Dear Friends

The following is a list of upcoming events that the Arab Center is sponsoring or supporting. The events include:

1) Presentation and fund raising dinner

Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi of Ramallah Palestine of Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees will present “Health Under Occupation”.

This event will take place on Sunday , May 5th , 2002, at 5:30 pm to 9:00 pm, at St Mark’s Cathedral, 1245 Tenth Ave East, Seattle WA. Tickets $25.00 per person

All proceeds go to Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees (UPMRC). For tickets and donations please contact the Arab Center aacw@hotmail.com.

Dr. Barghouthi is the director of UPMRC and is a well known peace activist in Palestine. However, there is a possibility that he may not be able to make it to Seattle since he will be part of the Palestinian delegation meeting team the Security Council fact finding committee investigating the Israeli actions in Jenin. In the event of him being absent, this presentation will be given by another person.

UPMRC is a grassroots, community-based Palestinian health organization. We were founded in 1979 by a group of Palestinian doctors and health professionals seeking to supplement the decayed and inadequate health infrastructure caused by years of Israeli military occupation. We are non-profit, voluntary, and one of the largest NGOs in Palestine. Our national health programs emphasize prevention, education, community participation, and the empowerment of the individual. www.upmrc.org/

2) Lecture by Dr. Irfan Shahid in honor of Professor Farhat Ziadeh

“DISTINGUISHED LECTURE IN ARAB AND ISLAMIC STUDIES (2002)” at the University of Washington.

"Khalil Gibran between Two Millennia: Message and Relevance"
A Public Lecture by Professor Irfan Shahid, Georgetown University
7:30 PM, Tuesday, April 30, 2002
Kane Hall, Room 210

Dr. Irfan Shahid is the Sultanate of Oman Professor of Arabic and Islamic Literature at Georgetown University, Washington, DC. His undergraduate work was done at Oxford, where he received his Bachelor's degree in Classics and Greco-Roman history; his graduate work was done at Princeton, New Jersey, where he did Arabic and Islamic studies and where he received his Doctorate on the theme "Early Islam and Poetry."
His research interests range over three major areas: Qur'anic Studies, Arabic Literature, and the area where the Greco-Roman world meets the Arabic-Islamic one, on which he has written six volumes, all published by Dumbarton Oaks, the sixth of which has just appeared in print. He has also written in Arabic a 600-page book on Ahmad Shawqi, the foremost Neo-Classical Arab poet of modern times and on Arab-American Literature, of which Gibran was the most outstanding representative, and on which Dr. Shahid will speak in this inaugural Ziadeh Lecture. For more information please check:
depts.washington.edu/nelc/events/Shahid_02.htm

3) Performance by Amir Thalib of Argentina.

AMIR THALEB RETURNS TO SEATTLE, MAY 3 & 4, 2002 at the BROADWAY PERFORMANCE HALL
Amir is of Syrian heritage, and was initially trained by his father, who was a well-known folkloric dancer in Syria. He is an absolutely incredible Middle Eastern dancer. The people who saw him at our show two years ago were delighted and amazed. Middle East Arts International is proud to bring back Argentina's fabulous Amir Thaleb to Seattle for weekend workshops and two-evening concerts May 3-5, 2002. The evening concert "Dances of Enchantment" will be held on Friday and Saturday evening at the Broadway Performance Hall on Capitol Hill at 8PM with performances by Amir Thaleb, Virginia Mendez of Florida, Souzan Seshima, Tina Sargent, Penny Butler, Yi Chen, Kyndra Bade, other guest artists and live music by the Christopher Gross Ensemble. Complete information can be found at the MEAI website at www.murkworks.net/~meai/

Amir is of Syrian heritage, and was initially trained by his father, who was a well-known folkloric dancer in Syria. He is an absolutely incredible Middle Eastern dancer. The people who saw him at our show two years ago were delighted and amazed.

If you would like to have information sent to you, email meai@mail.com , or call 781-4244. Tickets can be purchased through ticket window at the Broadway Performance Hall (or online), the half-price ticket booth at the Broadway Market, and at the Center Stage dance shop on University Avenue.

Arab Center Activities:

Shajrat Alsalaam Workshop: Shoeline same place on Friday May 3rd afternoon.

Arab Festival 2003 planning Committee meeting at Shoreline Center 18560 1st Ave NE, 7:00 pm till 9 pm. Conference room.

Arab Center of Washington
www.arabcenter.net