Arabs & Arabian Records Aggregator. Chronicler. Milestones of the 25 Countries of the Arabic Speaking World (official / co-official). AGCC. MENA. Global. Ist's to Top 10's. Records. Read & Enjoy./ www.arabianrecords.org
Egypt’s Grand Mosque in the New Administrative Capital
According to the explanation, Egypt’s Grand Mosque obtained three international certificates from the Guinness World Records.
The first was for the largest pulpit in the world with a height of 16.6 meters, handcrafted from the finest types of wood.
The second and third were for the main chandelier of the mosque, being the heaviest chandelier in the world of 50 tons, and it being the largest chandelier with a diameter of 22 meters and four levels.
Egypt’s Islamic Cultural Center in the New Administrative Capital
Egypt’s Islamic Cultural Center in the New Administrative Capital is a great achievement and one of the most important projects established in the New Administrative Capital.
The Islamic Cultural Center was established in the new capital on an area of 15,000 square meters. It has a large place for services, as well as a group of spacious and multi-storey garages, with a capacity of about 4,000 cars.
Saudi Arabia has stepped up measures to increase the scope of halal foods following the partnership of Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization, also known as SASO, with several entities, the agency said.
“More than 60 accredited entities from around the world work with us in the halal sector,” Nawaf Al-Shahri, head of the conformity assessment body acceptance department at SASO, told Arab News.
This information was revealed on the sidelines of the Thai Trade Exhibition Riyadh 2023, a four-day event that began on Aug. 27 at the Riyadh International Convention & Exhibition Center.
Al-Shahri further elaborated that SASO’s primary role in this sector involves accrediting entities responsible for issuing certificates for halal products beyond the Kingdom’s borders.
This responsibility complements the Food and Drug Authority’s task of certifying imported products in Saudi Arabia.
The authority is currently assessing the competence of these entities and will subsequently grant them a certificate of acceptance based on their qualifications. The Halal Center will then oversee their operations, both within their offices and in practical settings.
Winai Dahlan, founding director of the Halal Science Center, Chulalongkorn University, highlighted that there has been a noticeable increase in interest in halal meat among Thais in recent decades.
In 2003, the establishment of the cabinet marked a significant milestone in the evolution of halal products in Thailand.
He indicated that the growing interest in halal meat among Thais is fundamentally rooted in religious considerations.
In 1995, he founded the Halal Science Center at Chulalongkorn University to create a hub for the advancement of halal science in Thailand.
The principal duties of the center encompass the research and development of halal science and technology aimed at supporting the expansion of the industry while ensuring the quality and safety of the specialized products.
The halal products sector stands as one of the world’s fastest-growing industries, with a projected 6.1 percent increase in spending on food and beverages, anticipated to reach $1.9 trillion by 2023.
Islamic spending on halal pharmaceuticals was $87 billion in 2017 and is expected to reach $131 billion by 2023. Meanwhile, spending on cosmetics was $61 billion in 2017 and is projected to reach $90 billion by 2023.
Dr. Yousuf Al-Harbi, director of the Halal Center, affirmed that halal meat is a societal norm in Saudi Arabia.
He pointed out that the center aims to meet halal food requirements, adding that they are continually confident that “any local product we guarantee is 100 percent halal.”
“We have several initiatives, especially regarding the reliability of Halal food, from farm to consumer table, confirming that their experience in this area is thriving,” said Al-Harbi.
He said they are committed to ensuring that meats and poultry are slaughtered and stored according to Islamic law.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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This discussion was held at the Thai Trade Exhibition Riyadh 2023, a four-day event that began on Aug. 27 at the Riyadh International Convention & Exhibition Center. (Huda Bashatah
Ahmed Hussen came to Canada from Somalia as a refugee. Now he’s the new minister of immigration.
Along with thousands of compatriots, Ahmed Hussen fled war-ravaged Somalia for a better life in Canada.
Hussen’s journey took him from Mogadishu to Toronto and then on to Ottawa’s Parliament Hill, where the former Somali refugee was named this week as the country’s newest minister of immigration in a reshuffle of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Cabinet.
It was a fast political rise for the rookie politician, and will put Hussen, who arrived in Canada in 1993 as a 16-year-old, in charge of the complex portfolio that oversees who is welcomed into the country.
Friends say the lawyer and social activist will be able to draw from personal experience in his new role.
Mahamad Accord, who has known Hussen for years through his work with the Canadian Somali Congress, says his friend has not forgotten his modest roots despite walking Canada’s corridors of power.
“He didn’t change,” he says. “The people around him changed.”
Accord recalls Hussen offering him help a few years back. The Somali community in the provinces of Ontario and Alberta were struggling to tackle the deaths of dozens of young Somali men due to drug and gun violence.
He says Hussen did not shy away from speaking openly about the problems plaguing the Somali community in Canada, from high rates of poverty and unemployment to gang involvement.
But Hussen was also aware of how the community could be stigmatised, and was always careful in how he spoke and presented himself. Accord says his friend would tell him “we need to change people’s perception of us”.
“He expects high standards,” he says.
Accord admits he was sometimes jealous of the lawyer and social activist’s ability to get across a difficult message diplomatically.
It was that ability that struck former Ontario politician George Smitherman when he first met Hussen in 1999. Hussen was then fighting for the interest of Regent Park, a multi-ethnic neighbourhood in downtown Toronto where he had settled with one of his brothers upon his arrival in Canada.
In 2015, he told the Toronto Star that a backlog in refugee applications for permanent residency at the time meant he could not qualify for a student loan. Living in the public housing allowed him to save enough to go to university.
Hussen lobbied to help secure funds to revitalise the crime-ridden housing project, co-founding the Regent Park Community Council.
Some long-time residents had to move out of their homes during the redevelopment and were fearful they would not be able to return; Hussen worked to ensure their interests were protected.
“There was an extraordinary tension because there was distrust and concerns among tenants,” recalls Smitherman. “Ahmed had to very carefully but forcefully represent their interests.”
Smitherman, who calls the 40-year-old Mr Hussen an “old soul”, later helped him land a job working with former Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty.
“He was someone who spoke with a calmness and an informed knowledge and a maturity that defied his circumstances, both as someone who was young and someone who had taken this awesomely courageous step of leaving Africa for Canada.”
Mr Hussen swept his Toronto riding in November 2015, though he drew criticism for not living in the disadvantaged riding he was elected to represent.
Speaking last April in the House of Commons, he raised concerns about the recent drowning death of hundreds of migrants from Somalia and the Horn of Africa, saying: “Asylum seekers are not criminals. They are human beings in need of protection and assistance and deserving of our respect”.
Smitherman sees Hussen’s background as both an asset and a possible disadvantage in the challenging portfolio.
“It sets up for tensions also as expectations are increased,” he says.
Following his swearing-in, Mr Hussen, the father of three boys, told media he was “extremely proud of our country’s history as a place of asylum, a place that opens its doors and hearts to new immigrants and refugees”.
Hussen has always referred to himself as a Canadian first and Somali second, says Accord. In 2015 Mr Hussen told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation that he does not want to be labelled a “Somali MP”.
“I’m a Canadian. Somali is my heritage and I’m proud of my heritage but I have a lot to contribute to Canada. And I’m a mainstream guy. I’m not limited by my community,” he said.
Hussen replaces John McCallum, a veteran politician who is going to become Canada’s envoy to China after managing Trudeau government efforts to bring in over 39,000 Syrian refugees in the last 13 months.
“The real message of the new appointment is that the government wishes to profile refuges as a more salient part of our immigration program,’ says Jeffrey Reitz, a University of Toronto sociology professor.
“But it does raise the question of the mainstream immigration programme,” he says.
The rookie minister will face challenges in the key, and rarely uncontroversial, portfolio.
McCallum recently introduced contentious changes to Canada’s popular family reunification programme, replacing a first-come, first-serve process with a lottery system to randomly choose 10,000 people who filled out initial applications to express interest. Critics say that reuniting families should not depend on luck of the draw.
Another recent decision to scrap a rule limiting how long foreign workers can stay in Canada is being targeted by the opposition as potentially harmful to the country’s work force in the long run. Immigrant rights groups have been critical of the programme, arguing the workers under the program are vulnerable to abuse by employers.
He will also have to defend a recent Liberal decision to significantly reduce the number of private sponsorship applications for Syrian and Iraqi refugees because of a current backlog.
Canada plans to bring in 300,000 immigrants in 2017, the majority of them economic immigrants.
source/content: bbc.com (headline edited)
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Ahmed Hussen is Canada’s new minister of immigration in Justin Trudeau’s government / pix: AP
Last week’s Arabian Flavour Festival in the Dutch capital celebrated Arab culture, cuisine, crafts
‘It’s all about sharing love, identity and culture,’ organizer tells Arab News
The first edition of the Arabian Flavour Festival took place in Amsterdam last Saturday.
In an intimate outdoor setting, the festival celebrated the diversity and richness of Arab culture, cuisine and crafts.
Organizer Shadow, originally from Syria, said his aim is to create a platform for promoting both international and Middle Eastern artists, for people to mingle and to share their cultures through storytelling and arts.
Set in the idyllic Tolhuis garden, a cultural and culinary meeting place in Amsterdam, the one-day event welcomed over 1,000 visitors from different backgrounds.
Organized by The Shadow Projects, the festival featured two stages with performances by dancers, singers and poets, along with a dabke workshop, pop-up food and merchandise, all within an Arabian atmosphere.
“It’s called Arabian Flavour because there’s a flavor of Arabic culture, but at the same time it’s an opportunity for people to integrate,” Shadow told Arab News.
“There’s always a performance other than Arabic to let people understand that this isn’t an Arabic party (but) just an Arabian Flavour.”
The idea started after Shadow starred in the documentary “The Story Won’t Die” about Syrian artists in Europe and America, from award-winning filmmaker David Henry Gerso.
In 2021, because of Shadow’s efforts, the documentary was showcased at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, whereafter the concept gained more and more traction.
Initially, it began as a gathering showcasing talents at home, but expanded to various stages throughout Amsterdam, and now the Arabian Flavour Festival is the biggest such festival in Europe, according to Shadow.
The organization places significant emphasis on diversity and inclusion. “If you’re an Arabic singer who isn’t well known, you don’t have work anymore if you move to Europe,” he said, adding that Bottom of Form the festival is open to whoever wants to perform.
The organizers state: “It is magical to see people who share their passion, and it is most important that they express themselves authentically.”
Among the performers was DJ Maherrie, a Syrian DJ who amazed the audience with a fusion of Middle Eastern melodies and modern European rhythms to raise awareness of his heritage.
Dutch singer-songwriter Maxine Zain shared her hopes of inspiring people with her heartfelt songs, and specifically highlighted her enjoyment in seeing traditional Arabic music connecting well with the artistry of Dutch artists like herself.
Pauline Koning, a passionate self-taught Dutch musician and belly dancer, made an impact with her performance of her own song “Kefaya Ghyab.”
In her music, she blends Arabic, Western, and Yemeni musical elements, drawing inspiration from her nostalgic love for Umm Kulthum, and praises the language’s poetic nature and rich emotional vocabulary.
The Arab tradition of belly dancing, Koning said, “represents a powerful symbol of empowerment for all women, not only embodying archetypes but also having the power to transfer certain emotions.”
Shadow earned his name for his ability to bring subcultures from the shadow into the light, and the event lived up to this name as confirmed by visitors’ reviews. “I’m very curious about Arab culture. It’s a refreshing perspective opposite Dutch traditions,” said one visitor.
Another visitor attended the festival as an opportunity to connect with language partners and practice Arabic.
Three friends from Yemen were interested to meet Dutch people and exchange stories about their respective cultures.
Aside from the Arabian Flavour Festival, they also host monthly Arabian Flavour Nights. “The dream is to, in the next year or so, organize a three-day festival,” but in the end “it’s all about sharing love, identity and culture,” Shadow said.
All the projects are funded by the Amsterdam Fund for the Arts.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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The first edition of the Arabian Flavour Festival took place in Amsterdam last Saturday. (Instagram/@theshadow.amsterdam)
Throughout history, Algerian women have fought injustice at work, in the home and on the battlefields, yet their contributions are relatively uncelebrated.
Throughout Algeria’s history under French colonialism, women played a vital role in the quest for self-determination, as well as in protecting and developing the country’s culture and traditions.
This was particularly apparent during the War of Independence (1954-1962), when Algerians fought to free the North African country from 132 years of French rule in a battle that would come to represent the epitome of fierce revolutionary resistance.
Driven by the resolve to liberate Algeria at all costs, women took to combat in an expansive range of roles including as paramilitary fighters, transporters, fundraisers, nurses, cooks and communicators.
One of the many tactics often adopted by female agents during the war was to act as communicators between the Algerian soldiers and the population as a whole, in order to raise funds and propagate news about the revolution. Ironically, by taking part in such high-risk operations, Algerian women strategically subverted the colonial stereotype of the tepid and submissive native woman afforded to them by the unsuspecting French army.
On 5 July 1962, the revolution ended in liberation for Algeria. But while one battle ended, others would soon begin for the country’s female population.
Algerian women would continue to actively engage in national politics in the years following independence, fighting patriarchy, misogyny and political alienation by ex-fellow combatants who were dismissive of their seat at the governing table of the new state.
Despite the many obstacles Algerian women have faced, they have remained socially and politically active. This can be seen by the return of women to the political forefront at the launch of the popular movement, known as Hirak, as well as the Revolution of Smiles.
The protests were triggered by former-president Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s announcement on 10 February 2019 that he would seek a fifth term in office. The Hirak succeeded in ousting Bouteflika, but the struggle to bring the structure of the entire regime down continues.
Despite their enormous historical contributions, Algeria’s iconic women remain somehow uncelebrated outside of the Grand Maghreb and the Arab world.
Here are eight revolutionary Algerian women whose defiance of social and gender norms has cemented their place in history.
Lalla Fadhma N’Soumer (1830-1863)
Lalla Fatma N’Soumer is renowned as an icon of female armed militancy (Wikicommons/ean Geiser/pd-us)
Born into a family of religious marabouts in 1830 (during the fall of Algeria to French colonisation) in a town called Soumer in the Kabylie region, Lalla Fadhma N’Soumer is renowned as an icon of female armed militancy and an Islamic religious authority of her time.
Known for her intellect and ferocity, she led the first wave of resistance (1850-1857) against the French after the death of Cherif Boubaghla in a battle on 26 December 1854.
While her enemies called her the Joan of Arc of the Djurdjura mountains for her military campaigns, she was also referred to as “lalla” or “lady” to signify her honour and sanctity.
In her article about Lalla N’Soumer, author Samia Touati recounts that on the day she was captured by the French army, Marshal Jacques Louis Cesar Alexandre Randon (1795- 1871) asked Lalla N’Soumer why her men violently resisted the French troops.
She replied: “God wanted it. It is neither your fault, nor mine. Your soldiers went out of their ranks to penetrate my village. Mine defended themselves. I’m now your captive. I have no reproach to you. You shouldn’t have any reproach to me. It was written this way!”
Zoulikha Oudai (1911-1957)
Zoulikha Oudai is known in Algeria as “mother of martyrs” (Creative commons/memoria)
Born Yamina Echaib in 1911 to an educated family in Hadjout, Zoulikha’s commitment to freedom fighting began as a mediator between the National Liberation Front (FLN) and the Algerian population.
A nationalist party formed in 1954 and which went on to rule Algeria after independence, the FLN initially resisted French colonialism through paramilitary guerrilla warfare.
The secrecy of Algerian independence operations warranted the need for mediators such as Oudai to contact Algerian families individually and confidentially to raise funds for the FLN.
In October 1957, the French army arrested Oudai and tortured her for ten days.
After refusing to divulge secret information, French soldiers pushed her from a helicopter, earning her the title of “mother of martyrs”.
Algerian writer Assia Djebar evokes the figure of Zoulikha Oudai in her 1977 film, La nouba des femmes du Mont Chenoua (The Nouba of the Women of Mount Chenoua) and her 2002 novel, La femme sans sepulture (The Woman Without a Tomb).
Djamila Bouhired (1935-present)
Djamila Bouhired was a militant during the war (AFP)
Born in 1935 in the historic neighbourhood of Al-Casbah in Algiers, militant Djamila Bouhired showed signs of political leadership in the early years of her childhood. As a pupil in a French school, Bouhired once rebelliously sang “Algeria is our mother” instead of “France is our mother.”
At the age of 20, Bouhired enthusiastically joined the FLN and later on the Fedayeen (armed militants) to take part in guerrilla warfare against the French colonists.
After she was arrested in 1957, Bouhired was tortured by being beaten, burnt and electrocuted at the Rheims prison where she was incarcerated.
Worldwide, activists marched to demand the release of Bouhired. Renowned Syrian poet NizarQabbani, Egyptian filmmaker Youssef Chahine, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev and Egyptian president Gamal AbdelNasser all called for her release.
She was honoured by key personalities in the region: Nasser once received her in Egypt, Qabbani wrote a poem about her, the Lebanese musician Fairuz dedicated a song to her, and Chahine directed the 1958 film, Jamila, the Algerian, about her life. Bouhired was also featured in the 1966 Italian-Algerian production, The Battle of Algiers.
But after independence she was deliberately alienated from the political scene by fellow male FLN combatants. Bouhired decided to fight yet another battle against Bouteflika’s election when she marched alongside young student activists last year.
Exasperated by the injustice of patriarchy, Bouhired asserted women’s role in liberating Algeria by announcing during protests last year: “Our blood is the same as men’s. Our blood is not water. Our blood is blood.”
Louisette Ighilahriz
Louisette Ighilahriz’s memoire released in 2000 ignited a conversation in France on torture (AFP)
Born in 1936, militant and author Louisette Ighilahriz devoted her youth to helping the Algerian revolution by working as a courier to transport the FLN’s documents and weapons.
Ighlahriz documented her incarceration and torment at the hands of the French army in her autobiography, Algerienne. This account not only testifies to women’s active engagement during the Algerian war, but it also highlights the widespread use of torture committed by the French, which was finally acknowledged in 2018.
It was decades before Ighilahriz was finally ready to speak about the horrors she faced. In her book she gives a painful account of the dehumanising treatment, the beating and rape at the hands of French army captain Jean Graziani, while in prison.
In addition to the physical torment, Ighilahriz was forced to live in her own excrement: “My urine leaked through the sheet covering the bed, my excrement mixed with my menstrual blood and formed a stinking crust” which pushed her to the edge of insanity.
This account of torture is similar to other narratives on the experiences of other activists, including the biography, Pour Djamila Bouhired, by Jacques Verges (1957) La question by Henri Alleg (1961) and Djamila Boupacha (1962) by Gisele Halimi. Ighilahriz was, however, the first Algerian woman to speak out about rape in a personal autobiography.
Today, the 83-year-old remains active, talking about the betrayal of the revolution by its own militants after independence and participating in today’s revolution.
Zohra Drif (1934-present)
Born into an upper-class family in 1934, it was retired lawyer and politician Zohra Drif’s education that led her to develop staunch feminist and anti-colonial positions that propelled her active engagement with the FLN.
In her memoir, Inside the Battle of Algiers, Drif recounts the joys of having access to information on resistance while at university:
“We finally had access to the publications of the many parties and associations comprising our national movement: the UDMA’s La Republique Algerienne, the PPA-MTLD’s L’Algerie Libre; and El Bassair, published by the oulema. The press brought us information, opinion pieces, and analyses from various perspectives, while lectures by the very individuals engaged in the early struggle gave us the means to separate the wheat from the chaff.”
After independence, Drif continued her political engagement both as a lawyer and as a member of the Algerian Council of the Nation. Her autobiography Memoirs of a combattant of the ALN: Autonomous zone of Algiers is a testimony of her struggle during the Algerian revolution. Her feminist activism continued after independence as a critic of some of the government’s policies.
When a new Islamic family code was proposed in 1981 that would ultimately limit women’s rights within the household, Drif joined fellow feminists as they swarmed the streets of Algiers calling it “the infamy code”.
Drif also joined the masses that marched against former president Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s bid for a fifth term in Algeria last year, calling for the president’s resignation and opposing having a military state.
Salima Ghezali (1958-present)
Salima Ghezali fought against fundamentalism during the 1990’s civil war in Algeria (Creative Commons/Claude TRUONG-NGOC)
A founding member of the group Women in Europe and the Maghreb and president of the Association for the Advancement of Women, in Algiers, Salima Ghezali is known for her active role in fighting against fundamentalism during the 1990s civil war in Algeria.
The rise of Islamist patriarchy in Algeria was demarcated, on the political scene, by the proposition of a new family code in 1981 which designated the male patriarch as the head of each family, thus giving him authority over women.
Working as the editor of Algerian French-language weekly La Nation put Ghezali’s life in great danger because of her unyielding political opposition to the government of ex-president Chadli Bendjedid and the Islamist party (FIS). Her dissent against censorship infuriated both the Islamists and government officials.
Ghezali’s bravery as a journalist and a feminist was acknowledged worldwide; she received accolades from the World Press Review and the European parliament.
Nour El houda Dahmani and Nour El houda Oggadi
Today’s revolution is built on the back of the struggles of the past. The young students Nour El houda Dahmani and Nour El houda Oggadi are two women who joined the anti-corruption marches last year to demand long-overdue democratic reforms and a political system representative of its young population.
Law student and activist Nour El Houda Dahmani, 22, was arrested in September 2019 while marching in the Hirak student-led protests against the militarily imposed presidential elections.
Dhamani, who was holding a poster at the time of her arrest, reading: “All of the corrupt shall be held accountable”, soon became one of the many iconic faces of the Revolution of Smiles.
Although Dahmani stated that she was not mistreated in prison, the experience of incarceration was traumatic. She was supported by vast numbers of people, as she explained in an interview with Berbere Television: “When I read the articles written about me, and I heard that people marching in the Hirak were asking for my release, even my incarceration did not seem cruelly bad anymore.”
Upon her release, Dhamani only had one goal: to return to university despite missing an entire term.
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Like Dhamani, Nour El houda Oggadi is a student and activist who was arrested a couple of months later, on 19 December. She was charged with “demoralising the army” because of her social media posts and signs she carried while marching, which were part of demands calling for Algeria to function as a civilian, not a military state. Oggadi served 45 days in prison.
Prison did not deter Oggadi; after her release, she stated her pride in her role in this Hirak, which she describes as “the birth of a new generation.”
The two students became powerful symbols of female resistance in Algeria, just two in a long line of women fighting tyranny and injustice.
Platform aims to convey climate-change issues to Arabs in engaging ways using visual media.
The Arab Network for NGOs, in partnership with the Arab Gulf Program for Development, has launched the “Green in Arabic” media platform to raise awareness about climate change, Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.
The platform was launched under the patronage of AGFUND President Prince Abdulaziz bin Talal.
Hoda Al-Bakr, executive director of the Arab Network for NGOs, said that the initiative was in line with the recommendations of the first Arab Climate Forum in October 2022 and reflected the network’s efforts on climate adaptation and mitigation.
The platform aims to convey climate-change issues to Arabs in engaging ways, using video, graphics, infographics and other visual media.
AGFUND Executive Director Nasser Al-Qahtani said that AGFUND was an active member of Arab aid institutions. During the COP27 Climate Summit in Sharm El-Sheikh in November last year, it committed to providing cumulative joint financing to address climate challenges, he said.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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An Iraqi man walks past a canoe siting on dry, cracked earth in the Chibayish marshes near the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriyah on June 25, 2015. Marsh areas in southern Iraq have been affected since the Islamic State group started closing the gates of a dam on the Euphrates River in the central city of Ramadi, which is under the jihadist group’s control. AFP PHOTO / HAIDAR HAMDANI (Photo by HAIDAR HAMDANI / AFP) ./The “Green in Arabic” media platform aims to raise awareness about climate change. (File/AFP)
Algerian period drama The Last Queen and Iraqi film Hanging Gardens were among those recognised.
Films from Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt were among the top winners of this year’s Amman International Film Festival.
The Black Iris Awards ceremony was held on Tuesday at the Royal Film Commission in Amman. The event marked the conclusion of the fourth run of the festival. This year, the festival screened 56 films from 19 countries, including feature narratives, documentaries and short works. The films all marked their Jordanian premiere, with some making their worldwide or regional debut.
Hafreiat by Spanish filmmaker Alex Sarda was the winner of the Black Iris Audience Award for best foreign film. The documentary revolves around a Spanish archeological mission in northern Jordan where local workers excavate the land, working long hours for minute wages. At the centre of the story is Abo Dya, a Palestinian-Jordanian, working tirelessly to provide for his family, hoping to better their lives despite the criminal record that undermines his ambitions.
The Palestinian film Lyd, directed by Rami Younis and Sarah Ema Friedland, was named winner of two awards, including the Jury Award for best Arab feature documentary and the Fipresci Award, held in conjunction with the International Federation of Film Critics.
The film puts a spotlight on Lyd. A city with a 5,000-year history, Lyd was once a Palestinian capital and in the early 20th century was a thriving metropolis. Lyd highlights this rich history while also highlighting the bloodier aspects of its past, namely the massacres and expulsion of Palestinians by Israeli forces in 1948, after which the state of Israel was created and the city became known as Lod.
The documentary interviews survivors of the Nakba, Palestinians living in Lyd, as well as those in exile. The film juxtaposes the real-life footage with animation that treads into sci-fi territory, imagining what Lyd could have been like if not for the bloody events of the Nakba.
The Jury Award for Arab short film was given to two films – Hamza: A Ghost Chasing Me by Palestinian director Ward Kayyaland Trinou by Tunisian filmmaker Nejib Kthiri. The Black Iris for best Arab short, meanwhile, was granted to My Girlfriend by Egyptian filmmaker Kawthar Younis.
The Special Mention prize for first-time documentary editor was awarded to Zakaria Jaber, director and editor of Anxious in Beirut. The documentary explores the trauma endured by denizens of the Lebanese capital in a film that aims to find a semblance of coherence within the tumultuous effects that have gripped Beirut.
Fragments from Heavenby Moroccan filmmaker Adnane Baraka was named winner of the Black Iris Award for best Arab feature documentary. The film follows a group of Amazigh nomads in Morocco as they search for bits of a Martian meteorite that landed in the desert in 2013, hoping it would better their lives.
The Special Mention prize for first-time lead actor/actress was awarded to two talents. Lebanese actress Marilyn Naaman was awarded for her lead role in Mother Valley. The film, set in the Lebanese mountains in the mid-20th century, follows a young wife as she faces the pressures of patriarchal society.
Egyptian actress Rana Khattab was also awarded for her role in the film Rat Hole. The feature, directed by Egyptian filmmaker Mohamed El Samman, follows a telemarketer working for a non-profit organisation trying to convince people to donate to various causes. The film pulls the curtain on the darker side of the Egyptian non-governmental organisations that scam people on the pretence of charity donations.
The Special Mention prize for first-time scriptwriter was awarded to Algerian filmmaker Adila Bendimerad, the director of the period drama The Last Queen. Bendimerad wrote the script for the acclaimed film with Algerian director Damien Ounouri.
The Iraqi film Hanging Gardenswon the Jury Award for Arab feature narrative. Directed by Ahmed Yassin Al Daradji, the film revolves around a 12-year-old boy who scavenges a landfill for sellable metal and plastic. He comes across a human-size doll, presumably brought and left behind by US soldiers. The boy names the doll Salwa and decides to keep and care for it; bathing it and trying to keep it from prying eyes. Soon, however, his secret is revealed, and he is in the crossfire of those who want to take Salwa for themselves, those who seek to commercialise from it, as well as those who want to obliterate it.
Finally, the Black Iris prize for best Arab feature was awarded to Ashkal. Directed by Youssef Chebbi, the crime thriller is set in Tunis and follows two police officers as they try to unravel the mystery behind a series of self-immolation cases.
Three entrepreneurs share their stories as well as tips to succeed, regardless of background
Steve Jobs, Tony Fadell of iPod and Nest thermostat fame, and Taher Elgamal, the father of SSL technology, may be some of the most successful Arab Americans the global tech world has seen – but bit by bit, that picture is starting to change.
An emerging group of Arab-American women is increasingly taking up the tech mantle in a host of diverse fields.
A year spent in Kansas as a cultural exchange student at the age of 17 led to Morocco native Yasmine El Baggari feeling a profound need to help people connect.
“Most people [in Kansas] had never met someone from Morocco before. It felt like I was a cultural ambassador for Morocco at every opportunity,” she says.
The experience morphed into something more: a road trip to all 50 US states, during which she stayed with families and taught French and Arabic to get by, and later, a career that has seen her visit more than 45 countries – while securing a degree from Harvard University along the way.
All this led Ms El Baggari to found Voyaj, an online platform that fosters connections between people from diverse backgrounds in all corners of the globe.
“Once you build a human connection with someone, they’re more open to considering different perspectives … which is the basis of the work I continue to do: building and facilitating connections with people around the world,” she says.
Voyaj has collaborated with organisations to bring dozens of students from Africa to California for cultural exchange trips.
In March, Ms El Baggari raised more than $50,000 through a crowdfunding campaign involving more than 260 people from 40 countries to help fund the app.
Recently, Voyaj started working with non-profit Alight to help connect Afghan refugees recently arrived in Minnesota with local residents.
With the number of immigrants from the Middle East and North Africa in the US doubling over the past 20 years to 1.2 million, Arab-American women are set to play an increasing role in the tech and entrepreneurial landscape.
But getting to the top is not easy – just ask serial achiever Sherien Youssef.
Born and raised in Cairo, she emigrated to the US aged 11.
“My parents gave up a lot in Egypt to come here. They were comfortable there, but wanted a better life for their children,” she says.
Now living in a suburb of Washington, Ms Youssef is a senior executive and vice president at CGI, a major IT and consulting multinational that employs more than 90,000 people in about 40 countries.
It has taken serious determination to get to where she is.
“Growing up, being Arab American and being a Muslim, it wasn’t easy to find a person that looked like me [in this industry],” she says.
“It wasn’t very prevalent in my field. When you come as an immigrant, you have a desire to be constantly working harder and proving yourself over and over again.”
Today, her professional life consists of speaking at conferences, working closely with chief executives at partner companies and mentoring staff.
Having raised a family, grown her career and secured an MBA, she says there is still room for change.
“This is still a male-dominated field. We don’t see as many women in the C suites in the IT field,” she says.
Health and wellness is another area Arab-American women are making inroads.
For 12 years, Megan Moslimani was a dedicated public servant, working as a lawyer for the city of Detroit and serving as a board member of the Detroit Bar Association.
But a trip to Los Angeles in 2016 made her realise health care and wellness were industries on the up, and that IV drip therapy could be a game-changer.
“We visited different medical spas for fun and to enjoy the luxury experience. I was impressed with the way you could feel instantly better and hydrated [from using the drips],” she says.
Last spring, Ms Moslimani, whose family arrived in the US from Lebanon in the early 19th century, and her colleague, Biane Bazzy, dove headfirst into their passion, opening the House of Drip & Wellness in Dearborn, Michigan.
American designer brings hijabs to the high street
Made popular by celebrities such as the Kardashians and Hailey Bieber, and appearing in popular TV shows such as Billions, restorative IV drip therapy is a way to get vitamins, electrolytes and other nutrients into the bloodstream quickly.
It is believed to help people recover more quickly from illnesses, jet lag, fatigue and other ailments.
“Clients feel results instantaneously as the drip directly enters the bloodstream, bypassing the digestive tract,” she says.
“People love instant gratification, and I knew all could benefit – athletes, tired mums, overworked professionals.”
Restorative IV drip therapy spas or “drip bars” are springing up in strip malls and neighbourhoods across the US. With the global wellness industry estimated to be worth about $1.5 trillion and expected to grow by 5 per cent to 10 per cent per year, IV drip therapy is set to become an important health recovery tool.
For Arab-American women thinking about starting out in the tech and entrepreneurial worlds, the trio have tips to share.
Ms Moslimani says it is important to be prepared to spend money on the right things to grow your business.
“Look for attorneys offering pro bono hours and get real business law advice,” she says.
Ms El Baggari says getting past the stigma of asking for help is essential to succeeding as an entrepreneur.
“Don’t be afraid to ask for what you need – if people say no, that’s OK,” she says. “You want a clear sense of mission. Understand your ‘why?’”
For Ms Youssef, investing in yourself is key, “whether it’s in degrees and certificates, or in networks”.
“Oftentimes it’s the relationships and connections that you make will be the reason that you get to the next step in your career,” she says.
Last spring, Megan Moslimani and a colleague launched the House of Drip & Wellness in Dearborn, Michigan. Photo: Megan Moslimani
Yasmine El Baggari is the founder of Voyaj, an online platform that fosters connections between people from diverse backgrounds. Photo: Yasmine El Baggari
For Sherien Youssef, investing in yourself is key, ‘whether it’s in degrees and certificates, or in networks’. Photo: Sherien Youssef
A few days ago, Egyptian-American Sarah Shendi took an important step by becoming the first Egyptian Muslim police sergeant to serve in the US police service, setting an example for others like her.
Ohio has approximately 3,200 officers. Shendi joined them as the first Arab Muslim woman to hold the position of sergeant.
She had previously served with the Copley Township Police, and Ohio Governor Mike DeWine appointed her as the first director of the law enforcement and employment office in the state of Egyptian-Muslim descent.
The decision was warmly welcomed by the Arab community in the US, which in turn suffered for decades from marginalization due to the terrorist attack of September 11.
Shendi’s new rank marks a step forward.
She was born in Saudi Arabia and lived between Saudi Arabia and Egypt until she reached the age of six, and her family moved to the US in 1991.
Q: Why did you choose to be a policewoman?
A: Since we moved to the US in 1991, I have always been fascinated by law enforcement here in this country, especially because it’s so different from anywhere else in the world. I also fell in love with the uniform, and I always wanted to help others.
From my point of view I think it is the best job on the planet.
Q: What are the biggest issues that you faced on your way to becoming a policewoman?
A: I have learned that your greatest enemy is yourself and what goes on in your mind. I wish I had believed earlier in my life in this wise saying, then I would not have wasted so much time, doubting my decision, or trying to please others.
This is the secret of happiness and success in life.
Q: How difficult is it to be a Muslim woman in Western society?
A: Being a Muslim woman is difficult anywhere whether in a Western or Middle Eastern society. Women face special and unique challenges. Everywhere we go. I like to say pressure is a privilege. I’ll take a good challenge any day of the week. I believe in leading by example and doing the right thing. The rest is up to God. Always be confident, wise, honest and honorable.
Q: Usually, Arabs living in a foreign country face an identity crisis – did you?
A: I don’t really have an identity crisis because I’ve been living here for almost 30 years, I feel at home here in the US, and when I go to Egypt I feel at home there too.
I just love being around good people, I preferred being in the Middle East when I went on vacation last October because I love seeing mosques everywhere and hearing the call to prayer when it’s time to pray.
But I can’t say I’ve had an identity crisis. I am who I am, no matter where I live.
Q: Being a policewoman is risky. How did your family deal with your decision?
A: My family has been supportive of anything I choose to do since day one. They may not have welcomed my decision at first, but they still supported me. Then they saw how good I am at my job, and how much of a difference I make to the lives of the people around me. They started to understand why I love what I do.
Thank God I have the most amazing family and they have been so supportive in all my good and bad days.
Q: Did your family make sure that you speak Arabic since you speak the language well?
A: I think speaking Arabic is very important. My dad wouldn’t let us speak English at home growing up here in the US. At the time I didn’t know why, and I used to get resentful sometimes, but now as an adult, and being in law enforcement, I appreciate it so much because it allowed me to help so many people.
Q: Are there Egyptian customs that you adhere to in your family?
A: Although we have lived in the US for more than 30 years, we adhere to many cultural practices and do our best with our religion. I am proud to be Egyptian, proud to be Muslim, and also proud to be American. I love Egyptian culture and the Islamic religion and in my opinion this is what makes me a good policewoman.
Q: Have you ever been to Egypt on a visit with family?
A: The last time I went to Egypt with my family was about ten years ago or more. My sister chose to have her wedding in Egypt and it was a wonderful time with my family. We haven’t traveled together as a family since then, but I do go on vacations sometimes.
Q: What do you like most when visiting Egypt?
A: I love being around people who speak my language and have the same religion as mine. I feel at home when I visit Egypt. I also love hearing and speaking Arabic, seeing nice and kind people everywhere you go, I also love Egyptian food and landscapes. I am very proud of Egypt because it is where my parents were born and raised and they are the real reason I am where I am now.
Q: Are there specific Egyptian foods that you like very much?
A: I love my mom’s cooking the most. I love beans a lot and I also love koshari. I think Egyptian food is the best middle eastern food there is, and of course my mom is the best cook in the world.
Q: Do you follow any dramas in Egypt or about Egypt?
A: I don’t watch any Egyptian TV. But I listen to Egyptian singers like Amr Diab and Tamer Hosni.
Q: From your experience, what advice you would like to give to women in general?
A: Be yourself, be confident, and don’t give in to the pure pressures around you. We are surrounded by so much fakery on social media, on TV and in the entertainment industry, everyone wants to tell you what to wear, what to eat and drink, and how you are supposed to look. I would never listen to any of that because it’s not real advice, and it’s not healthy.
You will never find happiness through others. True happiness comes from within, knowing you are good enough. I will tell everyone in general to always work with pure intentions.
Religion is also very important to me and I always tell young people not to miss prayers for any reason. We get the chance to talk to God at least five times a day and this is not something we should take for granted. It’s a privilege.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
source: http://www.egyptindependent.com / Egypt Independent / Home> Features-Interviews> Main Slider / b Al-Masry Al-Youm / June 05th, 2023
.When you hear of Al-Andalus, you might think of Andalusia. And yet, from 711 to 1492, until the famous Fall of Granada, the Future Andalusia was only a small part of this vast Arab territory, whose influence can be seen everywhere in Spain. Let us take a tour.
Al-Andalus, a long series of powerful people
In the early 8th century, the Iberian Peninsula belonged to the Visigoth Empire, when the commanders of the Umayyad Caliphate (with a territory extending from the Arabian Peninsula to the Maghreb) set out to conquer the lands on the other side of the Mediterranean.
The Umayyad dynasty ruled in Al-Andalus (what would become Spain) for more than 300 years. It was suceeded by Taifas (independent kingdoms). The Abbasids, then the Almoravids, rose to power. In 1147, it was the Almohads who took over the empire. This proved to be a prosperous period, with great scholars, such as Averroes, a doctor, lawyer, and advisor to the Caliph. These scholars helped to make Al-Andalus a grand dominion. But the Christian reconquest gained ground. From 1238 to 1492, the Reconquista blazed on, and soon only the Emirate of Granada remained in southern Spain, the last vestige of the great Muslim empire.
From the north to the south of Spain, the Arab-Andalusian influence can be seen everywhere
One after the other, Cordoba, Seville and Granada became the capitals of the kingdom of Al-Andalus during the Middle Ages. Arab culture has permeated everything from traditional Andalusian music to the names of localities, and the Spanish language. But the most visible influence can of course be seen directly in the architecture of buildings and streets. Numerous vestiges, sometimes intact, sometimes remodelled, remain in the cities’ maze of streets, and this period of Spanish history has left prodigious monuments of Arab origin and fabulous examples of Islamic art. Many of these monuments bear a unique blend of cultural influences as they were renovated or repurposed over the centuries.
The most beautiful Arab monuments in Spain
The Arab Baths of Ronda, a magnificent ruin site
The hammam tradition was a cornerstone of Arab culture for centuries. From the 13th to the 15th century, several such baths were built in Spain. The baths of Ronda, in Andalusia, are one of the best examples, with their three magnificent barrel-vaulted rooms and visible heating and water circulation systems. The Guadalevín river, which often floods, has prevented these baths from being used, but excavations have been carried out, and now you can visit and admire some of the best-preserved Arab bathhouses in the country.
pix: P. Escudero / hemis.fr
Baños Árabes C. Molino de Alarcón 29400 Ronda Málaga +34 951 15 42 97 turismoderonda.es
The Alhambra of Granada, an extraordinary castle
On the Sabika hill, opposite the Albaicín district, stands the Alhambra of Granada, a majestic conglomeration of several buildings built in the early 12th century. The grandeur of the last Nasrid rulers is at its peak. Not to mention the sublime, breathtaking view over the plain of Granada!
The Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba, from Islam to Christianity
Another Muslim building, the Cordoba mosque is a symbol of Arab influence at its most grandiose. From the 8th century to 29 June 1236, the building served as a mosque, before becoming a church again following the Reconquista. Representative of the art of the Umayyads of Cordoba, it is a monumental structure, and it covers over 1.5 hectares. The building is a splendid example of Islamic architecture: the “forest of columns” in the main hall – 1,300 marble, jasper and granite columns – highlights the gargantuan size of the place.
The Mudejar art of Aragon, in the north of Spain, has been declared part of UNESCO’s World Heritage, and the Aljaferia in Zaragoza is one of its most flamboyant masterpieces. When it was built in the second half of the 11th century, this palace clearly displayed the magnificence of the Taifa of Zaragoza. It served as a residence, a fortified enclosure and a barracks. It currently houses the Parliament of Aragon. The palace’s interior decoration is gorgeous, with a series of delicate, refined arches.
pix: kasto80 / Getty Images Plus
Palacio de la Aljafería Calle de los Diputados 50003 Zaragoza +34 976 28 96 83 www.turismodearagon.com
The Seville Giralda, a perfect example of mixed construction
The architectural marriage of the Giralda, the bell tower of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the See in Seville, is immediately evident. The lower parts were built in the 12th century, when the city was the capital of the Arab-Andalusian empire, under the rule of the Almohads. Four centuries later the upper floor was added, and the mosque’s minaret became a bell tower. It is now an unspoken rule that no building should be higher than this symbol of Seville.
pix: marinzolich / Getty Images Plus
Catedral de Santa María de la Sede de Sevilla – Giralda Av. de la Constitución 41004 Sevilla +34 902 09 96 92 www.catedraldesevilla.es
