In my very first blog post I talked about Qatar winning the bid to hold the World Cup in 2022. In the blog I covered not only the current controversy of Mohammad bin Hammam paying off members of FIFA for the bid, but also touched on why this event would be beneficial to the Middle […]
Read more "More Sports Coming to Qatar"In the United States, many children start to play sports at a very young age. As early as 5 or 6, American children are thrust into sports like soccer, football, tennis, basketball, softball, baseball, and more. Team sports are especially emphasized for young people, because they teach you important skills and valuable lessons about the […]
Read more "Peace through Play"“Belly Dancing” Before this semester began in August I was somewhat clueless when it came to foreign culture and I like many naive Americans when someone said the Middle East the first couple things that pop into my head were hummus, war, and belly dancing. Belly dancing is a common type of dance in the […]
Read more "“Belly Dancing”"The city of Jerusalem is significant in a number of ways to many Jews, Christians, and Muslims. It is holy for the three monotheistic religions because of the religious significant events that took place there. Although Jerusalem is unique, it’s important to why it’s significant to different types of religion. Significance of Jerusalem to Jews […]
Read more "Jerusalem’s Significance"For a communication class, earlier this week I was required to write a paper on relationships formed online. While writing this paper I learned many things that surprised me about online dating here in America. I learned that online dating is a 1.25 billion dollar industry, with over 41 million Americans trying online dating annually. […]
Read more "Online Dating in the Middle East"When I was a young kid I never saw Egypt as part of the Middle East. It was a country in Africa so why would it be mixed in with the Middle East? As I thought back about some of the misconceptions I had about the Middle East and Egypt one major thing stood out […]
Read more "Egypt; A Middle Eastern Country?"As a part of my Saturday afternoon, I decided to indulge in a much needed shopping spree-to the thrift store. At this point in my life, thrifting has practically been embedded into my bones. Ever since I was a little girl, my parents had been taking my sister and I on adventures to find the […]
Read more "From Trash to Treasure"There is a huge underground culture forming amongst gay men in Saudi Arabia even though by law the act of homosexuality can be punishable by death. The strict division between genders, which is enforced by the Mutawwa’in, defiantly provokes these acts of homosexuality amongst Saudi men. The Mutawwa’in is the religious authority that is active […]
Read more "Saudi Arabia’s Secretive Society – Acts of Homosexuality Amongst Saudi Men"One of my favorite things to do is try new food. When I was in Washington D.C. a few weeks ago, I decided to go to a Lebanese restaurant for lunch. I’ve never been to a traditional Lebanese restaurant before, so this was a completely new experience. I was pleasantly surprised by the delicious taste […]
Read more "Middle Eastern Foods"The internet has changed our world. And quickly, too. Just a decade ago our world was immensely different than it is today, and much of that change can be attributed to the ascension of the Internet. Whether you consider shopping, breaking news, social media, or just day to day affairs the influence technology has had […]
Read more "The Internet and the Middle East"As we dive deeper into the issues surrounding the Middle East, we are finding that ISIS is becoming a bigger problem. ISIS is an extremist group that aims to create an Islamic state across Sunni areas in Iraq and Syria. They are known for their taped beheadings of activists and use YouTube to create recruitment […]
Read more "The Cubs of the Islamic State"Yum! Foods, the corporation that operates fast food giants such as Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC does not currently have a KFC in Gaza. However, in light of the current news, it seems as though they should. One delivery company is taking advantage of demand of KFC and smuggling it to the Gaza people. […]
Read more "Colonel Sanders Smuggles into Gaza"Aesthetics. As human beings, we crave things that can grab our attention. We like to see people, places, and structures that are physically appealing. When I think about this word, I recall my last trip to NYC. It was 7AM and I was sitting on the bus, about to arrive into the city. It was […]
Read more "From Ground to City"Food Security or Bank Security? Since the evolution of humans and animals there has always been the issue of hunger, the struggle to feed one’s self and family and the devastating fact of famine. Although there are many starving people in this world there are also those who are not. Americans throw away 40% of […]
Read more "Food Security or Bank Security?"When many Americans think about people in the Middle East, they create stereotypes based on what they think they know. Believe it or not, people in the Middle East do the same with Americans. We all have our own stereotypes about each other, so I’m going to create a list from both points of view to […]
Read more "Perception vs. Reality: Breaking stereotypes throughout the world"‘Inciting debauchery’ ‘Satanic ceremony’ ‘Humiliating’ ‘Angers God’ ‘Violates public decency’ ‘Insulting public morals’ ‘Sexual deviance’ Listed above are various phrases used to describe a video that went viral of an alleged same-sex marriage on the Nile River in Cairo, Egypt. Eight men have been sentenced to three years in jail and possible probation once the […]
Read more "ARRESTED FOR LOVE"I am a pet lover. I have had dogs, cats, hamsters, and fish in my life, and have loved them all. I eagerly await the days that I have the opportunity to raise a husky or a German shepherd, my girlfriend longs for an English bulldog named Winston, and cats will always have a place […]
Read more "Pets or Pests?"There are certain drugs in the United States that have become pretty popular, such as Marijuana, even though it is illegal. There are also drugs in the Middle East that have become a little bit of a problem. An example of that would be LSD. LSD stands for Lysergic Acid Diethylamide. It is a hallucinogen and […]
Read more "LSD and The Middle East"Her name is Rehana. She is not just a girl, but she’s a brave warrior. She fights alongside the Kurds and protects her people from ISIS, killing over 100 IS terrorists in Northern Syria. In her famous picture she wears a smile, a peace sign, and a military uniform. Rehana’s image has exploded across social […]
Read more "Angel of Kobane"In light of the recent events in the Middle East with ISIS, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, I wanted to showcase the amazing contribution that the Middle East has given to society over the years. Some of the most influential advancements came from the Middle East such as medicine, the idea of higher education, and mathematics. […]
Read more "Do Two Negatives Make a Positive?"
Israel, America, and the Middle East 