IMEU Institute for Middle East Understanding
From the young age of three, Samar Haddad King has used dance and movement as a tool for self-expression. Growing up Palestinian-American in the diaspora, King found that movement helped overcome communication barriers: “When we were younger and didn’t all have a common language yet, I found it interesting how dance or movement could transcend language.”
Tanoreen’s owner, Rawia Bishara, was born in Nazareth and followed her husband to the United States in 1973. In 1998, after raising two children, she opened the place with only ten seats.
Reflecting on his career and writing, Bisharat explains, “Fighting injustice is what inspires me professionally, personally and creatively through my legal career, as an educator and as a musician.”
Palestinian-American law professor turned blues musician George Bisharat has a new album out on July 16. Taking the blues world by storm as Big Harp George, his latest record, Uptown Cool, is already creating a lot of buzz. Alternative Facts is the first video off the album, a biting parody about living in a post-truth world brought on by the Trump administration.
Chicago-based professor Iymen Chehade is devoted to telling the story of Palestine and the fight against Israeli apartheid through college classrooms and his new project, Uprising Theater, a space where art will amplify struggles for social justice. "When you work on Palestine here, it's as if you're resisting over there."
Chicago-based Palestinian-American chef Abeer Najjar creates fusion dishes inspired by her Palestinian upbringing, using food to keep her heritage alive. “Our narrative as Palestinians is being erased.”
The second edition of Tatreetz & Tea, a book on the history of Palestinian embroidery, is set to be released later this month. Tatreez & Tea, a U.S.-based initiative dedicated to preserving Palestinian embroidery (tatreez), folk art, and storytelling, celebrates the release of its second edition book this June 30th.
Motorists entering the 101 in San Francisco’s upper market will soon see a large, vibrant wall with kids climbing over it. The wall is part of a mural being painted by artist Chris Gazaleh on a residential building owned by Ron Dudum...
After 40 years of entrepreneurial work in employee benefits, magazine publishing, and software development, Saleh decided to focus his determination on creating an institution where, in his words, “Palestinian artistic achievement is celebrated as part of the rich diversity of people and cultures that make up the United States.”