They are called Hayajan (Outburst) and their music is creative, deep and quite addictive. The lead singer is Alaa Wardi, an Iranian-Saudi a capella artist from Riyadh who built a strong following on YouTube with covers of Arab and Western songs. In 2011, he joined musicians in Jordan and recently launched their first album, "Ya Bay" The album features two great covers of Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd and Nude by Radiohead both with Arabic lyrics. Below is one of their most popular songs, Ween El Kalam.
National Public Radio (NPR) Foreign Correspondent Deborah Amos will share experiences and insights from covering the Arab Spring in appearances at CU-Boulder on January 16 and the Colorado School of Mines on January 17.
Amos’ lecture, “The Arab Spring and Islamism: Stories from the Syrian Frontline,” is especially timely given the civil war in Syria and its potential impacts worldwide.
She will speak at the University of Colorado Boulder on Wednesday, January 16 at 5 p.m. in Room 250 of t...
An interesting photo from the ongoing protests in Egypt against President Mursi's recent power grab.
A protester applies saline solution on soldier's face to heal him during clashes between CSF and protesters in Simon Bolivar Square, near US embassy and Tahrir Square, 28 November 2012. Photo by: Tarek Wageeh Continue reading...
The Muslims in the Mountain West Project is pleased to announce “Muslim Voices in the Heartland”, a 3-day event featuring discussion panels with local, regional and national Muslim writers, journalists, scholars, and activists. This event is hosted by the Center for Media, Religion and Culture and the Center for Asian Studies at the University of Colorado Boulder.Click here for the full schedule.
It's hard to believe in change in Egypt these days. The military is using the same lame tactics to derail the democratic process. Using an exaggerated fear of religious war (Muslims against Christians) to deflate attention from deficient leadership. This is sad.
I'm not sure what to make of Donald Rumsfeld's recent raucous interview with Al-Jazeera's Washington bureau chief, Abderrahim Foukara. Foukara didn't mince his words and asked Rumsfeld some tough questions about American responsibility in the killing of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis because "American troops did not properly secure the borders of Iraq." Rumsfeld's answer as Foukara kept insisting on an answer was to tell the reporter that it's in his "being" and nature to be disrespectful "b... Continue reading...
I'm delighted to see the Denver Post step up its coverage of the Muslim community in Colorado. The 3-day series "Muslims in America" by Eric Gorski chronicles the experience of Somali Muslim refugees in Fort Morgan and the impact of 9/11 a decade after. A quick look at the comments section online validates why this kind of reporting is much warranted. (it's amazing to me how someone can link Roe v. Wade to Somali refugees in Colorado). I believe most DP readers will appreciate the nuanced rea... Continue reading...
Bassem Youssef, an Egyptian heart surgeon turned media celebrity, will begin his new show Al Barnamag (the Show) on private channel On Tv tomorrow, the first day of Ramadan. The Show, a satirical take on news a la Jon Stewart, follows a remarkably successful show on Youtube Youssef hosted in his Cairo apartment in March in which he exposed the hypocrisy of political life and mocked the reaction of celebrities during the revolution. Youssef will have to thread carefully as he attempts to resto... Continue reading...
Arab and Muslim-American stand-up comedy is making some large inroads and AJE's One on One program has just featured one of its most prominent comedians, Ahmed Ahmed. Very interesting broadcast.
It was extremely painful to listen to Netanyahu's speech to Congress on Tuesday and see how U.S. representatives and senators eagerly cheered the Israeli prime minister's defiance and political arrogance. His categorical refusal to deal with the Palestinians now that Fatah and Hamas have united is reckless at best. Yes, Hamas is a radical organization that uses violence to achieve its ends, but it does play a critical role in Palestinian society, at times providing better social and economic ... Continue reading...
I was born and raised in Morocco. My research focuses on the intersections between Islam, Arab popular culture and the media. I'm currently an assistant professor in the School of Journalism at the University of Colorado-Boulder.
I was born and raised in Morocco. My research focuses on the intersections between Islam, Arab popular culture and the media. I'm currently an assistant professor in the School of Journalism at the University of Colorado-Boulder.
