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PRESS RELEASES -- ARAB AMERICAN NEWS WIRE

The Arab American News Wire for PRESS RELEASES is a free service that features
PRESS RELEASES on topics related to the Middle East and American Arab/Muslim
community. They can be reprinted, with attribution to the writer or the the
original source and are a courtesy of the Arab Daily News online website
(www.TheArabDailyNews.com).


SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2013


THIS BLOG IS BEING REPLACED BY HTTP://AANEWSWIRE.WORDPRESS.COM/




This Blog is being replaced by http://aanewswire.wordpress.com/

Thank You

The Arab American News wire
www.ArabAmericanNewsWire.com

Posted by Ray Hanania at 3:50 AM






DOHA-BASED QATAR AIRWAYS IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE IT WILL BE SPONSORING THE BOYS
AND GIRLS CLUB OF GREATER WASHINGTON





WASHINGTON, Oct. 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Doha-based Qatar Airways is pleased to
announce it will be sponsoring the Boys and Girls Club of Greater
Washington (BGCGW) at the 55th annual Washington International Horse
Show (WIHS). The airline, a patron of the WIHS, provided young members of the
Boys and Girls Club with a behind the scenes tour of Barn Night, the show's
signature youth event, and a chance to meet the riders.
(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131025/NY04443 )
Barn Night, Thursday, October 24, featured the WIHS Shetland Pony International
Steeplechase—the first time Shetland ponies raced over jumps indoors in the
U.S—and the Halloween-themed Gambler's Choice Costume class, during which top
riders and their horses tackled a course of jumps dressed in creative outfits.
The event also hosted a scavenger hunt and contests for Largest Group, Best
Banner, Best Spirit, and Best Video for young riders at local barns.
Qatar Airways, which commenced service to Dulles International Airport in 2007,
has previously hosted BGCGW kids on a tour of a Boeing 777, as part of a STEM
outreach program.
"At Qatar Airways, our goal has always been to connect with the communities we
serve, both in the air and on the ground. In that spirit, we are pleased to
continue our relationship with the Boys and Girls Club by giving these young men
and women the chance to experience the Washington International Horse Show,"
said Qatar Airways Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker.
While the goal of the 777 event was to inspire interest in science, technology
engineering, and math, especially in the field of aviation, the WIHS is a chance
to introduce the kids to a cultural experience they might not have previously
experienced. The nation of Qatar, which is a major stakeholder in the airline,
has a long tradition of breeding champion horses and encourages education about
equestrian sports throughout the world.
"It's important that our kids are exposed to cultural experiences outside of
their comfort zones. Attending the Washington International Horse Show is a
once-in-a lifetime opportunity our kids will benefit from greatly. Additionally,
we are grateful to be able to work with Qatar Airlines for the second time and
applaud their commitment to helping our youth have great futures," shares Pandit
Wright, BGCGW CEO & President.  
Qatar Airways is one of the world's fastest growing airlines, currently flying a
modern fleet of 127 aircraft to 128 key business and leisure destinations
worldwide. Along with their growth they have put an emphasis on outreach with
charitable organizations, especially children's charities.  Along with their
work with the Boys and Girls Club, the airline is a major sponsor of Educate a
Child, an initiative begun by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser of Qatar,
which aims to significantly reduce the number of children worldwide who are
missing out on their right to education.
About QatarQatar Airways currently has orders worth over US$50 billion for more
than 250 aircraft, including Boeing 787s, 777s, Airbus A350s, A380s and A320
Family of aircraft. At the recent Skytrax World Airline awards at the 2013 Paris
Air Show, the airline was awarded Best Business Class in the World, Best Airline
Staff Service in the Middle East, and Best Business Class Lounge in the World.
In October 2012, Qatar Airways became the first of the major Gulf carriers to
officially announce plans to join a global alliance having been invited into
the oneworld group. For more information, or to make reservations,
visitwww.qatarairways.com or call 1.877.777.2827
About the Washington International Horse Show
Established in 1958, the Washington International Horse Show attracts more than
20,000 spectators to the six-day show, which includes Olympic-level competition
along with community and charity events. More than 500 top horses and riders
come to D.C. from all over the globe to jump for nearly half a million dollars
in prize money. Event highlights include the Puissance high jump competition on
Military Night (Friday), the $125,000 President's Cup Grand Prix, a World Cup
qualifier (Saturday night) and Kids' Day (Saturday), a free, fun and educational
community event. The Washington International Horse Show Association, Ltd. is a
501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization headquartered in Washington, D.C.
For more information visit wihs.org
For further information contact:
Qatar Airways Group, Corporate Communications Department
Tel: +974 44302072, Fax: +974 44302069
E-mail: qrmedia@qatarairways.com.qa
Website: www.qatarairways.com

Posted by Ray Hanania at 3:00 AM





FRIDAY, OCTOBER 04, 2013


GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN COULD RESULT IN A CRIME BOOM, FLORIDA CRIMINAL ATTORNEY
WARNS




Distributed by the www.ArabAmericanNewsWire.com



Government shutdown could result in a crime boom,
Florida criminal attorney warns


Ft. Lauderdale, Fl – Prominent criminal defense attorney John P. Contini said
Thursday (Oct. 3, 2013) that an extended length Government Shutdown will have
the unintended impact of increasing crime, similar to the tragic violence now
unfolding in Washington DC.


Contini’s legal practice is recognized for successfully representing defendants
in State and Federal cases involving murder, drugs, white-collar, sex, and
federal crimes.


Contini said that if the shutdown continues, Americans can expect to see a rise
in crimes involving food stamp fraud, unemployment compensation fraud, IRS tax
return fraud, identity theft, mortgage fraud, bank fraud, and every other fraud
and miscellaneous crime creeping into your neighborhood. 


“There is going to be even less government oversight and less law enforcement
involvement, let alone the pursuit of the fast growing number of criminals,”
Contini warned.


“Unfortunately, this isn't just a political battle between President Obama and
the Republican leadership, or one over healthcare. Criminals out there will see
this as an opportunity to exploit government programs like food stamps believing
no one will be watching. That’s what criminals do.”


Contini added that the idea of important government workers being described as
“non-essential” is misleading.


“The Government tells us that ‘only’ the ‘non-essential’ federal employees are
being ‘furloughed,’ the fancy word for ‘shut down’ or sent home without pay,”
Contini said.


“If they're ‘non-essential,’ then we don't need them right? But the truth is,
these are the people we need most! They're the secretaries and all of the
administrative personnel and the vital, internal support system for the body of
the Government and all of its federal law enforcement agencies! Think of it like
your body: the frame and skin and even the skeletal system seems to be intact,
but all of your internal organs are shutting down! Pretty soon the body will
die.”


Contini has long been a critic of the failure of government, noting that
corruption by government employees also can be expected to increase. In 2010,
Contini was recognized by the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee for
championing the rights of Husien (Hussein) Shehada, an American Palestinian
Tourist who was on vacation in South Beach, Florida when he was shot and killed
in 2009 by a controversy plagued Miami Police officer. The officer viewed
Shehada as a gun-toting Arab terrorist and alleged he thought he was carrying an
AK-47 assault rifle, which turned out to be false. The officer shot Shehada in
the head at point blank range as the victim pled for his life. (Click here to
read more) The Miami police officer had been involved a prior controversial
killing and was later suspended after he was found to have drugs in his system
months later and subsequently resigned.


“Everything has a consequence. After World War II, we saw a dramatic increase in
soldiers coming home, getting married and having babies, resulting in the baby
boom that many did not recognize as a challenge until years later,” Contini
said.


“In the same way, a prolonged government shutdown will have a consequence we
might not see or even feel right away, resulting in a crime boom that we won’t
fully comprehend for many years to come.”


Contini added, “We cannot afford to let our guard down in protecting our
borders, and this is happening now with the shutdown forcing the ‘furlough’ of
the so-called ‘non-essential’ support personnel for the Agents of U.S. Customs
and Homeland Security. We lead the world in per capita prison population, and
the shutdown directly impacts that level of security and protection within our
prisons.’


A highly experienced and high powered, seasoned veteran of criminal law, John
Contini has successfully represented thousands of criminal defendants in Florida
and throughout the United States for over twenty (25) five years.


A former Broward County felony trial prosecutor based in Ft. Lauderdale in South
Florida, Contini has defended the criminally accused since 1987.


Contini is recognized as one of the nation’s top faith-based legal authorities
on individual rights and freedoms. He has authored several books on crime
including “Danger Road: A True Crime Story of Murder and Redemption”  (2006) and
“Feeling the Heat: an Interrogation of the Soul” (2007), both published by
Liberty Press.


For more information visit www.JohnContini.com. You can order John Contini’s
books by calling Toll Free 1- 800. 266.5564.


# # #
  
SEO INFO


Federal Criminal Defense Lawyer John Contini
Ft. Lauderdale Criminal Defense Lawyer John Contini
Prominent Civil Rights Attorney John Contini


End

Posted by Ray Hanania at 5:20 AM





TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2013


ISRAEL BURIES CASE INVOLVING MURDER OF CIVILIAN BASSEM ABU RAHMEH, BIL'IN
VILLAGE RESIDENT, BY SOLDIERS




Distributed by the www.ArabAmericanNewsWire.com



10 September 2013


Press release – for immediate publication
MAG closes file in 2009 killing of Bassem Abu Rahmeh
Four and a half years have passed since the killing of Bassem Abu Rahmeh by a
tear gas canister fired at him directly from a short range. The death was
documented by three video angles, the state announced it is closing the case
citing lack of evidence


Military Advocate General (MAG) Maj. Gen. Danny Efroni decided to close the case
file in the investigation of the circumstances of the killing of Bil’in resident
Bassem Abu Rahmeh, citing lack of evidence. The MAG made this decision in late
July, and it was recently conveyed to the Israeli High Court of Justice as part
of an updating statement by the Office of the State Attorney in a petition filed
by Subhiya Abu Rahmeh, Bassem’s mother, together with Bil’in Village Council and
Israeli human rights organizations B’Tselem and Yesh Din. According to the
statement signed by Senior Deputy at the Office of the State Attorney, Att.
Michal Michlin-Friedlander, and Assistant to the State Attorney, Att. Udi Eitan,
also former Deputy State Attorney Yehoshua Lemberger had reached the same
conclusion.


30-year-old Bassem Abu Rahmeh, a resident of the village of Bil’in, whose story
was told in the film “Five Broken Cameras” nominated for Best Foreign Film in
the Academy Awards, was killed in April 2009 after he was struck in the chest by
an extended-range tear gas grenade during a demonstration against the Separation
Barrier in his home village of Bil’in. Three video segments filmed during the
demonstration prove that Abu Rahmeh was situated to the east of the barrier, did
not act violently, and did not endanger the soldiers in any way. An analysis of
the video footage of the incident, by visualization experts determined that the
grenade was fired directly at Abu Rahmeh, in complete contravention of open-fire
regulations.


In its response, the state did not explain the rationale behind its decision,
limiting itself to the following laconic wording: “There is not enough evidence
needed for criminal proceedings for adopting legal measures against any of the
soldiers involved in the incident.” No information was given regarding the
findings of the investigation, which the state argued had included
“comprehensive and rigorous investigative actions,” or about the versions
provided by the soldiers who had been questioned. Neither did the statement
provide the contents of the opinions given by experts of the Israeli military
and police and their interpretation of the findings disclosed by the video
footage.


Ever since Bassem Abu Rahmeh was killed, his family – aided by NGOs Yesh Din and
B’Tselem – has been continuously striving to have the truth of the incident
brought to light and to have those responsible for their son’s death prosecuted.
Their efforts have been repeatedly thwarted by the sluggish conduct of the MAG
Corps. Due to the initial refusal by the MAG at the time to launch a Military
Police investigation, the investigation was opened a year and half later than it
should have. The foot-dragging and procrastination in the case have continued
even once the investigation was launched over three years ago. Only a petition
to the High Court of Justice finally brought about a decision in the case.


In response to the statement submitted by Office of the State Attorney, Att.
Emily Schaeffer of Yesh Din’s legal team said: “The decision to close the file
in the killing of Bassem Abu Rahmeh is unacceptable, particularly in view of the
expert opinion that determined that the tear-gas grenade was fired directly at
Abu Rahmeh from a close range. Despite three separate videos that recorded the
killing of Bassem, the MP and police have failed to find the factors that caused
the death of an unarmed demonstrator. The conduct of law enforcement bodies in
this case is further proof of the feebleness of the authorities in cases of
Palestinian casualties. Moreover, it seems that there might be no intention of
finding out the truth or prosecuting the offenders even in extreme cases such as
this, in which there is clear-cut and unambiguous evidence. Bassem’s family,
together with B’Tselem and Yesh Din, will continue in its struggle to bring the
parties responsible for his death to justice.”


Att. Yael Stein, Director of Research at B’Tselem, said in response: “The
unbearable procrastination taken by the authorities in this case, and the fact
that the MAG only made a decision due to a High Court Petition, once again
demonstrate that the MAG Corps must adopt the recommendations of the Turkel
Commission without delay. This includes determining a pre-defined schedule for
each stage of the investigation, and ensuring that each stage is brief. Also,
the statements made by investigative bodies about their decisions must include
the reasoning underlying the decision so as to enable lodging effective
appeals.”


For additional information:
Sarit Michaeli, B'Tselem, 050-5387230

Reut Mor, Yesh Din: 054-9323332

Posted by Ray Hanania at 8:52 AM





WEDNESDAY, JULY 10, 2013


2013 ARAB AMERICAN BOOK AWARD WINNERS TO BE HONORED IN DEARBORN THIS FALL




Distributed by the www.ArabAmericanNewsWire.com


2013 ARAB AMERICAN BOOK AWARD WINNERS TO BE HONORED IN DEARBORN THIS FALL


Dearborn, Mich. (July 10, 2013) – Engaging storytelling by established talents
and emerging voices abounds among the titles selected to receive the 2013 Arab
American Book Award, presented by the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn,
Michigan.


This national literary competition – the only one of its kind in the United
States – is designed to draw attention to books and authors dealing with the
Arab American experience. The program has attracted increasing numbers of
submissions from authors and publishers across the nation in its brief,
seven-year history.


Four winners emerged from the multitude of eligible books published in 2012 that
were submitted for consideration; five honorable mentions were also selected.
The winning titles were chosen by genre-specific review committees comprised of
selected readers from across the country, including respected authors,
university professors, artists, librarians and poets.





Contact:
Kim Silarski    
ksilarski@accesscommunity.org


Matthew Jaber Stiffler   
mstiffler@accesscommunity.org




2013 ARAB AMERICAN BOOK AWARD WINNERS


Winner - Fiction
Lebanese Blonde by Joseph Geha (Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press,
2012)


Winner - Evelyn Shakir Non-Fiction Award
House of Stone: A Memoir of Home, Family, and a Lost Middle East by Anthony
Shadid (New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012)


Winner - Poetry
Atrium: Poems by Hala Alyan (New York, NY: Three Rooms Press, 2012)


Winner – Children/Young Adult
Hands Around the Library: Protecting Egypt’s Treasured Books by Susan L. Roth
and Karen Leggett Abouraya (New York, NY: Dial, 2012)




2013 HONORABLE MENTIONS


Honorable Mention - Fiction
Flying Carpets by Hedy Habra (March Street Press, 2012; Reprinted: Northampton,
MA: Interlink Books, 2013)


Honorable Mentions - Non-Fiction
The Girl Who Fell to Earth by Sophia Al-Maria (New York, NY: HarperCollins,
2012)
AND
Even My Voice is Silence by Soha Al-Jurf (CreateSpace, 2012)


Honorable Mention - Poetry
Sea & Fog by Etel Adnan (Callicoon, NY: Nightboat Books, 2012)


Honorable Mention – Children/Young Adult
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi (New York, NY: HarperCollins, 2012)


Further information about the winning books and their authors appears below and
at http://www.arabamericanmuseum.org/2013.book.award.winners.


This year, the Arab American Book Award ceremony will be held on Saturday, Nov.
2, 2013 at the Arab American National Museum, 13624 Michigan Avenue, Dearborn,
Michigan. Further details on the invitation-only event will be released later
this summer.




2013 ARAB AMERICAN BOOK AWARD WINNERS


Winner - Fiction


Lebanese Blonde by Joseph Geha (Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press,
2012)


Lebanese Blonde takes place in 1975-76 at the beginning of Lebanon's sectarian
civil war. Set primarily in the Toledo, Ohio, "Little Syria" community, it is
the story of two immigrant cousins: Aboodeh, a self-styled entrepreneur; and
Samir, his young, reluctant accomplice. Together the two concoct a scheme to
import Lebanese Blonde, a potent strain of hashish, into the United States,
using the family's mortuary business as a cover. When Teyib, a newly arrived war
refugee, stumbles onto their plans, his clumsy efforts to gain acceptance raise
suspicion. Who is this mysterious "cousin," and what dangers does his presence
pose? Aboodeh and Samir's problems grow still more serious when a shipment goes
awry and their links to the war-ravaged homeland are severed. Soon it's not just
Aboodeh and Samir's livelihoods and futures that are imperiled, but the
stability of the entire family.


Joseph Geha is the author of Through and Through: Toledo Stories (Graywolf,
1990), a collection of short stories inspired by his experiences growing up in
an émigré Arab American community. He is a Professor Emeritus of the creative
writing program at Iowa State University.




Winner - Evelyn Shakir Non-Fiction Award


House of Stone: A Memoir of Home, Family, and a Lost Middle East by Anthony
Shadid (New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012)


In spring 2011, Anthony Shadid was one of four New York Times reporters captured
in Libya, cuffed and beaten, as that country was seized by revolution. When he
was freed, he went home. Not to Boston or Beirut where he lives or to Oklahoma
City, where his Lebanese American family had settled and where he was raised.
Instead, he returned to his great-grandfather’s estate, a house that, over three
years earlier, Shadid had begun to rebuild. House of Stone is the story of a
battle-scarred home and a war correspondent s jostled spirit, and of how
reconstructing the one came to fortify the other. In this poignant and resonant
memoir, the author creates a mosaic of past and present, tracing the house’s
renewal alongside his family s flight from Lebanon and resettlement in America.
In the process, Shadid memorializes a lost world, documents the shifting Middle
East, and provides profound insights into this volatile landscape.


Anthony Shadid (1968-2012), author of Night Draws Near (Picador, 2006) and House
of Stone (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012), was an unparalleled chronicler of
the human stories behind the news. He gained attention and awards, including the
Pulitzer Prize, for his front-page reports in the Washington Post from Iraq.
More recently, as Middle East correspondent for the New York Times, he covered
the Arab Spring from Egypt to Libya (where he was held captive in March, 2011)
to Syria. In 2010, he earned his second Pulitzer. Tragically, on February 16,
2012, he died while on assignment in Syria. Shadid was honored with a Lifetime
Achievement Award at the 2012 Arab American Book Award ceremony.




Winner - Poetry


Atrium: Poems by Hala Alyan (New York, NY: Three Rooms Press, 2012)


In Atrium, Hala Alyan traces lines of global issues in personal spaces, with
fervently original imagery, and a fierce passion and intense intimacy that echo
long after the initial reading. Alyan was recently tapped as a finalist in the
Nazim Himet Poetry Competition, and has left her mark on other award-winning
poets who are universal in their praise. Among them is fellow Arab American Book
Award winner Naomi Shihab Nye, who said, “Don’t miss the dazzling Hala Alyan.
Wow. When she says ‘the poetry like a spear,’ she isn’t kidding.”


Hala Alyan is a Palestinian American poet who has lived in various cities in the
Middle East and the United States. Currently, she resides in Brooklyn, where she
is pursuing a doctoral degree in the field of psychology. Her stunning
originality in her poetic work has been heard in performances worldwide. Her
poem Maktoub was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2012.




Winner – Children/Young Adult


Hands Around the Library: Protecting Egypt’s Treasured Books by Susan L. Roth
and Karen Leggett Abouraya (New York, NY: Dial, 2012)


This is the inspiring true story of demonstrators standing up for the love of a
library, from a New York Times bestselling illustrator. In January 2011, in a
moment that captured the hearts of people all over the world, thousands of
Egypt's students, library workers and demonstrators surrounded the great Library
of Alexandria and joined hands, forming a human chain to protect the building.
They chanted "We love you, Egypt!" as they stood together for the freedom the
library represented. Illustrated with Susan L. Roth's stunning collages, this
amazing true story demonstrates how the love of books and libraries can unite a
country, even in the midst of turmoil.


Susan L. Roth was born on Leap Year in New York City. She grew up in Madison,
Wisconsin, earned her bachelor’s (art) and master’s (printmaking, art history)
degrees from Mills College in Oakland, California, and now makes her home back
in New York City.  Roth has written or illustrated more than 40 books; her most
recent titles - The Mangrove Tree: Planting Trees to Feed Families and Dream
Something Big: The Story of the Watts Towers – are both 2012 ALA Notable
Children’s Books.


Karen Leggett Abouraya grew up in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, surrounded by writing
and books: her father was a journalist and her mother is a retired school
librarian. She was a broadcast journalist for many years on ABC Radio WMAL in
Washington, D.C., where she began reviewing and discussing children’s books. She
has also reviewed children’s books and interviewed authors for the New York
Times, Baltimore Sun, Children’s Literature, Washington Parent and others.
Currently, Abouraya writes for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (National
Wildlife Refuge System), Voice of America, International Educator magazine
(NAFSA), and others. Karen graduated from Brown University (international
relations) and met her Egyptian husband in Washington.






2013 HONORABLE MENTIONS




Honorable Mention - Fiction
Flying Carpets by Hedy Habra (March Street Press, 2012; Reprinted: Northampton,
MA: Interlink Books, 2013)


Flying Carpets is a story collection in the grand tradition of Arab
storytelling. In it, Habra masterfully waves her writing wand and takes us on a
journey as we read about people and places far away and encounter temples and
mountain villages, gliding boats and fragrant kitchens, flaming fish and rich
tapestries. The stories recover lost, partially forgotten and imaginary spaces,
progressing from the concrete to the universal. The first two sections move
between Egypt and Lebanon with a touch of magic realism. In the second half of
the collection, the characters become less rooted in time and space as the
dreamlike elements intensify.


Hedy Habra is the author of a poetry collection, Tea in Heliopolis and a book of
literary criticism, Mundos alternos y artísticos en Vargas Llosa.  She has an MA
and an MFA in English and an MA and PhD in Spanish literature, all from Western
Michigan University, where she currently teaches. She is the recipient of WMU’s
All-University Research and Creative Scholar Award. Habra has published more
than 160 poems and short stories in journals and anthologies.




Honorable Mention - Non-Fiction
The Girl Who Fell to Earth by Sophia Al-Maria (New York, NY: HarperCollins,
2012)


Award-winning filmmaker and writer Sophia Al-Maria’s The Girl Who Fell to
Earth is a funny and wry coming-of-age memoir about growing up in between
American and Gulf Arab cultures. With poignancy and humor, Al-Maria shares the
struggles of being raised by an American mother and Bedouin father while
shuttling between homes in the Pacific Northwest and the Middle East. Part
family saga and part personal quest, The Girl Who Fell to Earth traces
Al-Maria’s journey to make a place for herself in two different worlds.


Sophia Al-Maria was born in Tacoma, Washington, in 1983. After graduating from
the American University in Cairo with a degree in Comparative Literature, she
earned an MA from Goldsmith’s University, London where she began researching
Gulf Futurism. Currently she is based between Cairo, Doha and Tunis where she is
preparing for her feature film Beretta. Her work has appeared in Harper’s
Magazine, Triple Canopy and Dazed & Confused. She is a contributing editor
at Bidoun Magazine. This is her first book.




Honorable Mention - Non-Fiction
Even My Voice is Silence by Soha Al-Jurf (CreateSpace, 2012)


When Soha Al-Jurf goes in search of her father's Palestinian village, she
believes she is embarking on a journey that will help her reconcile the
conflicted parts of her identity as a Palestinian American Muslim woman.
Instead, what she had anticipated would be the end of her long journey proves
only to be the beginning of an elusive search for her true self, mired in the
painful realization of what it means to be a refugee. Through exquisite
storytelling and deep personal inquiry, Al-Jurf offers readers a rare and
intimate perspective on one woman’s struggle to reconcile her life in the U.S.
with the one her parents left behind, instilling in her a longing for a homeland
with which her own connection is uncertain.


Soha Al-Jurf is a Palestinian American Muslim writer who was born in the West
Bank city of Nablus and raised in Iowa City, Iowa. She works as a
speech-language pathologist in San Francisco. Her writing focuses on issues of
identity and "finding one's own, authentic voice" by exploring themes of
politics, spirituality, and personal story. Her writing has appeared in Turning
Wheel, Critical Muslim, ElevenEleven, and al Majdal magazines, as well as online
on CounterPunch and Transform.




Honorable Mention - Poetry
Sea & Fog by Etel Adnan (Callicoon, NY: Nightboat Books, 2012)


These interrelated meditations explore the nature of the individual spirit and
the individual spiritedness of the natural world. As skilled a philosopher as
she is a poet, in Sea & Fog, Adnan weaves multiple sonic, theoretical, and
syntactic pleasure at once.


Etel Adnan is the author of numerous books of poetry and prose, including the
groundbreaking novel Sitt-Marie Rose. She is a recipient of a 2010 PEN
Oakland-Josephine Miles National Literary Award. She lives between Sausalito,
California; Paris; and Beirut.




Honorable Mention – Children/Young Adult
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi (New York, NY: HarperCollins, 2012)


No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal, but The Reestablishment has plans
for her. Plans to use her as a weapon. But Juliette has plans of her own. After
a lifetime without freedom, she's finally discovering a strength to fight back
for the very first time—and to find a future with the one boy she thought she'd
lost forever. In this electrifying debut, Tahereh Mafi presents a riveting
dystopian world, a thrilling superhero story and an unforgettable heroine.


Tahereh Mafi is a girl. She was born in a small city somewhere in Connecticut
and currently resides in Orange County, California, where she drinks too much
caffeine and finds the weather to be just a little too perfect for her taste.
When unable to find a book, she can be found reading candy wrappers, coupons and
old receipts. Shatter Me is her first novel.




******************


The Arab American National Museum documents, preserves and presents Arab
American history, culture and contributions. It is a project of ACCESS, a
Dearborn, Michigan-based nonprofit human services and cultural organization.
Learn more at www.arabamericanmuseum.org and www.accesscommunity.org.


The Arab American National Museum is a proud Affiliate of the Smithsonian
Institution in Washington, D.C. Read about the Affiliations program
at http://affiliations.si.edu.


The Museum is located at 13624 Michigan Avenue, Dearborn, MI, 48126. Hours: 10
a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Closed
Monday, Tuesday; Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Admission is $8
for adults; $4 for students, seniors and children 6-12; ages 5 and under and
Museum Members, free. Call 313.582.2266 for further information.


###





Posted by Ray Hanania at 2:01 PM





FRIDAY, JUNE 28, 2013


“ALL ROADS LEAD” TO PROMINENT MICHIGAN ACCIDENT ATTORNEY JOUMANA KAYROUZ, WRITES
NEAL RUBIN OF THE DETROIT NEWS




Distributed by the www.ArabAmericanNewsWire.com



“All roads lead” to prominent Michigan Accident attorney Joumana Kayrouz, writes
Neal Rubin of the Detroit News

Metro-Detroit, Michigan -- Recently, The Detroit News newspaper’s humor
columnist, Neal Rubin, penned an entertaining and informative column on Page 2
about the widespread and successful advertising campaign that Michigan Accident
Attorney Joumana Kayrouz launched to market her legal services.

Rubin detailed the attention Kayrouz has received for her law firm, the Law
Offices of Joumana Kayrouz PLLC, and reactions it received from many people in
the Metro-Detroit region.

Kayrouz, who received her Masters Degree from Yale University Graduate School
and her law degree from Wayne State University, is the most recognized attorney
in Michigan, the column affirms.

It is a marketing move that many in the legal and marketing industries describe
as ingenious for its results. The advertising campaign to promote her legal
services appears on billboards, tri-county buses and on bus shelters and
benches, and is estimated to cost more than $350,000 a month, a staggering
record amount that reflects the celebrated success for her legal services to
those in need.

“That kind of money will get you heaps of notoriety and hordes of clients, and
if it doesn’t also get you at least a little bit of friendly teasing, the rest
of us aren’t paying enough attention. “Injured?” asks the heading on the ads.
No, but we’re increasingly entertained,” Rubin writes in his column.

The innumerable placement of billboards and bus advertising targets people who
have been injured in automobile accidents. The advertisements ask, “Injured?
1-866-Your Rights.”

Each billboard features a bigger-than-life portrait head-shot of Joumana Kayrouz
that personalizes the media campaign and has prompted what Rubin described as “a
bit of friendly teasing” from a few uninjured Metro-Detroit residents “with a
lot of time on their hands.”

Several games were created using Joumana Kayrouz. One fan created a game that is
much like one played by children throughout the country called “Punch Bug” (or
“Slug Bug”): when a passenger in a vehicle sees a Volkswagen Beetle, Rubin
notes, they playfully punch the arm of someone next to them.
In a new game called “Count the Joumanas,” players score points by identifying
one of Joumana’s billboards, bus wraps, bus shelters, benches, or anything else
related to Joumana Kayrouz.

Writes Rubin, “In the Slug Bug that bruises shoulders on school buses across the
land, whoever sees a VW Beetle first gets to punch his seatmate in the arm. A
yellow Beetle rates two punches. Keep in mind, though, that Volkswagen has sold
only 21 million or so Bugs, and you might ride a few miles without seeing one.
With Joumana Slug Bug, the fists churn like pistons.”

Rubin’s point is not lost in his column. The marketing campaign that Joumana
Kayrouz has launched has also launched her career to unprecedented public
heights, making her the most recognized and sought-after attorney in Michigan.

Some readers of the column observe that the game creator had too much free time
on her hands while others writing in the Detroit Newspapers online comments
section say that they admire Joumana Kayrouz for her brilliant advertising moves
that continue to gain extensive recognition for her important legal services.

For her part, Kayrouz says she is flattered by all the attention and she enjoyed
Rubin’s entertaining writing.

“I am flattered by it all, of course. But my real concern remains to reach those
motorists in Michigan and Metro-Detroit who have unfortunately experienced
injuries in accidents. I want to champion their rights by giving them the best
legal representation they deserve,” Kayrouz says.

“When you are at the top of your field in serving the public, naturally, you can
expect some teasing. I believe I am at the top but only because I know that I
give my clients the best, most professional, and most effective legal
representation that they deserve.”

The “Joumanamania,” as Rubin reports, is catchy and a “great marketing ploy”
that has made Joumana Kayrouz one of the most recognized people in Michigan.

“The actual Joumana Kayrouz was born in Lebanon, speaks four languages, attended
law school at Wayne State and leases two floors at the Southfield Town Center,”
Rubin writes. “In the three years since she started plastering her face across
Metro Detroit, she has become one of the two or three most famous lawyers in
Michigan — and she didn’t have to keep Jack Kevorkian out of jail to get there.”

One member of the public interviewed in the column is a former marketer for a
boutique law firm in Troy, who was quoted as saying, “I have a great
appreciation for what she does. It’s genius, frankly.”

For more information on Joumana Kayrouz, visit www.JoumanaKayrouz.com.

(Arabic translation available):




كل الطرقات تؤدي إلى" المحامية المرموقة جمانة كيروز المتخصصة في الحوادث في ولاية
ميشيغن. هذا ما كتبه نيل روبين، الصحفي في جريدة ديترويت نيوز.
مدينة ديترويت الكبرى، ولاية ميشيغن – منذ وقت قريب، نشر الكاتب الهزلي نيل روبين
على الجريدة الإخبارية ثي ديترويت نيوز، عمودا في الصفحة الثانية يجمع بين التسلية
والافادة، حول الحملة الاشهارية الواسعة والناجحة التي أطلقتها المحامية المتخصصة
في الحوادث جمانة كيروز في ولاية ميشيغن، لتسويق خدماتها القانونية. ويعرض روبين
بشكل مفصّل الاهتمام الذي حظيت به المحامية جمانة كيروز وشركة المحاماة التابعة
لها، والتي تحمل اسمها. كما يتحدث في نفس العمود عن ردود الفعل الصادرة عن سكان
منطقة ديترويت الكبرى على الحملة المذكورة.
حصلت جمانة كيروز على شهادة الماجستير من كلية الدراسات العليا بجامعة يال، وحصلت
على شهادة العلوم القانونية من جامعة الولاية واين، وهي المحامية الأكثر شُهرة في
ولاية ميشيغن، حسبما يقول كاتب العمود.
ويصف الكثير من المتخصصين في مجالي القانون والتسويق الحملة الاشهارية التي أطلقتها
جمانة كيروز بأنها إبداعية، بالنظر إلى النتائج التي حققتها. وتشمل هذه الحملة
الاشهارية للخدمات القانونية التي تقدمها جمانة كيروز يافطات عملاقة على الطرقات،
ويافطات على حافلات النقل العام التي تعبر مقاطعات ثلاث، وعلى مآوي ومقاعد محطات
الحافلات. وتٌقدّر تكاليف الحملة بـ 350 ألف دولار شهريا، وهو رقم قياسي مُذهل يعكس
مدى النجاح الذي يشهد الجميع لها به في الخدمات القانونية التي تُقدّمها لمن هم
بحاجة إليها.
"مثل ذلك المبلغ المالي يحقق لك حجما كبيرا من الشهرة وأعدادا غفيرة من الزبائن،
هذا إن لم يُكسبك أيضا قدرا ولو قليلا من المداعبة اللطيفة، أما البقية، فيبدو أننا
لم ننتبه بما فيه الكفاية. وتطرح اليافطة الاشهارية سؤالا : "هل أنت متضرر؟" كلا،
ولكننا نشعر بقدر متزايد من التسلية". هذا ما يكتبه روبين في عموده.
وتستهدف اليافطات الموجودة بكثافة على الطرقات والحافلات أولئك الأفراد الذين
تضرروا في حوادث السيارات. وتسأل اليافطة : "هل أنت متضرر؟ اتصل بالرقم 1-866-your
rights"
وتتوسط كل يافطة صورة عملاقة تُظهر وجه جمانة كيروز، التي تُشخّص الحملة الدعائية
والتي أطلقت ما يُسميه روبين "قليلا من المداعبة اللطيفة" بين بعض سكان منطقة
ديترويت الكبرى غير المتضررين ممن "لديهم كثير من وقت الفراغ".
أصبحت جمانة كيروز محورا للعديد من الألعاب. وأبدع أحد المُعجبين لعبة تشبه تلك
اللعبة التي يُحبها الأطفال في كل أمريكا، والتي يُطلقون عليها اسم "لكمة
الخنفساء". ويشرح روبن اللعبة قائلا: كلما رأى أحد الراكبين في عربة سيارة من نوع
فولكسفاجن خنفساء، يُسدّد لكمة مداعبة لذراع الشخص الجالس إلى جانبهم. أما في
اللعبة الجديدة والتي يُطلقون عليها "كم جمانة ترى؟" يُسجّل خلالها اللاعب نقطة
كلما رأى صورة لجمانة على يافطة أو حافلة أو مأوى محطة حافلة أو مقعد أو أي شيء آخر
له علاقة بجمانة كيروز.
ويقول روبين في عموده: "لعبة "لكمة الخنفساء" تتسبب في كدمات على أذرع الأطفال
الراكبين في الباص المدرسي في كل أمريكا، حيث أن كل طفل يرى سيارة فلكسفاجن خنفساء
يسدد لكمة على ذراع صديقة الراكب إلى جانبه. أما إذا كانت السيارة صفراء اللون،
فإنها تمنح الحق في لكمتين. ولكن علينا أن نتذكّر أن شركة فولكسفاجن باعت 21 مليون
سيارة فقط من نوع الخنفساء، وقد تسافر أميالا كثيرة دون أن ترى واحدة من هذه
السيارات. أما في اللعبة المماثلة التي تعتمد على جمانة، فإن اللكمات تتوالى مثل
مكابس المحركات".
ولا تمرّ الفكرة التي يطرحها روبين في عموده مرّ الكرام، حيث أن الحملة الدعائية
التي أطلقتها جمانة كيروز أوصلت سمعتها المهنية إلى مستويات قياسية لدى العامة،
وجعلت منها المحامية الأكثر شهرة وإقبالا في ولاية ميشيغن.  
ويلاحظ بعض قراء العمود أن من أبتدع اللعبة المذكورة له الكثير من وقت الفراغ. لكن
عددا آخر من قراء جريدة ثي ديترويت نيوز كتبوا في تعليقاتهم على الموقع الالكتروني
للجريدة أنهم يحملون الكثير من الاعجاب بجمانة كيروز بالنظر إلى استراتيجيتها
الدعائية المُبدعة والتي لا تزال تُكسبها المزيد من الاعتراف بنجاح خدماتها
القانونية.
ومن جهتها تقول جمانة كيروز أنها تشعر بالامتنان لكل هذا الاهتمام بها، كما أنها
استمتعت بالعمود المسلي الذي كتبه روبين.
وتقول جمانة كيروز: "بالطبع أنا أشعر بالإطراء، ولكن اهتمامي الحقيقي يبقى الوصول
إلى مستخدمي السيارات في ولاية ميشيغن ومنطقة ديترويت الكبرى الذين جُرحوا في حوادث
سير أليمة ومؤسفة. أنا أسعى إلى الدفاع عن حقوقهم، من خلال تقديم أفضل تمثيل قانوني
لهم، لأنهم جديرون بذلك.
وتضيف: "عندما تكون على قمة مجالك المهني في خدمة العامة، من الطبيعي أن تتعرض إلى
بعض المشاكسة. أعتقد أنني في القمة، لأنني أعرف أنني أوفّر إلى زبائني خدمة أفضل
وأكثر مهنية وتمثيلا قانونيا أكثر نجاعة، لأنهم جديرون بذلك".
ويقول روبين إن "الهوس بجمانة" ينتشر بسرعة، "وأنه عمل تسويقي ناجح" جعل من جمانة
كيروز أحد أكثر الشخصيات شهرة في ولاية ميشيغن.
"أما جمانة كيروز الحقيقية، فهي من مواليد لبنان وتُجيد أربع لغات، وقد حصلت على
شهادتها في القانون من جامعة الولاية بواين وهي تستأجر طابقين في مبنى ساوثفيلد".
ويُضيف روبين أنها "وخلال السنوات الثلاثة منذ أن بدأت تنشر صورتها عبر منطقة
ديترويت الكبرى، أصبحت أحد المحامين الاثنين أو الثلاثة الأكثر شهرة في ولاية
ميشيغن، وهي لم تكن بحاجة إلى حماية جاك كيفوركيان من السجن لبلوغ تلك الشهرة".
ومن بين الناس المُستَجوبين في العمود شخص متخصص سابق في مجال التسويق بشركة محاماة
بمدينة تروي والذي ينقل عنه كاتب العمود قوله :" أنا لديّ احترام كبير لما تفعله
جمانة كيروز. وبكل صراحة، إنها عبقرية."
للمزيد من المعلومات عن جمانة كيروز، زوروا موقعها www.JoumanaKayrouz.com



Posted by Ray Hanania at 2:45 AM



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