Arab Voices Community Calendar/Announcements
The events listed below are not necessarily endorsed or sponsored by Arab Voices. Listing them on this site is a service to the community to be aware of activities and events in the Greater Houston Area. To include an event on this calendar, send e-mail to info@arabvoices.net.

2024 Events	Click here for a list of UPCOMING events._

December 20-22, 2024 - MASCON Houston: “Faith Driven: Future Focused”   MASCON Houston 2024 features 40+ speakers who embody the theme “Faith Driven: Future Focused.”   They’ll address empowering individuals, uniting families, and uplifting communities through their sessions. This diverse group of experts promises to inspire attendees, supporting the convention’s goal of shaping our own future.   Date: December 20-22, 2024 Location: George R. Brown Convention Center, Houston, Texas   For more info: https://www.masconventionhtx.org/

December 14, 2024 - Kites for Hope   Coalition For Peace, Relief & Equity Join us for an afternoon of kite flying, interactive art installations, children's activities, poetry, bazaar, & an interfaith candle light vigil in honor of Palestinian Poet, Refaat Alareer.   Food will be available for purchase.   Date: Saturday, December 14, 2024 Time: 2-5 pm Location: Arab American Community and Cultural Center, 10555 Stancliff Rd, Houston TX 77099   Event Flyer

December 8, 2024 - AUB Alumni Art Exhibit 2024   Date: Sunday, December 8, 2024 Time: 4-7 Location: 5916 Winsome Ln., Houston, TX 77057   Contact us at (832)275-5311 or houstonchapter@waaaub.org

December 8, 2024 - SAC’s Annual Christmas Gathering   Syrian American Club (SAC) of Houston annual Christmas Gathering on Sunday, December 8, 2024.   There will be snacks, games for your children, and a special visit from our very own Santa.   Please RSVP no later than Thursday, December 5, 2024. Date: Sunday, December 8, 2024 Time: 4:00 PM to 6:30 PM Location: Syrian American Club, Houston   Event flyer

December 7-8, 2024 - From Palestine to Lebanon, A Bethlehem Experience   Palestinian American Cultural Center   Join us for A Bethlehem Experience, From Palestine to Lebanon, December 7-8 from 1-6 PM!   Enjoy our talent show, vendors, exhibits, children's activities, Palestine photo station, & more!   Featuring a special exhibit of Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity.   Contact info@pacchouston.org to participate in our talent show. All talents welcome! Date: December 7-8, 2024 Time: 1-6 PM Location: Arab American Community and Cultural Center, 10555 Stancliff Rd, Houston TX 77099   Admission is free!   Event flyer

December 7, 2024 - Palestine Solidarity Basketball Tournament   Come out for a Brothers’ 4v4 basketball Palestine Solidarity Tournament hosted by PYM, COMET Houston, Pillars by Hamd, Saff, and Suhbah Young Professionals.   Proceeds will go towards the Middle Eastern Children’s Alliance emergency relief on the ground in Gaza!   Date: Saturday, December 7, 2024 Time: 1:00PM - 7:00PM Location: Filhoops Gym, 10129 Emnora Ln, Houston, TX 77080   Event flyer

December 4-21, 2024 -  SAC's Blanket Drive   As the number of Syrian refugee families arriving in Houston continues to grow, the Syrian American Club invites our community members to join us in the "SPREAD THE WARMTH" winter blanket drive. You can help by donating blankets or contributing financially towards the purchase of new blankets for families in need.   Donations can be dropped off at Al-Sham Center on the dates listed on the flyer. Alternatively, you can send monetary contributions via Zelle to sac.pay@yahoo.com and include "Blanket Drive" in the memo line. Date: December 4-21, 2024 Location: Syrian American Club   Event flyer

November 29-December 1, 2024 - ICNA-MAS Regional Convention     Bazaar | Badminton & Table Tennis Tournaments | Interactive Presentations | Parallel Sessions | Youth lectures | Sisters Only Program | Matrimonial Service & Much more !!   Location: Houston Marriott Westchase, 2900 Briarpark Dr., Houston, TX 77042   For more information, or to register: https://icnatexas.org/

November 10, 2024 - For Lebanon with Amel   As Lebanon is enduring a devastating crisis, the Amel Association International invites you to join us for this vital event to stand in support with Lebanon. For over 40 years, Amel -- an organization rooted in nonsectarian and nonpolitical humanitarian principles -- has tirelessly supported Lebanon's people through over 170 active relief centers.   Join us to learn more about Amel's legacy of aid and its essential work today in delivering healthcare, education, and direct support to displaced communities.   Together, we can provide immediate relief and lasting impact. For more information and to donate to their cause, visit Amel.org or reach out to Houstonoutreach@amel.org / call 832-998-2002.   Date: Sunday, November 10, 2024 Time: 3:00 - 5:00 PM Location: Arab American Community and Cultural Center, 10555 Stancliff Rd, Houston TX 77099     Event Flyer

November 9-10, 2024 - Islamic Arts Festival     The 11th anniversary of the Islamic Arts Festival takes place this year on November 9th and 10th at the University of Houston!   This festival marks a significant milestone for our society as we relocate from our suburban location into the heart of the city, expanding our outreach to showcase Islamic Art to a wider American audience.    Date: November 9-10, 2024 Location: University of Houston   Tickets for our visual art display are completely free and available to reserve now:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/islamic-arts-festival-tickets-933908534567   Event Flyer

November 9, 2024 - Ta'a Marbouta     Join us at the Ta'a Marbouta Event, a day filled with inspiration and empowerment, celebrating women-owned businesses and sharing the success stories of women who've overcome incredible challenges! The event will feature engaging panel discussions, captivating creative performances, a vibrant women's business bazaar, and fun activities for the whole family. Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to support and uplift the community. Mark your calendars and come be a part of this extraordinary event in Houston!   Date: November 9, 2024 Time: 10am - 8pm Location: ACC, 10555 Stancliff Rd. Houston, 77099   To register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/taa-marbotaa--tickets-1041200818677   Event Flyer

November 3, 2024 - ACC Youth Club     We are excited to announce an upcoming **Youth Club event** designed just for **youth aged 11 to 18+**. Come enjoy a fun-filled day with activities including **volleyball, finger foods, and drinks**, all while connecting with fellow Youth members.   To help us with logistics, we kindly ask that all youth participants fill out the registration form. This will assist us in planning and ensure we have an accurate headcount for the event.   Registration link: Please click here   For parents who would like to attend, there will be a $10 entry fee, all proceeds going towards future youth club events. Your support helps us continue creating meaningful experiences for our young members! We look forward to seeing you there!   ACC Youth Club    Date: November 3, 2024 Time: 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm Location: ACC, 10555 Stancliff Rd. Houston, 77099   Event Flyer

November 2, 2024 - No Votes For Genocide   Date: November 2, 2024 Time: 2 p.m. Location: Sugar Land Town Square       Event Flyer

November 2, 2024 - "Aida Returns" Film Screening   This poignant film tells the moving story of a woman named Aida, who battles Alzheimer's while finding solace in memories of her youth in Yafa, Palestine. Directed by Carol Mansour, it explores themes of loss, memory, and the journey back to one’s roots. After Aida’s passing, Mansour’s friend Tanya offers to carry Aida’s ashes back to Yafa, fulfilling Aida’s wish for eternal rest. The film follows their emotional journey, supported by friends and strangers alike. Both deeply personal and widely relatable, *Aida Returns* speaks to the experiences of Alzheimer’s sufferers, their families, and exiled Palestinians longing to return home. It serves as a tribute to the lost past, collective memory, and the enduring desire for belonging.   Date: November 2, 2024 Time: 6 p.m. Location: ACC, 10555 Stancliff Rd., Houston, TX 77099   The screening is free of charge.      Event Flyer

October 28, 2024 - Film Screening: Israelism   Join the Arab-American Educational Foundation Center for Arab Studies at UH for a screening and a discussion of Israelism with Dr. Sarah Anne Minkin, the director of Programs & Partnerships at the Foundation for Middle East Peace (FMEP).   Monday, October 28, 2028 Screening: 1:00 PM Location: University of Houston, Stephen Power Farish Hall -Room 101 Free & open to public     Event Flyer

October 26, 2024 - Houston Mediterranean Festival    The Houston Mediterranean Festival is a vibrant celebration of Mediterranean culture and cuisine, offering an immersive experience in the rich flavors of traditional dishes like hummus, baklava, kebabs, and gyros. Hosted by St. George Orthodox Christian Church, this family-friendly event welcomes guests of all ages with a diverse array of activities. Savor a delightful selection of food and drinks, enjoy live music, engage in fun games, and unwind with hookah. Explore the Mediterranean marketplace, where vendors showcase their unique crafts, and take part in a silent auction featuring an eclectic range of items. Young visitors will be enchanted by the petting zoo, face painting, and balloon artists. We are excited to host this festival for our Houston neighbors, celebrating and sharing the beauty of Orthodoxy, Mediterranean culture, and cuisine.    Date: October 26, 2024 Time: 11am to 10pm Location: St. George Orthodox Church Church at 5311 Mercer St. Houston, TX 77005   For the latest updates, visit https://www.houstonmedfest.com/ and follow us on Instagram at @houstonmedfest.

October 26, 2024 - ACC Annual Unity & Friendship Gala      The Arab American Cultural & Community Center Board of Directors and Dr. Ghaidaa Makki & Mrs. Fida Moukaddamr equest the pleasure of your company at honoring   Mr. Abdel Elkhadiri ~ Outstanding Community Service Award Dr. Mazen Ganim ~ Lifetime Achievement Award Dr. Hussain Alobaidi ~ Business Philanthropy Award Dr. Rania Elkhatib ~ Inspiring Arab Woman Award   Highlighting The Culture & People Of Libya   Mistress Of Ceremony: Mrs. Nancy Zakhour   Live Entertainment, Silent Auction   Date: October 26, 2024 Time: 6 pm Location: Omni Hotel, 4 Riverway Dr., Houston, TX 77056   RSVP by Sunday, October 13, 2024 832.351.3366 or gala@acchouston.org.

October 24, 2024 - Burhan Ajouz Lecture of AAEF Center for Arab Studies    The Arab-American Educational Foundation (AAEF)   “Sentimental Adjustment Programs: Empathy as the Emotional Style of Neoliberalism”   Speaker: Joseph Slaughter, Columbia University Professor     Date: October 24, 2024 Time: 5:00 PM Location: University of Houston Hilton, Alumni Hall, Room 104   Event Flyer

October 20, 2024 - Rise Up For Gaza Emergency Protest     Date: Sunday, October 20, 2024 Time: 2 p.m. Location: Post Oak & Westheimer (Galleria Area), Houston, Texas     Event flyer

October 17, 2024 - The Unending War on Palestinian Children    The Arab-American Educational Foundation (AAEF) Center for Arab Studies at the University of Houston Poetry Reading: Fady Joudah, MD Speaker: Heidi Morrison, PhD     Date: October 17, 2024 Time: 6:00 PM Location: University of Houston, Stephen Power Farish Hall, Room 101   Event Flyer

October 5, 2024 - Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF) 2nd Annual Benefit Dinner     We are pleased to invite you to our second Annual Benefit Dinner! Join us for an evening of giving dedicated to Gaza. We are honored to have Dr. Mads Gilbert as our Keynote speaker. The evening will include updates on PCRF's work, entertainment, dinner, a silent auction, and coming together for those in need.   • Deadline for Sponsorships: September 21st. • Deadline to Purchase Tickets: September 30th or until the event is sold out.   Please join us on October 5th, by attending, sponsoring and sharing our event.   Date: Saturday, October 5, 2024 Time: 6 p.m. Location: Hyatt Regency Houston West, 13210 Katy Fwy, Houston, TX 77079   To register: https://www.pcrf.net/event/houston-dinner-2024.html   Event flyer

October 5, 2024 - One Year of Genocide, One Year of Resistance      Palestinian Youth Movement   This October marks one year since our people in Gaza showed the world that the colonized can fight against their colonizer and win. We know that Palestine will be victorious. As we approach the one year mark of Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza, we salute our people’s steadfastness and resistance. We call for October 5th as a global day of action for Palestine to mark this year as one where Palestinians stood tall against Zionism, as they have for nearly 100 years.   In the span of one year, the Gaza Health Ministry has released the names of 40,000 martyrs, with updated projections estimating over 189,000 martyrs. Yet amidst this genocide, our people in Gaza, across Palestine, and across the world remain steadfast in our resistance. The genocidal Zionist project has passed a point of failure beyond which there is no return, due in no small part to our movement. From the farthest reaches of the diaspora to those nearest to our occupied homeland, we have our enormous roadblocks in Zionism’s path, roadblocks will soon prove insurmountable. Zionism’s time has waned, is waning, and is on the road to a humiliated defeat. The struggle continues. On October 5, we will make clear from wherever we are that our movement is going nowhere until full liberation and return are ours. We will not stop, we will not rest, until every inch of Palestine is free.   Date: Saturday, October 5, 2024 Time: 2 pm Location: Houston City Hall, 901 Bagby St., Houston, Texas 77002    Event flyer

October 4, 2024 - Candlelight Vigil for Lebanon   The Arab American Cultural & Community Center (ACC), in collaboration with Palestinian American Cultural Center (PACC), Amel Association-USA, Moroccan Society of Houston (MSH), American Lebanese Cultural Center (ALCC), Egyptian American Society of Houston (EAS) and (CPRE), will hold a candlelight vigil in solidarity with the innocent civilian victims of the ongoing indiscriminate Israeli bombardment in Lebanon.    Date: Friday, October 4, 2024 Time: 7 PM to 9 PM Location: ACC, 10555 Stancliff Road, Houston, TX 77099   For further information please call: 832-351-3366

October 4, 2024 - Syrian American Club Scholarship Endowment Gala   The Syrian American Club of Houston is pleased to invite you to celebrate education, culture, and community, at its 2024 Scholarship Endowment Gala.    Performance by Omar Offendum   Date: Friday, October 4th, 2024 Time: 7:30 pm Location: Hyatt Regency Houston West, 13210 Katy Fwy, Houston, TX 77079 Click here for online reservations and payment. Together, we can continue to support our students' educational journey!

September 29, 2024 - Randa's Run/Walk for HOPE 5K   On Sunday, September 29th at 8 AM, hundreds of runners and walkers will be taking their marks for our 3rd annual 5K event, “Run for Hope.”   This year’s race is dedicated to one of the American Lebanese Cultural Center's founders, Lili Bejjani, who recently passed away. We welcome the community to honor her legacy by registering for the race.    Your ticket for the race includes a t-shirt, goody bag and breakfast!   Don’t miss out on this experience of community building with exercise and fresh air at one of the best places in Houston to run/walk at Buffalo Bayou Park!   Date: September 29, 2024 Time: 8 AM Location: The Water Works in Buffalo Bayou Park, 105 -B Sabine St, Houston, TX 77007   For more info or to register: https://alcchouston.org/2024fest-3rd-randas-walk

September 29, 2024 - Gaza through my lens with Motaz Azaiza     The people of Gaza are enduring the worst humanitarian crisis of our era and in Palestinian history. Nearly 2 million people have been displaced, with many at risk of hunger and starvation. With your help, we can bring life-saving relief to Gaza through UNRWA's essential programs. Join us this fall for a four-city speaking tour with Motaz Azaiza, the Palestinian photojournalist who risked his life to bring Gaza's truth to the rest of the world. Hosted by UNRWA USA, this tour aims to raise greater American awareness and at least $800,000 in refugee relief.   Date: September 29, 2024 Time: 3 pm & 6:30 pm Location: Arab American Cultural & Community Center, 10555 Stancliff Road, Houston 77099   Click here for more info or to register.

September 29, 2024 - Houston Emergency Protest: Hands Off Lebanon     Date: September 29, 2024 Time: 4 p.m. Location: Post Oak & Westheimer (Galleria Area), Houston, Texas     Event flyer

September 28, 2024 - Center for Arab American Philanthropy 6th Annual Threads of Giving Gala    An annual celebration of Arab American Giving   We will be honoring our awardees at this year's sixth annual Threads of Giving Gala, taking place on September 28, 2024, in Houston, Texas.   Date: September 28, 2024 Time: 6pm Location: Junior League of Houston, 1811 Briar Oaks Ln., Houston 77027   Registration will open soon.   Event flyer

September 27-29, 2024 - Houston Lebanese Festival    The 2024 American Lebanese Cultural Center event, aptly named "Uniting Community, Building Tomorrow," aims to bring together the Lebanese community in a vibrant and enjoyable setting while also introducing our rich cultural heritage to non-Lebanese attendees.    Date: September 27-29, 2024 Location: The Water Works at Buffalo Bayou Park, 105 Sabine Street, Houston TX 77007    For more info: https://alcchouston.org/2024-Festival/

September 24, 2024 - HOUSTON EMERGENCY ACTION: ALL OUT FOR LEBANON     Date: September 24, 2024 Time: 4 p.m. Location: In front of the Consulate General of Israel, 24 Greenway Plaza, Houston 77046     Event flyer

September 21, 2024 - STAND WITH GAZA Palestinian Students Scholarship Fund     Palestinian Students Scholarship Fund Date: Saturday, September 21, 2024 Time: 7:00 pm Location: Fadi's Mediterranean Grill, 12360 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77077    Get tickets here.

September 21, 2024 - Amer Zahr performing "The Truth" in Houston!      Sometimes we laugh until we cry. And sometimes we cry until we laugh. Come watch Amer's comedic journey through being a Palestinian in today's time. Date: Saturday, September 21, 2024 Time: 7 pm Location: Eado Workspaces, 3420 Rusk St, Houston, TX 77003    More info and for tickets: https://www.amerzahr.com

September 19-21, 2024 - Palestinian Tatreez Workshop   Join the Palestinian American Cultural Center for a free Palestinian Tatreez Workshop series! Explore the history and tradition of Palestinian embroidery and apply the basic stitching techniques to your very own project!   Register at https://forms.gle/AKmFR6KF4v2FKdTN8   Date: September 19-21, 2024 Location: Tracy Gee Community Center, 3599 Westcenter Dr, Houston, TX 77042    Event Flyer

September 15, 2024 - Egyptian American Society Energy Professionals Networking Event     Date: September 15, 2024 Location: Junior League of Houston    Event Flyer

September 8, 2024 -  HEAL Palestine Meet and Greet / Trivia Extravaganza   Join HEAL Palestine to welcome Mohammed,14, from Gaza and for a fundraising trivia night.     Date: September 8, 2024 Time: 3-6 pm Location: Arab American Cultural & Community Center, 10555 Stancliff Road, Houston 77099   Please RSVP here: https://tinyurl.com/HEALTriviaTime   Event Flyer

September 7, 2024 - ACC Arabic School Meet the Teachers   Arabic Classes Resume 2024 - 2025 We are pleased to announce that early registration for our weekend Arabic language school is now open.   MEET THE TEACHERS: Saturday, September 7 at 10 a.m. at the Arab American Cultural & Community Center, 10555 Stancliff Road, Houston 77099 (in person)   FIRST DAY OF CLASSES: Saturday, September 14   KIDS Classes To reserve a spot for your child, please complete the registration form. The deposit paid will be deducted from the tuition fee. Click Here To Reserve a Seat for Kids Classes   ADULTS Classes This year, we are thrilled to offer virtual Arabic classes for adult learners in addition to our in-person classes! Join us from the comfort of your home and embark on a new language journey. Virtual class times will be scheduled at a convenient time agreed upon by students and teachers. To reserve a spot, please complete the registration form. The deposit paid will be deducted from the tuition fee. Click Here To Reserve a Seat for Adult Classes    Flyer

September 7, 2024 - Discover the Art of Islamic Calligraphy   Calligraphy Exhibit and Workshop   Join us for a FREE Calligraphy Exhibit and Workshop led by the renowned Haji Noor Deen, a master of Arabic calligraphy and a guardian of this ancient art form.   Date: Saturday, September 7, 2024 Time: 10am - 6pm Location: Islamic Dawah Center 201 Travis St. Houston, TX 77002   Exhibit: 10:00 AM - 4:00 AM Haji Noor art will be on exhibit at the Islamic Dawah Center Library and it will be available for sale. Haji Noor will be present during the exhibit on Saturday. Group Demonstration and Workshop: 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM   This family-friendly event is with a visual journey through the 1000-year legacy of the Wei Muslims in China, intertwined with a captivating demonstration of Arabic Calligraphy in the Chinese Style, A PowerPoint presentation with discussion on the 1000-year history of Muslim art in China, and a demonstration of ACCS, with audience participation. Unique Fusion of Eastern and Western Calligraphy Haji Noor Deen Mi Guang Jiang is a renowned master of Arabic calligraphy. Born in 1963 in Shangdong province, China, he brings an immense learning in traditional thought and Islamic art to a modern audience, juxtaposing them in a new calligraphic style all his own, both Eastern and Western.   Reserve Your Spot

September 7, 2024 - Amel Association Houston Gala Dinner   The event will highlight our contributions to uplifting Houston communities through 2024.   Join the Amel community and be part of 45 years legacy of "Dignity for All".   Date: September 7, 2024 Time: 7 p.m. Location: Arab American Cultural & Community Center, 10555 Stancliff Road, Houston 77099   For more info: www.facebook.com/AmelAssociationHouston/

September 1, 2024 - Palestinian Orphans’ Fundraising Event   Americans for Palestinian Orphans’ Fundraising Event   When: Sunday September 1, 2024 Time: 7:00 PM-9:00 PM Where: Layal Resturant and Banquet Hall, 6328 Richmond Avenue, Houston, Texas 77057   For more information please contact Ghassan Kaillani at 832.800.8990.     Flyer

August 31-September 1, 2024 - United Together For Gaza 1st Annual Forum      Gaza Palestinian American Association   The event will include Nationally Recognized Speakers, Educational Heritage Activities & a Traditional Palestinian Dinner.   Date: August 31-September 1, 2024 Location: The Bougainvilleas Event Venue, 12126 Westheimer Rd., Houston, TX 77077 For more info: https://gpaa.us/   Event Flyer

August 30, 2024 - Mehdi Hasan in Conversation      Risala is pleased to welcome founder of Zeteo News, Mehdi Hasan   Date: August 30, 2024 Time: Starts after Maghrib prayer at 8 PM Location: Maryam Islamic Center, Sugar Land, Texas   Free and open to everyone.

August 24, 2024 - Houston Arab & Muslim Medical Professionals Networking Dinner   Please join us for our first ever Houston Muslim Medical Association mixer on August 25th, 2024.   Don't miss this opportunity to connect with fellow health care and medical professionals and discuss important topics within our community. We look forward to seeing you there!   Maria Kari will be speaking about her experiences trying to help those trapped in Gaza   Jida Nabulsi will be speaking about empowering young  people to enter Journalism and Politics   Spouses and significant others are strongly encouraged to attend and participate.   This event is co-hosted by CPRE (Coalition of Peace Relief and Equity), Arab American Cultural & Community Center and Houston Medical Doctors.   Date: August 25, 2024 Time: 4:30 p.m. Location:  Arab American Cultural & Community Center, 10555 Stancliff Road, Houston 77099   Any medical professional is welcome, including physicians, podiatrists, pharmacists, optometrists and more!   Buy tickets here.   Event Flyer

August 24, 2024 - SAC Arabic School      The Syrian American Club of Houston is excited to announce that registration for the 2024-2025 Arabic School Year has begun! The Fall Semester will resume classes on August 24th, 2024.   To register for classes, please follow this link. The deadline to register is Saturday, August 10th, 2024. IMPORTANT NOTE: You must be logged-in as a member in order to be able to pay member rates online.   For more information regarding the Arabic Language School, please see the attached flyer. Class schedule will be released after the registration deadline.   For specific language questions, class schedules, or new student evaluations, please contact Mrs. Hazami Nabulsi directly at hazaminabulsi@gmail.com. If you have any other questions, feel free to email us back at syrianamericanclub@yahoo.com.

August 23-24, 2024 - Echos of Injustice by Nida Abubaker    Event Flyer

August 11, 2024 - Poetry & Melody 2024     Arab American Cultural & Community Center (ACC) invites you to its Arabic Recital & Musical Event: Poetry & Melody 2024      Date: Sunday, August 11, 2024 Time: 5:00pm to 7:00pm Location: ACC, 10555 Stancliff Rd., Houston, TX 77099      Flyer

August 3, 2024, Public Address & Vigil     Congressman Al Green will address a permanent cease fire, end of war, and the Israel-Palestine two-state solution.   Date: Saturday, August 3, 2024 Time: 2:30 p.m. Location: Fountain Life Center, 14083 S Main St, Houston, TX 77035     Flyer

August 3, 2024, Protest 300 Days of Genocide     Join us this Saturday, August 3rd in protest as we pass 300 days of continued aggression and violence against the Palestinian people. The state of Israel, with full backing from the United States, has continued to conduct a genocide against Palestinians for over 300 days with complete impunity. With continued escalations in Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, Iran, and Iraq - the Zionist entity has made it clear it would go as far as to spark a regional war before putting an end to this genocide.   We call on the Houston community to mobilize and demand hands off Gaza, hands off Lebanon, and hands off the Middle East. After 300 days, we refuse to be deterred and will continue to take the streets. For our martyrs. For our prisoners. for Gaza.     Date: Saturday, August 3, 2024 Time: 4 p.m. Location: Corner of Post Oak and Westheimer (Galleria area), Houston, Texas     Flyer

July 30 (deadline), 2024 - ALCC Scholarship Program for 2024/2025     We are pleased to announce that the American Lebanese Cultural Center (ALCC) is now accepting applications for the ALCC Scholarship Program for the year 2024/2025. The Board of Directors has approved eight scholarships, each valued at $2,500.00 to support eligible college or university bound students.   The goal of the ALCC Scholarship Program is to recognize and assist students who have demonstrated outstanding academic achievements and a strong commitment to community service. Our aim is to alleviate some of the financial burdens by providing financial assistance towards college or university costs.   Completed applications must be emailed by July 30, 2024, to be considered for the scholarship program. The ALCC Academic Scholarship Committee (ASC) will make its decision based on the merits of the applications. Therefore, the identities of all eligible applicants will be redacted, until after their adjudication. The ASC will announce the winning recipients during the week of August 11, 2024.   To apply for the ALCC Scholarship Program and for further information, please visit https://alcchouston.org/scholarship/. We encourage all eligible students to take advantage of this opportunity and submit their applications before the deadline.   Should you have any inquiries, or require assistance regarding the scholarship application process, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@alcchouston.org.   Flyer

July 24 (deadline), 2024 - PACC Mahmoud Darwish Scholarship     The goal of the PACC Mahmoud Darwish Scholarship is to provide undergraduate student leaders of all backgrounds who promote awareness of Palestine with college tuition assistance. The PACC Mahmoud Darwish Scholarship strives to empower students to serve as leaders at their college/university campus through participation in relevant campus organizations and community service; skills which would help students excel throughout their academic years and as they enter into their careers. Furthermore, the PACC Mahmoud Darwish Scholarship also assists deserving students presenting a financial need and encourages their academic commitment.   For more info and/or to apply: https://pacchouston.org/scholarships/

July 20-21, 2024 - Falasteen Arts Festival      Celebrating Palestinian culture, arts, and resistance through live performance, film, and visual art.   Date: July 20-21, 2024 Location: Rec Room Arts    Event Flyer

July 8-18, 2024 - ACC Arabic Summer Camp     The Dr. Amer Sabbagh ACC Arabic School is happy to announce Arabic Summer Camp (June & July)   We are now accepting registrations for our summer camp! Our summer camp will take place in June (10th - 20th) & July (8th - 18th) Monday through Thursday, 9am - 2pm. Each Summer camp consists of two one-week sessions. Kids can attend session one, session two or both sessions. The camp is suitable for all kids age 4 to 13 years old who want to learn Arabic and immerse in the Arabic Cultural, for both native and non-native Arabic speaker. Sibling Discount: $10 off/per additional sibling If you have 2 kids use discount code: camp2 If you have 3 kids use discount code: camp3 If you have 4 kids use discount code: camp4 Extended Care: (due at the beginning of every week) Pre-care: 7:30 a.m. To 9:00 a.m. $40 per child/per week After care: 2:00 p.m. To 5:00 p.m. $60 per child/per week The minimum number to hold the summer camp is 10 students each session. *Tuition is non-refundable.   Secure your child's spot by registering early to guarantee their place in the fun and excitement!   Event Flyer

July 14, 2024 - Palestinian Rhapsody   Join Artists Against Apartheid, PSL Houston, and PYM Houston on Sunday, July 14 at 4pm for Palestinian Rhapsody - an evening of live music and performance celebrating the rich tradition of Palestinian cultural resistance. We’re excited to announce that professional pianist Matthew Templer will be performing a series of pieces composed by Palestinian musicians Jiries Boulata, Ramzi Rihan, John Kameel Farah, and Dina Shilleh. These celebrated composers have given permission to perform these pieces and also shared their excitement that these compositions will be brought to an audience all the way in Texas! We’ll also be treated to a performance by local Houston favorites, Zaytounat! Finally we’ll hear a few short monologues performed by Actors Across Borders detailing the stories of those fighting the colonial Zionist regime in Gaza.   As the struggle for Palestinian liberation continues, we call on all artists of conscience to join us in the battle of ideas! The cultural front, as shown throughout history, is a critical one that must be developed on the path to liberation! It is our task to win the hearts and minds of the masses, make revolution irresistible, and show that a better world is not a distant dream, but realizable within our lifetime!    Date: July 14, 2024 Time: 4PM Location: Kawai Piano Gallery, 5800 Richmond Ave, Houston, TX    Event Flyer

June 9, 2024 - Naksa Day Houston Protest     In commutation of Naksa Day and in support of the national march on Washington, Houston PYM will host a protest at the Israeli consulate on Sunday, June 9th to maintain our demands and bring the red line to Houston.   Biden has repeatedly said that the invasion of Rafah was a red line. Yet now, Biden's red line is nowhere to be seen. Instead of following through and stopping military aid to Israel, Biden has authorized billions more in weapons shipments to be used to kill and massacre Palestinians.   Biden can't draw the line, but we can. On June 9, we will amplify the voices of those congregating from across the country in Washington DC. Wearing red, and raising our demands high, we will show the world that we are the red line. We demand an immediate ceasefire, an immediate end to the siege on Gaza, the freedom of all Palestinian prisoners, and an end to the occupation of Palestine. Date: Sunday, June 9, 2024 Time:  2 p.m. Location: In front of the Consulate General of Israel, 24 Greenway Plaza, Houston 77046    Flyer

May 27, 2024 - Rafah is Under Attack Emergency Protest     Date: Monday, May 27, 2024 Time: 6 PM Location: Westheimer & Post Oak (Galleria area), Houston, TX 77056    Flyer

May 19, 2024 - Texas Statewide Protest    In commemoration of Nakba Day, people from across Texas will be convening at the State Capitol to demand an end to the ongoing genocide in Gaza, and declare that we will resist until return.   We will unite across all fronts and assert that we stand in solidarity with the student intifada as they continue the encampment movement despite dealing with violent state repression.   We stand firm in our demands - an end to the siege on Gaza, an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the release of all political prisoners, and an end to state and federal funding of the Zionist entity through our tax dollars.   Busses will be arranged from Houston, Dallas, and other cities.   Date: May 19, 2024 Time: 1 pm Location: State Capitol, 1100 Congress Ave., Austin, Texas 78701      Event Flyer

May 19, 2024 - Hand Off Rafah      Date: May 19, 2024 Time: 3-6 pm Location: CORNER OF ELCAMINO AND NASA RD1, Clear Lake, Texas      Event Flyer

May 17-19, 2024 - Houston Palestine Film Festival    Date: May 17-19, 2024 Location: Rice University   Friday, May 17 - 7:00 PM "BYE BYE TIBERIAS"   Saturday, May 18 - 12:00 PM "THE THREE PROMISES"   Saturday May 18 - 7:00 PM "THE TEACHER"   Saturday, May 18 - 3:00 PM "INSHALLAH A BOY"   Sunday, May 19 - 3:00 PM "A HOUSE IN JERUSALEM"   Sunday, May 19 - 7:00 PM "LYD"    For more information: https://www.hpff.org/

May 11, 2024 - Multicultural Festival at George Memorial Library   Discover the vibrant music, dancing, food, culture, and the rich history of Lebanon presented by the American Lebanese Cultural Center (ALCC).   Sample popular Lebanese dishes or join in with a lively dabke dance demonstration!   Date: May 11, 2024 Time: 10 am - 2 pm Location: George Memorial Library (Room 2C), Richmond, Texas   Event Flyer

May 11, 2024 - Multicultural Festival at George Memorial Library   Discover the vibrant music, dancing, food, culture, and the rich history of Lebanon presented by the American Lebanese Cultural Center (ALCC).   Sample popular Lebanese dishes or join in with a lively dabke dance demonstration!   Date: May 11, 2024 Time: 10 am - 2 pm Location: George Memorial Library (Room 2C), Richmond, Texas   Event Flyer

May 10, 2024 - Arab American Women Who Care Houston   Join us for Houston’s first-ever 100 Arab American Women Who Care!   How it works:   Make a tax-deductible donation of $100 or more when you register (see below for sponsorship opportunities) While registering, nominate any Texas-based 501(c)(3) organization Recognizing the heavy events in Palestine, you may instead nominate a Gaza relief organization from the provided list On the day of the event, you will vote on one of the nominated organizations to receive the collective donations in one impactful grant! Note: There will be no additional fundraising ask made at the event. Your ticket purchase is your donation. Date: May 10, 2024 Time: 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM Location: Flo Paris Bakery, 5757 Westheimer Rd #105, Houston, TX 77057   More information is posted here.   Event Flyer

May 7, 2024 - All Eyes on Rafah    Houston Emergency Protest   We’ll be presenting a People’s Resolution during the City Hall Meeting.  Date: May 7, 2024 Time: mobilize outside 4:00 pm Location: Houston City Hall    Event Flyer

May 5, 2024 - Palestinian Stories   Join us on May 5th to view 7 short films by Dina Amin.   Proceeds from the event will be going to Dina’s Studio in Ramallah   Date: Sunday, May 5, 2024 Time: 7:30 pm Location: The Coronation Theatre, 3420 Rusk St. A3, Houston, TX 77003   Event Flyer

May 5, 2024 - From Palestine to the US: War & the Working Class   Join Houston PSL and PYM Houston for a celebration of May Day featuring community building and a panel discussion on the links between wars abroad and the war on the working class here in the United States. Meet fellow organizers and community members of conscience as we discuss the connections between the genocidal Israeli regime and the police who repress us in Houston. Learn how US sanctions against Latin America relate to the worsening conditions of our class in the US. And learn how the fight for Palestine requires a deep commitment to internationalism.   The Panel will include Houston PYM organizers Lina Assi, Obi Dennar, and Mohammed Nabulsi, and be moderated by Joy Song from Houston PSL.    Date: Sunday, May 5, 2024 Time: 1-4pm Location: Arab American Cultural & Community Center, 10555 Stancliff Road, Houston 77099    Event Flyer

May 5, 2024 - The Forty Holy Martyrs Church Gala Dinner   Date: Sunday, May 5, 2024 Time: 7:30 p.m. Location: Westin Memorial City, 945 Gessner Rd., Houston, Texas   Event Flyer

May 4, 2024 - Ibn Battuta's Journey The Arab American Cultural & Community Center (ACC) is inviting you to the National Arab Heritage Month Events.   Ibn Battuta - The journey of the greatest Arab Traveler, 1325-1354   Let us draw you into the life journey of Ibn Battuta, the greatest Arab explorer in Ancient History     - Fun hands-on activities for kids   - Games and prizes   - Snacks and light refreshments   - Henna station   Date: Saturday, May 4, 2024 Time: 12:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. Location: Arab American Cultural & Community Center, 10555 Stancliff Road, Houston 77099    Admission is free, but registration highly appreciated to plan for activities and refreshments. Event Flyer

May 2, 2024 - From The Grounds of Gaza   Experience firsthand accounts from the heart of Gaza this Thursday, May 2nd at 6:30pm at Cafe Layal!   Join Dr.Abdullah Ghali, a passionate local orthopedic surgery resident, as he shares his compelling experiences from his recent medical mission to Gaza.    Date: Thursday, May 2, 2024 Time: 6:30pm Location: Cafe Layal, Houston, Texas    Event Flyer

April 28, 2024 - Art & Book Fair, and Palestine in the Arab Poetry Recital The Arab American Cultural & Community Center (ACC) is inviting you to the National Arab Heritage Month Events. Art & Book Fair / Poetry Recital Date: Sunday, April 28, 2024 Location: ACC, 10555 Stancliff Road, Houston, TX 77099   Event Flyer

April 21, 2024 - Experience Eid in Al-Quds "Jerusalem" The Arab American Cultural & Community Center (ACC) is inviting you to the National Arab Heritage Month Events. Experience Eid in Al-Quds "Jerusalem" Date: Sunday, April 21, 2024 Time: 1-6 pm Location: ACC, 10555 Stancliff Road, Houston, TX 77099   Event Flyer

April 21, 2024 - Taste of Lebanon ALCC Picnic   Get ready to immerse yourself in the rich flavors and vibrant culture of Lebanon right here in our community!   Join us for an unforgettable day of food, fun, and festivity at the Taste of Lebanon ALCC Picnic.   Bring your family and friends for a day filled with authentic Lebanese food, lively music, and activities that everyone can enjoy. Let’s come together to create memories that will last a lifetime.   Purchase your tickets here: https://alcchouston.org/event-5628681   Date: Sunday, April 21, 2024 Time: 1:00 PM - 6:00 PM Location: Lake Side Pavilion at Sugarland Memorial Park   Event Flyer

April 14, 2024 - Palestine Outreach   Date: April 14, 2024 Time: 9m-12pm Location: Farmers Market, Yale and W. 7th street, Houston 77007   Event Flyer

April 14, 2024 - SAC's Eid Al-Fitr Picnic The Syrian American Club (SAC) is excited to invite you to our Eid Picnic on April 14, 2024, from 2 PM to 6 PM, at George Bush Park! Come enjoy the beautiful spring weather at this wonderful community gathering featuring our authentic Syrian foods, entertainment, and activities for children.   Date: April 14, 2024 Time: 2 PM to 6 PM Location: George Bush Park Pavilions, Houston, TX 77082   Space is limited, and reservations will close when capacity has been reached.   Please register by Thursday, April 11.   We look forward to seeing you there!   Event Flyer

April 14, 2024 - Helping Gaza   The Current Situation and Supporting Humanitarian Relief Efforts   Join us as we welcome Anera’s President & CEO, Sean Carroll, and their team to shed light on the current situation in Gaza. Learn more about how Anera’s vital efforts are alleviating some of the suffering and bringing some hope to families in Gaza.   Learn more about Anera’s daily work in Gaza and donate at www.anera.org/help-gaza.    Light refreshments will be served.   RSVP at www.anera.org/helping-gaza-houston.    Date: April 14, 2024 Time: 6:00 PM Location: Arab American Cultural and Community Center, 10555 Stancliff Rd, Houston 77099   Event Flyer

April 13, 2024 - JUSTICE FOR AL-SHIFA - TMC EMERGENCY RALLY   Join healthcare workers in one of the largest medical centers in the world to bring attention to horrific crimes being committed against Gaza’s hospitals and healthcare workers. Let the silent complicity of TMC’s CEOs know that healthcare is not a target and they should be calling for an end to the genocide and a permanent ceasefire. Healthcare is a human right, and the occupation continues to violate this right through violent means by bombing, sniping, and abducting healthcare workers! Let TMC know that their labor stands with their colleagues in Gaza!   Date: April 13, 2024 Time:  1 pm Location: Sam Houston Statue at Hermann Park    Event Flyer

April 13, 2024 - Iraqi American Community Eid Festival   Date: April 13, 2024 Time:  1 pm   Event Flyer

April 13, 2024 - Dimensions Variable: A Journey Through the Senses   Food tasting, art making, and music inspired by "The Foreign in Us"   Experience the exhibition Hayv Kahraman: The Foreign in Us through sight, sound, touch, and taste! During this multisensory event, guests can explore the galleries while enjoying a live performance of Persian music; taste a selection of torshi samples prepared by local chefs; and try their hand at paper marbling.   Drawing from thematic and technical elements found in Kahraman’s exhibition, our Spring 2024 Dimensions Variable event encourages creative and interactive responses to the artist's works. A paper marbling workshop, led by Austin-based artist Mercedez Rex, takes inspiration from Kahraman’s use of this technique in several paintings on view. Similarly, a presentation of torshi dishes prepared by local chefs highlights the artist's use of the liquid from this fermented vegetable as a colorant in her work. A live performance of the kamancheh, a Persian string instrument, by musician Badie Khalegian celebrates a rich cultural tradition that alludes to the artist’s Iraqi-Kurdish heritage. Schedule Paper marbling workshop 2-5 pm Torshi tasting sponsored by the Iraqi Forum of Houston 2-5 pm Musical performance by Badie Khalegian 3 pm and 4 pm. All ages are welcome. Paper marbling workshop requires adult supervision for children under 12 years old.   Date: Saturday, April 13, 2024 Time: 2:00pm-5:00pm Location: Moody Center for the Arts, Rice University   About Artists & Partners: In collaboration with Iraqi Forum of Houston Inc., a selection of flavorful torshi samples, prepared by local chefs, will highlight different vegetables and spices used in this traditional food. Mercedez Rex is an Austin-based artist who favors processes that allow for chance, unpredictability, and play. She began experimenting with surface design in textiles in 2013 and subsequently founded her eponymous business that offers a collection of accessories and home goods as well as events and workshops. Rex has been featured in VoyageAustin, Drew + Jonathan Reveal, and recently in Tribeza, as one of the “Best Art Workshops for Austin Creatives and Makers.” mercedezrex.com Badie Khaleghian is an innovative composer and multimedia artist who has received national and international recognition for his work. Badie’s commitment to artist citizenry, equality, and inclusion is deeply rooted in his personal experience as a refugee and immigrant. Currently based in Houston, he is teaching, researching, and making art. His recent projects take an interdisciplinary approach to the neuroscience of music cognition, live brain sonification, and visualization. badiekhaleghian.com   More info at https://moody.rice.edu/events/dimensions-variable-journey-through-senses.

April 13, 2024 - “The Ghosts of Mahmoud Darwish: the Return to the Present” with Professor Sinan Antoon   The Arab American Cultural & Community Center (ACC) is inviting you to the National Arab Heritage Month Events.   Pannel Discussion in partnership with AAEF   The Arab-American Educational Foundation, in collaboration with the Arab American Cultural & Community Center, invites you to an engaging talk by acclaimed Iraqi-American poet, novelist, and scholar, Dr. Sinan Antoon. Antoon is associate professor at New York University. He is co-founder and co-editor of Jadaliyya.   Date: Saturday, April 13, 2024 Time: Reception: 4:30 pm, Lecture: 5:00 pm Location: Arab-American Cultural and Community Center, 10555 Stancliff Rd, Houston, TX 77099   This event is free and open to the public. Ghosts haunt many of the late poems of the great Palestinian poet, Mahmoud Darwish (1941-2008). These ghosts often appear in poems where the poet writes of an imagined or actual return to Palestine. This talk will interrogate the presence of the ghost in these poems and read them as a discursive site to resist the erasure enacted by settler- colonialism and its maps and to gesture to the desire and right of return to one’s home/land.   Sinan Antoon is a poet, novelist, scholar and translator. He holds degrees from Baghdad, Georgetown, and Harvard where he earned a doctorate in Arabic Literature. He has published five novels and two collections of poetry. A third collection of poetry in English, entitled Postcards from the Underworld, was published by Seagull Books this past October. His most recent work in Arabic is Khuzama (Manshurat al-Jamal, 2023).   Event Flyer

April 11, 2024 - "Postcards From the Underworld: Poem by Sinan Antoon" Book Launch Discussion   Please join the Arab-American Educational Foundation Center for Arab Studies on Thursday, April 11, 2024 for a poetry launch and reading of Postcards from the Underworld by Professor Sinan Antoon (New York University). Date: Thursday, April 11, 2024 Time: Reception: 5:30 pm, Lecture: 6:00 pm Location: Quinn Hall, UH Alumni Center Parking: Paid parking is available outside the Alumni Center, on Cullen Blvd, and Holman St. or or any of the paid visitor parking locations on campus.   To confront time, pre-modern Arabic poems often began with the poet standing before the ruins, real and imagined, of a beloved’s home. In Postcards from the Underworld, Sinan Antoon works in that tradition, observing the detritus of his home city, Baghdad, where he survived two wars—the Iran-Iraq War of 1980 and the First Gulf War of 1991—and which, after he left, he watched from afar being attacked during the US invasion in 2003. Antoon’s poems confront violence and force us not to look away as he traces death’s haunting presence in the world. Nature offers consolation, and flowers and butterflies are the poet’s interlocutors, but they too cannot escape ruin.   Composed in Arabic and translated into English by the poet himself, Postcards from the Underworld is a searing meditation on the destruction of humans, habitats, and homes. Sinan Antoon is a poet, novelist, scholar, and translator based in New York. He holds degrees from Baghdad, Georgetown, and Harvard where he earned his doctorate in Arabic literature, and is currently an associate professor of Arabic Literature at New York University. His translation of Mahmoud Darwish’s last prose book, In the Presence of Absence, won the 2012 American Literary Translators’ Award. His translation of his own second novel, The Corpse Washer, won the Banipal-Saif Ghobash Prize for Arabic literary translation in 2015. His most recent work is the novel The Book of Collateral Damage, which was longlisted for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction 2016 and published in English translation in 2019.   Date: Thursday, April 11, 2024 Time: 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm Location: Quinn Hall, UH Alumni Center   More info at https://tinyurl.com/Book-Launch-Discussion.   Event Flyer

April 11, 2024 - Sammy Obeid: Fresh in Houston!   Sammy Obeid is Lebanese-Palestinian American, born in Oakland California.   Date: April 11, 2024 Time:  6:30 pm Location: Community Cultivation Network, 5510 Lawndale Street Houston, TX 77023   Event Info

April 9, 2024 - Chaand Raat Vigil for Palestine   Date: April 9, 2024 Time:  8:40 pm - 10 pm Location: Sugar Land Town Center, Sugar Land, Texas   Event Flyer

April 6-7, 2024 - World Academic Forum for Palestine: Genocide in Gaza   A transnational forum on the ongoing genocide in Gaza and urgently needed academic responses from across the globe. More than 45 speakers.   Date: Saturday and Sunday, April 6-7, 2024   Register to receive location, both in person and virtual, at https://forms.gleYbXG1ddKYko79RVx7.   Event Flyer

April 6, 2024 - Easter Egg Hunt The Arab American Cultural & Community Center (ACC) is inviting you to the National Arab Heritage Month Events. Easter Egg Hunt Date: Saturday, April 6, 2024 Time: 12:30 - 2:30 Location: ACC, 10555 Stancliff Road, Houston, TX 77099   Event Flyer

April 5, 2024 - International Day of Al-Quds Date: Friday, April 5, 2024 Time: 3:30-7:00 PM Location: Westheimer & Post Oak (Galleria area), Houston, TX 77056   Event Flyer

April 5, 2024 -  Suffering and Sumud: Mental Health in Palestine   Gwyn Daniel locates the trauma experienced over the generations by Palestinians within the context of settler colonial violence, injustice and dispossession. Drawing upon the ideas of liberation psychology she will describe the work of Palestinian Mental Health professionals which goes beyond the limited categories of either victimhood or resilience and emphasises solidarity and connectivity. She will share her own work in supporting a trauma team based in Gaza. Gwyn Daniel is a family therapist, trainer and writer based in Oxford and a visiting lecturer at the Tavistock Clinic in London. She is the author of many professional books and articles and she has presented and published on the subject of Palestine.    Date: Friday, April 5, 2024 Time: 12 PM Lunch, 12:30 PM Lecture Location: Sewall 305, Rice University, Houston, Texas      Open to the Public.   Event Flyer

April 5, 2024 - AUB Houston Ramadan Iftar   During this holy month of Ramadan, we invite everyone to join us for Ramadan Iftar. Let's come together to share in the blessings, joy, and delicious food as we break our fast.   Get you tickets here.   Date: Friday, April 5, 2024 Time: 7pm Location: Fadi’s Banquet Hall, 2000 Highway 6 S, Houston, TX 77077    Event Flyer

April 4, 2024 - Gaza in Context by Professor Avi Shlaim   Reflections of an Arab Jewish Historian   Date: April 4, 2024 Time: 6pm reception, 6:30pm talk Location: Rice University, Ralph S. O'Connor Building, 5th Floor, Houston, Texas   Event Flyer

March 31, 2024 - Iftar for Gaza   Auction & Fundraise for Palestine   100% of proceeds to be donated to Islamic Relief USA   Date: March 31, 2024 Time: 7 p.m. Location: University of Houston, Houston Room, Houston, Texas    Event Flyer

March 31 Deadline: Arab-American Educational Foundation Strategic Plan Survey   The Arab-American Educational Foundation (AAEF) is a non-profit organization established in Houston in 1985. It focuses on promoting the understanding of Arab culture, history, and language, through the endowment of university chairs and the sponsoring of academic programs, lecture series, cultural performances, scholarships, and research.   The Arab-American Educational Foundation is currently undergoing a strategic planning process to determine strategic priorities and objectives for the next 3-5 years. In order to ensure that stakeholder voices are heard and considered during this process, we are asking you to fill out the following survey about the AAEF. This survey will be anonymous to the AAEF board and will help us ensure that the AAEF is continuing to meet the desires of the community and works towards relevant priorities and objectives over the following years.   The survey can be found at the following link: https://forms.office.com/r/dpgZx9UhNB   Please complete the survey no later than March 31st.   IMPORTANT: If you are interested in entering our raffle for one of three $25 Visa gift cards, please include your first and last name and email address at the beginning of the survey. If you would prefer to remain anonymous, please leave this blank. The Arab-American Educational Foundation board will not be able to see any names or email addresses beyond the winners of the raffle.      AAEF President's Message: https://vimeo.com/920297251

March 30, 2024 - Land Day Rally   Join us this Saturday at 1pm at the Water Wall to commemorate Land Day!   Land Day is known as a day of remembrance of our people’s commitment to their land and their unbreakable will to defend it. This year, Land day comes at a time where our people in Gaza have been further displaced to Rafah and are facing brutal torture and death in Al-Shifa Hospital.    We will rally together to honor our land, martyrs, prisoners, and our peoples will to resist and continue the struggle against settler colonialism and occupation. Until liberation and return.   Date: March 30, 2024 Time: 1 p.m. Location: Water Wall, 2800 Post Oak Blvd, Houston, TX 77056    Event Flyer

March 29, 2024 - Debwania Olive Tree Project Benefit Iftar: A Tribute to Land Day    This is one of the most successful annual projects that is directly benefiting Palestinians in occupied Palestine since 2012.   A benefit iftar in support of Palestine on March 29 at 7 p.m. A tribute to Land Day. Together, we can plant thousands of olive trees in Palestine and keep the Palestinian identity alive.   Date: March 29, 2024 Time: 7 p.m. Location: Fadi's Banquet Hall, 2000 Highway 6 South, Houston, TX 77077    https://debwania.com/product/debwania-benefit-iftar

March 28, 2024 - Ramadan Iftar to Benefit The Children of Gaza   Special Guest: Steve Sosebee, co-founder of HEAL Palestine and PCRF   Date: March 28, 2024   www.healpalestine.org   Event Flyer

March 28, 2024 - A Night for Gaza   By Human Appeal USA   Join us for an enlightening Ramadan evening at Shahnai Reception Hall in Houston, TX, USA. Allah says: “Call upon me and I shall respond!” - Understand the Power of Dua’. Find Hope in this special Iftar/Taraweeh event. Immerse yourself in a spiritual atmosphere as we come together to learn and gain profound insight with Sheikh Waleed Basyouni and Sheikh Majed Mahmoud, break fast together, and listen to heart-touching recitation and pray taraweeh behind Sheikh Abdullah Sharkawy.   Don't miss this opportunity to connect with fellow believers and strengthen your faith. Mark your calendars for this memorable event and come prepared to be inspired!    Date: Thursday, March 28, 2024 Time: 6pm PST. (Check-in @ 5:30pm) Location: Shahnai Reception Hall, 5912 Hillcroft St, Houston Tx 77036   Get tickets here.   Event Flyer

March 24, 2024 - Gaza Needs You Fundraiser   Support Gaza with Rahma Worldwide on March 24th, 5:30 PM, at Houston Marriott West Loop. Stand in solidarity.   Join us for an evening of compassion and solidarity as we come together to support Gaza in its time of dire need. The humanitarian situation in Gaza is deteriorating rapidly, with over two million people, including 600,000 children, lacking access to life-saving support. Despite the challenges, the Rahma team in Palestine remains steadfast on the ground, working tirelessly to provide essential aid.   Our distinguished speakers, including Dr. Shadi Zaza, CEO of Rahma Worldwide, Imam Zaid Shakir, and Dr. Abdul R Moosa fresh from Gaza, will shed light on the current situation and how we can make a meaningful impact.   100% of the proceeds from this fundraiser will go directly to Rahma Worldwide, ensuring that every dollar contributes to the relief efforts in Gaza. Your support is crucial to help the Rahma team complete its humanitarian mission and provide vital assistance to those in need. Stay tuned for more details on ticket sales and event specifics.   Let's stand together and show our unwavering support for the people of Gaza.   Date: March 24, 2024 Time: 5:30 PM Location: Marriott West Loop, 1750 West Loop South Houston, TX 77056   Event Flyer

March 23, 2024 - Feast of Saint Joseph 2nd Annual Gala   Date: March 23, 2024   More Info / Event Flyer

March 23, 2024 - Ramadan Iftar in partnership with EAS The Arab American Cultural & Community Center (ACC) is inviting you to the National Arab Heritage Month Events. Ramadan Iftar in partnership with EAS Date: Saturday, March 23, 2024 Location: ACC, 10555 Stancliff Road, Houston, TX 77099   Event Flyer

March 23, 2024 - Arab Mother's Day Iftar and Fundraiser   The Palestinian American Bridge invites you to join us at our Arab Mother's day Iftar and Fundraiser! We'll have Dr. Haroon Patel and Dr. Mohamed Elfar, both who recently returned from providing life-saving care in Gaza, talking about their experience on our latest medical mission! After dinner, you can shop our Bazaar featuring local, woman owned businesses!   Please register online so we can plan accordingly, and we can't wait to see you there!   Date: Saturday, March 23, 2024 Time: 5:30 p.m. Location: Multicultural Center, 951 Tristar Dr., Webster, TX 77598   Event Flyer

March 22, 2024 - Iftar at the Park   We are delighted to announce that on March 22nd, Fasting5k Texas will host its 4th Annual Iftar At The Park event at Memorial Park.   Date: March 22, 2024 Time: 5-8 pm Location: Memorial Park    Event Flyer

March 21, 2024 - Bridge to Baladi Ramadan Iftar Fundraiser    Date: March 21, 2024 Time: 7:15 pm - 10 pm Location: 6365 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77056    Event Flyer

March 17, 2024 - Share Hope With Yemen This Ramadan By Pure Hands   Please join our benefit banquet Iftar on Sunday, Mar 17th, 2024 to put one hand with another to change lives in Yemen, remember that your small contribution can make a big difference.   Date: March 17, 2024 Time: 6 pm Location: MultiCultural Center, 951 Tristar Drive Webster, TX 77598   Event Flyer

March 16, 2024 - Jordanian American Society of Houston Annual Iftar   Join us for an evening of reflection, community, and nourishment at the JASH Annual Ramadan EFTAR.   This year, we are honored to have Sheikh Main Alqudah as our guest speaker, who will share insights and reflections.    Date: March 16, 2024 Time: 6 - 11pm Location: Shahnai Reception Hall, 5912 Hillcroft Street Houston, TX 77036   Event Flyer

March 15, 2024 - Fountains of Hope & Grains of Life Ramadan Iftar   You’re invited to our Annual Ramadan Iftar on March 15 at the Marquee Banquet & Event Center.   The program will commence promptly at 6:00 PM, so please arrive on time.   Kindly RSVP so that we can make appropriate food arrangements.     Date: March 15, 2024 Time: 6:00 PM Location: Marquee Banquet & Event Center, 11040 Southwest Fwy, Houston TX 77074   Event Flyer

March 9, 2024 - SAC Ramadan Community Food Drive   The Syrian American Club is pleased to announce a Ramadan non-perishable food drive and invite our community to join the efforts in alleviating some of the struggles faced by newly arrived Syrian Refugee families. Your contribution will make a positive impact on the lives of those in need.   We encourage you to donate non-perishable food items such as rice, pasta, salt, sugar, dried legumes, and other essentials.   Collection Days: Saturday, March 2 : 9:00 am - 7:00 pm (during Arabic school and Youth Mixer event) Sunday, March 3: 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm (during Poetry Recital) Wednesday, March 6: 11:00 am - 2:00 pm Saturday, March 9: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm   Location: Al-Sham Center, 5729 Winsome Ln., Houston, TX 77523   Let's come together as a community during the blessed month of Ramadan and extend a helping hand to those in need. Help us maximize our impact by spreading the word within our community. Please refer to attached flyer for more details.

March 9, 2024 - Sugar Land Spring Festival   Date: March 9, 2024 Time: 5 pm - 11 pm Location: 340 Eldridge Rd, Sugar Land, TX 77478   For more info: https://www.facebook.com/events/1605201520016721/

March 3, 2024 - Arabic Poetry Recital "Houston's Spring"   The Syrian American Club invites you to "Houston's Spring", an Arabic recital event featuring poetry recitals by Safeia Musleh, Tahir Bozo, Marwan Malas, and Tarif Youssef Agha.    Date: Sunday, March 3, 2024 Time: 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. Location: Al-Sham Center, 5729 Winsome Ln., Houston, TX 77057   (Please note that the event will include a reception from 4:00 to 4:30 p.m, and that recitals will start promptly at 4:30 pm.)   Admission is free, and all are welcome.    Event Flyer (in Arabic)

March 3, 2024 - Gaza on the Global Stage: U.S. Policy, Human Rights, and International Law   Panel discussion with Dr. Cornel West, Brother Ajamu Baraka, Attorney Maria Kari, and Professor George Bisharat.   Date: Sunday, March 3, 2024 Time: 4-8pm Location: The Royal Sonesta, Houston, Texas    Event Flyer

March 2, 2024 - Stride and Glide For Gaza   A Walk and Kite Flying Fundraising Event   Please join us on March 2nd as we walk and fly kites in support of Gaza. All donations will go to providing needed food and supplies to Gaza.   All the money you raise at Stride and Glide for Gaza will go to ActionAid's efforts in Palestine!   ActionAid has been working alongside local partners and vulnerable communities in the occupied Palestinian territory since 2007, and we anticipate that the need for ongoing humanitarian intervention - in this moment - will be greater than ever before.   As of early November, in Gaza, ActionAid has provided: Winter clothing for women and children in Rafah along with food and hygiene kits to families in Rafah. Cash transfers to purchase medicines, medical supplies, and cover the salaries of specialized medical staff and social workers. Psychosocial support through an existing hotline to support the well-being of women in Rafah and Khan Yunis.   In the West Bank, ActionAid is conducting needs assessments on the ground, daily, to support internally displaced Gazan workers, whose permits in Israel were revoked and who were expelled to different locations. So far, we have distributed dignity kits, essential clothing to people near Hebron City, hot meals in Ramallah, and hygiene items in Jericho. Psychosocial support has also been provided to IPDs in Bethlehem and other areas of the West Bank.   Date: Saturday, March 2, 2024 Time: 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM Location: Sugar Land Memorial Park, 15300 University Blvd, Sugar Land, TX 77479   More information at https://pacchouston.org/strideandglide/.

March 1, 2024 - All Eyes on Gaza Houston Emergency Protest    The Zionist entity conducted a horrifying massacre, murdering over 100 and injuring over 1,000 Palestinians while they were trying to get aid. We will not stand for this and demand accountability for this vile war crime!       Date: Friday, March 1, 2024 Time: 4-7 pm Location: In front of the Consulate General of Israel, 24 Greenway Plaza, Houston 77046   Event Flyer

March 1, 2024 - Launch of Fady Joudah's [...]    RSVP: Launch of Fady Joudah's [...]   From one of the most acclaimed contemporary writers, an urgent and essential collection of poems illuminating the visionary presence of Palestinians.   Collection of poems written between October and December 2023.       Date: Friday, March 1, 2024 Time: 6 PM - 8 PM Location: Farnsworth Pavilion, Rice Memorial Center, Rice University, Houston, Texas

February 28, 2024 - "Narrating Humanity: Life Writing and Movement Politics from Palestine to Mauna Kea"   Please join the Arab-American Educational Foundation Center for Arab Studies on Wednesday, February 28, for the 2024 AAEF Dr. Burhan and Mrs. Misako Ajouz Distinguished Lecture in Literature   Narrating Humanity: Life Writing and Movement Politics from Palestine to Mauna Kea featuring Professor Cynthia G. Franklin (University of Hawai‘i).   Date: Wednesday, February 28, 2024 Time: Reception 5:00 pm, Lecture: 5:30 pm Location: Honors College Commons (M.D. Anderson Library, 2nd floor) Parking: Parking is available at the Welcome Center Garage   Contestations over the status of the human are at the center of those supporting and resisting Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza against the Palestinian people. Taking up this context, Professor Cynthia Franklin explores the powerful role life narratives and movement politics play in struggles over who counts as human. Expanding on her 2023 publication Narrating Humanity: Life Writing and Movement Politics from Palestine to Mauna Kea, she considers the urgent need to practice decolonial ways to be human. As she does so, Franklin attends to narratives of human being and belonging that have emerged as part of movement building in Hawai‘i for a deoccupied Hawai‘i and Palestine.   Cynthia G. Franklin is Professor of English at the University of Hawai‘i. She coedits the journal Biography and is author of Academic Lives: Memoir, Cultural Theory, and the University Today (2009), as well as Writing Women’s Communities: The Politics and Poetics of Multi Genre Anthologies (1994).   Signed copies of Narrating Humanity will be available for purchase at the event.   Event Flyer

February 27, 2024 - Honor Aaron Bushnell Houston Vigil   On February 25th, 2024, Aaron Bushnell, a 25 year old active duty member of the US military, self-immolated outside the Zionist embassy in Washington, D.C. Aaron lit himself ablaze in protest of the United States’ ongoing complicity in the genocide on Gaza. In making the most extreme sacrifice a human being can in support of a moral cause — his own life — Aaron sent a message on behalf of the masses of the US and of the world, that people of conscience everywhere will refuse complicity in the unfolding genocide against the Palestinian people until our last breath.   Join us as we honor his last call in demanding the US end its complicity in genocide and honoring all the lives lost in Gaza, Yemen, and Lebanon.   Date: Tuesday, February, 2024 Time: 5 pm Location: In front of the Consulate General of Israel, 24 Greenway Plaza, Houston 77046   Event Flyer

February 25, 2024 - Protest for Palestine      Date: Sunday, February 25, 2024 Time:  9am - Noon Location: Corner of 7th and Yale (in front of local foods), Heights Mercantile, Houston     Event Flyer.

February 24, 2024 - Hand Off Rafah Protest   Rafah, which was previously declared a “safe zone” by the Zionist entity has now become a target for Zionist bombardment. Israel is continuing to threaten a ground invasion of Rafah. We call on the Houston community to mobilize and stand with conviction against Zionism and to join us at the corner of Post Oak and Westheimer this Saturday at 1 pm to emphasize that we will continue to mobilize until Israel’s genocidal campaign against Rafah, and all of Gaza ends.     Date: Saturday, February 24, 2024 Time: 1 PM Location: Corner of Post Oak and Westheimer *Galleria), Houston, Texas     Event Flyer.

February 23, 2024 - Maqluba Screening   A story about family, fatherhood, and food, told from the eyes of a grieving, Palestinian American son who is about to get married.   An evening of entertainment to raise money for Medical missions into Gaza!    Date: Friday, February 23, 2024 Time: 8 pm Location: Coronation Theater, 3420 Rusk Street, Suite A3, Houston 77003    Event Flyer.

February 23, 2024 - ISAT Kickoff Event   International Students' Association of Texas (ISAT) Kickoff Reception   Date: Friday, February 23, 2024 Time: 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM Location: Junior League of Houston, 1811 Briar Oaks Lane, Houston, TX   For more info or to RSVP: www.isatx.org   Event Flyer.

February 20, 2024 - Vigil For Our Fallen Colleagues in Gaza   Date: Tuesday, February 20, 2024 Time: 5:30 pm Location: Lynn Eusan Park, University of Houston    Event Flyer.

February 17, 2024 - Amaanah's Ramadan Hope Bazaar   Get ready for a celebration of hope and creativity! Amaanah Refugee Services is thrilled to announce our first-ever Ramadan Hope Bazaar, a unique gathering that combines the joy of shopping from small businesses with the excitement of a craft fair for children. All proceeds will fund refugee projects in Houston. Shopping Extravaganza: Explore a diverse array of products from local small businesses just in time for the Ramadan season. Your purchase supports these entrepreneurs and adds a special touch to your Ramadan preparations. Craft Fair for Kids: Let the little ones unleash their creativity with 5-10 delightful craft activities. From colorful creations to hands-on projects, there's something for every young artist!   Date: February 17, 2024 Time: 10:00 am to 05:00 pm Location: The Bougainvilleas, 12126 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77077   Tickets for Amaanah's Ramadan Hope Bazaar can be booked here.

February 16, 2024 - The Fen League (hip-hop, Arabic poetry, and maqam music)   Risala Foundation invites you to an epic night - an evening of hip-hop, Arabic poetry, and maqam music with MC/Poet Omar Offendum, Oud virtuoso Ronnie Malley, and DJ/Beatmaker Thanks Joey, along with other special guests! This show has been playing to sold-out crowds across the US and we are thrilled to bring it to Houston. These creative voices have adroitly weaved a story that connects their rich Arab/Muslim/Immigrant stories to a contemporary audience. This event will take place at the historic El Dorado Ballroom.   Omar Offendum is a Syrian-American rapper/spoken-word artist. Known for his unique blend of hip-hop and Arabic poetry, he’s been featured on prominent world news outlets (Aljazeera, BBC, PBS, LA Times), lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Northwestern, UT-Austin, UCLA, SOAS, American University of Beirut), collaborated with major museums and cultural organizations (LACMA / Penn Museum / Ithra / Shangri-La / Arab-American National Museum), and helped raise millions of dollars for various humanitarian relief groups (Islamic Relief, Karam Foundation, Syrian-American Medical Society). Offendum was recently named a Kennedy Center Citizen Artist Fellow, an Arab America Foundation "40 Under 40" award recipient, and a member of both the Pillars Fund cohort for Muslim Narrative Change and the RaceForward Butterfly Lab cohort for Immigrant Narrative Strategy. He currently resides in the great state of New York with his wife and two little children, while daydreaming about the jasmine-tree-lined streets of Damascus.   Ronnie Malley is a multi-instrumentalist musician, theatrical performer, producer, and educator. He is executive director of Intercultural Music Production in Chicago and a teaching artist with Chicago Public Schools. Ronnie's theater credits include the Broadway musical tour of the Tony Award-winning The Band's Visit and Disney's The Jungle Book. He also performs with the music groups Allos Musica, Apollo’s Fire, Surabhi Ensemble, and more.   • Omar Offendum previously opened for Mo Amer in Houston. • The event pays tribute to the "Pen League," pioneers of Arab-American literature. • Muhammad Ali once used the Eldorado Ballroom as a prayer site.   Get tickets: bit.ly/FenLeague Sold onsite by Gordo’s Dogs and Marble Slab   Date: February 16, 2024 Time: 7:30 PM Location: El Dorado Ballroom at Project Row Houses, 2310 Elgin St, Houston TX 77004   Event Flyer.

February 16, 2024 - Fund Raising for ALCC Scholarship Program   American Lebanese Cultural Center (ALCC) Dinner & Entertainment to Raise Funds for the ALCC Scholarship Program.   Date: February 16, 2024 Time: 7 PM - 11 PM Location: Junior League of Houston, 1811 Briar Oaks Lane, Houston 77027   For more info: https://alcchouston.org/event-5540551

February 15, 2024 - Protest Condoleezza Rice at Rice University   The Palestinian Youth Movement alongside several organizations is joining Students for Justice in Palestine at Rice University as they protest Condoleezza Rice on campus!   Condoleeza Rice was the National Security Advisory under George Bush and one of the architects of the Iraq War. She is in-part responsible for the lies used to justify the U.S.' destructive occupation of Iraq and the torture, brutalization, and murders of nearly half a million Iraqis.   As our brave people in Palestine continue to endure the worst forms of U.S.-backed violence, we must unify as a Houston community and REJECT the presence of genocidal war criminals on our campus and in our city.    Date: February 15, 2024 Time: 4:30 PM Location: Rice University   Event Flyer.

February 13, 2024 - Hands Off Rafah Emergency Protest   Israeli military’s genocidal assault targeted Rafah, the city that holds more than 1.4 million Palestinians, the majority of whom were displaced from elsewhere in Gaza. Over 70 martyrs and over 230 injured have already been reported in the US-funded Israeli strikes targeting homes, and mosques where many were sheltering.   Israel is threatening a ground invasion in Rafah. We call on our community to take the streets to defend Rafah, Gaza, and all of Palestine. We assert that Rafah is a red line, and must mobilize to demand an end to this genocidal assault. HANDS OFF RAFAH NOW!    Date: Tuesday, February 13, 2024 Time: 4pm LOCATION CHANGE TO: Houston City Hall, 901 Bagby St., Houston, 77002   Event Flyer.

February 10-11, 2024 - The Gaza Monologues   The Gaza Monologues is a play which highlights the testimonies of young Palestinians following Israel's 2008 bombing campaign on Gaza. This play, curated in 2010 by Al-Ashtar Theater under the Artistic Direction of Iman Aoun, tells the stories of 33 acting students as they navigate siege, blockade, destruction, resilience, steadfastness, and revolutoinary optimism. The Gaza Monologues will be performed by 7 Houston-based actors.   This is a donation-based performance, with all proceeds raised going towards The Freedom Theater. The Freedom Theater is a Palestinian cultural institution in the Jenin Refugee Camp whose mission is to equip Palestinian youth with art as a tool to understand and shift their conditions under occupation. Today, The Freedom Theater is subject to constant raids, shellings, and mass arrests of their students and artistic directors by Israel. Amidst this violence, all funds from this event will be used to support their educational programming and rebuild their infrastructure. We are asking for a suggested donation of $35, however we welcome and appreciate more or less depending on your capabilities. Funds will be processed through the Middle Eastern Children's Alliance, a U.S.-based non-profit organization working for the rights and empowerment of Middle Eastern Children.   We invite you to join us for this powerful play, to learn about the experiences of Palestinians in Gaza, and to recommit yourself to the cause for justice.     Saturday, February 10, 2024 · 7pm Sunday, February 11, 2024 · 2pm Location: 14 Pews Theater, 800 Aurora Street Houston, TX 77009      All proceeds will go to The Freedom Theater.    Event Flyer.  For more info & tickets: https://bit.ly/gazamonologueshtx   ENDORSED BY:   The Palestinian Youth Movement   Palestinian American Cultural Center   Students for Justice in Palestine - University of Houston   Students for Justice in Palestine - Rice University   Houston for Palestinian Liberation   Jewish Voices for Peace   Party for Socialism and Liberation   Democratic Socialists of America

February 11, 2024 - Ramadan Market     Date: Sunday, February 11, 2024 Time: 11 am - 7 pm Location: Arab American Cultural & Community Center, 10555 Stancliff Rd, Houston, 77099   Event Flyer

February 10, 2024 - Hands Off Rafah Mass Protest   We call on the Houston community to join us this Saturday at 1pm in mobilizing against Israeli genocide and US complicity as Israel continues it’s relentless bombings on Gaza, and recent targeting of Rafah - the southern most point of Gaza where 1.9 million Palestinians have been displaced, where there is no escape for those trying to find shelter.   As the death and destruction continues, the US reaffirms their complicity in the genocide on Palestinians with their recent decision of cutting off all aid to UNRWA. The decision to defund UNRWA, a critical organization providing aid to Palestinian refugees in over 60 refugee camps, is a continued attempt to block aid from reaching Palestinians.   Despite all efforts to deter the Palestinian fight, the resilient people of Palestine remain steadfast in their struggle for liberation. As bombs continue to drop, and attacks on our community locally and globally continue, it’s more imperative than ever that we show up in the thousands to demand an end to genocide!   Date: Saturday, February 10, 2024 Time: 1 pm Location: Corner of Post Oak & Westheimer (Galleria), Houston, Texas   Event Flyer

February 10, 2024 - Resilience Con: Annual Muslim African American History Conference   Honoring the Resilience of the Human Spirit   Date: Saturday, February 10, 2024 Time: 10AM-7PM Location: Turquoise Center, 9301 W Bellfort Blvd, suite b, Houston, TX 77031   Conference Flyer.

February 9, 2024 - AUB "Houston Chapter" Meet & Greet   American University of Beirut Alumni "Houston Chapter"   This informal gathering provides a fantastic opportunity to meet new faces, build connections, and foster relationships within our community.   Kindly RSVP by February 8th by text to 713-501-4931.   Please feel free to bring a friend or colleague who may be interested.   Date: February 9, 2024 Time: 7 pm  Location: Kirby Ice House, 1015 Gessner Rd., Houston 77055

February 9, 2024 - Truth in the Face of Tyranny with Dr. Cornel West   Join us on February 9th for an enlightening evening with presidential candidate Dr. Cornel West as he emphasizes the importance of speaking truth in challenging times and sheds light on the struggles of the Palestinians. This event, which begins at 7:30 PM, will also explore pathways towards peace and understanding through interfaith dialogue.   Dr. Cornel West, also known as Brother West, is the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Chair at Union Theological Seminary. With a rich academic background that includes teachings in Philosophy of Religion, African American Critical Thought, and a broad spectrum of subjects from the classics to music, Dr. West is renowned for his efforts to keep alive the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. His career spans roles at Harvard University and Princeton University, and he is celebrated for his commitment to education, justice, and public engagement.   Come and be part of this inspiring event. It's free and open to everyone interested in understanding and shaping a world marked by truth, justice, and harmony.    Date: February 9, 2024 Time: 7:30 PM Location: Maryam Islamic Center, 504 Sartartia Rd., Sugar Land, TX 77479   Event by Risala Foundation   FB Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1051005705948093

February 8, 2024 - Free Speech & Hate Speech: Where to Draw the Line   The Boniuk Charitable Foundation announces the fourth and final summit in its series addressing Hate Speech - Crisis Conversation.   This event is in person and virtual and will be followed by a reception.   Date: February 8, 2024 Time: 6 p.m. CST Location: University of Houston Law Center, Foundation Room    Event Flyer for RSVP & List of Speakers.

February 4, 2024 - Texas United Against Genocide in Palestine   Statewide Rally & March on the Capitol of Texas   Date: Sunday, February 4, 2024 Time: 1 p.m. Location: 1100 Congress Ave., Austin, Texas    Event Flyer.

February 3, 2024 - Friends of Egyptian Children with Cancer Fundraising Gala   Friends of Egyptian Children with Cancer will hold their 21st Annual Gala Fundraiser on Saturday, February 3, 2024.   FECC’s vision is to provide a cure for the Children of Egypt afflicted with Cancer. The Gala and donations received during the year will give the children an opportunity to get treated, recover and live a healthy and productive life. Seventy percent (70%) of the raised funds are spent to buy medications, and thirty percent (30%) on the Oasis, the first residential, supportive, educational and recreational facility in Egypt for the children and their families to stay in during the children's cancer treatment.    Date: Saturday, February 3, 2024 Time: 6:00 pm Location: Double Tree Hilton Hotel Houston: 6 E Green way Plaza, Houston, TX 77048   Details of the Gala and how to make reservations, donations and sponsorship for this fundraiser can be found by clicking on this link: https://www.fecchouston.org/2024-annual-fund-raiser/

February 3, 2024 - Hamza Namira Live in Houston   Come to experience Hamza Namira live, for an outstanding time After the huge success of Hamza’s recent album Raye2, we are excited to announce that Hamza will be performing once again in Houston on February 3, 2024. Brought to you by Rogue Virtue, the show will feature many of his greatest hits! With over 20 million followers on social media and 1+ billion plays on YouTube, Hamza Namira is one of the top Arab-pop stars and has achieved unprecedented success. This is sure to be an unforgettable time so don't miss out!   Date: Saturday, February 3, 2024 Time: Doors open 7:00 pm Location: Cullen Performance Hall, 4300 University Dr, Houston, TX, 77004   Please note: Portion of profits will be donated to Gaza relief efforts.   More info//tickets.

January 28, 2024 - Gala for Gaza    Event to benefit Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.   Date: January 28, 2024 Location: Arab American Cultural & Community Center, 10555 Stancliff Rd, Houston 77099   Event Flyer.

January 27, 2024 - Listening While Muslim (Palestine Edition)   Featuring Abdul-Rehman Malik, Asad Ali Jafri, actress/writer Serena Rasoul, and Palestinian-American composer Wanees Zarour.   Experience an unforgettable sonic journey exploring artistic solidarity with Palestine. Includes Haraz coffee and Mama's Kunafe with each ticket.   Date: January 27, 2024 Location: 7 PM Location: Midtown Arts & Theatre Center (MATCH)   $25 at https://matchouston.org/events/2024/listening-while-muslim   FB Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/282397710971875

January 27, 2024 - Car Caravan for Palestine   We call on Houston to join us this Saturday, January 27th, as we continue to SHUT IT DOWN for Palestine. Houston remains complicit in the Israeli genocidal campaign against Palestinians and we must continue to take to the streets until our demands are met. MEETING POINT: 4690 Kendrick Plaza Dr., Houston, 77032   Bring your cars, flags, and kuffiyehs and show out! We will continue to demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire and an end to the occupation for a total liberation of Palestine. There will be no business as usual in Houston and we refuse to remain complicit.   Event Flyer.

January 26, 2024 - American Lebanese Medical Association Gala   Support the American Lebanese Medical Association by purchasing a ticket or sponsoring a table at its gala event   Date: January 26, 2024 Time: 7 p.m. Location: Hilton Post Oak (Galleria), Houston, Texas   Event Flyer

January 26, 2024 - AAEF/ACC Lecture "1500 Years of Arabic before Islam"   The Arab-American Educational Foundation, in collaboration with the Arab American Cultural & Community Center, invites Arabic language enthusiasts to come and meet an engaging speaker talking about the origin and history of Arabic!   "1500 Years of Arabic Before Islam" by Ahmad Al-Jallad, Ph.D., Associate Professor and The Ohio State University Sofia Chair of Arabic   Date: Friday, January 26, 2024 Time: Reception: 5:00 pm, Lecture 5:30 pm Location: Arab-American Cultural & Community Center, 10555 Stancliff Rd, Houston 77299   Opportunity to mix and network before the lecture.   This event is free and open to the public. Parking is available onsite. Ahmad Al-Jallad, Ph.D. Harvard University, with distinction, is the Sofia Chair of Arabic at Ohio State University. He is a philologist, epigraphist, and historian of language. His work focuses on the languages, writing systems, and cultures of pre-Islamic Arabia and the ancient Near East. His notable works include: The Religion and Rituals of the Nomads of Pre-Islamic Arabia (2022); the Damascus Psalm Fragment: Middle Arabic and the Legacy of Old Hijazi (2022); and an Outline of the Grammar of the Safaitic inscriptions (2015). Event Flyer

January 25, 2024 - AAEF Fares Lecture "Dreams of Arab Modernity" with Professor Amale Andraos    Please join the University of Houston’s Arab-American Educational Foundation Center for Arab Studies on Thursday, January 25, 2024 for the AAEF Nijad and Zeina Fares Distinguished Lecture in Modern Arab Studies:   Dreams of Arab Modernity Featuring Amale Andraos, Professor and Dean Emeritus (Columbia University)   Date: Thursday, January 25, 2024 Reception: 5:45 pm, Lecture: 6:15 pm Location: Waldorf Ballroom, Hilton University of Houston, 4450 University Dr., Houston, TX 77204   While western modernism continues to occupy architects’ unconscious today, it is often in its megalomaniac form, with an unsaid nostalgia for the power that it seemed to embody. Yet for many of us born in the Arab world, modernity and its architectural manifestations are ‘less power and more flower’: vulnerable fleeting dreams whose premature deaths leave us with what could have been, what was lost, and maybe, what could still be. Through a series of architectural and urban projects for Beirut and across Arab cities, the lecture will explore this particular modernist unconscious, with a resiliently hopeful disposition for the future.   Amale Andraos, HFRAIC, is a principal of WORKac which she co-founded with her partner Dan Wood in 2003. Andraos is also Professor and Dean Emeritus at Columbia University where she recently served as an Advisor to the President on the University’s Climate Initiatives and the Climate School. Andraos is recognized as an architecture thought leader and has lectured and taught widely. Her publications include The Arab City: Architecture and Representation, We’ll Get There When We Cross That Bridge, 49 Cities and ‘Above the Pavement the Farm.’   An award-winning architecture and design practice, WORKac is committed to creating architecture that engages environmental and social concerns with a particular emphasis on public, cultural and civic projects. The practice has achieved international acclaim for projects such as the Edible Schoolyards in Brooklyn and Harlem, the Blaffer Museum of Art in Houston, the Miami Museum Garage, the new Student Success Center at the Rhode Island School of Design and two new community centers in Mexico City. Current projects include the North Boulder Public Library, the Sibley Dome Renovation at Cornell, a strategic plan and series of projects for Vassar College as well as the Beirut Museum of Art.   This event is free and open to the public. Parking is available in the Hilton parking garage. For more information, please contact: cas@central.uh.edu

January 23, 2024 - From Palestine to the USA: Resilience & Faith    Plus 1 Presents From Palestine to the USA: Resilience & Faith with Sami Hamdi   Date: January 23, 2024 Time: 7:30 p.m. Location: Maryam Islamic Center, 504 Sartartia Rd., Sugar Land, TX 77479   Event Flyer.

January 21, 2024 - All Out For Palestine & Yemen    MASS PROTEST - ALL OUT FOR PALESTINE & YEMEN   We call on the Houston community to mobilize against Israeli genocide in Palestine and the US & UK attacks on Yemen.   Palestinians in Gaza have endured over three months of genocide, facing unrelenting death and destruction. Meanwhile, Palestinians in the West Bank are facing mounting attacks by the IOF and settlers, while also facing mass arrest campaigns. Despite the horror of Israeli genocide, the resilient people of Palestine remain steadfast in their struggle for liberation, with full solidarity demonstrated by the brave people of Yemen. Join us as we take the streets in the thousands to show our unwavering support for the steadfast people of Palestine and Yemen   Date: Sunday, January 21, 2024 Time: 1 p.m. Location: Corner of Post Oak & Westheimer, Galleria, Houston   Event Flyer

January 21, 2024 - "Seeing Through the Wall: Meeting Ourselves in Palestine and Israel" Documentary Screening    Potluck, Film Screening, and Discussion   Discussion facilitated by peace activists Alex McDonald (Quaker) and Dana Ashrawi (Unitarian Universalist)   Film - Seeing Through the Wall: Meeting Ourselves in Palestine and Israel (2016)   Join us for peacebuilding over potluck, education through a transformative film of a Rabbi-led journey of 18 Americans to Israel and Palestine, and engagement through discussion facilitated by a Quaker and a Unitarian Universalist.   Film Trailer: https://vimeo.com/234692632 Questions: ThroughTheWallHouston@gmail.com   Date: Sunday, January 21, 2024 Time: 6-9 pm Location: Live Oak Friends Meeting, 1318 West 26th Street, Houston, TX 77008   To reserve a seat: https://bit.ly/TTWHoustonJan21   Event Flyer

January 20, 2024 - New Year, New Hope    Join us for an afternoon of kite flying, spoken word, poetry, Palestinian food, bazaar, live music & a candlelight vigil in honor of Palestinian Poet, Refaat Alareer. Date: January 20, 2024 Time: 2-6 PM Location: Arab American Cultural & Community Center, 10555 Stancliff Rd, Houston 77099   Event Flyer

January 17, 2024 - Healthcare Workers March for Palestine   March in the Texas Medical Center (TMC) on Wednesday, January 17th, from 12-1 PM! Meet on the lawn of the Jesse Jones Library (1133 John Freeman Blvd.)! Bring your flags, keffiyehs and posters and let’s show the TMC that healthcare workers support and end to the occupation in Palestine! Wearing a face mask is strongly recommended as well! Date: January 17, 2024 Time: 12-1 PM   Event Flyer

January 15, 2024 - Annual Original MLK Parade POSTPONED due to weather    The Black Heritage Society and the City of Houston present the 46th Annual "Original" MLK Jr. Day Parade on January 15, 2024, at 10 am. See the actions with marching school bands, decorated floats, cars, and more! Immediately following the MLK Jr. Day Parade, the Black Heritage Society is hosting the Houston MLK Festival--Children's Day of Service in Hermann Square Park until 4:00 pm. Houston MLK Festival features live multicultural musical performances, kid-friendly activities, art, trinkets, craft vendors, marketing booths, great food, and more! Free for the Public to attend. You are sure to have a blast! 901 Smith (around the Reflection Pool at City Hall). Date: January 15, 2024 Time: 10am-2pm Location: 900 Smith Street in Downtown Houston

January 14, 2024 - Protest at the Houston Marathon      HOUSTON ACTION ALERT This Sunday, January 14th at 7AM, a coalition of Houston orgs fighting for Palestinian liberation will be staging a MASS ACTION at the Chevron Marathon. Following the lead of Sunrise Movement's letter, we're calling on the Houston Marathon Committee to boycott Chevron, an official BDS target. MEETING POINT: Water Works at Buffalo Bayou Park (105 Sabine St) at 7AM PROMPTLY. Join our telegram at bit.ly/MarathonAction (capitalization must be exactly as shown in the link) for important on the ground updates. Stay tuned for more updates! #shutitdown4palestine #freepalestine     Event flyer.

January 13, 2024 - March on Washington for Gaza    The American Muslim Task Force for Palestine in partnership with the ANSWER Coalition, will host the March On Washington for Gaza. We call on all our supporters to join us for this monumental event and make sure their demands for justice are met.   Date: Saturday, January 13, 2024 Time: 1 p.m. ET Location: The National Mall, 1600 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC   Endorsed by more than 175 organizations.   More info at https://march4gaza.org/

January 13, 2024 - Understanding the Israel-Gaza Conflict      Educational Seminar with an open Q&A session    Prof. Joanne Cummings, Director of Middle East Studies, Baylor University Pamela Olson, Author of Fast Times in Palestine   Date: Saturday, January 13, 2024 Time: 1 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Location: Grand Hall, Rice University, Houston, Texas   Palestinian American Bridge    Event flyer.

January 9, 2024 - Pack City Hall: Show Up & Speak Out    HOUSTON: PACK CITY HALL   This Tuesday, January 9th, we are requesting EVERYONE pack city hall for the sitting council's first public comment session! City council and Mayor Whitmire need to know there will be NO business as usual while aiding and abetting genocide! Please come out to City Hall at 901 Bagby St at 1:30 pm to show solidarity! Speakers can sign up for testimony by emailing speakers@houstontx.gov.   We reiterate our demands for an immediate ceasefire and divestment from the Israeli occupation!    Date: January 9, 2024 Time:  1:30 p.m. Location: Houston City Hall, 901 Bagby St., Houston, Texas    Event flyer.

January 8, 2024 Deadline - Greater Houston Poetry Contest   Submit poetry inspired by the poem *If I Must Die, * by Dr. Refaat Alareer (1979-2023).   Deadline is January 8th at midnight.   Send your poem alongside your name, age, and city to kites4palestinefestival@gmail.com.   Submission will be judged blind by a juried panel. Winners will be announced at the festival on 1/20/2024 at the Arab American Cultural & Community Center.   Follow us on Instagram (@kites4palestine) to learn more.   Event Flyer.

January 6, 2024 - Make Palestine Unavoidable   NO CELEBRATION DURING A GENOCIDE! Join us in making Palestine unavoidable at the free Jack Harlow concert on Saturday evening at Shell Energy Stadium! This event is part of a series of events leading up to the College Football National Championship, one of the largest sporting events of the year which will see many thousands of visitors from all over the country. Let’s show them that Houston stands with Palestine!   While many artists of conscience across the globe are standing with the Palestinian people and demanding an immediate and permanent ceasefire, Jack Harlow was recently seen campaigning with Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, a vocal proponent of Israel. Harlow and Beshear ignored protestors then, but we’ll continue to come out and demand an end to the genocide! Bring banners, flags, kuffiyahs, and signs!   Date: January 6, 2024 Time: 6 pm Location:  Shell Energy Stadium, 2200 Texas Ave., Houston

January 5, 2024 - Sacred Echoes- Healing Hearts in Gaza!   As we witness the heart-wrenching events unfolding in Gaza, our resolve as Muslims is profoundly tested. Yet, it is in the midst of such adversity that our faith calls us to be the strongest. The remarkable faith and resilience of the people in Gaza stands as a beacon of inspiration for all of us.   Join us for our upcoming Miftaah tour, Sacred Echoes, with renowned nasheed artist, Mohamed Tarek, along with various esteemed scholars, as we draw strength from the faith of the people of Gaza, learning to hold firmly to the rope of Allah as one ummah.   Date: Friday, January 5th, 2024 Time: 6:00 - 10:00 PM Location: Houston Marriott West Loop (Galleria), 1750 West Loop South, Houston 77027   Tickets available at https://www.miftaah.org/echoes.

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