Egyptian State Goons Want People to Forget the Nakba

They indirectly intervened to cancel the events of Nakba week, and interestingly enough the event at Townhouse gallery (which I live very close to) was ignored by them because it doesn't have much of a popular Egyptian crowd that frequents it. This is the same Egyptian state that likes to delude itself that it achieved a glorious victory over Israel in 1973 (and then went promptly and made "peace" in 1978). AUC professor Jalal Amin the other day said that in his daughter's junior high school exam around that time, all the questions in the Arabic comprehension section had sentences about the gloriousness of peace in it.

Tarboush tip: Electronic Intifada and Serene Assir

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Israel doesn't like culture

Not content with stealing many aspects of Palestinian and Arab culture, from food to clothing to music, and then relabeling it as 'Israeli', the Zionut entity also has problems with Palestinians expressing said heritage. What if people found out falafel was actually NOT commissioned by King Soloman two thousand years ago?! The very fabric upon which Israel is built-lies and theft-would come crumbling down.

For this reason, Israel is very sensitive to the idea of Palestinians celebrating Palestine. Up until the 1990's, raising the Palestinian flag in public was considered enough of a reason to justify getting shot, and the world Palestine was banned from appearing in print. Books that mentioned Palestinian history were censored or banned, and Palestinians were not allowed to have their own media.

Paranoid, despotic fucks.

Anyway, the Hakawati Stage in East Jerusalem was set today to be the scene of festivities celebrating the appointment of Jerusalem as Cultural Capital of the Arab World in 2009. Foreign dignitaries, representatives of civil society and representatives of the Palestinian Authority were present when Israeli police stormed the venue soon after the celebrations started, arresting several Palestinian officials and civilians at the scene and closing down the Hakawati.

Israel wants to impose on the world it's desire to have all of Jerusalem as its capital city. This would include East Jerusalem and the Old City, which are predominately Palestinian, and a huge tract of the surrounding West Bank stretching from Ramallah in the north, Bethlehem in the south and Jericho in the east. As such, it feels extremely threatened by the Palestinians of Jerusalem when they celebrate their history and their culture, because none of it meshes very well with Zionism. It will rush to crush any such expressions of Palestinian of Arab identity.

Just another day in the only democracy in the Middle East.

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IT WAS THE GAYS

When I found myself grabbing my desk last week while the earth shuddered and the building shook, I had no idea what caused it. Thanks to Israeli Member of Knesset Shlomo Benizri, I've since been enlightened. It was the gays.

Clearly there is an orgy of monumental proportions going on that I'm missing out on, big time.

The epicenter turned out to be in southern Lebanon, which blows my theory that the feature in Haaretz Magazine a few months ago about Israeli gay tourism in Amman (and the 'Arab world') spawned some hott coexistence action at Books@Cafe's Friday brunch. Leave it to the Lebanese to throw the most awesome party that's been seen in these parts for the last century or so, and not invite me.

The Haaretz article basically lays out Amman's gay scene from the Roman amphitheater to Books to RGB and Culture Street. Books, ok that's a given. But the Roman amphitheater? Seriously? Joseph Massad, please step in here so we can all get our panties in a tizzy discussing whether the young men apparently selling sex to foreign tourists are actually 'gay.' And whether that makes the Roman amphitheater also 'gay.' (Though didn't the Romans kind of start the whole orgy thing?)

The article is seeing gay in places where I've been a thousand times and just saw West Amman. But I guess that's kind of the point, isn't it, for the tourists in the article looking for sex in the Middle East-- finding a place that is in a separate space altogether where men touch men in public all the time, where sex lurks behind every corner and under every veil and/or kuffiyeh, and where sex is exotic, exciting, and a conquest. Where gay sex isn't really gay sex. It's one big orgy, people! Veiled, of course. (That's why they cause earthquakes but we didn't actually see the orgy.)

For an Israeli gay man who might be mistaken for Mossad (not Massad),

The fear of being exposed as an Israeli heightens the thrill, some of the visitors say.

It is absolutely a type of conquest or operation in enemy territory and a speedy withdrawal. I came, I experienced a few things, I pulled out. The moment I have collected intelligence, withdrawal back to the hotel as quickly as possible.

Now let's all chant Edward Said to conjure his presence.

Another person interviewed in the article says that being gay essentially makes you "international."

Gays have a tool that allows them to enter deep into communities that are rooted in the local culture. ...You can see the house, meet the friends, have breakfast with them.

And that tool is, you guessed it, the one night stand. Sorry to let you down, dude, but that isn't 'internationalism.' You enter deep but for a superficial interaction (possibly followed by breakfast at Books). That's just good old Flaubert-style penetration of and experiencing the natives.

I sincerely hope you're using a condom.

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Memories of Rami Kashou

...So there I was on Santa Monica Boulevard, walking my miniature Jack Russel Terrier and trying my hardest to finish my Mocachino soy latte hold the sugar, when I saw a face that looked distinctly Palestinian beaming through the cover of a magazine.

Granted, this was the gay-interest LA publication Frontiers, known to about 150 West Hollywood boys and their coked-out friends, but still, it was a great step forward for the representation of Arabkind.

From "Jerusalem", it said. "Proud of his heritage", it said. "Appreciates greco-roman art", it said.

The next time I saw Rami, it was at Club Lazeez, the raucous Arab dance night in the heart of Little Armenia. He looked different in person... how should I say... more Falcon-like (I hope only a few of you will catch the fullness of that reference). I remember him having the most upright posture, a quality which really makes a person stand out. Maybe he has a background in dance? It made him seem alert, ready to pounce on any prey or sub-par designer that might cross his path.




Next thing you know, my clubbing posse and his clubbing posse converged, and we found ourselves late one night, in that palace of flour known only as IHOP. I'll bet you that, right now, there is a publicist out there willing to pay me double my T.A. salary so that I never again utter the words "Rami Kashou" and "IHOP" in the same sentence.

We were ten Arabs eating pancakes. It was like a scene from a Renaissance painting. A serene image that Rami might have used as inspiration for one of his drapings.

Cut to last week-end, when I saw Rami at the G Lounge, where the over-dressed and gold-digging fabulosos of NY come out to play. The music had been on-point that night-- all the requisite house classics and 90's dance hits. I was sweaty from dancing, unshaven, and most importantly, not wearing anything designer. How could I walk up to him, looking like that?

I'd rather meet Rami on equal terms, now that I am famous in my new profession as Kabobfest blogger.

I just now perused his Myspace and found out that, like me, he is an idolatrous Bjork fan! More reasons to be friends, right Rami?!

No?

Ok, well then, stop following me around then, gosh!

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The Spitfire-side Chats: The Low Down on the High Value of "Low" and "Good" Numbers in the UAE and other Persian Gulf States

"Yo son, what you sporting these days?"
"Well, you know how I do; I got me some gators, 22s, and a single-digit license plate number-ya herrrrd!"

That's right, big pimpin' in the Arab world has taken a life of it's own. Because of the general level of wealth enjoyed by Khaleeji national community (and corrupt monarchy-sustained elites in other Arab countries), a couple of imagined commodities have taken the respective countries by storm as a means to distinguish individuals from the pack; many centered around "Low" and "Good" numbers.

Low and nice numbers go beyond being a representation of material wealth, they represent that of symbolic wealth, of the kind of power one can wield for accessing and possessing exclusive imaginary commodities. And what are these imaginary commodities specifically?

License plates: The lower the number the more well-connected you are to government-unless of course you bought one off of some enterprising sheikh for beaucoup bucks.

Cellphone and home numbers. The "good" numbers are basically the "nicer sounding" ones. From what my informants have told me, the "nicer" sounding connotes easy memoryability (remember I'm a budding anthropologists, I'm allowed to make up words), which usually means there are repeating or symmetric numbers in the sequence.

Here are some ads on an UAE-based ebay-like classified site called Bazaar.ae that sell "good", "nice sounding" cellphone and home numbers-some at undisclosed prices and others that will cost you a pretty dirham: Here, here, here, and oh yes, HERE.

The following are KABOBer reactions, highly-opinionated comments, sensationalist stories and titillating hearsay about the low and nice numbers phenomenon in the Arab, but mostly Khaleeji, world:

Maytha: I have been informed by my cousins who live in Abu Dhabi that low numbers on license plates are considered the 'it' thing in UAE. So, Sheikh Maktoum having a "1" as his license plate number basically means that homeboy is the biggest balla in Dubai.

Assouli: License plate numbers are also big in Jordan. the king has number 1. i remember Abdulmajid Shoman had a 5. people are very proud of their license plate numbers. poor poor people have nothing else to be proud of in Jordan. generally, it's gotta be 5 digits to be cool, unless it's 5 digits on a shitty car, which just means the person got it a long time ago. 4 digits is unheard of for anyone other than the closely connected Jordanian or the very wealthy. people pay a premium for the numbers and any repetition in numbers is hip such as 11145. then apparently there are numbers that show some connection to the mukhabarat (intelligence services) and that supposedly grants you immunity from traffic tickets without having the moustache and the Bedouin accent...

By the way, same thing for cellphone numbers... you're cool as hell if your number is 677-7776 or something... buying a SIM card you can expect to pay a healthy premium above the price of an ugly number like 648-5210, although that 210 at the end is bordering on hot!

That's pretty much what's going on in Jordan in a nutshell...

Nimr: To add my 5 cents, it is not just Jordan. In Qatar and Bahrain I heard of guys buying these "good" numbers for thousands of dollars for their cars or phones. there were even speculators and re-sellers. talk about an imagined commodity.

Omar: It's not just hearsay about people willing to pay thousands for "cool" phone numbers and license plates. When I was in Saudi my brother had a really easy number to remember and constantly kept getting calls from people who wanted to buy it. I think the highest offer he got was around ~$3500. Come to think of it, I don't know why he didn't just sell it.

I also heard of people willing to pay millions for license plates.

Diana: In Palestine, numbers are also hot too but we don't have to pay big money for them: you just have to pay an additional $5 when getting the number. Sometimes you luck out - like me - with a cool number. But I get a weirdo from Gaza always calling me thinking that I am his wife. Cars are different, of course, due to apartheid-incentiving Oslo: only PA officials get red coloured licence plates with four digits. Arafat was the only person with a 0001. The licence plate has been retired. Abu Mazen's car is now: 2000. Here the cool thing is with PASSPORT NUMBERS: PA guys get super cool numbers: A011111 (used to be the Passport Number of Abu Mazen).

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Kuffiya Kraze: Open Debate

With the critically acclaimed "Food & Liquor", last year's breakout hip hop rookie sports a red kuffiya on the front of this month's "Leader's of the New School" XXL mag cover as he discusses his much-anticipated folllow-up. The rest of the "New School Leaders" are dressed in the cover's red, white and black color theme scheme. But even in the sea of blood red hats, white hoodies and chains, Lupe stands out with the patterned clothe wrapped around the rapper's neck.

My question: Does Lupe Fiasco, an avowed Muslim rapper, join the ranks of trend-following celebrity lemmings, like Justin Timberlake, David Beckham, Ashely-Mary-Kate Oslen, Kirsten Dunst, as ignorant cultural consumers or is his decision to wear the kuffiya on the front cover of one of the most popular hip hop magazines carry more significance?

I am not trying to create a spectrum of varying degrees of cultural appropriation and/or cultural solidarity; but given Lupe's religio-cultural background, I would argue come off more as a display of cultural solidarity than an empty fashion statement. I am willing to wager that Lupe knows a little something about the kuffiya's history in the Arab world and its association with the Palestinian Liberation struggle. My perspective on this issue is possibly colored by the fact that I did indeed buy a Yemeni kuffiya on 125th from a devout African American Muslim who was also selling kufis many of whom in the Harlem and Brooklyn area have surprised me how much better their MSA (Modern Standard Arabic) is than someone who graduated with a degree in Arabic and Islamic Studies! But, in all actuality, African American Muslims who account for 30 percent of the Muslim population in America (edging out the percentage of American Muslims who are Arab), and especially Muslim hip hop artists, are no strangers to donning Arab/Islamic cultural symbols. Prominent hip hop journalist Harry Allen goes as far to say that Islam is hip hop's official religion. Actor and hip hop artist, Mos Def, who has put on concerts to raise funds for the Palestinian struggle, has been seen on many occasions wearing a kuffiya and the Palestinian flag on stage!

But back to this question of cultural appropriation versus cultural solidarity, of ultimately authenticity; such a claim begs certain philosophical questions about culture: Who really owns culture? Can it be owned? Who determines authenticity? What determines authenticity? Attempting to tackle the first three questions would require more than the five paragraphs I set out to write for this piece (but feel free to wax on about them in the comments section!), so let me address the last of the series of questions. Even though the kuffiya has its roots in apolitical, non-religious beginnings, we cannot deny the symbolic evolution of the kuffiya to an icon for the Palestinian Liberation Movement. So, for me, those who are unaware of its past and current significance, and wear it because they saw it on a goth-ed out Galliano model, in the back pocket, gangsta style of a celebrity, or in Urban Outfitters as a "anti-war woven scarf," those people, would qualify as culturally appropriating the kuffiya versus those knowledgeable of the misunderstood 'clothe's history would on the flip side qualify as expressing cultural solidarity.

Who knows, Lupe could just as easily be one of those ignorant trend-following celebrity lemmings as well...

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Smoking the Israeli Water Pipe

Why do I always hear about the cool events after they happen?!?


Instead of reading up on focus group methodology, I could have spent a lovely evening with my "Jewish buddy's" (sic) smoking a "CLEAN" hookah "in Jerusalem." Shoot. As they say, there's always next year!

As for the Jerusalem reference, Chaim Sugarman, KABOBfest's Talmudic Studies Scholar, pointed out that this event marks "Sukkot," or "booths," "one of the three major holidays known collectively as the Shalosh Regalim (three pilgrim festivals), when historically the Jewish populace traveled to the Temple in Jerusalem." (from his wikipedia posting on the subject).

This could easily have been misunderstood as a Zionist event both appropriating Arabic culture and laying claim on the city of multiple faiths, Jerusalem. In that case, I would have made a smart-ass comment such as the following:

Did they snack on fine Israeli cuisine, such as Israeli falafel balls, Israeli chick pea dip, the famous Israeli upside-down rice-yogurt-meat-eggplant/cauliflower dish "maqluba," and Israeli fava bean salad (which the Arabs stole and call "foul mdemmas")?

Wow, I am so amazingly witty at 1 AM. I need to sleep, which is probably one reason I am about to write this:

Instead of presuming a Zionut mentality behind this event, I will give them the benefit of the doubt and wish them a happy holiday.

Man, now I'm really in the mood for a shisha. They are so relaxing. Too bad, they're very unhealthy -- far from the harmless treat my cousin told me they were. Smoking one for an hour is equivalent to smoking 100-200 cigarettes. Yum.

Rabbi Alter enjoying a double-apple flavored Shisha, right.

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Ramadan Mubarak & Happy Rosh Hashanah

Both of which begin tomorrow, Thursday, Sept 13th, in most of the world.

Peace in the Middle East.

Now I hope every reader would know that I really tried to make a post where I only offer greetings for Ramadan and Rosh Hashanah, but I could not resist or ignore the ironies that came with them. I'm sorry, I can't help it.

Unlike Jews, Muslims around the world do not seem to ever reach consensus on the start date of Ramadan, some still want to observe the new moon the pre-technology way, and others are relying on astrological calculations. Among the latter group, new debates have risen about the criteria for determining the first day of the lunar month, especially as it pertains the hour of the day the new moon forms. Scientific and theological disagreements aside, this issue became a tool of politicians, dictators, and other assholes to display their resentment of others. If one country or group has a grievance with another, they'll make sure to begin "their" Ramadan on a different day. This year, for example, Ramadan is observed Wednesday in Libya, Friday in India and Pakistan, and Thursday just about everywhere else.

On the other hand, Jews rely on Muslims to help them cheat on God's directive. Every seventh year, Jews are expected to let the land lie fallow, and not cultivate it. Therefore, for this "Shmita" year, Jews, represented by the most influential rabbis, symbolically sell "their land" to non-Jews, which some how allows them to continue to cultivate the land during this seventh year, since it technically is not theirs. The Torah apparently does not make Shmita specifications for a land that is stolen in the first place.

[Tarboush tip: Allah]

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Are Arab-Americans Cool?

Heeb Magazine took on this question in the latest issue. It cited the rise of Arab-American comedians, the popularity of the keffiyeh, a new rock group named "Beirut" and other trends. It is an interesting read for, and has excellent quotes from KABOBer May.

I personally think we're cool because we're vilified by so many uncool stiffs in government, academia, and media. I guess I could say so much more about this but given how bad things are in the Arab world at the hands of occupiers and imperial forces, I'd rather sulk in the corner than demonstrate how cool I am.

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Modern Chronology of the Keffiyah Kraze

1906-1910 >
While conducting thesis fieldwork in Syria and Palestine, T.E. Lawrence discovers keffiyahs to be useful both for keeping out the cold and for keeping out the heat.

1921
Rudolph Valentino and his kuffiya star in silent film, The Sheik.

1926
Kufiya and Valentino reunited for The Son of the Sheik. Still no sound.

Mid-Late 1930s
The kuffiyah becomes symbol of Palestinian nationalism and an expression of class struggle against British occupation. British army chief proposes jailing any Palestinian who wears keffiyah. Is overruled by his superiors who kindly ask him to bloody shut the fuck up already, you chattering hen.

Tea, anyone?

1962
Peter O'Toole in white keffiyeh as T.E. Lawrence in Lawrence of Arabia. Oscar goes to... Gregory Peck.

Mid 1960s
Kaffiyahs begin to appear in U.S. within anti-Vietnam war movement. Activists on anti-imperialist left declare solidarity with Palestinians.

Arafat adopts scarf. Drapes it over shoulder into the shape of Palestine.

1970
Leila Khaled gives gender the finger by wearing previously masculine kuffiyah in style of hijab. Is immediately re-gendered by prepubescent school boys by becoming pin-up sensation of choice.

1983 >
Professional wrestler, The Iron Sheik, signs with WWF to personify every negative stereotype about the Middle East in case you didn't already have them. At autograph signing event in Detroit, reports surface of a five year-old brat named Will repeatedly yanking kaffiyeh off of Sheik's head.

1988
After several unsuccessful attempts, Fayyad finally consults the Guide to Wrapping your Keffiyah into a Mask so you can Creep the Streets of Jenin Spraying Anti-Occupation Graffiti. The event later inspires him to author his own series of "How To" guides while in college, including the Guide to Campus Divestment from Israel, the Guide to Stirring Creamer in Coffee, and the Guide to Stirring Creamer in Salma Hayek's Coffee.

Three months into Palestinian intifada, CBS reports being puzzled by keffiyah sightings on Americans. Time magazine teaches Americans how to pronounce "keh-fee-yah" and assures parents: "It’s just an accessory… The ethnic type of look is in right now… The idea that it’s political is ridiculous."

1990 >
Big pimpin' in the 4th grade, school principal confiscates Nadeem's keffiyah after the girls in his class report his presence to be "simply too terrorgasmic to concentrate."

1991
Street keffiyah-wearing wanes around the U.S. in light of Persian Gulf War. Arab Americans report feeling afraid to wear it. Scarf remains ubiquitous among anti-War movement.

April 2001
Sting performs in front of pyramids at Giza. Unable to decide which color keffiyah best matches his eyes.

June 2001
Raf Simons takes up keffiyahs on Spring 2002 collection. Simons says: "They are not terrorists. They are fighters for independence and freedom."

September 2001
Hate crimes against U.S. Arabs increase. Peace activists intensify keffiyah-wearing in solidarity.

May 2002
Columbia University students wear keffiyahs to graduation ceremony in solidarity with Palestine.

March 20, 2003 >
At Baghdad's Fashion Week, George W. Bush's new ready-to-wear line introduces the "Blood-stained Keffiyah." Continues to be hottest accessory on streets to date.

November 2003
Never one to turn down a dare (especially not after last call) Fayyad masks himself in keffiyah and walks up and down Madison's State Street. Freaks out drunken university students.

January 2004
AP photographer snaps a picture of Howard Dean wearing a keffiyah during Presidential primaries. In spin control, Dean's Jewish affairs adviser, Matt Dorf, explains scarf was thrown over Dean's shoulders by a young supporter, and assures AIPAC and friends that it was yanked off "after four seconds."

November 2004
"Keffiyah" gets her own Wikipedia page. Fights begin over her history, symbolism, and most importantly -- her spelling and variations. Official KABOBfest Style Guide: "Spell it every single way to increase search engine returns!" كوفية, keffiyeh, keffiye, keffiyah, kefiyah, kefiya, kefiyat, kaffiyeh, kaffiyah, kaffiya, kafiya, kufiyah, kuffiyah, kufiya, shmagh, shemagh, gutra, hatta...

January 2005
Hugo Chavez dons keffiyah at World Social Forum. Does not apologize.

February 17, 2005
Village Voice reports: "Arafat's trademark scarf is now military chic"

May 2005 >
Brazilian soccer star, Ronaldo, wears keffiyah while visiting Palestine during 57th Al Nakba.

July 2005
Ricky Martin poses for photos with keffiyah draped over shoulders while visiting Jordan for Arab Children's Congress. Announces support for the Palestinian cause and for refugees' right of return.

August 2005
After his people ask him to remember "just who signs your paychecks around here," Ricky Martin apologizes for wardrobe malfunction. Blames Jordanian children for putting keffiyah on his shoulders without realizing what it represented. Insists he was taken advantage of and as a special gesture, promises to play a concert in Israel on his next world tour the following spring.

December 8, 2005
Matt Lauer suspected of wearing keffiyah to keep warm during filming of Today Show episode. Sparks Keffiyah-Gate.

January 2006 >
Jon Audarson of streetwear label Dead transforms keffiyah pattern into western shirt. Snaps photo of Quentin Tarantino rocking the mishmash of cultures.

International Herald Tribune reports, "Scarf morphs into iconic accessory." Chief editor of British GQ insists scarf has not lost its original political meaning.

April 2006
In LA Times article, "'Terrorist Chic' and Beyond," writer Daniel Hernandez examines the keffiyah kraze by wearing one. Looks in mirror and startles himself.

May 2006
Days before scheduled performance, Ricky Martin cancels Israeli debut due to low ticket sales. Promises to visit to Israel at an unspecified future date.

June 2006 >
Palestinian-American fashion designer Nemi Jamal spins keffiyah (hatta) into new forms of attire. Expresses desire to "take it further, expand on its possibilities and use it as clothing... I want to make the hatta into the bandanna of today."

July 2006
Spain’s Prime Minister Zapatero wears keffiyah at rally for young Socialists. Accuses Israel of using "abusive force" in its military operations.

Anti-Defamation League condemns Zapatero for his racist comments and wardrobe.

November 2006
Top Shop markets minimalist version of keffiyeh: "The Table Cloth Scarf."

December 2006
As part of spring fashion accessories line, Urban Outfitters begins sale of $20 keffiyahs marketed as "Anti-War Woven Scarves."

Manager of one New York Urban Outfitters store reports it to be his top selling scarf.

January 2007 >
Commodification takes unexpected turn with "Kaffieyh Yisraelit." Like the fate of hummus and the hookah, Israeli entrepreneurs now appropriate keffiyah, adorning it with miniature Stars of David. "It's going to be like the falafel," scarf-designer brags. Gets AIPAC, CAMERA, and Alan Dershowitz on speed dial to help convince Americans into believing keffiyah was Israel's first.

Urban Outfitters halts sale of keffiyah per Zionists' careful instructions. In lieu of pulling scarves, Canadian Urban Outfitters renames them "Shemagh Scarves." Continued commodification of Arabic culture assured in five fashion-friendly color variations.

February 2007 >
Anne Frank spotted all over Amsterdam in keffiyah. Chooses traditional red/white pattern over Kaffieyh Yisraelit.

French designer Nicholas Ghesquiere's "Balenciaga Scarf" appears in his collegiate-inspired ready-to-wear collection.

Keffiyah fad is "dead," declares fashion student Whats-Her-Name in New York Times article.

March 2007
Urban Outfitters near UCLA continuing sale of keffiyahs. Maytha dons undercover cultural reporter disguise (read: Maytha pretends to know nothing) and asks salesboy what "this" is. Salesboy responds with, "Oh, I think these are handmade, one of a kind, something special like that." (read: Salesboy pretends to know something)

Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor in keffiyah for latest video, "Survivalism."

April 2007 >
"Balenciaga Scarf" makes it on Style.com’s must-haves for Fall 2007.

David Beckham spotted wearing blue keffiyah in Madrid.

July 2007
Urban Outfitters' Keffiyah Kraze, Version 2: The Heart Woven Desert Scarf is "the Shemagh scarf with a girly touch." Available in bink and burble.

Teen clothing catalog, Alloy’s version: "The Riviera Scarf"

ASOS capitalizes on keffiyah in the style of Cameron Diaz with the "Rock Tassle Scarf in the style of Cameron Diaz"

ASOS capitalizes on keffiyahs in the style of Carl Barat and David Beckham with the "Libertines Check Scarf in the style of Carl Barat and David Beckham"

Teen Vogue declares Kirstin Dunst's brown number to be "Breezy, Global Chic." Right-wing blog visitors declare to now hate Kirstin Dunst.

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Certain to be continued...

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__________________________________

Special thanks to:

Ted Swedenburg and his work on the keffiyah, particularly his 1992 article in the Michigan Quarterly Review: "Seeing double: Palestinian/American histories of the kufiya." (v31.n4 (Fall 1992): pp557(21)). As you can probably tell by the title, it has great information on the history of the keffiyah -- kufiya -- however he spells it. Check out Dr. Swedenburg's excellent blog at: http://swedenburg.blogspot.com/

Georgetown's Center for Contemporary Arab Studies' Meagan Bridges on her informative analysis: The Transnational Keffiyeh and the Politics of Style (April 10, 2007) where KABOBfest's very own Maytha makes a special guest appearance as footnotes #23 and #58!

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"Party Like I-RAQ (Star)": Cultural Clubbing and Commodification of Arab Culture in the West

For my birthday a couple of months back my mother sent me a box full of treasurable trinkets. Besides the precisely requested items, I was pleasantly shocked to see a couple of surprises not under my OCD list stashed in the mix: Egyptian decorative inlay boxes!
I called my mother to thank her:

Me: Mom thanks for all the presents, especially the traditional Egyptian boxes, where did you get them? From basha market?
Mom: Aren't they nice? I got them from Target.



There you have it, Target's "World Culture" collection carries (or carried) "treasures" from all over the world.

This made me think about the speciously benign, aggressive marketing of Arabic culture in the West, in particular, in the United States, within the context of media portrayals of Arabs.

Even in the post 9/11 world, one where Arabs are the enemies regularly demonized and feared in movies, on TV and News magazines, the culture seems to be more popular than ever.

One need not look or smell to far to breath in double apple and rose scents, especially if you find yourself in New York's hipster wetdream: The Lower East side. The area is sprawling with hookah bars and lounges grilling up the kabobs, pounding the derbekah, blasting Nancy Ajram, and clanging of the finger cymbals. Le Caire, Sahara East, Kush, Tut, Le Souk, etc., the list goes on.

These hookahs have indeed produced a cloud of smoke...blown up my ass. In the midst of all the celebration of Arabic culture, New Yorkers still hold racist attitudes towards Arabs. Besides constantly hearing bigoted comments about Arabs in the trains and at liquor stores, or even ones hurled at me, residents of Brooklyn's Park Slope aggressive protest of the establishment of the first Arabic Language public school in New York, the Khalil Gibran school, are all strong examples of New York's thinly veiled anti-Arabism.
Like Hassan Ibrahim of Al Jazeera remarked in "Control Room": I mean, I'm sorry. They can't have their cake and eat it! OK, you are the most powerful nation on Earth, I agree. You can defeat everybody, I agree. You can crush everyone, I agree. But don't ask us to love it as well." On the same token, You can't love Arabic culture and hate Arabs

As it seems, "US Party Goers Love Fantasy Arabs", an article in New American Media by the very same name investigates the perplexing popularity of Arabic culture, specifically the rising demand of Arabian-themed parties in San Francisco:

"War can demonize people, designate them as the "other" but also conversely create a fascination with the culture. Demand is high"

This imperial conquest of culture, popularizing the culture of unpopular groups of people, is not limited to the US. In the same article, Lana, a Jordanian who hosts such parties, observes that the same phenomenon of oppressor worshipping the culture of the oppressed occurs in infamously racist France:

"People are so prejudiced against Algerians and Moroccans in France," she says. "But their Rai music is immensely popular."

As the article's author goes on to observe, while bellydancers and hookahs may be omnipresent at these parties, an explicit expression of Arabness is not:

"The problem, say activists, is that while hummus and fezes might become party favorites, real Arabs are not."
"Many corporations want the 1001 Arabian Nights fantasy but steer clear of the word Arab in their titles preferring "Oasis" or "Morocco Market."

Jack Shaheen, author of "Reel Bad Arabs," in the same article is quoted as saying that:

"There have been more than 50 programs on television where the villain is an Arab American or a Muslim American. The villains in the controversial Fox series "24" with its suicide bombers and nuclear explosions are only the latest "reel bad Arabs".

And let's not forget "Sleeper Cell"! Don't get me started on that!



The message (in my very cynical interpretation of these companies motive)? Use Arab and Arabic cultural motifs, images, music, food, dance, atmosphere to drive consumerism. This is just another obvious ploy to appropriate culture. Americans are exercising a more potent and powerful form of control: cultural occupation, the phenotypically darker cousin of cultural imperialism
And my message to you would racist culture vultures?
"Party Like An Arab...SO not, "totally cool."

Tarboush Tip: Nadeem & Mehammed

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Pioneer Of Modern Arabic Poetry Nazik Almalaika Passes Away

Nazik Almalaika, the Iraqi poetess who pioneered the free-style form of Arabic poetry, Nathr, predominant in 20th century literature, passed away today at the age of 85.

To my delight, I just learned that Nazik was a fellow Badger her self, earning a masters in comparative literature from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1956. That was not Almalaika’s first trip to the US; in 1952, she won a scholarship to study at Princeton, where she became, by some accounts, the first female to attend that university.

An autobiography of hers can be read here, and here is a review of her latest published collection of poems, Youghiyar Alouanah Al-Bahr (The sea changes its colours), 1999.

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Middle Eastern Ingenuity

Nadeem, this is for you.

We're all sorry that you ended up with a job where you have to actually do... well, work.

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UAE announces $10bn education fund

From Middle East Times

SHUNEH, Jordan -- United Arab Emirates (UAE) Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Saturday announced the creation of a $10 billion fund to promote education in Arab countries, at a World Economic Forum meeting in Jordan.

"I have decided to establish the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation to focus on human development, and I have pledged an endowment of $10 billion to finance its projects," he told participants of the gathering on the shores of the Dead Sea.

"[This] personal initiative aims at contributing to the development of a knowledge-based society, by supporting and empowering young minds and focusing on research, education, and investment in the infrastructure of knowledge," said Sheikh Mohammed, who is also ruler of the booming emirate of Dubai.

The foundation will launch a fund for research and set up research centers in the region, and in 2008 will begin providing scholarships to send students to world-reputed universities and institutes.

"There is a wide knowledge gap between us and the developed world in the West and in Asia. Our only choice is to bridge this gap as quickly as possible, because our age is defined by knowledge," he added.

Jordan's King Abdullah II opened the three-day forum Friday with an appeal to politicians and business leaders to help end Middle East violence and prepare for the "day after peace" in the region, where more than half the population is young.

Of the 325 million people living in the Arab world, more than 200 million are under 24, the king said.

"These young men and women deserve to be part of a prospering region that is playing its rightful role on the world stage," the king added.

More than 1,000 participants from 50 countries are attending the annual forum which aims to advance economic diversification and promote peace in the troubled Middle East.

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