Radio Tabbouli

Jordan Elgrably of Levantine Cultural Center interviewed international vocalist Natacha Atlas for Radio Tabbouli. She spoke about her Summer 2010 tour and her upcoming new album, "Mounqaliba" ("State of Reversal"). She spoke to Jordan from her home in London while preparing to return to the U.S. for shows in November in California and Seattle.

A love story between an Israeli and Palestinian, "Salam Shalom" hits a lot of the hot-button issues of our time—the conflict, homosexuality in Islam and Judaism, and the future of coexistence. Originally produced at the Open Fist Theatre in 1996 and winner of a G.L.A.A.D. award, the play has enjoyed several productions in the U.S. and abroad.

Jordan Elgrably interviews Mehnaz Afridi, professor at Antioch University, Los Angeles, about her experiences and research surrounding the relations between Jews and Muslims. Professor Afridi is originally from Pakistan but raised in Europe and the Middle East, and teaches Judaism and Islam. Her deep interest in Judaism and Modern Jewish Diaspora has led her to numerous interfaith conferences, and invitations by non-Muslims to expound on the intellectual and theological similarities between Jews and Muslims.

This is an excerpt from the Levantine Cultural Center event entitled "Israel, Palestine, Lebanon: A Levantine Conversation on the Future of the Region," which took place on October 28, 2009. The program encouraged intellectual discussion surrounding the history and present political landscape in which Palestinians, Israelis and Lebanese find themselves. It also looked into the context of the nation-state, "peace," "war," "justice" and other such terms often bandied about in the mainstream media. In a progressive yet playful spirit, professors Dr. Nubar Hovsepian, Associate Professor of Political Science and International Studies at Chapman University, and Gabriel Piterberg, who was taught at the University of Durham, England, Ben Gurion University of the Negev in Israel, and St. Anthony's and Balliol Colleges, Oxford, examined the region and discussed these often controversial topics.

This week’s podcast features Alia Malek presenting her new book “A Country Called Amreeka: Arab Roots, American Stories” at Chapman University in Orange County during her West Coast book tour. This tour was organized by Levantine Cultural Center, and cosponsored by Chapman University’s Political Science and Peace Studies departments and the Arab Club, the Arab American Cultural Center of Silicon Valley (San Jose), and the Arab Cultural & Community Center of San Francisco, with support from the Arab American Anti-Discrimination (ADC), The Free Press and the Network of Arab American Professionals, Los Angeles and Orange County chapters. Special thanks to the Arab American Historical Society. This was recorded on November 9, 2009.

This is a podcast from KPFA's "Cover to Cover: Open Book" hosted by Malihe Razazan (who usually hosts KPFA in Berkeley's weekly show "Voices of the Middle East & North Africa"), in which she interviews Levantine Review's film editor, Omid Arabian. Omid wrote a critical review of "The Hurt Locker" published in the January 2010 issue of Levantine Review, which takes other critics to task for suspending acumen about the root causes and results of the U.S. war on, and occupation of, Iraq.

This week’s podcast features a brief Q&A session with Dr. Nadir Atash upon the presentation of his book “Turbulence: the Tumultuous Journey of One Man’s Quest for Change in Afghanistan” at Levantine Cultural Center on November 6, 2009.

This week's podcast features a Q & A session with directors Nicole Ballivian and Erika Cohn after the L.A. premieres of their two movies “Driving to Zigzigland” and “Where the Voices Fade” on October 18, 2009.

This week’s podcast features a panel discussion and lecture series on Middle Eastern comedy, sponsored by Levantine Cultural Center AND the Middle East Center at the University of Pennsylvania. (The talk took place in the context of “West Meets East: The Inauguration Tour of the Sultans of Satire” on the occasion of President Obama’s first days in office.) The conversation explores the landscape of American Middle Eastern ethnic comedy and its intricate relationship with Islamophobia. It was cosponsored by U Penn Jewish Studies, the South Asia Center, and African Studies. Panel members include Mucahit Bilici (Professor of Sociology at John Jay Colege- CUNY), Jordan Elgrably (Founder of Levantine Cultural Center and the Sultans of Satire: Middle East Comic Relief) and Dr. Rahim Armat (of Kodoom Cultural Events Search Engine). Also featuring the Sultans of Satire with Mike Batayeh, Elham Jazab, and Noel Elgrably, speaking before their shows in Philadelphia and Wahsington DC. The event took place on January 16, 2009 at UPenn.

This week’s podcast features the event “Memorial Reading for Mutanabbi Street” commemorating the March 5, 2007 car bombing on Mutanabbi Street— the lively center of Baghdad bookselling. Poets and writers who participated include Chris Abani, Beau Beausoleil, Laila Lalami, Suzanne Lummis, Majid Naficy, Marisela Norte, Sholeh Wolpé, Terry Wolverton, with Iraqi music by the Saadoun Ay-Bayati Ensemble. The event was presented by the Library Foundation of Los Angeles and cosponsored by Levantine Cultural Center, with support from the LA Poetry Festival, PEN Center USA, and Red Hen Press. It was moderated by Jordan Elgrably, Louise Steinman, and Justin Veach, and recorded on November 19, 2008.