Ramzi Salti's Arabology

The West Coast Premiere of  Amreeka: The Comedy Show  will take place for ONE NIGHT ONLY on  Friday, May 12, at 8:00 PM at Brava Theater Center in San Francisco.  The program is curated by Golden Thread's Iraqi-American Artist-in-residence Wafaa Bilal  and features headliner Palestinian-Kuwaiti Eman El-Husseini , Bengali-American Usama Siddiquee , and Native American Jackie Keliiaa , with African American Charles McBee as Emcee. The show was born after the 2016 election, bringing together diverse comedians with one thing in common: they love to complain. Then and since, the toxic culture and politics in “Amreeka,” as some Middle Easterners playfully pronounce it, offer ample fodder for complaints. This cathartic and witty venting holds a mirror up to reality showing it has become so absurd and surreal, one must laugh, if not cry. For more info and tickets, see this link .

   Coachella is one of the most popular music festivals in the world, and this year's event was no exception. With over 100,000 people attending each day, it's not surprising that there were some incredible performances and standout moments. One of those moments came from the up-and-coming artist, Elyanna. In addition to her incredible musical talent, it's also worth noting that Elyanna comes from a unique and diverse background. She is of Palestinian Chilean origin and often incorporates her heritage into her music. During her set at Coachella, Elyanna spoke about her identity and how it influences her music. She shared that her Palestinian and Chilean roots have inspired her to create music that tells stories and sheds light on issues that are important to her. Another remarkable aspect of Elyanna's performance at Coachella was that she was the first artist to sing in Arabic at the festival. This is a significant achievement and a powerful statement, considering the l

Chicago folks shouldn't miss this powerful musical performance on May 12 & 13 at the Old Town School of Folk Music. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit this  LINK . Little Syria , the latest work by Omar Offendum, takes place in the Lower Manhattan neighborhood formerly known as Little Syria between 1880 and 1940. This neighborhood was a vibrant cultural center for Arab immigrants in New York and home to notable artists and intellectuals such as Ameen Rihani and Kahlil Gibran. Offendum's performance combines hip-hop, Arabic instrumentation, and ḥakawātī oral storytelling traditions of the Levant to recreate life in the early 20th-century within a bustling urban community. Offendum, originally from Syria but based in Los Angeles, is accompanied by oud virtuoso Ronnie Malley and DJ/Beatmaker Thanks Joey who is based in Brooklyn. Together, they offer a creative retelling of a historically underrepresented narrative through their music. Below is video fea

  E-Book available for free (see below) To celebrate Fairuz's 88th year, thirty-five writers from different Arab countries have published a book about the phenomenon of the legendary Lebanese singer who still resides in Lebanon today. Titled A Homeland Named Fairouz , the book is accompanied by a video  that connects the articles along with an eloquent narration and stunning digital editing. You can order a free electronic copy of the book (300+ Pages) from مؤسّسة الفكر العربي Arab Thought Foundation or at https://arabthought.org/site/book-form .  The video is available below or on YouTube at  https://youtu.be/o_04tdJN3Ow For more info about this project (in English) see THIS LINK وطنٌ اسمه فيروز  "وطنٌ اسمه فيروز" مؤسّسة الفكر العربي تطلق إصداراً خاصّاً من "أفق" احتفاءً بمسيرة فيروز الفنّية الاستثنائيّة وتراث الرحابنة الإبداعي في عملٍ جماعيٍّ هو الأوّل من نوعه، تطلّ مؤسسة الفكر العربي على العالم المدهش لأيقونة غنّت وطناً.  هو لبنان والعالم العربيّ والعالم المثا

We are honored to share this selection of inspirational quotes--in Arabic and English--by Shawkat El-Haj Ibrahim who has kindly given us permission to publish them here while retaining the copyrights.  Should you wish to publish or discuss these works, please contact the writer directly at whenwisdomstood@gmail.com    BIO: The writer, Shawkat El-Haj Ibrahim, is a successful businessman, thinker, and poet born in Beirut, Lebanon where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Studies with emphasis on Management Studies from the Lebanese American University in 1982. He later immigrated to the United States, settled in California, and worked in several US Banks specializing in mortgage banking and real estate services. In 2001 he started a venture by opening the doors to the two entities: North America Mortgage and North America Real Estate. His intellectual and literary journey began as he thought about knowledge throughout his life, exploring various cultural and educational fields.