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 News

AUB gets $2M humanities grant from Mellon Foundation

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — The American University of Beirut (AUB) has received a grant of $2 million from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for the establishment of a Center for Arts and Humanities.

The grant is the largest Mellon Foundation commitment to the University to date.

Over the next five years, the grant will fund 15 faculty fellowships and 10 postdoctoral fellowships in addition to writers and artists in-residence, high-profile public arts events, regional collaboration with scholars and universities, and other program activities and exchanges.

“Given the radical transformations underway in the region, the humanistic role of AUB is more critical than ever,” said AUB Provost Ahmad Dallal, the champion of this initiative.

“This new center will provide an alternative Middle Eastern site for the production of humanistic knowledge rooted in local and regional cultures.”

Officials at the Mellon Foundation said the grant would further establish “East-West cultural dialogues” and liberal arts education programs.

“As one of the leaders of liberal education in the region, AUB is well positioned to advance creativity and to promote freedom of expression, tolerance, diversity, and dialogue,” said Eugene Tobin, a senior program officer at the Mellon Foundation.

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 News

Arab television networks demand end to U.S. pirating

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — A coalition of Arab television networks announced plans to institute legal proceedings against any illegal TV providers claiming to provide free Arabic programming in the United States.

Officials at the International Broadcasters Coalition Against Piracy (IBCAP) said they’re monitoring unauthorized video service providers and launching criminal investigations against them.

The group represents 90 television networks from the Middle East and South Asia.

“The purveyors of pirated content are often deceptive, leading customers to believe they are buying services with authorized channels when in fact many of the top channels are being pirated,” said Joe Boyle, an attorney for IBCAP.

Boyle said the coalition of Arab television networks have been successful in recent copyright cases.

“Customers of these services, many who have paid $300 or more for a set top box, are often left without their favorite channels when legal action occurs or the unauthorized services are shut down,” Boyle said.

Dubai-based broadcasting company MBC is a member of the coalition, which includes Lebanese networks LBC, LDC, MTV, NewTV, among others.

“We joined IBCAP after our channels were illegally marketed and sold by pirates, a rampant problem in the United States that we want to help solve,” said Fares Akkad, Head of Distribution for MBC. “While MBC content may be offered free-to-air in the Middle East, the same is not true for the U.S.”

IBCAP members including Al Jazeera Media Network and MBC recently filed a lawsuit in Federal Court in the Eastern District of Virginia against Cres IPTV, ShavaTV and related dealers for allegedly engaging in the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted content.

Other lawsuits include a DISH Network federal suit against Global Satellit and its president Basem Halabi. The suit resulted in $956,649 in damages under the Copyright Act.

“We will not tolerate the illegal distribution of Arabic channels in the U.S.” said Karim Abdullah, CEO of IMD, distributor of channels such as ART, LBC, LDC, Hekayet and NewTV. “Through IBCAP and other efforts, we are tracking down those who are illegally broadcasting our content while at the same time raising consumer awareness about the dangers of purchasing devices with infringing content.”

In addition to filing lawsuits, IBCAP coordinates with U.S. trade offices, Internet Service Providers (ISPs), Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) and hardware and software manufacturers to monitor unauthorized distribution of their content.

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 Lifestyle

Lebanese-American chef competing on FOX cooking show

(DEARBORN, MI) — Lebanese-American chef Amanda Saab has made it to the final rounds of Fox’s home-cooking competition “MasterChef.”

Saab, 26, is the first Muslim woman to compete on the Fox program, hosted by celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay.

Saab moved to Seattle, Wash. in 2012 from Dearborn, Mich., where she grew up baking with her mother and grandmother. Dearborn is home of one of the largest populations of Arab-Americans in the country.

One of the meals she created on “MasterChef,” lamb kafta with sumac and jalapeño-dusted potatoes, represents her Mediterranean style.

“I really love Mediterranean flavors, things that are fresh with lots of garlic and olive oil and lemon,” she told the Seattle Times. “I love that flavor profile.”

Saab started posting photos of her meals to Instagram, which resulted in friends asking for recipes. Last July, she created AmandasPlate.com and started posting recipes.

Now she’s one of the country’s up-and-coming chefs. Muslimgirl.net called her the “first headscarf-wearing chef on American prime-time television.”

The home chef winner ultimately receives a cookbook deal, $250,000 and the title of Master Chef. The competitive cooking reality show is open to amateur and home chefs.

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 News

LAU awards Lebanese designer Elie Saab with honorary doctorate

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Lebanese fashion designer Elie Saab was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Lebanese American University Business School during their commencement ceremony over the weekend.

“When I started my career 33 years ago I had a burst of energy and determination to succeed,” Saab said during the ceremony, according to Beirut-based newspaper The Daily Star.

Saab, 50, was born in Beirut, where he launched his fashion label at age 18. Saab credits a “result of work and effort,” but admits that times have changed.

Saab said his interest in fashion started when he was 9-years-old, when he began making clothes for his sisters.

“Nowadays your future lies in education, which will help you fulfill your dreams,” Saab said. “Your degree is your key to the real world.”

In 2013, LAU teamed up with Saab to launch the university’s first English-language bachelor’s degree in fashion design. The program continues in collaboration with Saab’s brand and the London College of Fashion.

“This honorary degree has increased my responsibility,” Saab added, “I thank (LAU President Joseph) Jabra for the trust he put in me and I wish students all the luck and success.”

Saab is originally from Damour, a southern coastal Beirut suburb, but currently owns homes in Gemmayze, Rabieh, and Faqra. He also owns properties in France and Switzerland.

Saab has dressed over 150 international celebrities for key global events over the past year.

His creations can be found all over the world, with boutiques located in Beirut, Dubai, Doha, Paris, London, Geneva, Hong Kong, and Mexico. Saab has 100 retail outlets all over the world.

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 News

American-Lebanese basketball player found dead

(LOS ANGELES, CA) — American-Lebanese basketball player Jackson Vroman was found dead in his Los Angeles County home on Monday, according to California medical examiners.

Vroman, who was 34, joined Lebanon’s national basketball team in 2009 after being naturalized as a Lebanese citizen to play.

The cause of death was not immediately available, but a Los Angeles County spokesperson said an autopsy was scheduled for later in the week.

“We sadly announce the death of former Lebanese national team player Jackson Vroman,” the Lebanese Basketball League wrote on Twitter.

American poker player Dan Bilzerian, a friend of Vroman, said he died from an accidental drowning.

“He was sitting down, he got up to go inside the house, tripped on the stairs, hit his head and drown in the pool,” Blizeran wrote on Twitter.

Vroman started his professional career in 2004 when he joined the Phoenix Suns. He later played for the New Orleans Hornets, and for teams in Puerto Rico, South Korea, and Spain, before joining Lebanon’s team.

A native of Bountiful, Utah, Vroman averaged 13.9 points per game his senior season (2003-04) and led the Big 12 Conference in rebounding at 9.6 per game. His career rebounding average of 9.5 is a mark that ranks ninth all-time in school history.

He retired from professional basketball last year.

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 Entertainment

Lebanese-Canadian opera artist sings ‘O Canada’ in Arabic

(TORONTO, CANADA) — Lebanese-Canadian opera singer Miriam Khalil recently recorded the first Arabic version of Canada’s national anthem through a project led by the Canadian Arab Institute.

According to the Institute, the project aims to encourage Arabic-speaking Canadians to be “more engaged” with their citizenship.

Khalil said she hopes the Arabic-version spreads a message of “solidarity and affinity” with the larger Canadian family.

The Canadian Arab Institute released the song one week before Canada’s 148th birthday, which is celebrated on July 1.

“This is a celebration of our citizenship in this country,” Raja Khouri, president of the institute, told Canada’s Metro News.

“When you hear something that is being said in your mother tongue, it has more emotional impact, and makes you pay more attention,” he said. “We hope it will be a step further in fostering responsibilities as citizens of this nation.

LISTEN to Khalil’s rendition:

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 Food & Drink, Lifestyle

Lebanese-American food blogger releases first cookbook

(LANSING, MI) — Michigan-based food blogger Maureen Abood is a second-generation Lebanese-American whose passion for authentic Lebanese cuisine led her into a writing career, which has helped popularize the rising trend of Lebanese food.

Abood, who grew up in Lansing, Michigan, recently penned her first cookbook called Rose Water & Orange Blossoms: Fresh & Classic Recipes from my Lebanese Kitchen (Running Press, $30).

The book is based on Abood’s award-winning blog, which is updated frequently with new recipes and family stories of Lebanese cooking.

“I think that I have a great opportunity to form a bridge, to open a door and to say, have a look at this piece of Lebanese culture — of Middle Eastern culture — because this might be not exactly what you expect,” Abood told the Lansing State Journal.

Abood said the cookbook intertwines her love of cooking with the importance of family and ethnic traditions — something that’s highly valued in Lebanese culture, she says.

Rose Water & Orange Blossoms has been described as a “love letter” to Lebanese food and a “rich” and “delicious” family story.

According to Running Press, the cookbook presents more than 100 recipes of popular Lebanese favorites with an American twist, including spiced lamb kafta burgers, avocado tabbouleh in little gems, and pomegranate rose sorbet.

Weaved throughout are the stories of Abood’s Lebanese-American upbringing and the path that led her to culinary school at Tante Marie’s Cooking School in San Francisco, California. Abood said her family is originally from Deir Mimas, a small town in south Lebanon.

“Maureen is a special kind of cookbook author – insightful, mindful of tradition, always appreciative,” said Heidi Swanson, author of Super Natural Every Day. “She uniquely uses charm, experience, warmth, and evocative storytelling to invite us into the seductive realm of her Lebanese table.”

To learn more about Abood’s cookbook, visit MaureenAbood.com.

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 News

Could Beirut become the Silicon Valley of the Middle East?

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Beirut’s economy could see major shifts in the next few decades, according to Lebanon’s Central Bank, which has committed millions of dollars for tech growth in the city.

A recent report by CNN labeled Beirut as a “resilient, transformation city” with a culture of freedom and diversity which could serve as a solid base for the Middle East’s growing tech revolution.

According to industry publisher Tech Crunch, Beirut’s tech sector has grown by an average annual rate of 7.9 percent to reach a market size of $381 million in 2014.

The growth is partly as a result of the Beirut Digital District (BDD), launched in September 2012 as a tech incubator for startups and existing nontraditional digital businesses.

“Beirut is rapidly shaping up to be a powerhouse for startups in the Middle East. It has many of the key elements: a highly entrepreneurial culture; incubators and accelerators; venture capital; some gradually favorable government policy; and access to growth funding,” said Mike Butcher, editor of Tech Crunch.

International tech investors are adding projects in Beirut — in hopes of establishing an up-and-coming tech hub for the MENA region.

Middle East Venture Partners (MEVP) have raised “at least $50 million” to assist in this project. They’re working closely with Beirut-based Leap Ventures on a new $71-million venture capital fund focused on the Middle East.

Lebanon’s Central Bank is also adding $400 million into the startup tech economy through its “Circular 331” initiave. The project allows local entrepreneurs to receive a seven-year interest-free credit from the Central Bank (BDL), which can be invested in treasury bonds that return interest rate of 7%.

Even Britain is joining the momentum by launching a new project in cooperation with the Central Bank called the U.K-Lebanon “Tech Hub.”

A new office for Lebanese tech entrepreneurs opened in London recently, which is meant to allow Lebanese entrepreneurs a chance to use the UK as a springboard for global growth.

The London office is the first overseas base of the new UK Lebanon Tech Hub, which aims to support the growth of the knowledge economy in Lebanon.

“For thousands of years Lebanon has had a reputation for trading and entrepreneurship,” said Colm Reilly, CEO of the UK Lebanon Tech Hub. “Despite tough conditions in the region, this spirit is evident in the new generation of entrepreneurs that are developing the country’s tech scene.”

Meanwhile, Lebanon’s technology industry still faces performance problems, especially for tech investors interested in web-based platforms and Internet services.

According to BBC World News, Lebanon has one of the slowest Internet connections in the world. But Telecommunications Minister Boutros Harb said he will launch a five-year national telecommunications strategy on July 1st to boost Internet performance in the country, according to The Daily Star.

Beirut’s tech future still has many unanswered questions because of the region’s political instability and Internet capabilities. According to CNN, the future of tech growth will rely heavily on the country’s political leaders.

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 News

Lebanon launches hotline for abused domestic workers

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Lebanon has launched a 24-hour hotline for female domestic workers to allow them to report abuse or mistreatment and receive help.

The country hosts more than 200,000 migrant domestic workers, according to the International Labor Organization (ILO), employed under the “Kafala” sponsorship system, which binds them to a single employer and leaves them vulnerable to abuse.

Social workers operating the hotline will document complaints and provide referrals to healthcare, legal assistance and relevant government institutions.

“This project is the practical implementation of the Ministry of Labor’s concern for human rights,” Sejaan Azzi, Lebanon’s minister of labor, said in a statement.

“Every domestic worker now has an address to turn to lodge a complaint in the event she is subjected to any kind of harm or violation of her dignity, and that address is the Ministry of Labor.”

Eighty three percent of the world’s 53 million domestic workers are women, according to ILO. Often unregistered and unprotected by labor laws, they are among the most vulnerable groups of workers in the world.

The Kafala system, used throughout the Middle East, requires migrant workers to seek permission from employers to change jobs and excludes them from the protections of labor laws. Many of Lebanon’s domestic workers are from Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Philippines and Sri Lanka.

Maids are often kept under lock and key by their employer, forced to work long hours, deprived of food and wages or threatened and physically and sexually abused, activists say.

In March, Human Rights Watch called on the Lebanese authorities to recognize a union for domestic workers and said Azzi should make good on promises to protect the rights of domestic workers and bring their abusers to justice.

The hotline, accessible through a quick-dial number 1740 from within Lebanon, is being promoted with billboards in several languages to alert migrants of its existence.

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 Lifestyle

10 Signs You’ve Mastered the Art of a Lebanese Breakfast

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Golden brown bread, green za’atar, bright red tomatoes, sweet cheese, drizzling syrup, hot tea.

There’s nothing more beautiful than the medley of colors that charmingly form the Art of a Lebanese Breakfast (yes, it’s in capital letters).

You know you had a Lebanese breakfast when:

1. Your breath is overwhelming. It’s hard to explain to your white friends why your breath smells so bad even after you’ve brushed your teeth and chewed gum all day.

2. There’s something in your teeth. Nothing better than Za’atar stuck in your teeth before a meeting. No worries — according to Mom, za’atar makes you smarter.

3. You need a nap. At this point, the meeting’s over and you’ve almost killed your co-workers with your revolting breath. But you’re about dead, too. It’s time for a post-breakfast nap.

4. You eat beans for breakfast. But really, this left over foul mudammas is a lot tastier and healthier than your canned corn.

5. You’re late for work. Sorry boss, but you try washing 10,452 dishes of labne, jibneh, zaytoon, khyar, banadoora, etc. Keep eating your Cap’n Crunch.

6. You’re willing to take a day off work. Why go to work when you can have an amazing sobhiye for literally three straight hours of nonstop eating?

7. Sunday mornings are heaven on earth. There’s nothing more beautiful than that medley of color that lines your kitchen table on a Sunday morning.

8. A rushed breakfast is not really rushed. For everyone else in society, a rushed breakfast means you grabbed a quick granola bar. For us, we baked a man’oushe.

9. You pretend to be healthy. Lebanese breakfasts are so healthy that the several pounds of baked dough and sweet debes mixed with tahini somehow never adds weight.

10. You share more pictures of your food than of yourself. Your Snapchat Stories, Instagram photos, and Twitter feed are full of breathtaking shots of your Lebanese breakfast.

Keep the art of a Lebanese breakfast alive. Share your photos using #LebaneseBreakfast.

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