Arab American Café

According to Wikipedia, the Qudoūd Ḥalabīya, literally means “musical measures of Aleppo” and are based on old religious melodies collected mainly by Aleppine musicians. Their themes are most often love, longing and spirituality. The lyrics vary according to the type of event, be it for religious or entertainment purposes. Singers use deep vocals to reach a peak while holding a long note or repeating a phrase, sending their audiences into what is referred to as tarab, or exultation. Qudoud is a vital part of Aleppan culture and is viewed as a source of resilience, particularly during war. 
The UNEESCO inscribed Qudoud in 2021 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Listen to Mouhanad in the podcast talking about this interesting topic, especially for those of us who are in love with traditional Arabic music.

 Please support our work by subscribing and rating this podcast. For more episodes visit ArabAmericanCafe.com. You can also send your email to [email protected], or connect with us on twitter @CafePodcasts

The military build-up and potential for a war between Russia and Ukraine, and by default the west, was the topic of discussion with Mohamad Hasan. Mr. Hasan is a veteran journalist who has worked in many Arabic TV stations as a correspondent based in Moscow. We will hear the narrative from Russia’s perspective. Will there be war? There is an answer, we invite you to listen and enjoy. 

Please support our work by subscribing and rating this podcast. For more episodes visit ArabAmericanCafe.com. You can also send your email to [email protected], or connect with us on twitter @CafePodcasts

In total, the World Health Organization has collected data from more than 5,900 studies surrounding Covid-19 from all over the world. But despite the data, pandemic falsehoods are still circulating. In this episode, we will go over few of the questions sent to us, debunk some of the myths and counter with scientific facts about the disease and vaccines.

‏الإشاعات والأخبار الخاطئة حول فيروس كورونا تواصل الانتشار وخاصة عبر وسائل الاتصال ‏الاجتماعي مما يؤدي إلى عدم الجدية في التعاطي مع الجائحة

‏في هذه الحلقة نتناول بالتفصيل بعضًا من ‏هذه الإشاعات ‏ونحاول الإجابة على عدد من الأسئلة التي وردتنا وبأسلوب علمي

 We invite you to listen and enjoy. Please support our work by subscribing and rating this podcast. For more episodes visit our website ArabAmericanCafe.com. You can send your email to [email protected], or connect with us on twitter @CafePodcasts 

In this podcast, we host Mr. Amer Zahr, an Arab American activist, community organizer, stand-up comedian, writer, lawyer, and university professor. Hassan and Nabil tackle with Amer issues related to identity, activism, and politics. He will share with us his impressions and encounters in an entertaining conversation which, we promise, will inform you and keep you engaged.
We invite you to listen and enjoy. Please support our work by subscribing and rating this podcast. For more episodes visit ArabAmericanCafe.com. You can also send your email to [email protected], or connect with us on twitter @CafePodcasts

The great Edward Said wrote: “I have never known what is Arabic or English, or which one was really mine beyond any doubt. What I do know, however, is that the two have always been together in my life, one resonating in the other, sometimes ironically, sometimes nostalgically, most often each correcting, and commenting on, the other. Each can seem like my absolutely first language, but neither is”. 

Arab American youth are a complex and diverse population, often misunderstood, misclassified and misrepresented. These youth face a challenging socio-political climate, psychological and emotional stressors, some of which can affect their ability to embrace their Arab identity. Today’s podcast is a conversation between 3 accomplished college students: Layal Bou Harfouch from John Hopkins University and Omar Fehmi from the University of Michigan, both National Co-Presidents of NAAMA NextGen, and Bushra Habbas-Nimr, President of Empowered Arab Sisterhood at the University of Michigan. We will hear their perspective and learn about their hopes and aspirations for their generation of Arab Americans.

We invite you to listen and enjoy. Please support our work by subscribing and rating this podcast. For more episodes visit ArabAmericanCafe.com. You can also send your email to [email protected], or connect with us on twitter @CafePodcasts

American has experienced something unprecedented on January 6, 2021. That’s when Trump loyalists stormed the Capitol causing death and destruction. Hassan revisits what happened then, and what followed, and describes the political landscape and potential future repercussions.

We invite you to listen and enjoy. Please support our work by subscribing and rating this podcast. For more episodes visit our website ArabAmericanCafe.com. You can send your email to [email protected], or connect with us on twitter @CafePodcasts 

In this conversation Drs Hassan, Mouhanad & Nabil put their thoughts together to answer some questions about COVID: how far and how fast the new wave will go? And how will it continue to impact our daily lives? What new scientific developments to look forward to? And what to expect from policymakers in this uphill battle?

في حوار اليوم سوف نحاول الإجابة على خمسة أسئلة: 

 - اوميكرون، ‏سرعة الانتشار، مدته، والتأثير المتوقع بشكل عام

- ‏الانجازات العلمية قيد البحث لمكافحة الوباء بما فيها الجرعة المعززة والعلاجات القادمة

- ‏التغييرات المتوقعة في حياتنا اليومية والتوصيات الصحية

- ‏الأولويات المرجوة لدى الادارة وصانعي القرار فيما يتعلق بمكافحة الوباء

- عام ٢٠٢٢، احسن ‏أم أسوأ من العام المنصرم؟ 

 We invite you to listen and enjoy. Please support our work by subscribing and rating this podcast. For more episodes visit our website ArabAmericanCafe.com. You can send your email to [email protected], or connect with us on twitter @CafePodcasts 

We are addicted…

We like our Dopamine, and we seek more of it. But this comes with a price. In this episode we learn about this topic and try to draw some conclusions about those habits we are essentially conflicted with!

  لا يهم ما إذا كان الدواء الذي تختاره هو شرب الخمر أو  الهيروين ، أو التسوق في أمازون ، أو ربما مجرد القراءة . كل منهم له

 نفس التأثير على عقلك. كلها تؤدي إلى إفراز الدوبامين الذي يجعلك تشعر بالرضا ، وكلما كنت تتوق إلى هذا الشعور الجيد  كلما استهلكت أكثر في سعيك وراء المزيد منه 

 … إذن نحن مدمنون 

 We invite you to listen and enjoy. Please support our work by subscribing and rating this podcast. For more episodes visit our website ArabAmericanCafe.com. You can send your email to [email protected], or connect with us on twitter @CafePodcasts 

The talk of the Café this time was about international politics. The conversation with our international affairs correspondent based in Moscow, Mohamad Hassan, covered the US/European row with Russia over Ukraine, the recent Biden-Putin summit, the refugees in Belarus, and some insight about Arabic news media.

We invite you to listen and enjoy. Please support our work by subscribing and rating this podcast. You can send us an email to [email protected], or connect with us on twitter @AACafepodcasts. 

Philanthropy is a gift of time, talent, or treasure. While most philanthropy takes place every day by ordinary people, what often gets the attention are mega-donations by “elite” to elite causes. Moreover, the tax incentives and agendas associated with “charitable giving” raises several ethical questions. That said, the act of selfless giving ought to be encouraged and applauded. The Arab culture is rich of those examples, from helping relative and acquaintances, to contributing to local charities and places of faith and worship, to donating to causes impacting the society at large.

 The Center for Arab American Philanthropy (CAAP) is a national community foundation focused on uniting and strengthening the collective power of Arab American giving. This institution may prove to be a paradigm shift in the way Arab Americans can practice philanthropy. Today’s conversation with Mrs. Maha Freij, the Founder and Director of CAAP will cover all these points and more.

We invite you to listen and enjoy. Please support our work by subscribing and rating this podcast. You can send us an email to [email protected], or connect with us on twitter @AACafepodcasts.