ADC

In June, Warren David became the new ADC president and the ADC has had quite a rich and active six months under his leadership. I’m ready to see what 2012 brings.

So far this year, the ADC has:
hosted its 31st National Convention, bringing together Arab Americans from across the US to strengthen the bonds in our community and to enhance the understanding of the issues that concern us all.

convened a Civil Rights Policy Conference to represent the views of Arab Americans on civil rights to policymakers in our nation’s capital. The conference was covered by C-Span, streamed around the world, and attended by representatives from the Justice Department, Capitol Hill and key nongovernmental organizations.

initiated the monthly Arabesque Lecture Series which gives Arab Americans and others a monthly forum through which to learn about and discuss issues of concern to our community. The first two lectures in the series discussed the role of Arab Americans in the Arab Spring and the inspirational role of Arab women in the Arab Spring uprisings.

launched the National Arab American Lawyers Association (NAALA), a network of Arab-American attorneys, legal practitioners, and law students, who will serve as a powerful legal backbone for the Arab American community.

organized the spectacular Turaath Cultural Event, which showcased the Meejana Dabkeh Troupe, Miss USA 2010 Rima Fakih, the fashions of Iraqi designer Hana Sadiq and music from the Michigan Arab Orchestra Takht Ensemble. The event was attended by 1,200 people and was covered by major national media outlets, including National Public Radio (NPR) and the Huffington Post.

Oh, and they also resolved various civil rights, immigration, asylum and anti-discrimination cases and matters with a success rate higher than any of the past few years. ADC currently has nearly 500 open cases and, with diverse coalition partners, is taking the lead in addressing numerous federal policy directives and programs affecting the Arab American community.

The ADC plans to grow in 2012 by continuing its vital legal work to protect the civil rights of Arab Americans; convening a larger September Civil Rights Policy Conference; taking NAALA to at least 5 other cities so that wherever an Arab American’s civil rights are violated, ADC attorneys will be there to help; presenting 12 Arabesque monthly lectures; bringing the Turaath Cultural Event to at least two other American cities to highlight for even more Americans the splendor of Arab culture and expose young Arab-Americans to their rich heritage; and modernizing its website to better spread our message of human and civil rights for all.

We must stand with the ADC to reach these goals. You can support the ADC with your time and money. You can volunteer to help the ADC run these exciting and vital programs and you can contribute needed funds to continue the ADC’s vital work in protecting our civil rights and embracing our rich culture.

Please go to www.adc.org today to contribute online.

ADC DC Area Elections

ADC DC Area members...elections for the ADC DC Area Chapter Board are here! Members will be electing up to seven new Board Members to lead the ADC DC Area Chapter.

7:00 pm, Monday, December 5

ADC Heritage Center
1732 Wisconsin Ave., NW
Washington, DC

Light refreshments will be served.

You must be present to cast your vote!

The ADC is still accepting nominations online. You may nominate yourself in person as well. For moe details, please go to www.adcdcarea.org/elections.

To join ADC or renew your membership, please click www.adc.org/join-adc

American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC)
1732 Wisconsin Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20007
202.244.2990
www.adc.org

Celebrate the annual olive harvest in Palestine at the Jerusalem Fund Annual Souk. Experience the ambience of a Middle Eastern souk in Washington. Enjoy music, coffee, food, henna painting, and more while browsing through textiles, pottery, jewelry and gifts from the Middle East.

Saturday, December 10
11:00 am to - 4:00 pm

The Jerusalem Fund
2425 Virginia Avenue, NW
Washington
202.338.1958

Purchase bottles of fair-trade, extra-virgin olive oil imported from Palestine.

Support the Herbawi factory in Hebron, the only remaining keffiyeh factory in Palestine, by purchasing their keffiyehs sold at the souk.

The event is free and open to the public.

Closing in on 50

In addition to closing in on 100 countries, we're closing in on all 50 states. We need just South Dakota and Hawaii. Here's the top 48 (plus DC) in order of visits.

Virginia
District of Columbia
California
New York
Maryland
Texas
Florida
Michigan
Ohio
Illinois
Pennsylvania
Massachusetts
New Jersey
North Carolina
Georgia
Rhode Island
Connecticut
Washington
Colorado
Minnesota
Arizona
Oregon
Missouri
Indiana
Tennessee
Wisconsin
Iowa
Nevada
Maine
Utah
Oklahoma
New Hampshire
South Carolina
Idaho
Kentucky
Kansas
Vermont
West Virginia
Arkansas
New Mexico
Mississippi
Alabama
Louisiana
Nebraska
Delaware
North Dakota
Wyoming
Alaska
Montana

Closing in on 100

I started this little adventure a few years ago for Arab Americans Democrats in Virginia and little did I expect that this blog would be seen by readers in almost 100 countries!

Here's the 96 countries in order of number of visits to this page.

United States
Canada
United Kingdom
Côte d’Ivoire
Germany
France
Israel
Brazil
Egypt
India
Saudi Arabia
Lebanon
Australia
Russia
Italy
Netherlands
United Arab Emirates
Nigeria
Belgium
Malaysia
Jordan
Qatar
Palestinian Territories
Spain
Switzerland
South Africa
Sweden
Philippines
Japan
Turkey
Ghana
Indonesia
China
Togo
Ireland
Mexico
Finland
Pakistan
Burkina Faso
Poland
New Zealand
Romania
Greece
Chile
Iran
Morocco
Hungary
Senegal
Austria
Czech Republic
Malta
South Korea
Benin
Taiwan
Argentina
Singapore
Tunisia
Algeria
Lithuania
Ukraine
Libya
Kuwait
Colombia
Bangladesh
U.S. Virgin Islands
Monaco
Bahrain
Guatemala
Venezuela
Norway
Thailand
Denmark
Yemen
Serbia
Turks and Caicos Islands
Uruguay
Serbia and Montenegro
Iraq
Cyprus
Sri Lanka
Bahamas
Azerbaijan
Portugal
Oman
Ecuador
Mauritania
Ethiopia
Croatia
Latvia
Vietnam
Panama
Slovakia
Sudan
Central African Republic
Hong Kong
Gibraltar

ADC Launches Arabesque Lecture Series!

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) is beginning a new program of monthly lectures – the Arabesque Lecture Series 2011-2012. Each month the series will feature a rich and diverse selection of topics ranging from current politics to culture in the Arab American community and the Arab world.

They kick off the program from 6:00 to 8:00 pm on Wednesday, October 5. Doors open at 5:30.

ADC Heritage Center (map)
1732 Wisconsin Avenue, NW
Washington

The Arabesque Lecture Series begins with “Arab Uprisings: Our Community's Role” featuring Bassam Haddad, Director of the Middle East Studies Program, George Mason University and Adel Iskandar, scholar and lecturer, Georgetown University

General admission is $8 and for Students with ID it is $4.
FREE admission for ADC Members so join ADC today! General Membership is $50, Student/Senior Membership is $25, and Family Membership is $100.

Light refreshments will be served. Seating is limited, so please RSVP by calling 202.244.2990.

Turaath: Celebrating Arab Culture in America

The ADC Women's Initiative presents Turaath: Celebrating Arab Culture in America

8:00 pm, Thursday, November 10

Lincoln Theatre
1215 U St.
Washington

Please join the ADC Women's Initiative for an evening fearuring:


Michigan Arab Orchestra Takht Ensemble
Fashions of the Arab World by Iraqi designer Hana Sadiq
Miss USA 2010 Rima Fakih


Tickets are available from $30 to $200

For more information, please call 202.244.2990.

This is going to be an outstanding program. Buy your tickets early to ensure that you have a place.