Arab Films at SIFF: The Translator
2021-04-08 - 2021-04-18 | WA
Syria | 2020 | 105 minutes | Rana Kazkaz, Anas Khalaf

Opens April 8, 2021

A riveting thriller about an Arabic-English translator for the 2000 Olympics in Australia, forced into exile after a fateful mistranslation, who must return to Syria after his activist brother goes missing during the Arab Spring.

Virtual Delegation to Tent of Nations
2021-04-08 11:00 - 12:30, 2021-04-11 11:00 - 12:30, 2021-04-16 09:00 - 10:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | WA
For this Virtual Delegation, we will visit the Nassar family at their farm. The farm has been in the family since 1916 and is located 6 kilometers from Bethlehem, in the occupied West Bank. The one-hundred acre farm is surrounded on three sides by Israeli Settlements, and below by the Palestinian village of Nahalin. The family has also been in the Israeli courts since 1991 seeking to maintain their claim to this land. Join members of the Nassar family to learn about their story and understand more about the work of their farm.
Saturday, April 3rd: 12 – 1:30pm EDT
Thursday, April 8th: 2 – 3:30pm EDT
Sunday, April 11th: 2 – 3:30pm EDT
Friday, April 16th: 12-1:30pm EDT

Arabic Conversation Hours Spring 2021 جلسة الحوار بالعربية
2021-04-08 13:00 - 14:00 (America/Chicago) | WA
Join us for a fun hour of conversation in Arabic. Do you want to practice your Arabic without being judged? Do you want to learn some new words or ways of saying things? Do you want to meet other people who are trying to learn or strengthen their Arabic?
Pour You coffee or tea and let’s talk
You will receive a zoom link after you RSVP
March 9 @ 2:30-3:30
April 8 @ 1-2
For assistance or accessibility, email us at arabamcc@uic.edu

RSVP

Streaming: Oscar Nominee, Best International Feature: The Man Who Sold His Skin
2021-04-09 - 2021-05-31 | WA
Sam Ali, a young, sensitive and impulsive Syrian, left his country for Lebanon to escape the war. To be able to travel to Europe and live with the love of his life, he accepts to have his back tattooed by one of the World’s most sulfurous contemporary artist. Turning his own body into a prestigious piece of art, Sam will however come to realize that his decision might actually mean anything but freedom.

The Falafel Stand
2021-04-09 17:00 - 20:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | WA
In this class NADIA TOMMALIEH will teach you how to make pita sandwiches that will have you convinced you’ve traveled to the Mediterranean to eat them. You’ll learn about the history of the region as she shows you how to get the perfect puff on your homemade khubez (pita bread), and how to achieve flavorful, crispy, falafel every time. You’ll top your piping hot sandwiches with tarator (tahini garlic sauce), tatbeeleh (jalapeno lemon sauce), and tomato cucumber salad.
This is a live, hands-on cooking class held in your kitchen via Zoom. Class is meant to be as interactive as it would be at our table, with the instructor teaching you how to prepare each recipe. Each class ticket is for one kitchen, and we welcome group cooking on the same screen. To learn more about how class will go visit our FAQ PAGE.

Arabic Language Meetup - Picnic for Alaa
2021-04-10 13:00 - 14:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | WA
Details

After years of service to this group, Alaa has stepped down from his post as organizer. In proper Arabic fashion, we should get together, eat food, tell stories and thank him for his contributions to the Arabic language community!
We’re planning a (socially distanced) picnic at Alki Beach! Bring a chair or blanket, perhaps some food or drinks that can be safely shared. Make sure to RSVP for updated information and details.

The Arabesque Table: A Conversation with Reem Kassis
2021-04-11 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | WA
A conversation about The Arabesque Table, a collection of recipes and stories by Reem Kassis

About this Event

Cuisine can connect Palestinians between generations, borders, and timezones; writer, chef, and author of the new book “The Arabesque Table” (Phaidon, 2021), Reem Kassis understands this like no one else. Raised in Jerusalem, Kassis is an acclaimed author and chef who weaves together stories of her upbringing and life with contemporary Palestinian and Arab recipes.
Reem Kassis will be joined by Palestinian writer, Zeina Azzam for a converastion about food and Palestinian identity.
About the book: The Arabesque Table is a one-of-a-kind collection of original contemporary recipes from across the Arab world from acclaimed author Reem Kassis. The book takes inspiration from the traditional food of the Arab world, weaving Reem Kassis’s cultural knowledge with her contemporary interpretations of an ancient, remarkably diverse cuisine. She opens up the world of Arabic cooking today, presenting a mosaic of 130 delicious, accessible home recipes — from simple salads to flavorful mains and fragrant desserts. Organized by primary ingredient, her narratives formed by her experiences and influences bring the dishes to life, as does the book’s vivid photography.
MPP is committed to keeping events like these free and available to all. Please consider making a donation to support our programming and mission.

Arab Festival 2021 (Free, Virtual)
2021-04-11 13:00 - 14:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | WA
Did you know that April is Arab Heritage Month? Are you curious about our Arab culture?

The Arab American Cultural Center of Oregon (AACCO) is very excited to be hosting a free, virtual event on Sunday, April 11, at 1:00 – 2:30PM PDT both on Zoom and on Facebook live showcasing amazing Arab artists!
Learn about the Arab jewelry, paintings, poetry, and much more.
You are invited to join us! Stay tuned for the zoom link.
If you have any questions, feel free to email us at aacconews@gmail.com.
We can’t wait to see you there!

Cadence: Video Poetry Festival 2021 Housed But Never Homed: Collection of Movie Shorts
2021-04-16 | WA
There are names for homes that are not on any maps. The complexity of calling a place home while struggling to find acceptance there permeates these video poems. As many of us are spending more time where we dwell than ever before, the gratitude we might feel for our home is colored by a feeling of entrapment. At the same time, the comfort, safety, and services of shelter are by no means guaranteed. This screening is for the displaced, the vulnerable, and the shut-ins crawling out of their skin; for those whose struggle to define and redefine a concept of home for themselves is continual.
A Barcode Scanner
Shot on location at the Chamishko IDP Camp in Northern Iraq, “A Barcode Scanner” reflects the harsh day-to-day realities of the Êzîdîs who survived the Islamic State’s genocidal campaign against them.

With Whom Shall We Live?
“With Whom Shall We Live?” illustrates the dangers of history continuing to repeat itself. Using the parallel struggles of Black Americans and Asian Americans, this visual poem anchors the two communities together on common ground.

Homeless
17 homeless, WAYout poets from the streets of Freetown, Sierra Leone came together to write and produce this film.

Barbed Wire Land
Archival video provides the visuals for this video meditation on the invention of barbed wire.

plus more . . .

Available for streaming on April 16.

Reem Kassis: Virtual Author Talk: The Arabesque Table
2021-04-17 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | WA
REEM KASSIS:
VIRTUAL AUTHOR TALK: THE ARABESQUE TABLE

APRIL 17 2021: 11:00 – 12:00PM
at Live on Demio

Reem Kassis and David Lebovitz on “The Arabesque Table” presented by Book Larder, Bold Fork Books, Now Serving, Omnivore Books and Phaidon
Celebrate the publication of The Arabesque Table: Contemporary Recipes from the Arab World, with an exclusive, live virtual event featuring author Reem Kassis in conversation with pastry chef and author David Lebovitz. Join Kassis and Lebovitz for a conversation about Arabic cooking today and the making of Kassis’s new, one-of-a-kind collection of original contemporary recipes from across the Arab world. The program will include a live audience Q&A.

Palestinian Feast - Cooking Class with Nadia Tommalieh
2021-04-18 15:30 - 18:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | WA
Maqlouba means “upside-down” in Arabic, and in this class NADIA TOMMALIEH will guide you as you construct this feat of culinary engineering- a meal in one pot, flipped over to make a savory feast! You’ll make chicken maqlouba with roasted eggplant, cauliflower, rice pilaf, and fried nuts, and salatet bil tahini (vegetable, herb, and tahini salad).
This is a live, hands-on cooking class held in your kitchen via Zoom. Class is meant to be as interactive as it would be at our table, with the instructor teaching you how to prepare each recipe. Each class ticket is for one kitchen, and we welcome group cooking on the same screen. To learn more about how class will go visit our FAQ PAGE.

Boston Stave Sessions: Festival Night 2: Meklit and Kinan Azmeh City Band
2021-04-22 16:30 - 17:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | WA
Kinan Azmeh, clarinetist and composer, has gained international recognition for his rich sound and distinctive compositional voice across diverse musical genres. A native of Syria and a graduate of New York’s Julliard School, Azmeh has performed with the New York Philharmonic, the Seattle Symphony, the Bavarian Radio Orchestra, the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, the Qatar Philharmonic and the Syrian Sympony Orchestra among others.

Meklit is an Ethio-American vocalist, songwriter, composer, and cultural activist, making music that sways between cultures and continents. Known for her electic stage presence, innovative take on Ethio-Jazz, and her emotive live shows, Meklit has rocked stages from Addis Ababa to San Francisco, to NYC, London, Montreal, Nairobi, Rome, Zurich, Helsinki, Rio, Cairo, and more.

Somali Story Times - KCLS
2021-04-24 16:00 - 16:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | WA
Family program, all ages welcome with adult.
Enjoy stories, music, movement and rhymes that develop your child’s early literacy skills in Somali.
Please register. You will receive a Zoom link by 10am the day of the event. Be sure to check your spam folder.
Reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities is available by request. Please contact the library at least seven days before the event for ASL interpretation, captioning services and/or other accommodation for online programs. Send your request to access@kcls.org.

MELAW - Legal Clinic
2021-04-25 | WA
MELAW LEGAL CLINIC
The MELAW legal clinic has been running since COVID struck and has successfully held virtual clinics for countless clients. Your expertise is priceless – please sign-up to be a volunteer at an upcoming clinic by emailing: clinic@melaw.org
Next clinic date: April 25th

Storytelling Session: Birds of Palestine
2021-04-25 14:00 - 15:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | WA
Historically, Palestinians spent their Ramadan evenings gathered around the fire and in cafes listening to stories. To honour this long-standing tradition, join us this Sunday at 5PM EST for a special storytelling session with Sarah Abusarar from Toronto and Fidaa Ataya from Palestine.
About the storytellers:

Sarah Abusarar comes from a long line of storytellers. She is an Expressive Art Therapist and a Storyteller who frequently uses storytelling as a tool for social transformation. Sarah belongs to Storytellers of Canada & Storytelling Toronto. Learn more
Fidaa Ataya will be joining us live from Palestine. Fidaa is a traditional storyteller, puppeteer, drama-in-education specialist and actress. She’s also the founder & director of Kan Yama Kan group.

Co-presented with our friends Storytellers of Canada/Conteurs du Canada (SC-CC) and International Fairytale Festival/Bajka
Streaming live on Facebook and YouTube tinyurl.com/TPFFYouTube

English-Arabic Storytime at the Arab American National Museum
2021-04-26 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | WA
Ten Ways to Hear Snow & The World Is Not A Rectangle

Join us for an English-Arabic Storytime in celebration of Arab American Heritage Month as well as Earth Day, from the comfort of your home! Children ages 2-6 and their parents are invited to tune in as resident storyteller Sari Mira reads the books Ten Ways to Hear Snow and The World Is Not A Rectangle in both English and Arabic.
Ten Ways to Hear Snow written by Cathy Camper and illustrated by Kenard Pak, follows Lina who wakes up on winter morning to silence. It’s the sound of snow; as she walks to her grandmother’s house to help make the family recipe for warak enab, she continues to listen, discovering mindfulness, empathy, and what we realize when the world gets quiet.
The World Is Not a Rectangle: A Portrait of Architect Zaha Hadid written and illustrated by Jeanette Winter, is a nonfiction picture book about the famed Iraqi architect’s life and her triumph over adversity.

The Storytime will go up at 1 p.m. EDT on Monday, April 26 on our Storytime page, where you can also check out previous Online Storytimes.

5.4 Dialogues on the Art of Arab Fashion: Dress & Identity: Cultural, Economic and Political Implications
2021-04-27 09:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | WA
5.4 Dialogues on the Art of Arab Fashion: Dress & Identity: Cultural, Economic and Political Implications

Event Description: Dr. Reem El Mutwalli in conversation with Shahira Mehrez, Creative Advisor to the Zay Initiative, Researcher, Collector & Promoter of Traditional Arts & Crafts
Date: 27th April 2021
Time: 12 pm NYC, 5 pm London, 8 pm Dubai
Tickets: Donation
Students: If you are a student, or member of academia please register here to receive your complimentary registration links.
Registering will not only give you access to the live session, but also a recorded version to catch up on in your own time.

The Environment and Me - Isra Hirsi
2021-04-27 18:30 - 20:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | WA
17-year old activist Isra Hirsi details what environmental justice means for urban communities.
Isra Hirsi is a 17-year-old organizer from Minneapolis, MN. She co-founded US Youth Climate Strike in 2019 and has been an environmental justice activist for 3 years. She has recently been put on Fortune’s 40 under 40 for her work.

Water and Peacebuilding
2021-04-29 10:00 - 11:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | WA
Event Description

Throughout history, water has been a source of conflict, as nations wrestle for sovereignty over key waterways, groups fight for access to critical water sources, and populations are forced to leave their homes due to water scarcity. Accelerating climate change such as erratic rainfall, severe droughts, and other extreme weather events creates more competition for a diminishing water supply that leads to more water-related conflicts. Increasingly, humanitarian and development organizations are also seeing water emerge as more than just a basic human right – it’s also an instrument of peacebuilding. Not only can water security reduce conflict triggers in water-scarce areas, but water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) projects present an opportunity for communities to build social cohesion and social capital around a shared resource. Join representatives from World Vision, Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation, and EverVillage as they discuss how water has played a key role in the communities in which they work.

Layale Chaker, violin/composer Featuring her quintet and special guest Kinan Azmeh
2021-04-29 16:30 - 17:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | WA
Online

PRESENTED BY

HANCHER

TICKETS

$5 admission – donations appreciated

Thursday, April 29, 2021, 7:30 pm

BUY TICKETS

Layale Chaker was a winner of the Silkroad Seeds inaugural 2020 award—the latest in an impressive series of honors. She and her husband, Kinan Azmeh, are familiar to Hancher audiences from their participation in the Embracing Complexity programing. In this performance created for Hancher, Chaker and her ensemble will perform music from her critically acclaimed Inner Rhyme album as well as new music from the forthcoming Bards project—a celebration of musicianship and musicians beyond the borders of confinement and geography—performed here for the first time.

Lee Scheingold Lecture in Poetry and Poetics: Naomi Shihab Nye and Lena Tuffaha - 2021
2021-04-29 17:00 - 18:00 UTC | UW – Intellectual House, 4249 Whitman Ct NE, Seattle, WA, 98105, United States
Last year saw the cancellation of the 3rd Annual Lee Scheingold Lecture in Poetry and Poetics due to the ongoing pandemic. While we’re still unable to gather in person, this year the University of Washington English Department and the Lee Scheingold Lecture in Poetry and Poetics are thrilled to host Naomi Shihab Nye on Thursday, April 29, 2021, 5:00-6:30 PM (PT). We are also excited to welcome Lena Khalaf Tuffaha, winner of the 2018 Washington State Book Award, who will be in conversation with Naomi following her reading. We’re grateful to graduating senior Owen Oliver who will be offering a welcome/land acknowledgment prior to the reading. Please join us for an evening of poetry and conversation with these wonderful writers.
The University of Washington is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, and activities. If any accommodations are needed in the completion and submission of this form please contact UW English Department; 206-543-9552; Karla Tofte, ktofte@uw.edu.
All registrants will be entered into a drawing to win one copy of Naomi’s and Lena’s most recent books.
Many thanks to Suhad Khatib for granting permission to use her beautiful work, “The Return” in the poster. And many thanks to Dilara Elbir for her design.
Artist Bios:
Naomi Shihab Nye describes herself as a “wandering poet.” She has spent 40 years traveling the country and the world to lead writing workshops and inspiring students of all ages. Nye was born to a Palestinian father and an American mother and grew up in St. Louis, Jerusalem, and San Antonio. Drawing on her Palestinian-American heritage, the cultural diversity of her home in Texas, and her experiences traveling in Asia, Europe, Canada, Mexico, and the Middle East, Nye uses her writing to attest to our shared humanity. Naomi Shihab Nye is the author and/or editor of more than 30 volumes. Her most recent book is Voices in the Air: Poems for Listeners. Her new book of poems is entitled The Tiny Journalist (BOA Editions Ltd., April 2019).
Lena Khalaf Tuffaha is a poet, essayist, and translator. She earned a BA in Comparative Literature at the University of Washington and an MFA in Poetry at the Rainier Writing Workshop of Pacific Lutheran University She is the author of the full-length poetry collection, Water & Salt, winner of the 2018 Washington State Book Award for Poetry, and the chapbooks Arab in Newsland (2016) and Letters from the Interior (2019). Her work has been published in journals including Blackbird, Kenyon Review Online, Michigan Quarterly Review, New England Review, Poetry Northwest, TriQuarterly, and the Academy of American Poets’ Poem-A-Day feature. Her poems have been widely anthologized and have received the Robert Watson Literary Prize and multiple Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net nominations. She is the recipient of a 2019 Artist Trust Fellowship, and has served as the inaugural Poet-In-Residence at Open Books: A Poem Emporium in Seattle. You can learn more about her work at www.lenakhalaftuffaha.com.
Suhad Khatib (b. 1979) is a multimedia artist who was born in Oman, raised in Jordan and been living in the US for the past 14 years. Her work was shown in Montreal, Connecticut, Berkeley, New York, San Francisco and Amman. She describes her work as “an intentional study on healing and identity.” Suhad is also a public speaker on the subject of Palestine, theology, feminism and community organizing. Her practice extends to design and filmmaking. Notably, she is the designer behind prominent social justice campaigns that have shaped our understanding of recent history like: #Ferguson2Palestine, #ISupportRasmea and #ShowMe15. In film, she was one of the founders of the film industry in Jordan, wrote and directed multiple short films, finished residency programs by Sundance Film Institute, Dubai Film Connection, and Euromed Audiovisual Program. Most notably, she was the co-writer of the most watched Jordanian comedy series! Suhad currently resides in San Francisco, CA. https://suhadkhatib.com/

ONLINE ONLY: A Novel Idea Author Laila Lalami
2021-05-02 16:00 - 17:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | WA
Description
A link to the live presentation will be available beginning Sunday, May 2 at 3:30 p.m.
A recording of this presentation will be available beginning May 6.
Laila Lalami, author of The Other Americans discusses her work with local creative Jason Graham.
About the Book: The Other Americans
Late one spring night, Driss Guerraoui, a Moroccan immigrant in California, is walking across a darkened intersection when he is killed by a speeding car. The repercussions of his death bring together a diverse cast of characters to tell their stories and the invisible connections that tie them togethereven while they remain deeply divided by race, religion or class.
About the Author: Laila Lalami
Laila Lalami was born in Rabat and educated in Morocco, Great Britain and the United States. She is the author of four novels, including The Moor’s Account, which won the American Book Award, the Arab-American Book Award, the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction. Her most recent novel, The Other Americans, was a national bestseller and a finalist for the Kirkus Prize and the National Book Award in Fiction. She has received fellowships from the British Council, the Fulbright Program and the Guggenheim Foundation and is currently a full professor of creative writing at the University of California at Riverside. Her new book, a work of nonfiction called Conditional Citizens: On Belonging in American, was published in September 2020.

Arabic Chat Hour
2021-05-06 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | WA
Whether you’re a native speaker or learner, this is a great chance practice listening and speaking in Arabic!
Repeats every Thursday!

Movie: Mayor via Mideast Focus Ministry
2021-05-07 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | WA
MAYOR
MAYOR follows Musa Hadid, the Christian mayor of Ramallah, during his second term in office. His immediate goals: repave the sidewalks, attract more tourism, and plan the city’s Christmas celebrations. His ultimate mission: to end the occupation of Palestine. Rich with detailed observation and humor, MAYOR offers a portrait of dignity amidst the madness and absurdity of endless occupation while posing a question: how do you run a city when you don’t have a country?
Learn more here.
with guest speaker: TBA
Contact info@saintmarks.org to be added to the Mideast Focus Ministry mailing list, or use this form. (Check the box marked “Mideast Focus.”)

Anas Atassi: Virtual Author Talk: Sumac
2021-05-10 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | WA
The Book Larder is thrilled to host Anas Atassi to discuss his new cookbook, Sumac. He will be joined in conversation by Wassef & Racha Haroun of Mamnoon.
How this works: This event will be broadcast live on Zoom. Registering will provide you with a unique access link in an email. At the event time, click that link to watch the talk. During the event, feel free to ask questions using the Q/A or chat feature.
This author talk is FREE, but you can support it by purchasing a copy of the book here. Thank you!
About the Author
Anas Atassi was born in Homs in Syria and now lives in Amsterdam. He has a great love for cooking and cherishes the memories of Syria from his childhood. Every summer the whole family went back to Homs to be together and celebrate the season. Good food was an important part of that celebration and Anas has remained a lover of Syrian cuisine which started his great love for cooking. The personal stories in Sumac were the inspiration for the dishes and build a bridge between Syrian culture and the world, with good food as a common denominator. Sumac: Recipes and Stories from Syria is his first cookbook.

Smithsonian: ntroduction to Palestinian Thobe Embroidery: Panel Design
2021-05-11 11:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | WA
For generations, Palestinian women have gathered with their daughters to work collectively on embroidery projects, bonding with one another over a cup of tea. Guided by Wafa Ghnaim, who began her training in embroidery with her mother at age 2, learn the history of the traditional Palestinian thobe, as well as the basic cross-stitch on waste canvas.
The skirt of a Palestinian thobe typically features heavily embroidered panels that give the skirt a mural-like quality. The panels can be heavily ornamented for special occasions.
Students of all skill levels are introduced to panel patterns and learn how to stitch them onto denim using waste canvas. Waste canvas allows artisans to adorn any piece of cloth or clothing and is an important skill to master in order to create traditional Palestinian embroidered garments.
This class combines detailed instruction on how to complete a small panel segment using the Cleopatra design on waste canvas with discussion of the pattern’s meaning and history.

Eyewitness Palestine: Virtual Delegation to Lifta
2021-05-12 | WA
In commemoration of Nakba Day (May 15th) we hope you will join us for a visit to the Lifta, a Palestinian Village that was attacked by Zionist militias and destroyed during the Nakba, in the lead up to the creation of the state of Israel in 1948.
More info to come: https://eyewitnesspalestine.org/virtual-del-dates/lifta-lh7pg
Eyewitness Palestine is committed to bringing Palestine to you, both while travel is not permitted and because we understand that not everyone has the ability to travel to Palestine/Israel.
Join us for innovative, small, Virtual Delegations!
You will have the ability to explore different places in Palestine/Israel and speak directly with our partners there.

Eid Potluck at Seward Park
2021-05-13 16:00 - 18:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | WA
Details

Let’s hang out at Seward Park for Eid 1442 😀
Bring a dish or a drink, probably a blanket or chair as well. Don’t forget sunscreen!
Sarah says we should try to avoid the perfect storm of cookies we had last time.
Engy tells us that in Egypt: “Eid is about كعك and petit four” For the record, those will not be counting as cookies!
Alaa promises to make his favorite Syrian pastry.
And Karyn has been dreaming of كباب!
I’m hoping we get some people from Arabs in Seattle to join us too!
——————– Updates ———————-
Here’s the link for the food spreadsheet (thank you Esta!):
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Zq_0jamvctWdWEJOGbaPh_QgXFdEFUgiHz45H4qGolw/edit?usp=sharing
