Arts & Culture
Commentary on Film, Books, Art, Dance, Music and Culture.
Lesson for Iraq in the Asian Soccer Cup
by Caesar Chelala
NEW YORK, New York - Two very dissimilar events with contradictory results took place recently in Iraq, practically simultaneously: the withdrawal of five Sunni ministers from the so-called unity government of Nouri al-Maliki and the victory of the Iraqi national soccer team over Saudi Arabia for the Asian Soccer Cup. The first is indicative of the battle for power being waged among the factions present in that troubled country, while the second succeeded precisely because those factions were able to overcome th eir deep-seated differences and work towards a common goal. The politicians could learn a valuable lesson from the latter.
Cinema, Courtroom Reflect Wishes, Reality of Contemporary Turkey
In the recent film "Valley of the Wolves: Iraq," a Turkish James Bond figure makes much use of his license to kill, dispatching U.S. soldiers with ease and cool usually associated with 007's effortless slaughtering of gangs of KGB agents. Sinister Israelis are blasted as well, their trade being in the stealing of organs from Iraqi babies, provided to them by an obliging U.S. military when it is not too busy machine-gunning wedding parties. Grotesque as all this might seem, it has been the most popular Turkish movie in years, breaking all box office records within days of release.
By Jon Gorvett
Palestinian Hip-Hop Comes to DC
 ARAB and African hip-hop artists converged Dec. 16 at Washington, DC's local progressive hot spot, Bus Boys and Poets, to raise funds for the forthcoming film "Slingshot Hip Hop: The Palestinian Lyrical Front," expected to debut at film festivals this year. Over a hundred people packed the restaurant's small performance space, and hundreds more were turned away.by Matt Horton |
Why the outrage?
| The Danish newspaper, Jyllands-Posten, wanted to stir up controversy with its recent publication of anti-Islamic cartoons. But the paper's editor did not take into consideration the fact that cartoons published in Denmark, a country which had no history of conflict with the umma, would be projected across the world by jet-setting clerics, interconnected media and the Internet. by Michael Jansen |
Revealing "Saddam's Secrets"
 Saddam's Secrets: How An Iraqi General Defied and Survived Saddam HusseinBy Georges Sada (with Jim Nelson), Integrity Publishing A former Iraqi Air Marshall exposes the brutality of Saddam's regime and argues that Hussein transferred Weapons of Mass Destruction to Syria before the invasion. Georges Sada's new book is sure to start a mudfight between the supporters and detractors of the U.S.-led invasion. But both will probably miss Sada's deeper message. In this deeply powerful and challenging memoir, Georges reminds us that the most powerful tool in our arsenal to forge a new Iraq is, quite simply, the power to forgive. Reviewed by Peter Ryan |
Reviewed: Sharing the Land of Canaan
 Qumsiyeh's book, Sharing The Land Of Canaan, is not primarily a history; it sketches the history of the region in order to contemplate it with respect to the contemporary quandary: the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Unfortunately for the author and publisher, poor editing and a few carelessly worded statements undermine an otherwise thorough and well-documented narrative.Reviewed by Peter Harley |
Protecting Our Accomplishments
by James Zogby
Washington, DC - One of the first political lessons I learned after coming to Washington was taught to me by an African American activist who had, in his early years, worked as a strategist with Martin Luther King, Jr.
I had just won a minor political victory and was telling him about it. His response was, "Don't take any victory for granted, because the very forces you had to fight to win are still out there trying to undo what you've won. You must always protect your victories."
I was reminded of my friend and mentor's wise words last week, when a thoughtful reporter asked me to identify what, I thought, had been Arab Americans' most important accomplishments over the past three decades, and what, I felt, were the greatest challenges still facing the community.
