Local Talk Radio on Middle East Culture and Politix

For progressive talk radio on North African, Middle Eastern and South Asian culture and politix, tune in to 90.7 FM, KPFK's "Middle East in Focus" with host Don Bustany, every Wednesday 8-9 pm; and to Radio Intifada, Thursdays, 3-4 pm. Also, Ian Masters' "Background Briefing" airing Sundays, 11 am-1 pm, frequently features insightful interviews with Middle East policy experts and unembedded media pundits. All three shows invite a wide range of guests and often feature call-ins, so you can ask questions or offer your views on the topic of discussion.


Tuesdays, 9 pm—Casbah Underground Arabic/North African Night at Zanzibar

Souk 77 Productions (MC Rai & Omar Fadel) have teamed up with DJ Al-Fareed and Zanzibar in Santa Monica to bring you CASBAH UNDERGROUND, a night of modern edgy Middle Eastern/North African music, returns in October.

For their first evening they put together a great lineup of guest performances, which included DJ Ravin from Paris (Buddha Bar), local world music crew Naked Rhythm, and Bay Area dancer Kristina Canizares (The Nekyia). Another great evening framed as the "Casbah All Star Band" included MC Rai, Naked Rhythm and Zera Vaughan. You never know what you're going to get, but it's always a musical pleasure—resident DJ Al Fareed is joined each Tuesday by a different line-up of special guest deejays and performers.

Doors open at 8 pm, 21+.

Cosponsored by Levantine Cultural Center.

Cover charge is $5. More info.

Zanzibar, 1301 5th St., Santa Monica CA 90401. 310.451.2221.


Oct 3 (Wed), 6 pm—"Shadows", Documentary on Afghan Women

"Shadows", which has won awards at several International Film Festivals, is an hour-long documentary about the plight of Afghan women today. It is part of a larger project, Afghanistan Unveiled, made by the first women video journalists ever trained in Afghanistan. This series was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2005. Director Mary Ayubi is currently a Feuchtwanger Fellow at the Villa Aurora. This screening is co sponsored by the Villa Aurora and the Los Angeles Public Library, Palisades Branch. The film maker will be at the screening and will take part in a post film question and answer session moderated Nahid Massoud, director of Sharq, and historian Robert A. Rosenstone.

Pacific Palisades Library Community Room, Palisades Branch Library, 861 Alma Real Dr
Pacific Palisades, CA 90272. 310.459.2754. Info.


Oct 6 (Sat), 9 pm—Sussan Deyhim & Special Guests Perform "Romance Language" in Concert at the Knitting Factory

In times of war artists can be a light out of the darkness. Iranian American vocalist Sussan Deyhim indeed represents a bridge for peace between her native land and Americans, who will have an opportunity to hear her new show, "Romance Language"—a collection of international songs of love in Persian, Arabic, English, Italian, Portuguese and her wordless incantation—on Saturday, Oct. 6, 2007, at the Hollywood Knitting Factory, in a show presented by KCRW and Levantine Cultural Center.

Sussan Deyhim will present a compilation of her different musical and vocal signatures, vintage love songs from around the world, first presented at The London Jazz Festival. Part of the set will include music from "Logic of the Birds," a collaboration with world renowned composer Richard Horowitz ("Sheltering Sky", "Any Given Sunday," "Three Seasons.") Deyhim will also perform her new songs about the political issues she faces as an Iranian artist living in the US for the last two decades.

On Oct. 6, she will be joined by legendary musicians Steve Ferrone on drums and Dean Gant on keyboards as well as very special guests Ginnger Shankar and Walter Rodgriguez.

Tickets $22 advance, $25 at the door. For advance reservations call Levantine Cultural Center, 310.657.5511. Read more/get tix.

At the Knitting Factory, 7021 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles CA 90028. 323.463.0204.


Conversations on the Middle East: Jerusalem East/West with Ibtesam Tarabeih

Meet one of Jerusalem's movers and shakers on Sunday, Oct. 7, and participate in a discussion on the life of this bicultural city. Ibtesam Tarabeih, born in 1977, has as her fields of expertise education, social work, culture and co-existence. She has worked extensively in East Jerusalem on behalf of municipal, community, educational and nonprofit cultural organizations. She is the director of Atta, the municipal organization dedicated to the advancement of residents' human and civil rights in Jerusalem. She has also worked with the Shilo Center, the Women's Voice Center, and the Sawa Educational School Programs Steering Committee. She is a graduate of the Education, Sociology and Anthropology Departments of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and a graduate of Neve Shalom-Wahat-al-Salam-Oasis of Peace. She worked for five years as the co-director of the Jewish Arab Experience Center, training conflict-resolution facilitators working with Palestinians and Israelis in Jerusalem.

Ibtesam Tarabeih will share her views on the general state of affairs today, how Jersusalem compares to five and ten years ago, what have been some of the challenges she faced in previous endeavors she was involved with, analyzing what she feels worked, what didn't, what needs to be done, and how she thinks progress can be achieved. She will also discuss the question of her own identity as a Palestinian, Israeli Arab, educated in Israeli academic institutions, working for the Jerusalem Municipality.

All are welcome in this roundtable/Q & A discussion. Free to the public. RSVPs are required as space is limited: call 310.657.5511.

Presented by Levantine Cultural Center, cosponsored by the Jerusalem Foundation. Sunday, Oct. 7, 5 pm, Levantine Cultural Center, 1012 S. Robertson Blvd., Los Angeles CA 90035.

About the Jerusalem Foundation:

Formed nearly 40 years ago by former Mayor of Jerusalem, the late Teddy Kollek, the Jerusalem Foundation is devoted to the development of Jerusalem as a multi-cultural, modern cosmopolitan that embraces residents and visitors of all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds.

Advancing education, culture, co-existence and community as fundamental components for social, political and religious synergy, the Jerusalem Foundation tends to the city's complex daily needs while charting an inspiring vision for its future.

Among the foundation's accomplishments are the Max Rayne Hand in Hand Bi-lingual School for Jewish-Arab education, the Alpert Jewish-Arab Youth Orchestra, the "I Am You Are" Jewish-Arab video workshop, the "Social Working Together" program for students from the Hebrew University and Al Quds University, the Inter-Cultural Center, the Annual Speaking Art Conference and many many more.

October 11 (Thurs), 8:00 pm—"50/50: The Truth About Mixed Ethnicity", a special show of The Sultans of Satire: Middle East Comic Relief 18

Half Arab, half Jewish? Your father's Persian and your mother's a Mormon?! These comedians are hilarious! They talk about life post-9/11, the war on terror, the W. Administration, Iraq, Iran, their specific cultural identity and much more. In fact, people often wonder What's funny about the Middle East? Believe us—plenty! Is there any hope for peace? We think so. Nothing brings people together quite like humor and satire.

This show features K-von, Ara Basil, Gulden, Sunda Croonquist plus Noel Elgrably and host comedian Mike Batayeh. Comedians' bios.

Yes, that's right: this show includes Arabs, Persians, Jews, Armenians, Greeks, Turks and other loud and disorderly people from the Middle East/Mediterranean.

These irreverent comedians spoof the "clash of civilizations" between "us" and "them", between America/the West and the Arab/Muslim East. They also have fun with culture, family and identity. They are funny people who also work steadily as dramatic/comedic actors in film, television and theatre.

Thursday, Oct. 11, 8:00 pm, at The World Famous Laugh Factory, 8001 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood CA 90046. [Map]. General admission $20, VIP tix $30 (includes early seating).

Click here to purchase advance tickets, or call 310.657.5511.


Oct . 14 (Sun), 3 pm—Teaching Peace to the Next Generation: a Benefit for Israeli and Palestinian Educators

Israeli and Palestinian educators, pediatricians from the West Bank train shoulder to shoulder crossing cultural and geographic divides in ground breaking diplomatically sanctioned peace education programs sponsored by Salaam Shalom Educational Foundation.

A benefit performance of Middle Eastern music and folktales will take place at The Rudolf Steiner Community Center, 110 Martin Alley, to raise awareness of the Salaam Shalom Educational Foundation's unique peace education programs in the Middle East.

Keynote Speaker: Mr. Robert Massoud, Founder of Zatoun Fair Trade Olive Oil From Palestine
Enjoy Middle Eastern Music by Hubie Scemama and John Marcus
Hear Palestinian Folk Tales by Aziza Hasan of the Muslim Public Affair Council of Los Angeles
In addition Israeli Folk Tales by Rivka Ben Daniel of Hebrew Union College.
Desserts following the program will sweeten the offering even more.

Everyone interested in hearing more about the strides being made by educators in the Middle East will be both entertained and informed by the afternoon's program. Rabbi Joshua Grater of Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center and Jihad Turk of the Islamic Center of Southern California will give closing blessings. The final song will be a rendition of Steve Earl's "Jerusalem" performed by musicial artist Susan Sheller.

Salaam Shalom Educational Foundation believes that children are the greatest resource for lasting peace in the Middle East. Using education as a force for social transformation, the foundation is an interfaith project that sponsors effective training programs for teachers and students who will be the visionary leaders of their generation. The High School Peace Leadership Program in the Galilee uses Nonviolent Communication as taught by Marshall Rosenberg, Nobel Peace Prize nominee, the Way of Council, and the dramatic arts to teach young people teamwork and cooperative problem-solving. The Early Childhood Education Program in Jenin trains Palestinian teachers from the West Bank to create warm, nurturing classrooms to teach and help heal young children.

This benefit is a positive step towards creating a vessel for hope and peace here in the United States to support the desire for peace in the Middle East. As Franklin D. Roosevelt said, "We can't build the future for our youth, but we can build the youth for our future." The Rudolf Steiner Community Center which hosts lectures, workshops and cultural programs, is dedicated to exploring the connections between the material and spiritual aspects of an evolving humanity, earth, and cosmos. This philosophy opened the way for a natural partnership with the Salaam Shalom Educational Foundation.

All donations to this event will benefit Salaam Shalom Education Foundation and will be matched by the Rudolf Steiner Community Center up to $15,000.Tickets are $25. The event is for adults and children 13 years and older. Reservations are strongly recommended.

Make your tax-deductible check for tickets or donation payable to Rudolf Steiner Community Center. Send to P.O. Box 1614 Agoura Hills, CA 91376. Salaam Shalom Educational Foundation is a 501(c)(3).Contact:

For Tickets and general information: Myra Wolf 818.865.8122.