By Jessica Proett, Staff Writer

Veiled women strolling in Barcelona: (AFP)In the West, the veil has now gone beyond a cliché symbol into a catalyst for policymaking. Whereas new dress code laws claim they aren't specifically targeting religion, banning face coverings directly affects the choice to wear certain traditional Muslim attire such as the niqab or burka. Consequently, issues of free speech, freedom of religion, public safety, and current events are all colliding with stereotypes and Islamaphobia in a cocktail for rabble-rousing debate on how religion should be dealt with in the public sphere, and more specifically, how Eastern cultural traditions should be dealt with in Western democratic societies.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jordan Elgrably, Nile El Wardani, Elie Karam
Levantine Cultural Center
310.657.5511 or 310.402.8866

[Los Angeles, May 20, 2010] Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's top aide, Special Representative to Muslim Communities Farah Pandith, will speak in a public forum on cultural diplomacy organized by the Levantine Cultural Center on Thursday, May 27, 2010, at 7 pm at the Mark Taper Auditorium in downtown Los Angeles.

The "clash of civilization" dialectic and the "war on terror" discourse require Americans to broaden our international outreach, to improve understanding of the Arab/Muslim world. In fact, the alchemy of change requires that we empathize with narratives that may differ from our own; and sometimes these narratives are strikingly similar. Cultural diplomacy efforts use the arts to address communities in conflict-or groups that appear to have opposing interests whether because of different religious traditions, political beliefs or ethnic identification.

By Meena Nanji

By Tamim Ansary

Review by Tara Marie Good

A History of the World Through Islamic Eyes: your purchase benefits in part Levantine Cultural CenterIn 1940 Walter Benjamin wrote, "To articulate what is past does not mean to recognize ‘how it really was.' It means to take control of a memory, as it flashes in a moment of danger." For the German-Jewish Marxist philosopher that moment of danger was the Nazi march on Europe. The moment of danger that inspired Afghani born Tamim Ansary to articulate Islamic history in Destiny Disrupted was September 11th.

Destiny Disrupted is a historical narrative of the Islamic world addressing the chasm seen to separate Western and Middle Eastern histories. The main thesis presented by Ansary is that the history of Islam and the West are two parallel histories, which overlap at points, but are fundamentally separate. Claiming to represent a general Muslim perception, Ansary charts Middle Eastern history from the ancient world to the western colonial and economic expansion in the modern era.

Afghanistan's Untold StoryOn Friday evening, May 15, Levantine Cultural Center hosts a salon devoted to discussion of Afghanistan, past and present. Authors Paul Fitzgerald and Elizabeth Gould will be talking about their new book Invisible History: Afghanistan’s Untold Story (City Lights 2009) including a DVD presentation. They’ll be introduced by a prominent Afghan-American attorney and activist, Mariam Atash Nawabi, and the evening will wind up with live music by  young Afghan-American singer/songwriter Ariana Delawari. Read more about them here.

In reality, many of us are already asking ourselves if Afghanistan wasn’t the Soviet Union’s Vietnam—and many have begun to wonder if it will become Obama’s Iraq.

Book Party and Concert May 2Reza Aslan presented his new book How to Win a Cosmic War: God, Globalization, and the End of the War on Terror May 2, at Café-Club Fais Do-Do, at 5257 W. Adams Blvd., LA 90016. Also appearing were Turkish indie rocker Kutsal and Arab hip hop artist Omar Offendum.

check out a few pix from the event:

Event Details

Date/Time: 

May 2 2009 7:30pm - 11:30pm

Price: 

$28.50 includes the book, get tickets at the door tonight

Where: 

Café-Club Fais Do Do
5257 W. Adams Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90016
Info faisdodo.com
doors 7:30 pm
show starts 8:30 pm

Reza Aslan's new book: what's a book party without cool music?Join Reza Aslan when he debuts his new book, How to Win A Cosmic War on Terror, God Globalization and the War on Terror, at Fais Do-Do, Saturday, May 2, 2009. Doors open 7:30 pm, show starts at 8:30 pm.

Joining Reza are indie rocker Kutsal and her musicians, and later in the evening, the hip hop innovator Omar Offendum. Tickets are $28.50 and include a complimentary copy of How to Win A Cosmic War. Get them online at Ticketweb. Hurry, tickets will sell out.

This cultural happening is brought to you by Book Soup, BoomGen Studios, Largo and Levantine Cultural Center.
More info at 310.657.5511.

Advance Praise for How to Win A Cosmic War

Event Details

Date/Time: 

Apr 24 2009 7:00pm - 10:00pm

Price: 

THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT $10 (members, students with i.d. free)
Buy Tickets

Where: 

Levantine Cultural Center
5998 W. Pico Blvd.
(a block east of Crescent Heights)
Los Angeles CA 90035
ample street parking

April 24 Playwrights' Forum

 

April 24 Playwrights' Forum

 

Friday, April 24, 7-10 pm, Levantine Cultural Center

Is there such a thing as Arab/Muslim theatre? Or are Arab/Muslim playwrights doing work just as universal as, say, “Waiting for Godot”? What are the challenges facing Arab/Muslim playwrights working in the United States, and how does religion either contribute to or conflict with art?

On Friday, April 24, Levantine Cultural Center welcomes visiting playwright Wajahat Ali, whose play “The Domestic Crusaders” will open in New York at the Nuyorican on 9-11-2009. Ali will present “Crusaders” with select readings and discussion. Joining him in conversation is Lebanese playwright and director Elie Karam, who will engage the debate, and also talk about his most recently-translated play “Tell Me About the War So I’ll Love You.”

Tickets $10 (members and students with i.d. free). Reservations are strongly advised as space is limited. Call 310.657.5511. Visit levantinecenter.org.