MTV Lebanon

Most, if not all, Americans know what MTV is. It stands for Music Television, and it is a network started in the U.S. with the purpose of playing music videos on air for viewers. Today, viewers know the network for its various entertaining shows – from reality TV to fictional dramas. What many Americans may not know is that MTV has networks across the globe, including the Middle East.

One of the most successful MTV networks is MTV Lebanon. Although the focus of this network is Lebanese programming, it is not limited to Lebanon. This network can be received in nations as far as Australia. Like the MTV that we know in the U.S., MTV Lebanaon is the home of various talk shows, reality television, and fictional programming. These programs have been so successfulness that MTV Lebanon increased its viewership by over 50% from 2009 to 2010.

Today, one popular Lebanese program is one called Ajyal. Ajyal is “a Lebanese series that presents the joys, struggles, and success of current daily issues facing Lebanese families in today’s culture” as the program proclaims. It is known for its star-studded cast made up of famous actors like Ward El Khal, Youssef El Khal, Nadine Njeim, Pamela El Kik, Youssef Haddad, Carlos Azar, and others. This show is rather new, but it has already been renewed for a second season.

One interesting aspect of Ajyal is that it features two self-proclaimed lesbian characters. The sympathetic portrayals of these characters has drawn an even wider viewership for the show.

Overall, Ajyal has been well-received by Lebanese and foreign watchers alike. Its storylines involve complex relationships, honest humor, and popular culture. If you have never seen any Lebanese TV, you might want to check out Ajyal. To see the promo for the first season, click the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsJlvZl27Rs

MTV Lebanon is full of other entertaining and information programming, and many of the programs can be streamed online. To find out more about MTV Lebanon and its programs, or even catch a live show, visit the official site here:

http://www.mtv.com.lb/

Middle Eastern Names

In the U.S., a great deal of importance is placed on our names; as John Proctor says in The Crucible, "How may I live without my name?" People in the U.S. typically have names deriving from their family’s country of origin or their family’s religion. Like how ‘Patrick’ is a typical name from Ireland or ‘Rebecca’ is a common Judeo-Christian name. People in Middle Eastern countries have a similar tradition; with names stemming from background, religion, and often meaning. For example, one popular name for boys is ‘Abdul,’ meaning ‘servant of God,’ and a common name for girls is ‘Aisha,’ coming from the name of Muhammad’s favorite wife. There are also historical allusions, like the popular Persian name ‘Cyrus,’ from Cyrus the Great, who founded the Persian Empire. Other Arabic names include ‘Lela’ (born at night), ‘Jamaal’ (handsome), and Rasheed (thinker). Some examples of Persian names are ‘Aleah’ (God’s being), ‘Kira’ (sun), and ‘Hussein’ (good looking).

Salma - Arabic for 'Safe'

Mahmoud - comes from the Arabic for 'Praise'

Shakira - Arabic for 'Grateful'

Most of us are probably used to the ‘first name + middle name + last name’ system. Traditionally, our parents choose our first and middle names, and our last name comes from our father’s side of the family. Though many people from Middle Eastern countries have adopted a more Westernized approach, whether out of convenience or because of colonialism, there are traditional ways of writing names; however, they can vary depending on specific area. One way is to set the name up as somewhat of a ‘family tree;’ for example, the name:

Layla bint Hussein walud Malik Al-Qasim

translates to ‘Layla, daughter of Hussein, son of Malik, of the Qasim family.’ Like in traditional Western families, the children also take the name of the father’s family. Some families, particularly in the West, have shortened their names to be ‘first name + father’s name + father’s family name.’ So, using the above example, the name would be Layla Hussein Qasim.

There are many Middle Eastern names that have Western counterparts. For example, the Persian name for Roxanne is ‘Roxana’ and a form of Anthony is ‘Antwan.’ This is partly because many names that we consider to be ‘Western’ actually come from the Middle East because of the nature of their Biblical origins. Many times, Middle Easterners are caricatured by the West as having strange, long, or difficult to pronounce names. Though it should always be kept in mind that American or European names may seem very unusual to someone from, say, Beirut, be careful. You may be making fun of someone with the same name as yourself.

Arab Universities

In the Middle East, opportunities for higher education abound. Public and private universities all over the region are globally recognized as premier sites of research and progress. They offer men and women of all races, religions, and nationalities the opportunity to receive a high-quality education while experiencing the diverse culture of the Arab world.

A prime example of an institution of higher education is King Saud University. It is located in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, and ranks as the number one university in the Arab world. With a student body of close to 40,000, the public university offers a broad range of programs in health sciences, natural and social sciences, and humanities. The university has also established two hospitals: the King Khalid University Hospital and the King Abdul-Aziz hospital, the former of which offers free care to all qualified patients.

Although the university has some separate educational programs for men and women, non-Arab individuals must understand that this arrangement is part of Arab culture and is not meant to be discriminatory or demeaning. Women are offered a variety of programs to receive advanced degrees and to become leaders in science, politics, education, and a myriad of other fields. King Saud University also represents the first university in Saudi Arabia not dedicated to religious subjects. Instead, it is founded on the Islamic principles of quality, excellence, leadership, teamwork, freedom of inquiry, fairness, integrity, transparency, accountability, and lifelong learning. These are applied the university's academic subjects, providing students with an education based on principles that are globally valued.

Another leading Arab university is the United Arab Emirates University. The institution has over 12,000 students, 24% of whom are male and 76% of whom are female. With programs in humanities and social science, natural and health sciences, education, business, law, engineering, agriculture, medicine, and information technology, UAE University represents Arab values of leadership, equality, and opportunity. Its location in Al-Ain, one of the largest cities in the United Arab Emirates, and proximity to other large cities such as Dubai, also offer students exclusive opportunities to be at the forefront in technological and scientific advancement and research.

Hundreds of other private and public institutions of higher education exist in every Middle Eastern Country. Arabs are at the forefront of research initiatives and advancement. Their countries hold unlimited potential to influence the world as more and more individuals seek education and bring their diverse experiences to institutions of higher learning.

Arab Student Organizations in the U.S.

Arab students are proud of their heritage. They embrace their culture and are committed to representing the diversity of their homeland and raising awareness of its lived realities in universities all over the U.S.

At the University of Michigan, the Arab Student Organization gives the following mission statement:

"The Arab Student Association is an organization aiming to unite and serve the Arab community on campus while educating the general student body of the University of Michigan about Arab culture. The association is committed to benefiting both Arab and non-Arab communities while promoting Arabic culture and heritage, thus adding to the diversity of the campus, as well as increasing public awareness about Arabs."

The photo above shows members of University of Michigan Arab Student Organization cheering for their favorite teams during the 2007 Arab World Soccer tournament from Ann Arbor.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Arab Student Organization (MIT-ASo) has similar goals:

"We are young Arab and Arab-American men and women studying engineering, science and management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). We are graduate and undergraduate students with an interest in the Arab world and in working together and with others in pursuing these interests. The MIT Arab Student Organization (MIT-ASO) is an event-driven student group for members of the MIT community to engage in cultural, social, political and educational activities that encourage dialogue and understanding between the Arab world and the US."

The MIT-ASO logo in the traditional MIT colors of red, grey, and black is shown above. It reads: "Arab Student’s Organization (Munazzamat attulaab al-’arab): Massachusetts institute of Technology (jaami’at maasatuusish lil-teknuluujia)

Likewise, the Duke University Arab Students' Organization strives to actively and accurately represent Arabs to the University community:

"The ASO is a cultural organization aimed at bringing students with an interest in the Arab world together to exchange ideas and embrace Arab culture. The organization also is involved with various volunteer and community service efforts both here and abroad. Through our programming we are able to raise awareness and correct misconceptions about Arab culture, while at the same time keeping our members in touch with culture and issues relevant in the Arab world."

The DU-ASO recently hosted the Axis of Evil Comedy Tour (performers are shown above) in collaboration with Duke University and the Persian Student Organization. The comedy tour uses humor to raise awareness of contemporary issues relating to Arab men and women.

The student organizations at these U.S. universities are only three out of countless others. They represent thousands of Arabs all over the world in their goals of raising awareness and promoting cultural diversity. As Arab students continue to globalize the lived realities of the Middle East, they will reverse false, overgeneralized stereotypes and to promote acceptance of their culture in the West. Additionally, the members of these organizations have enormous potential to expedite the political and social reforms that are already happening in the Middle East by using their education and patriotism to become leaders.

Education of Women

Arab women have enormous potential to impact society, politics, and culture in the Middle East and around the world. However, because of the widespread conflation of Arabs and Muslims, Arab women are often incorrectly labeled oppressed, lacking in opportunity, and in need of saving. What many Westerners who make these assumptions fail to realize is that the education and equality of women in the Middle East is becoming an increasingly prevalent political topic As awareness of the issue increases, significant reforms are being made:

Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) countries have demonstrated significant educational reforms from 1970 to 2000 as gross enrollment rates in education in stitutions increase and gender gaps decrease. As generations of educated women increasingly exert influence over culture, politics, and society, MENA countries have reaped enormous benefits. Infant and child mortality rates are dropping. Family health is improving. Educated women are more active in politics and are committed to providing their daughters with education, increasing the presence of women in the work force and strengthening national economies.

Perhaps one the most widely recognized examples of woman who has embraced both her gender and her rights as an individual is Norah

al-Faiz. Born in and raised Saudi Arabia, al-Faiz actively pursued her own education and is now using her talents to improve the education of girls all over her country as a member of the Saudi Arabian government, the Council of Ministers. al-Faiz serves as the Vice Minister for Women's education. Before this appointment, she worked as a teacher and administrator for the women's section of Prince Alwaleed bin Talal's Kingdom Schools. al-Faiz also directed the women's section of the Institute of Public Administration in Riyadh. In addition to her leadership in Saudi Arabia, al-Faiz is a wife, mother, and devout Muslim. She displays how Arab and Muslim women can embrace their rich cultural and religious traditions, but also exert power and influence in the public arena and claim their rights as equal members of society.

Contemporary Art in the Middle East

As far back as art historians seem to be able to go, art has always existed as a means of resistance, a catalyst to revolution, and a construct for exposing societal and political flaws. With the continual privatization of the art market all over the world, guiding it out of the hands of restricting state and religious direction and patronage, artists are freer than ever to combine their own dissatisfactions with the existing power structure, stereotypes, preconceptions, etc. with forms of art that are more experimental and avant-garde. Increasingly, the once European and U.S. dominated art market has shifted considerably. Though cities like London and New York are still the major sellers of art, and Paris may always be the prime location for exhibition, some of the highest selling and most talked about art is coming out of places like Beijing and the Dubai. Themes that are common are usually similar to the same values coming out of Western contemporary art, like feminism, war, and consumerism. Aesthetically, the two hemispheres have been producing vey similar looking art as well. Some point to this as an achievement in the universality and pervasiveness of art, though the point has also been made by some scholars that European art has had its own form of ‘colonialism,’ and Middle Eastern art (and for that matter, African and Asian) has been overly influenced by Eurocentrism, to the point where the unique Middle Eastern artistic tradition has been overshadowed and replaced with art that is a product of European art history. If this is the case, the Middle East seems to be beating the West at their own game. In 2008, Farhad Moshiri became the first Middle Eastern artist to sell an artwork at auction for over $1 million (specifically $1.05 million), and the numbers have only been growing since, with the Dubai Art Faire attracting some of the most elite in the art world, to the point where they have been the ones donating to the Louvre.

Farhad Moshiri’s Eshgh (Love)

In a post-9/11 world, it seems as though anything related to the Middle East is translated through the lens of terrorism, whether it is pro or anti war. It is not uncommon for news stories or interviews with Middle Easterners to solely focus on how the war has affected them, their opinions on it, the racism that has been engendered by the event, etc. Though these things can’t be undermined, it is important to realize that there are other issues at stake in the Middle East, and there is a lot of art that reflects this. They also have their genres of landscape painting, illustration, political cartoons, splatter painting, and so forth.

Untitled, by Amal Kenawy

Untitled (Night Sky of Beirut, #1), by John Jurayj. (interestingly, Jurayj said that Gustave Courbet heavily influenced this series)

Though European and American connoisseurs of art seem to be receptive to contemporary art coming out of the Middle East, this is still fairly new territory for many. U.S. museums usually have much less Middle Eastern art in comparison to their European collections, and after the controversy over the Danish cartoons depicting Muhammad there was a considerable backlash in some prominent museums (most notably the Met), where many ancient works of Middle Eastern art were put into storage out of fear of reprisal. Even U of M, as progressive as it may be, added for next Fall its first course on Middle Eastern art in years. However, it does seem as though there has been a significant integration in the recent past of the Middle East into the global art market, and it only shows signs of increasing popularity

Books in the Middle East

For the most part, it seems as though the vast majority of novels and non-fiction books we read growing up in the United States were from either American or European authors. However, the Middle East has a rich literary tradition to rival the West’s with famous poets like Hafez, Rumi, and Khalil Gibran and novelists like Elias Khoury, Tahar Ben Jelloun, and Kahled Hosseini, famous for writing The Kite Runner. The Middle East is often stereotyped as having heavy restrictions on intellectual pursuits and freedom of speech, which in some cases is true, there are many writers who are internationally renowned. There is even a high school in Brooklyn named after Khalil Gibran and English translations of Rumi have sold over half a million copies worldwide, him being one of the highest selling poets in the U.S.

“When I am with you, we stay up all night.
When you're not here, I can't go to sleep.

Praise God for those two insomnias!
And the difference between them.”

-Rumi

Middle Eastern nations have embraced many Western authors as well. Though a good deal of the books have to be pirated, some of the best selling writers in Iran are John Grisham, Danielle Steel, and Harry Potter is a favorite of young people, just as it is here, as is “Pinocchio” for young children. There has also been a longstanding divide between Israeli books and those from other Middle Eastern nations which, in recent years, has seen some progress. In 2009, Israel overturned a law from World War II which banned books from or translated in “hostile countries” like Syria and Lebanon. This means that Israeli citizens will now be able to access a much larger selection of Arabic writings, which will hopefully add to some form of open dialogue in the region.

Americans often have a very one dimensional way of viewing daily life in the Middle East, and usually focus on aspects related to violence, insurrection, Islam, terrorism, and sexism. The region is viewed as a place of constant turmoil, where daily life is shattered by suicide bombings and oppressive military presence. These generalizations overshadow the culture that continues to grow out of a historically literary, but diverse, place. There have been many writers who encourage the de-stigmatization of the Middle East, like Reza Aslan, Edward Said, and Tariq Ali. Literature is important in spreading this awareness because it allows for a personal aspect of Middle Eastern life to be shared globally in an enjoyable manner.