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By Amna Khalafalla
Fatima Haroun, who has advocated against the Darfur genocide as a member of the Philadelphia-based Darfur Alert Coalition, recalls that at one time, there was a sense of racial harmony in South Darfur, when Arab and African ethnic groups lived peacefully alongside each other.
By Lauren Abunassar
“When I'm on stage, I do feel a huge sense of obligation to make sure that the comedy that I'm doing and the environment that I curate for people is in line with what my ideals are. I’m a representation of something bigger than me.”
By Gawhara Abou-eid
According to Porya Parsa, Philly Iranians has seen a contrast between global mobilization over other crises, in Palestine and Sudan for example, and what they view as a lack of attention to events in Iran.
By Joseph Fahim
For those who have experienced dictatorship and political oppression firsthand, it is difficult to digest one-dimensional characterization and an uncomplicated worldview.
By Kenza Bousseloub
The Jan. 24 event featured local and Sudanese vendors and a screening of “Sudan, Remember Us.”
By Lauren Abunassar
Historically, traditional Palestinian ceramics have been especially well suited for the cultural archive, given their role as both ornament and instruments for daily life — bowls for eating, jars for storing, tiles for cooling homes, vessels shaped by and for use.
By Gawhara Abou-eid
Delaware County property owners are seeing a double-digit tax hike for the second year in a row. Here’s why — and what the funds are paying for.
By Ragad Ahmad
The human cost of ICE raids and escalating immigration enforcement has been profound and pervasive.
By Joseph Fahim
What Arab cinema needs now is not decorative Oscar recognition, but sustained community engagement and inventive, grassroots marketing strategies.
By Gawhara Abou-eid
The film poses a question that echoes long after the credits roll: Is endurance the only solution Palestinians are permitted?
By Lauren Abunassar
While Bedewi has often worried that her films will be misconstrued as representative of all Arab experience, she has increasingly felt permitted to tell ‘one’ Arab story, not ‘the’ Arab story.
By Kenza Bousseloub
On December 19, Amani's and Lucio's families and friends came together for a one–of–a–kind North Philly engagement party.
By Ben Bennett
The current conflict in Sudan, now in its third year, is being called “the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.” But awareness about the crisis continues to be limited..
By Gawhara Abou-eid
According to Pennie, for each new enrollment, two people are terminating their coverage, and about 44% of new enrollees have not paid their January premium, suggesting additional dropouts may occur.
By Gawhara Abou-eid
Even after years of formal training and building a professional practice in Turkey and the U.S., Tunc’s approach remains rooted in the curiosity and wonder she felt as a child, captivated by the rhythms and forms of nature.
By Joseph Fahim
The film demands a plurality of critical perspectives — and a more nuanced conversation.
By Lauren Abunassar
Today, the advocacy landscape is less about idealism and more about triage, grit and the endurance of caring under pressure.
By Lauren Abunassar
“Talking about art and creativity is not secondary or tertiary to Islam. It’s primary to Islam. There is a place in Islam for levity. There is a place for celebrating beauty.”
By Joseph Fahim
The cornerstone of works by diaspora filmmakers is identity and alienation, and intricate community dynamics in relation to diverse American environments. In the scant body of work by Arab Americans, these issues have never surpassed an elementary examination.
By Ben Bennett
“It’s just a Palestinian’s addiction. You just know [when] you go to your parents’ house, you’ll have a couple big jugs of homemade olive oil.”
By Gawhara Abou-eid
All evening, the sold-out venue felt like a citywide inside joke finally getting told out loud.
By Elissa Odeh
“It’s one thing to go to protests and give presentations, but to be able to help my people through henna — and for this business to be recognized as advocacy, as power for the people — that’s something truly meaningful.”
By Kenza Bousseloub
At three cafés in South Philadelphia, North African men gather for coffee, company and Kabyle music.
By Gawhara Abou-eid
“When performed with authenticity, raqs sharqi becomes a form of empowerment, an act of reclaiming the beauty and strength of the feminine and honoring the deep humanity that this dance expresses.”
By Ben Bennett
The 2030 census will include a new racial category: ‘MENA’. Until then, these interactive maps, based on data from the Pew Research Center, show where some of Philadelphia’s SWANA communities have settled.
By Lauren Abunassar
“I think something that draws me to glass so much is that it is a very experience-based medium where the process itself is so captivating and exhilarating and fun, but also difficult. When you make the work, you're aware that there is a very large chance you're not going to get anything from it. Something may break, something may not exist at the end.”
Within the context of organizing, the problem with ceasefires is that they feel like victory. If the problem is defined as "too much killing," then less killing appears to be progress. But the "quiet" periods between military assaults are also a form of violence.
By Elissa Odeh
At his show, Al-Rayess joked about one of the biggest cultural pressures in Arab culture — getting married. “I’m almost 30, so the questions never stop. Back home I would’ve been married to my cousin by now.”
By Gawhara Abou-eid
The farm supports immigrant and refugee families in Norristown, as well as other residents, through hands-on agriculture, nutrition education and culturally relevant crop production.
By Joseph Fahim
“One Battle After Another” is not just about the U.S. — it’s a fable about the failure of the left worldwide. And for the Arab viewer, it’s impossible to watch the film without drawing comparisons to our own failures in the Arab Spring.