyed by Israel’s occupation, as he builds an unlikely alliance with an Israeli journalist who wants to join his fight.

Director:Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor
Country:Palestine, Norway
Running Time:95 min.
Producer:Fabien Greenberg, Bård Kjøge Rønning
Cinematographers:Rachel Szor
Editors:Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor
Music:Julius Pollux Rothlaender
Language:Arabic, Hebrew, English
US Distributor:Cintetic Handling
International Sales:Autlook

TICKETS
Select showtime for pricing and tickets.

MONDAY, MARCH 31, 2025

SIFF Cinema Uptown

7:00 PM

FRIDAY, APRIL 4, 2025

SIFF Cinema Uptown

7:15 PM

SATURDAY, APRIL 5, 2025

SIFF Cinema Uptown

4:30 PM

SUNDAY, APRIL 6, 2025

SIFF Cinema Uptown

7:00 PM

MONDAY, APRIL 7, 2025

SIFF Cinema Uptown

4:15 PM7:30 PM

TUESDAY, APRIL 8, 2025

SIFF Cinema Uptown

7:15 PM

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9, 2025

SIFF Cinema Uptown

4:15 PM

THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2025

SIFF Cinema Uptown

4:15 PM7:00 PM

3 Short Films (streaming) by Mahdi Felafel
2025-03-31 - 2025-04-02 | Oregon
Rounding out our March program curated by Batool Elhennawy, today we are excited to share 3 Shorts by Mahdi Fleifel: Xenos (2014), I Signed the Petition (2018), and 3 Logical Exits (2020). Streaming with English subtitles at palestinefilminstitute.org through April 2nd.
في ختام برنامجنا لشهر مارس، الذي أشرفت عليه بتول الحناوي، يسرّنا اليوم أن نشارككم ثلاثة أفلام قصيرة من إخراج مهدي فليفل: “زينوس” (2014)، و”وقعتُ على العريضة” (2018)، و”ثلاثة مخارج منطقية” (2020). الأفلام متاحة للمشاهدة مع ترجمة إنجليزية على palestinefilminstitute.org حتى 2 أبريل.

Ali Sultan at Club Comedy-Seattle
2025-03-29 22:30 - 2025-03-30 00:00, 2025-03-29 20:00 - 22:00, 2025-03-28 22:30 - 2025-03-29 00:00, 2025-03-28 20:00 - 22:00 | Club Comedy – Seattle, 328 15th Ave E, Seattle, 98112, United States
Ali Sultan is a Yemeni-Ethiopian immigrant. His comedy can be seen on Comedy Central, Don’t Tell and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. He filmed his Half Hour comedy special in Dubai for Comedy Central Arabia and won the Best in The Midwest competition at Gildas LaughFest. His Drybar special has over 1.6 million views on YouTube. He can be seen on the new PBS Roots of Comedy series.
Showtimes:
Fri 3/28 8:00PM & 10:30PM
Sat 3/29 8:00PM & 10:30PM
Pre-Order Your Tickets for Ali Sultan for just $25 at the Door or in Advance
Save $5 in Advance with Promo Code 5OFF
All Shows are 21+ Only with Valid ID REQUIRED For Entry.

WAISN Training: Rapid Response / Respuesta Rapida
2025-03-29 18:00 - 20:00 | Virtual
Bilingual training in English and Spanish Regardless of the result about presidential elections, the immigrant and refugee community has received direct threats about deportations and immigration raids. Our community must urgently begin to prepare, inform and organize in the face of this situation and know that in their area there are groups that can document any ICE activity in the community. Join this workshop to learn more about existing rapid response networks that support communities, build pressure to stop detention and deportation, and ultimately keep families together.

Art Exhibit: Journey to the Homeland – Stories of People and Places
2025-03-29 13:00 - 16:00 | Yuan Ru Art Center, 12737 Bel-Red Road #100, Bellevue, WA, 98005
Come join us at the Yuan Ru Art Center for a captivating art exhibit showcasing the diverse stories of people and places. Immerse yourself in the beautiful artwork that will take you on a journey through different homelands and cultures. This in-person event is a unique opportunity to experience the world through the eyes of talented artists. Don’t miss out on this incredible showcase of creativity and storytelling!

Arabic Storytime @ Lake City Branch / وقت القصص بالعربية في فرع ليك سيتي
2025-03-29 10:30 - 11:30, 2025-03-22 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.
———————————————————————————————
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.

Silkroad Ensemble
2025-03-28 19:30 - 21:30 | Meany Hall – Katharyn Alvord Gerlich Theater, 4040 George Washington Lane Northeast, Seattle, WA, 98105, United States
Curated by Artistic Partner Rhiannon Giddens
Grammy Award-winning musical ensemble Silkroad’s Uplifted Voices brings together a stellar lineup of performer-composers from the Silkroad Ensemble in a series of pieces that highlight each artist’s musical storytelling. These compositions, often inspired by their homeland, ancestors, community and family, represent previously under-recognized voices from around the world, offering a fresh perspective on the history and migration of music.
This unique program showcases a synthesis of global musical traditions and contemporary innovation, with each artist contributing their unique voice to craft a shared musical experience. From the Tuscarora Nation in North Carolina, singer-songwriter and activist Pura Fé blends traditional Native American sounds with contemporary Americana, honoring her indigenous heritage while celebrating its enduring relevance. Japanese multi-percussionist Haruka Fujii has gained international acclaim as a prominent solo percussionist and marimbaist, known for her interpretations of contemporary music and premieres of works by leading composers. Scottish harpist and composer Maeve Gilchrist intertwines jazz and folk while staying true to her Celtic roots, expanding the role of the harp into new, unexplored territories. Acclaimed cellist Karen Ouzounian centers her artistic practice in her love of the collaborative process and the development of adventurous new works. Lebanese violinist and composer Layale Chaker merges the intricate sounds of Arabic Maqam with jazz and contemporary classical elements, inviting listeners on a journey into new soundscapes. Mazz Swift, a violinist and composer, brings a deeply innovative approach, fusing classic African American music, electronica and mindfulness, with improvisation as a central theme across genres.
$25 tickets for this show are now sold out, but great seats at great prices are still available!
The ENCORE program for this performance is available to READ ONLINE
Generous support comes from the National Endowment for the Arts
Chamber Music Series generously underwritten by Cecilia Paul & Harry Reinert and Eric & Margaret Rothchild

SUPPORT COMES FROM

Whisk Cooking Class: Street Foods of the World
2025-03-28 18:00 - 20:30 | Whisk, 10385 Main St, Bellevue, WA, 98004, United States
Want to expand your culinary passport? Are you looking for a new dish to spice up your repertoire? Do you dream of tasty treats on foreign streets, but haven’t been able to get away? If the answer is yes, this class is for you! Join Chef Drew Flanders in this hands-on class where you will prepare simple but flavor-packed dishes inspired by foods sold in the markets, festivals, and by street vendors from around the world. From Morocco to Japan, Mexico to Senegal, in this class you will prepare and enjoy a variety of flavors and textures from the simple perfection of the taco, the warm comfort of “Japanese pizza”, to the glory of two different types of grilled-meat-on-a-stick!
Make, eat and enjoy street foods from

Morocco – Chermoula Chicken
West Africa – Spicy Peanut-Dusted Beef Skewers
Japan – Okonomiyaki – Seafood Pancakes
Mexico – Alambres, Steak and Bacon Tacos with Salsa Verde

Participants will have the option of enjoying wine or beer as street food is always best with a beverage!

Flavors of the Arabian Seas at the Pantry with Nadia
2025-03-27 18:00 - 21:30, 2025-03-26 18:00 - 21:30 | the Pantry, 1417 NW 70th Street, Seattle, WA, 98117
Fresh seafood dominates the vibrant culinary traditions of the Arabian Seas and in this class, Nadia Tommalieh will teach you how to prepare a menu inspired by the rich maritime heritage of the region — blending spices, herbs, and sauces. You’ll learn how to prepare samak makli (marinated and fried whole fish) served with batata harra (spicy potatoes in Aleppo pepper and cilantro sauce); habbar “squid” mahshi (stuffed squid in tomato and pomegranate molasses sauce); fattet gambari (layers of toasted pita bread, tahini, caramelized onion, and sauteed shrimp in spicy citrus sauce); and salatet jarjeer w shamandar (roasted beets, arugula and parsley salad in pomegranate molasses dressing).

Words for Palestine
2025-03-27 16:00 - 17:15 | Virtual
Join our monthly online series “Words for Palestine” which aims to center and highlight Palestinian voices during this devastating time. Featured readers TBA.
“Words For Palestine” is co-sponsored by Al Nadwa Freethinking Society, Mizna, Palestine Writes and RAWI, and is free with RSVP. We encourage you to make a donation to support the work of Palestine Legal and Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF). Palestine Legal is an organization dedicated to protecting the civil and constitutional rights of people in the U.S. who speak out for Palestinian freedom. PCRF is the primary humanitarian organization in Palestine, providing crucial and life-saving relief and humanitarian aid in Gaza.
For questions, e-mail Rewa Zeinati at rzeinati@accesscommunity.org

Umm Al-Fahm: Virtual Delegation
2025-03-26 09:00 - 11:00 | Virtual
Join us on Zoom for a virtual tour of the ‘48 city of resistance, Umm al-Fahm, which the late Naji al-Ali called
“the code name for Palestine.”
This virtual tour will be followed with a discussion and Q&A.
**PLEASE DOUBLE CHECK THE TIME WHEN YOU REGISTER!**

Alissa Walter presents 'Contested City'
2025-03-24 19:00 - 21:00 | Third Place Books – Lake Forest Park, 17171 Bothell Way NE #A101, Lake Forest Park, WA, 98155, United States
A history of state-society relations in Baghdad, exploring how city residents managed through periods of economic growth, sanctions, and war.

Palestine Cultural Resistance Festival
2025-03-24 | TBD
SAVE THE DATE! 📣 Students for Justice in Palestine at Seattle U (SU SJP) and Students United for Palestinian Equality and Return are hosting their annual Palestinian Resistance Culturefest on April 25th 🇵🇸❤️‍🔥
Stay tuned (and turn your notifications on) for announcements on ticket sales, performers, and calls for vendors/volunteers throughout the month.

Recognizing & Understanding Anti-Palestinian Racism
2025-03-23 10:00 - 11:30 | Oregon
Attendee will learn to:
Know who Palestinians are
Describe anti-Palestinian racism
Identify who can be targets of
anti-Palestinian racism
Understand the impact of
anti-Palestinian racism on health
wellbeing
Learn ways to address
anti-Palestinian racism

Ronnie Malley in Lute Legends
2025-03-22 19:30 - 21:00 | Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall at Benaroya Hall, 200 University St, Seattle, WA, 98101, United States
Featuring Ronnie Malley, Lucas Harris, and Wen Zhao, the Lute Legends Collective is a performing association of musicians who represent ancient plucked-string traditions. It’s certainly possible that some combinations of their instruments would have sounded together centuries ago, such as a pipa player jamming together with an oud player somewhere along the old Silk Road. However, the collective’s aim is less to recreate history and more to delight in creating a new arena where these old instruments can make music together.
Sat, Mar 22, 2025 @ 7:30 PM
Nordstrom Recital Hall at Benaroya Hall

200 University St, Seattle, WA 98101

WEAVING STORIES - Literary Salon at SZ Gallery
2025-03-22 14:00 - 16:00 | SZ Art Gallery, 2441 76th Avenue SE, Suite 160, Mercer Island, WA
You are warmly invited to an engaging afternoon at our Literary Salon, “Weaving Stories – The Echoes Within,” on March 22nd, 2-4PM (sharp!) at the SZ Gallery on Mercer Island.
Join us on in a thoughtful discussion honoring the story weavers highlighted in the “Weaving Stories” book, powered by PICHA. The book is a rich collection of pictures and stories highlighting the voices of photographers from Afrocentric communities. Through powerful imagery, we’ll delve into shared human experiences and challenge our perspectives on visual storytelling.

The Salon will feature:

Discussion on the emotional impact of images and their cultural context
Reflections on the stories behind the photographs
Opportunity to connect with others and share insights
Information about grant opportunities funded by the book

Join us for an afternoon of rich conversation, inspiring community along with music and delicacies from the countries featured in the book.
We look forward to sharing this enriching experience with you.

Saturday, March 22, 2-4PM
SZ Gallery | 2441 76th Ave SE | Mercer Island
FREE Literary Salon
All are welcome, but seats are limited!
REGISTER TODAY!
