Arab-Americans

[Saif al-Arab]

WHAAAAAAT?! Dude you have been deprived of the Wonders of Winterland...

I don't like cold weather by definition nor snow unless I am in mountainous areas (forests included) doing winter sports or walking while enjoying the scenery. Snowy weather in your average Western city during winter is mostly a headache on all fronts. I am not a big fan of winter clothing either. So that's why I can never envision myself living permanently in Canada or the Northern US states or other cold areas of the world.

Nothing beats sunny and warm weather although insanely hot weather is not very pleasant or very high humidity like in the tropics.

30 degrees celcius in Singapore or Jakarta is a much bigger pain in the *** for most people than even the hottest days in Riyadh (45 degrees celsius) due to the much, much lower humidity.

My favorite climate is the Mediterranean climate during summer and the climate found in the mountainous regions of KSA + the coastal areas of the tropical Red Sea. Plenty of sunshine, rarely colder than 10 degrees celsius but also almost never hotter than 40 degrees Celsius. I once read that the mountainous areas + highlands of KSA, Yemen and Ethiopia have some of the most ideal weather as there is sufficient rainfall, not too much humidity but never too hot weather either.

Although I would not mind if large areas of KSA had Florida's climate for instance or a Mediterranean one due to the rainfall such climates provide during the hurricane season and autumn + winter. Miami has more sunshine than even Riyadh (middle of KSA and Najd) but 15 times as much rainfall.

This is despite the fact that Riyadh has 45 rainy days compared to Miami's 135 days with rain. So in theory Riyadh should only have 3 times lesser rainfall than Miami but the actual number is 15 times as much!
The good thing with Miami is that the rainfall is heavy, sudden and hardly lasts more than a few hours during the Hurricane Season.

Speaking about the US, I have heard that Sacramento has some of the most pleasant weather while Yuma in Arizona is the most sunniest town on the planet apparently!

The good thing with many areas in KSA (especially along the tropical Red Sea) is also that the hottest days in summer are accompanied by an somewhat heavy wind making it feel less warmer than it really is. You have the Mistral wind in Southern France too which acts as a cool breeze even during some of the hottest summer days.

I have seen the error of my ways. I love America and all of its universities and vast cornfields

Good.

Shukran akhi. Would like to try to know diff between kabsa and mandi.

Both are rice dishes centered around lamb, chicken or seafood accompanied by numerous spices, vegetables, nuts, dried fruits etc.

Arab dishes such as Mandi, Kabsa, Mansaf etc. can be accompanied by almost everything as side dishes and you can make them in 100's of different versions.

The main difference between Mandi and Kabsa is how the meat (most often lamb) is prepared. For that usually a tandoori oven is used or sometimes (this is the best version IMO) a fire is made such as this one below.

You can see 3.47 minutes into the video how the meat looks like in the last video using this method.

and then the meat simmers for hours until it is ready, tender and flavored etc. The meat often melts in your mouth after this process.

Another great Arabian dish that you might be familiar with is Murtabak. It's probably the most popular street food in South East Asia for instance.

Murtabak - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I once made a thread about Hijazi cuisine (one of 100's of historical regions in the Arab world) and I literarily posted around 100 or so dishes, often accompanied by videos.

There are many problems in the MENA region recently but the food remains the same excellent food IMO.

My friend @Saif al-Arab, one of my closest friend was a Pakistani descent American. I just wanted to share to all that years ago when we were in the Army, He gave me a copy of the Holy Koran, and before giving it, he told me, "Your God is the God of Musa (Moses) and Ibrahim (Abraham), My God is also the the God of Musa and Ibrahim. You are an educated man I know you will understand." . That gift has become one of my most treasured possessions.
Now going back to topic, AMERICA is built on the back of millions and millions of immigrants with hard work, sweat and unimaginable sacrifices.. That is gentlemen our humble origins and that is what makes us great!!!




ohhhh buddy don't let me hate you!!!!

Well, the diversity of the US is one of its great strengths my friend as I mentioned earlier. Most people in the GCC contrary to what some people might believe or what a microscopic minority of now thankfully deceased morons did, are very pro-US and familiar with USA. More than anywhere else in the Muslim world or dare I say non-Western world. Just look at the number of students from the GCC in the US. More per capita than anywhere else on the planet. Unfortunately many have adopted the unhealthy phenomenon of fast food though although I would not mind eating a big Texan burger right now with extra cheese.

Mandi is a variation of kabsa, the meat is probably cooked differently but the dish is served the same.


Were you using roller skates or blades? Skating is really fun once you get the hang of, almost feels like you're floating or flying over the ground.


What is wrong with you guys? Never understood people who enjoyed hot weather sweating buckets, with BO x 100.

Oh well, more snow for me.

Let me guess. You live in New England or Vermont? Or just the Northeast? Am I right? You fit the profile.

 

[Saif al-Arab]

This is not about Arab-Americans as such (although some of them might become just that one day) but nevertheless still related to Arab-US relations.

More Saudi Arabians studying in the U.S.​

The number of Saudi students in the U.S. last year grew to 44,566, a nearly 30% increase from 2011, largely fueled by a new scholarship program that encourages them to study abroad.

November 24, 2013|By Jason Song

Noura Islam, a sophomore at UC Irvine from Saudi Arabia, chose the school for its engineering program and because “I’m a beach person,” she says. The number of Saudi students at UC Irvine has almost tripled since 2010, going from eight to 23 this year. (Spencer Bakalar, Los Angeles Times)
​

At first glance, the Facebook photo doesn't look like a USC alumni gathering: No cardinal and gold in sight, not a single Tommy Trojan to be found.

But, on closer inspection, it's apparent that half of the smiling men are flashing the Trojan "victory" sign.

"At USC, you quickly develop a sense of pride being a top university," said Bahjat Zayed, the past president of the 120-member USC Alumni Club of Arabia, one of the university's fastest growing graduate groups.

The club is one sign of the rapid rise of Saudi Arabians studying in the United States. Those numbers fell dramatically after the Sept. 11 attacks; the number of Saudi students dropped by almost a quarter in 2002 and continued to fall for the next two years.

But the numbers have grown steadily since 2005 and doubled from the 2010 to 2012 academic years, according to a recent survey. The number of Saudi students in the U.S. last year grew to 44,566 — a nearly 30% increase from 2011.

The country ranked behind only China, India and South Korea in the number of students studying in U.S. colleges and universities.

Experts say the change is largely fueled by a new Saudi Arabian scholarship program that encourages students to study abroad. Other countries have adopted similar programs. Of the four nations that made the biggest percentage gains in the recent survey, Kuwait and Brazil also offered government-sponsored scholarship programs.

"Countries that are trying to leap from their population into a 21st century economy need to do that very rapidly and they don't have the capacity in their own universities," said Peggy Blumenthal, senior counselor to the president of the Institute of International Education, which conducted the recent survey in partnership with the U.S. State Department.

When King Abdullah assumed the Saudi Arabian crown in 2005, he began to emphasize science education and foreign travel as a way to modernize the country. The scholarship program offers qualified students free tuition, travel funding and expenses, according to media reports and students, and has made it possible for middle-class students to go abroad.

Traditionally, only children from wealthy Saudi families moved out of the country for college. Osama bin Laden's father, a billionaire construction magnate, sent more than a quarter of his 54 children to study in America and other foreign countries, according to "The Bin Ladens," a history of the family.

The government requires females to be accompanied by a male relative, although many students say that compliance is not strictly enforced.

Officials with the Saudi Arabian Cultural Ministry, which oversees the scholarship program in the United States, did not return calls for comment.

Several Saudi students studying in the U.S. said it would have been difficult for them to do so without the financial assistance.

Public U.S. colleges prize foreign students, especially during tough economic times, because they pay more in tuition than American citizens.

Reem Alattas grew up in western Saudi Arabia and enjoyed studying cognitive science, which examines brain processes, but knew that no colleges in Saudi Arabia offered programs in it.

The daughter of an aviation engineer, Alattas thought it would be difficult for her family to afford to send her overseas to study and she assumed she would stay in Saudi Arabia.

But she heard of other students who had received financial aid to study abroad. Her parents, who had studied in the United States during college, encouraged her to apply.

She received a scholarship but did not apply to U.S. schools right away. Like many of her classmates, Alattas went to a college prep program at Virginia Tech for a year after high school. She lived in an apartment with other Saudi students while improving her English and also took the SAT and other college admissions tests.

Alattas decided to go to UC Berkeley, where she is now a sophomore and intends on majoring in cognitive science. "I like that it's very diverse and multicultural and that people are not afraid to identify themselves," Alattas said. "It's a very intellectual place."

One of Alattas' Virginia Tech classmates, Noura Islam, chose UC Irvine for its engineering program and because "I'm a beach person," she said.

The number of Saudi students at Irvine has almost tripled since 2010, going from eight to 23 this year.

By comparison, there were 172 Saudi Arabians last fall at USC, almost five times more than in 2007.

Islam said the transition has been relatively seamless, although figuring out how to get around in Orange County has been difficult, especially since she doesn't drive.

Women are not allowed to get behind the wheel in Saudi Arabia.

"Back at home, I'm used to getting a driver," she said. "Here, you have to [do] everything on your own."

Other Saudi students said they've had trouble getting used to some American traditions. For example, when Hala Alhashmi attended her first Penn State football game, "I didn't understand anything," she said. "American football's not even a thing at home."

Alhashmi didn't attend a game over the next year but decided to start going again this fall. "I can't deny that the atmosphere is amazing," she said. "And I think it's part of the Penn State experience to attend football games."

Alhashmi still fasts for Muslim holidays but has also tried to learn as much as she can about America. She came to Penn State because she liked the finance program, but enjoyed her sociology and economics classes so much that she decided to double minor in them.

She plans to return to Saudi Arabia after she graduates, where she hopes she and other young adults will contribute to a more open, independent society.

"At home, there's so much pressure for everyone to be the same," Alhashmi said. "But here, you have to meet with so many different people. You have to learn to talk to them and listen and understand them."

jason.song@latimes.com

More Saudi Arabians studying in the U.S. - Page 2 - latimes

KSA has by far the highest number (per capita) of students at US universities.

12,500 Saudi Arabians graduate in United States

JEDDAH: P.K. ABDUL GHAFOUR

Published — Tuesday 27 May 2014

Last update 28 May 2014 1:08 pm

A total of 12,500 Saudi students who graduated from American universities this year were honored during a special convocation ceremony organized by the Saudi cultural attaché in Washington on Sunday. The graduates included 5,669 women and 124 medical fellowship holders.
Higher Education Minister Khaled Al-Anqari, who attended the ceremony, said the King Abdullah Foreign Education Scholarship Program was a big success in enabling Saudis to gain higher education at reputable international universities in the US and other countries.
“We are now reaping the fruit of this program,” the minister said while praising Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah’s long-term vision.
During the past nine years, the number of scholarship students grew from 5,000 to 151,228, with their dependents reaching 81,617 persons.
Saudi women accounted for 27.94 percent of the total scholarship students in foreign countries, Al-Anqari said. “This program will bring about an educational and cultural renaissance in the Kingdom,” he added.
Among the graduates, 5,117 received bachelor degrees and 5,062 master’s degrees.
“We have not only seen an increase in the number of graduates every year, but also an improvement in the quality of education they receive,” the minister pointed out.
Mohammed Al-Eissa, Saudi cultural attaché in Washington, said the graduates included 80 doctors and 600 dentists, while 92 received doctorate degrees and 30 others master degrees. Among the female graduates, 275 have received doctorate degrees and 2,345 master’s degrees, he said.
Dr. Abdul Aziz Al-Sherif of King Abdulaziz University was all praise for King Abdullah for introducing the scholarship program, saying it would have a significant impact on the Kingdom’s future.
Speaking with Arab News, he said foreign education would bring about considerable change in the attitude of Saudis and their lifestyle and help them learn conducive skills practiced in advanced countries and how to engage in good planning.

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May 1, 2014 report for KSA2 - Saudi Arabian, English-language TV:

Intro: There are some 85,000 Saudi students studying at American colleges and universities. Next month at the annual Saudi graduation ceremony outside Washington, 62 of the top achievers will receive an award for academic excellence. A committee of six Saudi education officials worked for six months to choose the winners, as we hear in this report from Washington.

Cues:
- Mody Alkhalaf, assistant Cultural Attache
- Prof. Nasser Almasary, Mid-West region of US
- Dr. Samar Alsaggaf, Director of Medical Programs

April 27, 2014 report for KSA2 - Saudi Arabian, English-language TV:

Intro: The King Abdullah Scholarship Program sends Saudi students to hundreds of colleges and universities across the United States. One of those institutions is unique: Gallaudet [pronounced: Gal-uh-det] University, in Washington DC, is America's only higher education institution entirely for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. The number of Saudi students there has been growing, and recently, they formed their own club. More in this report from Washington.


Cues:
- Badr A. Alomary, Saudi Ministry of Labor
- Abdullah al Motiri, senior, deaf education

2013 Graduation of Saudi students in US - YouTube

A funny video:

Saudi Student Investigated for Pressure Cooker - YouTube







Let the haters die of anger. May Arab-US relations prosper and let both parties learn from the mistakes of the past.

​

@XenoEnsi-14 @AMDR @Peter C @gambit @James Jaevid @gambit @Desertfalcon

 

[Anubis]

I find it easy to say 'Be proud of where you came from'. Every country and society have things they are not proud of, in history and current status. When you claim association, this is not a buffet table of things you can chose to be proud/ashamed of. The whole table is yours and you have to eat everything.

I could not agree with this part...you are an American of Vietnamese descent...now I know you are not absolutely proud of "everything" about Vietnam...but how does that stop you from being proud of the things about Vietnam that are worth being proud of??Are you proud of absolutely everything about the US??If you are...even about the negative things that the US has done or been involved in then you are acting like a blind nationalist....If not...you are just treating it like the buffet table you are talking about!

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

More Saudi Arabians studying in the U.S.​

The number of Saudi students in the U.S. last year grew to 44,566, a nearly 30% increase from 2011, largely fueled by a new scholarship program that encourages them to study abroad

Thumbs up. Hopefully they will keep the numbers growing or at least constant. When I was in college there was a wave of South Americans in higher education here. Not sure what the figure is now but I bet it isn't where it used to be.

As for the cold vs heat well obviously it depends upon your background. I live in the NorthEast as I've got the Irish/British/NorthernFrance background so I can't deal well with hot weather (for long periods). My home A/C never lets it above 79F (26C). As you mentioned it isn't the cold that is annoying it is the ice and snow making things difficult. Thanks to modern technology clothes that keep you warm in 0F (-17C) weather are very thin...but that won't keep your car from sliding on an ice patch.

But as my friend in Texas once said when it gets colder up there you can always put on more layers of clothes...but when it gets hotter down here there's a limit as to how many layers you can take off.

 

[Zibago]

Thumbs up. Hopefully they will keep the numbers growing or at least constant. When I was in college there was a wave of South Americans in higher education here. Not sure what the figure is now but I bet it isn't where it used to be.

As for the cold vs heat well obviously it depends upon your background. I live in the NorthEast as I've got the Irish/British/NorthernFrance background so I can't deal well with hot weather (for long periods). My home A/C never lets it above 79F (26C). As you mentioned it isn't the cold that is annoying it is the ice and snow making things difficult. Thanks to modern technology clothes that keep you warm in 0F (-17C) weather is very thin...but that won't keep your car from sliding on an ice patch.

But as my friend in Texas once said when it gets colder up there you can always put on more layers of clothes...but when it gets hotter down here there's a limit as to how many layers you can take off.

Irish?
Are you Peter C O Reily

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Irish?
Are you Peter C O Reily

Sorry not an Irish name. Irish on mother's side.

 

[Saif al-Arab]

Thumbs up. Hopefully they will keep the numbers growing or at least constant. When I was in college there was a wave of South Americans in higher education here. Not sure what the figure is now but I bet it isn't where it used to be.

As for the cold vs heat well obviously it depends upon your background. I live in the NorthEast as I've got the Irish/British/NorthernFrance background so I can't deal well with hot weather (for long periods). My home A/C never lets it above 79F (26C). As you mentioned it isn't the cold that is annoying it is the ice and snow making things difficult. Thanks to modern technology clothes that keep you warm in 0F (-17C) weather is very thin...but that won't keep your car from sliding on an ice patch.

But as my friend in Texas once said when it gets colder up there you can always put on more layers of clothes...but when it gets hotter down here there's a limit as to how many layers you can take off.

The student exchange program (King Abdullah Scholarship Program) that the late King Abdullah initiated some 10 years ago or so have benefited over 150.000 students studying in the US alone. Let alone the remaining world. This has given the opportunity for talented youngsters regardless of their financial or family situation the opportunity to study abroad at leading universities. In previous decades it was mostly families/people who could afford it that went to the West to study.

KSA has one of the youngest populations in the world and hopefully we will see the benefits of numerous highly qualified students returning step by step and changing the society for the better. It's a gradual process combined with new/improved universities in KSA itself. In fact KSA has some of the best Universities in the Muslim world in terms of rankings if not the best actually on certain fronts.

Request Rejected

http://www.sacm.org/ArabicSACM/pdf/education_web.pdf

What is interesting is that Saudi Arabian women at US universities form 45% of the total number of students.

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Aha. Your friend is right about that but there is always the option of going to the beach (if you live near the sea) or take a trip to your swimming pool if you are lucky enough to have one. If not there is always shade or you can go indoors or turn on your A/C.

What is certain is that you can get used to almost any climate if you stay long enough in a certain climate zone. Humans have a remarkable ability to acclimate or adapt.

BTW good to see an American with French ancestry around.

 

[gambit]

I could not agree with this part...you are an American of Vietnamese descent...now I know you are not absolutely proud of "everything" about Vietnam...but how does that stop you from being proud of the things about Vietnam that are worth being proud of??Are you proud of absolutely everything about the US??If you are...even about the negative things that the US has done or been involved in then you are acting like a blind nationalist....If not...you are just treating it like the buffet table you are talking about!

The issue is not being proud OR ashamed. The issue is that you have no choice but to accept the fact that you are associated with everything that is worthy of being proud AND being ashamed of. Am I ashamed that the US at one point had institutionalized slavery even though I have nothing to do with that era ? Intellectually speaking, yes I am ashamed of that fact. But emotionally speaking, since I have no slaves nor do I hold slavery in high regards, I do not spend a lot of time weeping over that era of US history. The same intellectualization is applicable to if I chose citizenship of France or Great Britain or any country.

On the extreme, you can be a US citizen and be absolutely ashamed of literally everything the US does. There are plenty of American leftists who are that way.

If you are a citizen and love your country, you are a nationalist. Simple as that. It does not mean you have to love every actions your country have done. Your son may have committed petty theft at the corner store, but does that mean you hold his childhood over his head as he is an adult ? Of course not, especially if he became a respected jurist or a member of the clergy, each a morally righteous position.

Countries, just like people and societies, evolves. When a person became a citizen of a country, he does not go back in time and entered citizenship in the past. If I meet your son who is a respected judge or lawyer, even if I know of his troubled childhood, I have to grant him the consideration that he no longer believes in theft from that personal evolution. The US as an immigrant nation and country is no different. When I became a US citizen, my respect for the US begins at the 1980s era. I can speculate that the US may one day have institutionalize slavery again and either never enter the US or renounce my citizenship.

 

[Saif al-Arab]

The Arab conquest of North America has begun. Now even British Tabloids cannot hold back.

Arabic is now the fastest-growing language in the U.S. | Daily Mail Online

One day North America will be home to 30-40 million people of Arab descent like Latin America is, if the plots succeed. KSA is obviously behind.

 

[VCheng]

The Arab conquest of North America has begun. Now even British Tabloids cannot hold back.

Arabic is now the fastest-growing language in the U.S. | Daily Mail Online

One day North America will be home to 30-40 million people of Arab descent like Latin America is, if the plots succeed.

Dearborn is already there!

 

[Saif al-Arab]

Dearborn is already there!

I will "there" again (California) as well starting from next year, lol.

That guy (Lebanese-American) is hilarious. The author of classics such as "Saudis in Audis" and "Just Dance" (Saudi version).

 

[Ahmed Jo]

The Arab conquest of North America has begun. Now even British Tabloids cannot hold back.

Arabic is now the fastest-growing language in the U.S. | Daily Mail Online

One day North America will be home to 30-40 million people of Arab descent like Latin America is, if the plots succeed. KSA is obviously behind.

Arabs (mostly Lebanese and Palestinians) will become like Asians in Canada. Canada prepares for an Asian future - BBC News

 

[Saif al-Arab]

Arabs (mostly Lebanese and Palestinians) will become like Asians in Canada. Canada prepares for an Asian future - BBC News

I have never been to Canada nor do I have any ties to that country so I cannot comment on Canadian affairs. Personally I would never settle there just due to the weather, lol. My impression is that it's a slightly cheaper version of the UK In the "New World". Just with shittier weather, much bigger geographical distances and more "Americanized" (for good and bad).

If I had to settle permanently outside of Europe/GCC/USA in the "West", it would probably be in Australia,. There is a sizable Arab community there too.

That or Latin America. Life is really too short to remain at one place/in one country. Especially in the modern era where you can travel at the other end of the planet in the matter of hours. Not long ago this was a journey of several months if not years (depending on the method). If not an impossible task for 99% of all people. Being a nomad on this front is good.

But yeah, of course those people and their descendants will integrate and merge with the remaining population. Just like ALL the other migrants in the "New World" have largely done.

 

[Ahmed Jo]

If I had to settle permanently outside of Europe/GCC/USA in the "West", it would probably be in Australia

Rethink that choice lol

I will try my best to never visit Australia, there's just something about it that I hate, kind of like you with Canada. I'd much rather visit New Zealand (not the same in many different ways).

Just with shittier weather, much bigger geographical distances and more "Americanized" (for good and bad).

And here we see people suffering from the shitty weather in Vancouver, B.C.

But in reality, yes, it does rain a lot there but it's still one of the most liveable cities in the world, much better than any American metropolis.

 

[Lux de Veritas]

The greatest contemporary Arab Americans is this guy. He is the MOST creative person in the whole world. That shows that Arab is smart.

Unfortunately, if this guy is a Muslims, it will transmit a far greater message that Islam is a religion of intellects -- or you wont have Steve Jobs and you wont have Apple.