(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Lebanese organization “Proud Lebanon” is calling on lawmakers to recognize the rights of LGBT persons in the country on the anniversary of the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (IDAHO).
The group will host a rally at Hotel Monroe in Beirut on May 17 to challenge the legal status of LGBT rights in Lebanon.
LGBT status in Lebanon has prompted debate because Lebanese law doesn’t necessarily forbid homosexual rights. The wording instead forbids sexual acts that “contradict the laws of nature,” which is punishable by up to a year in prison.
Lebanese judges have dismissed the article as “invalid”, according to Global Voices Online. But in January 2014, a judge ruled that the law could be valid if a “clear interpretation” of what is “unnatural” is defined.
May 17 marks the 25th anniversary since the World Health Association removed homosexuality as a disease. The “Proud Lebanon” group created a promotional video to advertise their upcoming event.
“If you don’t recognize their existence, it doesn’t mean that they don’t exist,” said the video. “Protesting this injustice isn’t enough.”
The commercial features many prominent Lebanese personalities who lend their support to the LGBT cause, including TV host Fouad Yammine and film director Zeina Daccache.
A poll done by the Pew Research Center in 2007 shows that 79% of Lebanese believe “Homosexuality should be rejected”, as opposed to 18% who believe “homosexuality should be accepted”. Researchers say public opinion has changed in the past eight years, and that results would differ if the poll was done today.
WATCH the promotional video:
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(DEARBORN, MI) — It’s no secret that Dearborn-based businessman Ali Jawad likes to stay active. Even during Ramadan, the hands-on and self-made entrepreneur jogs for six miles per day.
In between exercises and frequent soccer matches, Jawad manages Armada Oil, one of Michigan’s largest motor fuel distributors which he founded in 1982. But he rarely speaks of his financial and professional success.
Jawad would rather talk about his philanthropic success and ambitious vision to create a gathering place for Lebanese-Americans in Dearborn, Mich., which is home to the largest concentrated Arab population outside of the Middle East.
But admittedly, philanthropic success didn’t come easy.
As Jawad describes, mobilizing the Lebanese community often presented more challenges than operating a major business.
“On many occasions we told the community that if you lose your heritage, you lose your identity,” he said. “We had many challenges, but it eventually stuck with people.”
From Soccer to Service
In the early 1980’s, Jawad and a few friends started “Dearborn Stars,” a local soccer team created to stay active and pass time. Although it was entertaining and engaging for a couple of months, Jawad was called in a different direction.
“I was reading that all these Lebanese from around the world were starting Lebanese clubs,” said Jawad. “So I looked at the guys and said let’s start one.”
From there, the Lebanese-American Heritage Club (LAHC) was born.
The Lebanese American Heritage Club community center is located on Maple Street in Dearborn. (Lebanese Examiner/Charlie Kadado)
Since 1989, the organization has given over $1.5 million in scholarships for deserving Lebanese-American students.
But it didn’t start that way.
Jawad recalls facing pushback from some community members who labeled him as a “right-winger” for his Lebanese patriotism.
“People started accusing me and putting labels on me,” he said. “But my goal was to end the discussion of politics and stop our self-created divisions.”
That’s when Jawad called on Lebanese youth to come forward and take leadership roles in community activities.
“We told the older generations that LAHC has no Amal, no Kataeb,” he said, referring to opposing political factions in Lebanon. “We told them if you want to get involved in politics, go fight in the Republican or Democratic arena.”
The Lebanese-American Heritage Club (LAHC) offices proudly display the flags of the United States, Lebanon, and state of Michigan. (Lebanese Examiner/Charlie Kadado)
Jawad wanted to see the Arab community more involved in American affairs. He said he emphasized involvement on “both wings” — both American and Lebanese community involvement.
“America is built on immigration,” Jawad said. “But for Arab-Americans we had to double our resources because of all the problems in the Middle East.”
Jawad said “doubling” resources began with encouraging undergraduate and post-graduate education.
“We started giving out four scholarships and it naturally kept growing and growing,” said Jawad. “We started getting American corporations involved and American politicians and it grew to a whole new level.”
Encouraging Future Leaders
Today, LAHC is one of the largest and most respected Lebanese-American organizations in the country. Jawad gives credit to many community supporters who helped craft his vision, including former Consul General of Lebanon Nasrat El Assaad.
But more importantly, Jawad credits future generations of Lebanese-Americans for continuing the organization’s legacy and contributing to its global success.
Ali Jawad said he’s proud to support future generations of Lebanese-Americans in Michigan. (Lebanese Examiner/Charlie Kadado)
“My proudest moments is when I see the youth get a scholarship and do something positive,” he said. “I’m always proud to see the next generation go to college, open businesses, and take leadership positions.”
Hussein Hachem, founder of the Youth Leadership Committee of LAHC, is one of them.
“For me, LAHC is a place for common ground,” said Hachem. “It’s a place where we can be proud of our community and grow together.”
Jawad said his vision can only improve in the hands of community members like Hachem. This year the organization will award $103,000 in scholarships to 43 students of high academic distinction at the 27th Annual Awards Gala on May 8.
“You never know when you start something where it will end up,” said Jawad. “Sometimes you see success from the angels.”
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(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — The results of a new U.S.-based survey gives Lebanese and Armenians yet another thing to brag about. The two proud nationalities can now boast the “sexiness” of their women, as the survey ranks them among the world’s “sexiest.”
According to the survey by MissTravel, a destination dating website, Armenian women are considered the number one “sexiest” nationality, followed by Lebanese in tenth place.
The travel site polled over 110,000 Americans to determine who they thought was best looking. Last year, Australian men and Brazilian women topped the sexy charts.
The change of heart gives well-deserved recognition to the grace and glamor of Lebanese women. But more importantly, it recognies the intelligence and ambition of Lebanese ladies that contribute to the country’s economy, intellect, and sex appeal.
Lebanese TV journalist Rima Karaki made national news when she shut down a London-based Sheikh when he told her to shut up. (MEMRI TV)
And with curves like Kim Kardashian, who can question the bombshell beauty of Armenian ladies? The Armenian-American celebrity recently went on an eight-day tour of her homeland in mid-April.
Kim Kardashian, Kanye West and North all visit the Geghard Monastery in the Kotayk province of Armenia (Irish Mirror)
The survey also ranked sexy men, placing Irish, Australians, and Pakistani’s among the top.
The sexiest nationalities for women:
10. Lebanese
9. Bulgarian
8. Filipina
7. Brazilian
6. Australian
5. English
4. Colombian
3. American
2. Barbadian/Bajan
1. Armenian
The sexiest nationalities for men:
10. Spanish
9. Danish
8. Nigerian
7. Italian
6. Scottish
5. English
4. American
3. Pakistani
2. Australian
1. Irish
(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — American photographer and artist Matt Crump made Beirut his canvas recently, when he took to the streets to photograph local landmarks and transform them into minimalist artwork.
Crump is known for creating a movement called #candyminimal, a photography project which separates subjects in a photograph and edits them into a candy-colored image.
Crump collaborated with Beirut-born fashion designer Ryan Houssari to “glamorize reality” and showcase Beirut landmarks. Houssari is also the creative director of PLASTIK magazine, an independent art and fashion publication.
Crump’s work was recently published in the latest edition of PLASTIK, which was founded in 2009. The magazine’s highly stylized editorials have been acknowledged by the The Printing Industries of America in New York City with the “Premier Print” award in 2010, and the Golden Award for “Best Publication in the Middle East” by the DCCI Publishing Group at the 2009 Dubai Printing and Press awards.
Matt Crump is a full-time artist with a social-media following of over 125,000. Crump attributes his success to his distinctive use of candy-colored negative space and surreal compositions. He open-sourced his brand of photography with the hashtag #candyminimal, inspiring his international audience to create and tag over 50,000 of their own candy-colored photos.
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(WASHINGTON, DC) — A delegation of Lebanese political groups representing the March 14 alliance, hosted the 10th annual commemoration of Lebanon’s Cedar Revolution on Thursday in Washington, DC.
A ceremony was held in the Rayburn House Office building at the United States Congress to mark the anniversary of March 14, 2005, when an independence uprising took place in Lebanon following the withdrawal of Syrian forces.
U.S. representatives Darrell Issa (R-CA), Mark Meadows (R-NC), and Ed Royce (R-CA) joined Lebanese-American activists and political leaders during the ceremony.
“This year’s commemoration comes at a challenging time for the Middle East and in particular for Lebanon, which strives for sovereignty, stability, and prosperity in a region beset by turmoil,” said a statement by the Lebanese Information Center.
“We of the Lebanese Information Center and of similar Lebanese-American organizations continue to stand against the destabilizing actions of ISIS and Al-Qaeda affiliates as well of Hezbollah, Iran, and the Syrian regime, which seek to transform Lebanon into their battlefield.”
The group adds that commemorating the Cedar Revolution sends a “powerful” message that Lebanese in the United States and the U.S. government hope to secure a “genuine democracy” in Lebanon.
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(WASHINGTON, DC) — Actress and film director Salma Hayek received the “Spirit of Humanity” Kahlil Gibran Award from the Arab American Institute on Thursday during an annual gala in Washington DC honoring successful Arab-Americans.
Hayek returned from a three-day trip to Lebanon on Tuesday, where she launched her new animated film “The Prophet”, which is based on Gibran’s book.
The animated film, which draws on the 1923 book by Lebanese-born writer Kahlil Gibran, tells the story of Almitra, a headstrong girl who forms a friendship with imprisoned poet Mustafa.
The Washington DC ceremony was held at the Omni Shoreham Hotel, where Hayek was awarded in the category of “individual achievement.”
“I’m a citizen of the world, and my country is humanity, kids are poets from the moment they’re born; they get Gibran’s message without thinking about the meaning of individual words,” Hayek said.
The institute highlighted the Salma Hayek Foundation’s work to “end violence against women and attract global attention to humanitarian crises.”
Hayek said her trip to Lebanon was “very emotional” and called her new film a “love letter to my heritage.”
“Through this book I got to know my grandfather, through this book I got to have my grandfather teaching me about life,” she said in Beirut.
(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — 45-year-old Lebanese-born Texas resident Wissam “Sam” Allouche was sentenced to five years in federal prison for knowingly lying to federal authorities on his U.S. citizenship petition about his relationship with the Amal militia.
U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth sentenced Allouche to five-year terms of imprisonment, to run concurrently, for making a false statement to a federal agent and for an unlawful attempt to procure and obtain naturalization and citizenship.
In a statement, the FBI said the judge found that there was evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that Allouche was a member of the Amal militia and had command authority over Hezbollah.
That announcement was made today by Acting United States Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr., and FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, San Antonio Division.
Testimony during trial revealed that Allouche, who migrated to the United States after marrying his wife, a U.S. Army soldier, failed to disclose in January 2009 to U.S. immigration authorities the fact that in the 1980s, he was a member of the Amal militia in order to remain in the United States.
In addition, while seeking a contract linguist position with the U.S. Department of Defense that required top security clearance, evidence revealed that Allouche failed to disclose that he was held as a prisoner of war by Israel.
Present and former relatives testified Allouche later made statements that he subsequently killed an Israeli pilot captured by Hezbollah in retaliation for his imprisonment.
Evidence presented during trial also showed that in 2009, Allouche unlawfully obtained U.S. citizenship by claiming that he was living with his estranged wife when, in fact, they were in divorce proceedings.
On February 20, 2015, jurors convicted Allouche of both charges.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the San Antonio Joint Terrorism Task Force.
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(DETROIT, MI) — A U.S. delegation of Free Patriotic Movement leaders concluded a two-day political workshop in Birmingham, Mich. on Sunday, which included an evening dinner attended by Consul General of Lebanon Bilal Kabalan.
Kabalan voiced his future plans to invite opposing Lebanese political factions to unanimously gather for a meeting.
“We have plans to bridge the various Lebanese political chapters in Detroit,” said Kabalan, during brief comments in Arabic. “This is an important and democratic asset to Lebanon to have so many differing beliefs.”
The final day of the workshop hosted political supporters of the March 8 alliance, including guests of the March 14 alliance, for a dinner at The Community House in downtown Birmingham.
Suehaila Amen, coordinator of the two-day conference, said the purpose was to restructure the Lebanese American Council of Democracy (LACD), which is largely managed by Tayyar leaders.
“This is an opportunity to bring together leaders from around the nation to reshape the mission and vision of this organization,” Amen said. “It’s also to make the group more social than political.”
Salim Sessine, local Lebanese-American businessman who organized the conference, said workshop attendees agreed to structure independent statewide organizations of LACD.
“We want to create one national board,” Sessine said. “Then there will be independent statewide chapters which will remain as separate entities.”
Conference attendees discussed the security situation in Lebanon and the ongoing presidential vacuum, which they say threatens Christians in the Middle East.
“Christians are currently in a fragile role in the region,” said Tony Faddoul, who came from New York for the conference. “But that issue is a uniting factor among many of the Lebanese political groups.”
Faddoul said FPM’s political strategy desires to protect Christians and rally the Lebanese diaspora to maintain their roots in Lebanon.
“We’re from a generation used to all the climax,” he said. “We heard of flourishing moments from our parents, but we haven’t had the chance to experience them. We instead emigrated to other countries.”
Wedad Elhage, who immigrated to the United States in 1980, said she’s pleased to see diaspora communities remain involved in Lebanese politics.
“I’m so proud to see different factions of our community here,” Elhage said. “As emigrants we came to the United States to achieve our dreams and have hopes to return our country and live freely.”
Lebanese-American businessman Salim Sessine introduces Consul General of Lebanon Bilal Kabalan during a two-day political workshop for a U.S. delegation of Free Patriotic Movement representatives in Birmingham, Mich. Photo: Charlie Kadado/Lebanese ExaminerChiropractor Laura Mourad and businessman Gaby Issa listen to remarks by Consul General of Lebanon Bilal Kabalan. Photo: Charlie Kadado/Lebanese ExaminerConsul General of Lebanon Bilal Kabalan speaks to members of the Lebanese diaspora as Free Patriotic Movement U.S. representative Saad Hannoush looks on. Photo: Charlie Kadado/Lebanese Examiner
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(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Actress and film director Salma Hayek visited her ancestral homeland Lebanon for the first time on Sunday to launch “The Prophet,” a new animated feature film she co-produced.
Hayek, joined by Sethrida Geagea, visited the mountain village of Bcharre in northern Lebanon to pay tribute to Khalil Gibran, the Bcharre-born poet who wrote “The Prophet,” which the film is based on.
“Let us have a private moment in this place that we dreamt so long to be a part of,” Hayek said before entering the Gibran Museum.
“The Prophet,” written in 1923, has inspired generations of artists. The book, a series of poems about love, joy, sorrow, work and spirituality, has been translated into at least 40 languages.
Gibran also was a sculptor and a painter influenced by the English Romantics. He migrated to the United States in the late 1890s, dying there in 1931.
Hayek posed with one of Gibran’s towering sculptures outside the museum and dipped her feet in nearby mountain spring waters before visiting his tomb and viewing his work.
“The Prophet” director Roger Allers, who also directed Disney’s “The Lion King,” accompanied Hayek on the trip.
“I have been living with the spirit of Gibran for the last three years and it has been a very intimate experience and now to come to his home is very moving,” Allers said.
The film tells the story of a friendship between a young girl and an imprisoned poet. Quoting from Gibran’s book, Allers said: “‘Work is love made visible.’ And I really feel that about this movie.”
The film premieres April 30 in Lebanon. Distributor Mohammed Fadallah said it will be showing in 20 theaters here before going to the Gulf region and North Africa.
Hayek arrived Friday in Lebanon. The Mexican-American actress’ paternal grandfather was Lebanese and immigrated to Mexico.
A poster outside the museum bearing one of Gibran’s poems also welcomed her: “The children of my Lebanon, those who migrate with nothing but courage in their hearts and strength in their arms but who return with wealth in their hands and a wreath of glory upon their heads.”
Source: Associated Press
Mexican and American actress Salma Hayek, center, Lebanese legislator Setrida Geagea, left, and film director Roger Allers, right, stand for the Lebanese and Mexican national anthems during her visit at the museum of the famed Lebanese-born poet and philosopher Khalil Gibran in the northeast mountain town of Bcharre, Lebanon, Sunday, April 26, 2015. Hayek visited her ancestral homeland Lebanon to launch her latest film “The Prophet,” a screen adaptation of the book by the same name written nearly a century ago by Gibran. Photo: Bilal Hussein, APMexican and American Salma Hayek sits in front of a statue of Lebanese-American poet Khalil Gibran during her visit to his museum in the northeast mountain town of Bcharre, Lebanon, Sunday, April 26, 2015. Hayek visited her ancestral homeland Lebanon to launch her latest film “The Prophet,” a screen adaptation of the book by the same name written nearly a century ago by the famed Lebanese-American poet and philosopher Gibran. Photo: Bilal Hussein, APMexican and American actress Salma Hayek signs the museum guest book during her visit at the museum of the famed Lebanese-born poet and philosopher Khalil Gibran in the northeast mountain town of Bcharre, Lebanon, Sunday, April 26, 2015. Hayek visited her ancestral homeland Lebanon to launch her latest film “The Prophet,” a screen adaptation of the book by the same name written nearly a century ago by Gibran. Photo: Bilal Hussein, APMexican and American actress Salma Hayek, second left, speaks with Lebanese legislator Setrida Geagea, second right, during her visit to Khalil Gibran’s museum in the northeast mountain town of Bcharre, Lebanon, Sunday, April 26, 2015. Hayek visited her ancestral homeland Lebanon to launch her latest film “The Prophet,” a screen adaptation of the book by the same name written nearly a century ago by the famed Lebanese-American poet and philosopher Gibran. Photo: Bilal Hussein, AP
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(WASHINGTON, DC) — The American Task Force for Lebanon hosted their 17th annual fundraising gala at the Fairmont Washington Hotel in Washington, DC on Apr. 16, which honored renowned geneticist Dr. Huda Zoghbi and journalist Sara Ganim.
The event drew hundreds of guests, including members of Congress and such dignitaries as General George Joulwan, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, and Dr. Charles Elachi, director of the U.S. Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
The first honor was presented to Dr. Zoghbi, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and founding director of the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s Hospital. She is also a trustee at the American University of Beirut and Rice University.
Sara Ganim, CNN correspondent based in New York, was also presented an award during the gala. Ganim covers investigative news for the news network, including Jerry Sandusky’s child sex abuse scandal, which won a Pulitzer Prize in 2012.
The American Task Force for Lebanon (ATFL) is a nonprofit organization comprised of Americans of Lebanese heritage who lobby U.S. officials to provide aid to Lebanon and promote the accomplishments and nationwide contributions of Lebanese Americans.
The organization features an array of Lebanese-American leaders, including former U.S. senator Spencer Abraham, chairman of ATFL, and U.S. congressman Darrell Issa, who serves on its Board of Directors.
ATFL says it works to promote national unity and sovereignty in Lebanon and to enlist greater support from the U.S. public to “assist Lebanon achieve its potential as a beacon of coexistence, tolerance, freedom of expression, democracy, and free enterprise in the Middle East.”
VIEW photos of the gala below:
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