Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Ray Hanania
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Behind the biased headlines of Israel’s occupation
Every day, Western media headlines showcase intense conflicts between Palestinians and Israelis, with the Palestinians more often than not getting the blame. Some are major news stories, as we saw in the three-day war that took place last weekend between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip which received much high-profile…
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Muslim life gets a break on American TV
I have longed for the creative expression of what it’s like to be Arab American to make it into the mainstream in literature, movies and, especially, television, which has an impact on public understanding of complex issues more so than any other medium. As an Arab American myself, this has…
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The Arabs on board the Titanic have a story waiting to be told
This month marks the 107th anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, which sank to the bottom of the North Atlantic in the early morning of 15 April, 1912. Only 706 passengers survived from among the estimated 2,223 passengers and crew — exact figures are disputed — who were…
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This was an election Nakba of their own making for Israel’s frustrated Arab citizens
Efforts to bring an end to the right wing, anti-peace policies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have clearly fallen short of their goals. One thing is certain, though; the blame for his survival falls squarely on the shoulders of Israel’s Arab community. One must always take a cautious approach…
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Apathy cannot be Arab-Israelis’ most vocal political movement
Jewish Israeli voters and the country’s right wing seem more concerned about the impact of an Arab voter surge in the 9 April General Election than the Arabs are. There is actually a debate among Arab citizens of Israel about whether they should vote or not. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin…
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A new form of ‘anti-Semitism’ targets Tlaib and Omar
A hate-filled comment scribbled on a Post-It note attacking Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar should be a good lesson for all on how confused many Americans are about Arabs, Muslims, the Middle East and the truth about Palestine. The scribbled hate note read, “Rep. Omar. Stop your disgusting Jew hatred. Your…
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New Zealand massacres bring back memory of Ibrahimi Mosque attack
The horrendous terrorist attack against Muslim worshippers at two Mosques in New Zealand evokes a chilling memory of one of the first terrorist attacks against a mosque in 1994. Twenty-eight-year-old Australian White supremacist, Brenton Tarrant, entered two mosques on Friday in Christchurch, New Zealand firing at the congregants as they…
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Syrian radio host shakes up Detroit’s Arab community
Laila Alhusini was 26 when she decided to leave her home in Damascus, Syria in the autumn of 2000 to pursue new opportunities in the United States. Although Alhusini was working professionally for several Arab and Western media outlets in Damascus, including Associated Press and BBC World News, as well…
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Congress criticises Ihlan Omar’s words, but remains silent about Israel’s violence
The obsession with US Congresswoman Ihlan Omar’s criticism of Israeli influence over American politics really is unique. And what makes this debate genuinely immoral is that it focuses on Omar’s words but ignores the killing and oppression of Palestinian civilians by Israel. The Minnesota Congresswoman has been pilloried over the…
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Violence is fundamental to Israel’s ‘democracy’ and always has been
Israeli soldiers hiding behind bunkers and using long-range sniper rifles have intentionally murdered 35 children, paramedics, journalists and disabled people during its ongoing assault against Palestinian civilian protestors along the Gaza border, a report released by the United Nations concluded this week. The UN Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) said that…
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Sanders returns Palestine to the centre of the political debate in the US
Last month, leading Israeli journalist Tal Schneider told a teleconference hosted by Americans for Peace Now that the issue of the occupation and Palestinian rights has almost vanished from the Israeli political conversation. In previous years, it loomed heavy over nearly every election campaign. The shift in Israeli politics has…
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It isn’t just about ‘the Benjamins’, Ilhan
Newly-elected Ilhan Omar isn’t afraid to roll up her sleeves and smack issues in the face, stirring up a hornet’s nest of angry reaction from Republicans and Democrats alike. The Minnesota Congresswoman, one of two Muslim women now in the US House of Representatives, stepped into controversy this week when she…
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Illinois prepares to celebrate Arab American Heritage Month in April
The affinity that the citizens of Illinois and, indeed, America itself once had for Arab culture began during the World Columbian Exposition that was held in Chicago in 1893. The World’s Fair, as it was called, feature a massive exhibit called “Street in Cairo”. The Cairo exhibit was huge and…
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Fifty-years of US media study reveals massive anti-Palestinian bias
While any reasonable person might feel that we do not really need to do a study to conclude that the mainstream US media has an anti-Palestinian, pro-Israel bias that affirms the lies of the latter while minimizing the reality of the former, one international research group has done just that.…
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Media hypocrisy puts pressure on Arabs but not Israeli activists
During the height of the 2012 Israeli war against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, Ilhan Omar published a tweet that read, “Israel has hypnotized the world, may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel. #Gaza #Palestine #Israel” Omar’s comment reflected the anger many Arabs and…