Arab Americans contributions

Many Arabs have contributed to the daily living in the good ol' USA. Below is a website of famous Arab Americans contributions, from politics to actors. Check it out.

http://www.aaiusa.org/arab-americans/23/famous-arab-americans

Pour the cofee, pour the tea

After I was done working out, a gym buddy of mine, would consider going to Palestine and Jordan with my family and I next year, if advance notice was given because of the preference for the local and not tourist culture. "I think it is very important to experience the culture at the local level of the country. That is how you know people who are of different backgrounds," my gym buddy told me. I had this big grin on my face, and I told my buddy that I will give advance notice of when we travel.

I was touched that a partial stranger (we only converse at the gym) was comfortable to tell me this. I told my buddy that my house is open, so there is no need for a hotel.

Have any of you had a similar incident, where your colleague or some body wanted to know about your culture? If so, let me know by commenting...

So when next year comes, as a song goes in Arabic, "Subil Qahwa, subil shay..." "Pour the coffee, pour the tea..."

I feel sorry for your women (talking about hijab)

"Why do you have to wear that thing on your head?" "Do you speak English?" These are some questions that some Muslim women receive when they are seen wearing their Hijabs, a head cover with loose fitted clothing. You should see their faces when the Muslim females converse with the curious seekers, their eyes open wide, and their mouths hang. Some of the Muslim females have no foreign accent.

So, why do women wear that hijab? Many would say Allah commanded them to do so; and then to serve modesty purposes.

Hijab is actually a liberation for many women. They don't follow the pressures of media and a superficial society. Women are confident that their minds speak louder than their bodies.

Are you from Jerusalem, Pakistan?

Many people tend to ask me or other Palestinians, "Are you Pakistanian?" We would explain to them, no, we are Palestinians. They would look at us confused. So, here are the basics, there are two names Palestinians and Pakistanis.

Palestinians are Arabs who are from the Middle East. They come from a country called Palestine/Israel/Occupied Palestinian territories/The West Bank and Gaza Strip. All Arabs, pro Palestinian supporters, and Muslims prefer the name Palestine, thank you.

Pakistan is not part of the Middle East. They are neighbors with India. Pakistanis speak Urdu.

So to answer your question, am I from Jerusalem, Pakistan? No, I am from Jerusalem, Palestine.

An example of getting along?

The Jewish school where half the pupils are Muslim
King David, in Birmingham, is a state primary where the children learn Hebrew, recite Jewish prayers, eat kosher food and wave Israeli flags. So how come the majority of pupils are followers of Islam? Jonathan Margolis investigates
Published: 01 February 2007

http://education.independent.co.uk/schools/article2201860.ece

I am curious to see if anyone leave comments. Is this an example of getting along? Is this a good idea?

Map of The Arab World

Here is a map of the Arab world. The 22 Arab states include the northern part of Africa, as well as a small part of Asia.

Just like USA, there are differences and similarities that can be found across the Arab world. It is safe to say there are dialectic and cultural differences, yet there are shared cultures like Arabic food and music.

Who are we?

Many people think Muslims and Arabs are the same. If you are Arab, then you are a Muslim. If you are a Muslim, then you must be Arab. Well, that is not the case.

Arabs are Muslims, Christians, Jews, even atheists. Muslims are comprised of different nationalities from around the world. Majority of Muslims are not Arabs. However, Muslims read and perform prayers in Arabic.

Arabs are of Palestinian, Egyptian, Iraqi, Jordanian, Saudi Arabian, Syrian descent, and many more. There are about 22 Arab states in the Middle East, with a population of more than 300 million--the population of USA.

We are just like you. We have families, jobs, dreams and wishes. We are educated people who volunteer, and participate in sports and other social activities.

Things to know...

A few weeks ago, friends and I had a discussion of why weren't Muslims and Arabs portrayed positively as living life in the media. An example of what I mean is that a bunch of Muslim college students--males and females, attended a Chicago Bulls game about one month ago; the ones who didn't attend were watching the game that night at home.

Although the cameras scanned parts of the audience, not once did they bring any Muslim on television. See some of the Muslim females were wearing the hijab, a head cover with loose clothing.

So my friends we discussed that. They said that the media would love to record a Muslim at the game, however due to lack of knowledge they avoid all together because they want to be sensitive towards Muslims and Arabs.

If that is the case, then I will give you and anyone else who is interested in getting a short course on things you wanted to know about Muslims and Arabs, but are too afraid to ask or you never had the chance to.

What I ask of you is this, keep an open mind as you visit my blog, feel free to post constructive criticism, and I don't mind engaging in professional dialogue.

OK, be ready for many fabulous things about Muslims and Arabs on this blog. Be sure to check daily!