Al Bayan Winter 2014

PHOTO TRAVELOGUE:

MOROCCO

YUNA

new album ‘Nocturnal’

SKY HIGH

with Amina Elahi

winter 2014

ALBAYAN Meet Marvel’s muslim superhero ASA BOYCOTT

“Conscious commitment resisting mistreatment”

ISTANBUL

Crossroads of Religion & Secularism

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Letter from the Editor It brings me great pride to see that

Muslims have become synonymous with

social consciousness. It seems almost commonplace for young Muslims to strive to better their societies, whether

it is through travel, art, or advocating

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for the rights of others. In this issue of AlBayan, we are so pleased to take you

on a trip across the world, exploring new perspectives on places and people.

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We hope to tackle tougher topics

from the challenge of changing the Muslim image as anti-hero to hero, and the balance between religion and

secularism. Yet we also take the time to

highlight the successes and triumphs of

young Muslims like musician Yuna and journalist Amina Elahi.

As always, we hope these discussions

prove fruitful and invite you to consider

which article you find most relatable and inspiring, be it the musician, poet, writer, or advocate in you.

Mariam Gomaa

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Editor-in-Chief Mariam Gomaa

Managing Editor Medha Imam

Design Editor Mariam Gomaa

Contributors Adnaan Zaffer Ali Falouji Hagar Gomaa Hazim Abdullah Naib Mian Noor Hasan Ruba Assaf Zaynab Quadri Cover photo by Hagar Gomaa Thank you to the Muslim-cultural Student Associaton for supporting AlBayan.

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Morocco a photo travelogue

Photo by Adnaan Zaffer

AlBayan’s Adnaan Zaffer sets out to capture the spirit of Morocco’s rich cultural history and modern allure.

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3 1. A father and his son bake bread before Jumuah prayer.

2. Unfinished tajins (cooking pots).

3. Muslim women ride motor bikes in the streets of Fez. 4. Morning in Casablanca.

5. Camels in rural Marrakech.

6. Afternoon traffic in Casablanca.

7. King Hassan II masjid.

8. A Berber woman serves mint tea in rural Marrakech.

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All photos by Adnaan Zaffer

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Yuna her new album

an intimate concert & her newfound fame

by Ali Falouji

Yuna, who preformed Jan. 31 at Shuba’s Tavern in Lincoln Park, made the most of an intimate performance in the hall with jokes, honest anecdotes and music. Perhaps the most telling part of her performance was taking a break between songs to lean over to a woman near the edge of the stage, asking multiple times “Are you okay?” The girl had fainted from a mixture of heat and excitement.

The show truly was an indication of Yuna’s transcendence from a performer to an icon.

Having long held the hearts of Muslims and non-Muslims alike with her universally accessible music and approachable charisma, she let everything shine through on stage.

The Muslim adoration, however, was especially clear: most of the front four to five 8

rows were made up of hijab-covered heads.

She played a mixture of songs from her catalog, ranging from her very first self-titled album, “Yuna,” to her most recent album of 2013 “Nocturnal.” Her most popular songs were the ones that received the most excitement, among them were “Falling” and “Lullabies.”

Yet it was in between each song that the crowd was especially enraptured with Yuna’s unique combination of charisma and approachability. She cracked a joke about a song being the last of the night and was greeted with boos by the crowd. Followed by a sip of water and a wry smile, she shouted, “Just kidding!” It became a running joke for the night, as she did it twice more.

Interspersed with the jokes were personal

rtesy

u os co phot e ebsit na’s w of Yu

stories about some of her songs—their inspiration, their personal meaning, and why she had written them. Before singing “Lights and Camera,” she launched into an explanation of the song regarding a fame she often didn’t understand, underscoring the intimate setting between Yuna and her audience.

The theatrics on stage, however, did not distract from the excellent renditions of some of her top hits. Among them was a cover of Frank Ocean’s “Thinkin’ Bout You,” masterfully rendered with only a loop pedal and her voice. During a lull in the crowd, a man shouted “Are you married yet?”

With another crooked smile and a pause, she answered with a drawn out “Well, not yet.”

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ISTANBUL

Crossroads of religion & secularism

by Hagar Gomaa

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lived alone in a Muslim country where I didn’t speak the language.

Western society depicts Turkey as the best example of a Muslim state, the perfect balance between religion and secularism. Turkey’s reputation, however, is far from its reality. I knew that the university I was attending, Koç University, was an elite private institution and that the majority of the students were secular. I was still surprised to realize that I was one of very few who wore hijab at Koç and that my fellow hijabis were mostly other exchange students such as myself. I immediately inquired about prayer spaces on campus and was shocked to learn that there was only one small prayer room on campus. The room was unofficially recognized as a prayer space, but the university was not allowed to label it due to laws on secularism in educational facilities.

If I had decided to study abroad a few

photo courtesy of wallpaperinhd.net

Sometime during the cold Evanston winter of my sophomore year, I learned about an engineering program in Istanbul and knew immediately that I wanted to do it. I was always fascinated by the “East meets West” complex associated with Turkey and was excited to have the opportunity to experience it. I was curious to see how my identity as a Muslim would be affected by living in a Muslim country.

Unlike my summer visits to Egypt, this would be the first time I truly

years earlier, I would not have been able to wear hijab at the university due to a law that used to ban hijab from schools and universities. To experience discrimination in America is disappointing, but not unexpected.

To experience it in Turkey was truly heartbreaking. In one of my classes I participated in a discussion where many students with moderate political views were advocating for the ban of headscarves nationwide. I realized pretty early during my stay in Turkey that many of the laws that make Turkey “secular” actually hinder the freedom of religious expression.

Although I experienced instances of extreme secularism, I also experienced beautiful moments of religious practices.

There is something so wonderful and peaceful about hearing the Athan during the day; something Muslims overseas take for granted, but that Muslim Americans view as a rare delicacy. It was incredibly convenient to be able to stop my shopping for a quick prayer break in the nearest masjid. For the first time in my life, an entire nation was celebrating Eid with me.

Instead of worrying about missing

classes and assignment deadlines, I had a whole week of break to enjoy the holiday, a blessing for which I was grateful.

I recall two instances with strangers on the bus that stick out in my mind which come to define my experience with religion. The first instance, a man sitting near me shouted to my hijab-wearing friend and me that extremists such as us were polluting the country. My friend, who spoke Turkish, translated for us and apologized profusely for his actions. Another time, I sat by a stranger who was reading Surahs from his phone. The contrast between the two instances forced me to think about how vastly different the mindsets were in the country.

Since I have tan skin and wear hijab, most people I met assumed I was Turkish until they realized I didn’t speak a word of Turkish. Then they proceeded to ask me the go-

to favorite question of “where are you from?” Of course saying “America” could never be the right answer because obviously there is no such thing as hijab-wearing Muslim Americans. When I later explained that I am originally Egyptian, I was always greeted with a huge smile and promised a discount on whatever it was I was buying.

One of the things I loved about Turkey was the warm family feeling that I got from speaking with strangers.

A year after I made the decision to go to Istanbul, I am braving the cold Evanston winter again. Now every morning I wake up to snapchats from my friends on the other side of the world. Istanbul connected me with a diverse group of people who I love and miss dearly.

Although the city may not be the balance of religion and secularism that it is suggested to be, it is certainly a center for diverse perspectives and learning. Istanbul has become a home away from home for me, and I cannot wait to return.

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cour Photos

mics arvel Co tesy of M

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America gets a muslim superheroine

By Zaynab Quadri Late last year, Marvel Comics revealed the news of a Ms. Marvel reboot – and this time, the protagonist is a second-generation Pakistani-American named Kamala Khan, a sixteen-year-old girl from New Jersey. G. Willow Wilson, an award-winning writer, novelist and Muslim convert, will write Kamala’s dialogue. The comic will be released on Feb. 5 and will feature Kamala’s struggles not only with her shapeshifting powers, but also with her religion and her dual cultural identity.

Details around Kamala as a character are limited, but the first images show a young brown girl wearing jeans and a black t-shirt with a lightning bolt on the front. She has long brown hair and does not wear a hijab. Marvel has also revealed that Kamala does not eat pork in accordance with Islamic dietary restrictions and that she does not drink alcohol or date. Kamala’s family holds diverse beliefs. Her older brother is very religious and involved with the local mosque. Her mother is very conservative and thinks that a boy touching her will get her pregnant, but her father is more relaxed than her mother and wants his daughter to become a doctor. Kamala herself is at a crossroads – as most teenagers are – trying to decide exactly who she wants to be.

The comic has not yet been released, so there is both excitement and tension surrounding the prospect of such a character entering Marvel’s canon. Thus far, the available information about plot and character seem to promise an exciting exploration of second-generation Muslim-American identity – a welcome change of pace for Marvel, whose leading heroes are notoriously white men. The fact that the script is being written by a talented, experienced Muslim writer is also reassuring. However, because Muslim-Americans are so underrepresented in popular culture, there is also a certain pressure on Kamala to speak for a broad Muslim experience. Such a feat is impossible, of course, due to the sheer diversity of Muslim-American experiences, so the discourse around

Kamala’s characterization upon the comic’s release will no doubt open up fascinating questions about what it “really” means to be a Muslim, an American, a Pakistani and a woman in 2014.

In this contemporary moment of Islamaphobia, suspicion of Muslim women and major demographic change in the U.S., Kamala is a very timely character.

Her ability to shape-shift offers great potential to explore commonplace issues of belonging: against the general background of being a dual-culture child coming of age in America, Kamala has the choice to be herself or to become something else in order to ease conflict and please the people around her.

These concerns will surely feel familiar not only to Muslim women of color, but to any person who has ever felt like they do not quite belong. No single person’s experience can speak for everyone in a certain group, but Kamala will likely speak for certain people who are not necessarily accustomed to hearing their voices in the mainstream.

Pakistanis and PakistaniAmericans have thus far expressed great enthusiasm for Kamala Khan. In a time of prejudice and dangerous stereotyping of Pakistanis, Kamala is a welcome addition to the comic-book world – a complex, interesting, but most importantly, realistic young character who complicates simplistic, misguided notions of Pakistanis and who adds much needed racial and religious diversity to American popular culture.

Shelina Janmohamed, a British Muslim woman of color, sums it up best in an opinion piece for The Telegraph: “I really wish for my own sake that I’d had a superhero like Kamala Khan to try and help me make sense of angst…and just once in a while to come out of that geeky, angsty, slightly awkward teenage phase and see that I, too, could be some kind of superhero.”

Hopefully, Kamala will be a smashing success for Marvel and can demonstrate to thousands of young Muslim women that superheroes can indeed look like them and still kick the same amount of bad guy butt.

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Photos courtesy of sun.com.na , electronicintifada.net, and huffingtonpost.com

Mohammed Assaf, our person of the year

by Ruba Assaf “Raise the kuffiyeh, raise it,” the symphonic voice diffused through the hall, setting off an instant eruption of cheering from the audience.

The kuffiyeh, a traditional headwear, has become a symbol of Palestinian unity and heritage. And how fitting for the final performance of a man who united Palestinians across the world and brought Palestinian heritage to the mainstream media with his renditions of traditional folk songs sang in an unmistakable Gazan dialect.

As Mohammad Assaf gave his final performance in the second season of Arab Idol, his melodic voice caused an uproar with groups of people breaking out in dabke, an Arab folk dance, throughout the crowd. Reactions were just as heated outside of the auditorium with celebrations breaking out across the world, including Assaf ’s hometown of Gaza and my very own living room. In this moment of jubilation when fireworks went off in the streets of Gaza and Ramallah, Palestinians across the world were united in joy, allowing us to forget for just an instant the occupation of our

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home. Mohammad Assaf, the wedding singer from Gaza, was able to unite Arabs of all nationalities in a way that no political figure could dream of achieving.

Assaf grew up in the refugee camp of Khan Yunis with his parents and six siblings in the southern Gaza Strip. He was a locally known singer since his youth, performing at numerous weddings and small events in Gaza. He auditioned for the show in Egypt after spending days trying to cross the border from Gaza. Finally making it to the auditions after his exhausting adventure, he charmed the judges and began his journey to stardom. Assaf advanced through each round, singing a variety of popular Arabic songs and even a cover of the Backstreet Boys hit single, “I Want It That Way.” With each live performance, his fame grew and his fans multiplied. June came, and the finale was approaching.

The night of the finale, Assaf was up against tough competition: the Syrian sweetheart Farah Youssef and Ahmad Gamal, an Egyptian singer

whose strong, sensitive voice won the hearts of millions. Twitter was blowing up as fans from all over the world tuned in to cheer on their favorite contestant. In the final moments, every eye in the hall was fixated on the finalists. When Assaf heard his name he immediately prostrated on the ground in prayer. MBS, the Beirut based TV station that broadcasts the competition, showed live footage from several cities in Palestine as fireworks were set off and fans filled the streets to celebrate the win.

Weinberg sophomore, Dania Atallah, says she was watching the finale and felt “immense happiness and pride,” especially while seeing the positive reactions from fellow Palestinians all over the world.

Since his victory in June, Assaf has completed a tour in the US where he performed twice in the Chicago area. He will be releasing his first album in the next few months. While some have tried

to taint Assaf ’s success with their pessimism and political opinions, most consider his win a victory for all Palestinians and even for all Arabs.

To many he is a symbol of hope, a man who overcame incredible circumstances and, against all odds, became an incredibly influential and loved artist.

“Some might call Assaf ’s win a silly thing to gain hope from. The fact of the matter is that he got Palestinians (and more generally, Arabs) everywhere thinking about the Palestinian cause again,” says Weinberg junior Serene Darwish.

Above: Mohammed Assaf raises the Palestinian flag during an Arab Idol performance.

His participation and ultimate win were a large cultural victory for Palestinians. Left: Assaf congratulates fellow competitors on Arab Idol after a challenging performance.

“That is inspiration, silly or not.”

While Assaf tried to stay away from politics during the show, he has made it clear that he has not forgotten where he came from. Fans are hopeful that Assaf will inspire change for Palestinians.

“He is a beacon of hope that, yes, Palestinians can be successful, can be recognized, can have talent, can unite, and can work together to end this occupation,” Atallah said.

Mohammad Assaf, the wedding singer from Gaza, the hero of a classic rags-to-riches story, has the potential to influence much more than just the artistic scene.

“He was up against all odds the way Palestine is up against all odds, and he was victorious in the end the way Palestine will be,” Darwish said.

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The maharaja exhibit at the Field Museum a poem by Noor Hasan

Titled after the Kings and Queens of India’s Royal Courts, The Maharaja Exhibit is the newest attraction at the Field Museum.

As I pace through its dimly lit halls, The walls sparkle in the afterglow of Hyderabadi jewels, Glimmering behind polished glass.

Mustard silk gowns that belonged to Delhi and Agra’s richest wives, The shade of yellow as muted as the women who wore them in the courts’ halls, They hang uncomfortably on mannequins without faces.

Precious stones chiseled with jagged partition— Borders in the stones, (Stones in the borders) Their histories super-glued back together with a Pritzker’s donations-The wheel of a rickshaw, Preserved like a bone fragment separated from a blown up body-Maybe it tumbled through the saffron dirt in an Anarkali bazaar, Leaving a trail of black cardamom on the ground behind it.

If it wasn’t behind six inches of thick glass, I bet I could still smell the dust of sidewalk sale pastries and mules on its wood.

Who said only countries and people can be colonized?

Artifacts captive in cases, All Fabric and folklore art in this exhibit is on loan from the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, (Originally from a collection called the Oriental Courts) Udaipur’s most lavish paintings on loan From the descendants of those who left so little artifacts in the first place On loan from the country that made ex-patriots out of nationalists, Butlers out of babas, Maids out of badi maas, The red chiffon sari that drapes over the gift shop At the end of the exhibit may as well be bleached.

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Photo courtesy of jod.uk.com

They used to call the South Asian sub-continent “The jewel of the British crown,” A single red stone, The pinnacle of a precious colony, All I see in this ruby is 1,947 drops of blood refracting off a light that doesn’t exist– The cashier at the overpriced kiosk greets me as I enter the exhibit’s gift shop, Selling stuffed animals of gods Qur’an’s the size of playing cards selling for ten times as much As my grandmother could buy them for in Karachi As if the lives of South Asians can be compressed into spices and avatars.

The West will never fail to look at history this way Lumping the tradition of over one billion people into Bollywood music and men who spin mysteriously.

The cashier asks me if I’d like to buy any of the authentic items, As the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack plays over the speakers in the shop— When I walk out of the exhibit, The plexiglass plaque of the list of donors, Tall as the ceiling with names etched into it– Dozens of curators, Ph. D holders, historians, and collectors— Williams and Johnsons and McCormicks and Palmers.

Only two South Asians.

As I leave the museum, part of me hangs back.

I’m still stuck there— Face pressed against the glass of a rickshaw display Wondering if I could break the case, And send the wheel home.

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SKY HIGH Former AlBayan Editor-in-Chief Amina Elahi talks career, blogging, and long-term goals.

By Medha Imam

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Fingers hovering above the keys, she drags her mouse to edit the blog post displayed on the computer. She immerses herself in writing about the savory cauliflower pita pockets while pairing the recipe with a novel she just read. After scanning the page, she transitions to a different screen to write for another publication, this time dedicating her energy to her career in objective reporting.

As a determined undergraduate student at Northwestern University, Amina Elahi made writing the focal point of her education, participating in campus publications like North

by Northwestern and AlBayan Magazine. She embraced the longevity of magazine writing and completed her journalism residency at Popular Science.

Only five years out of school, the 26-year-old alumna has fulfilled her dream, writing for a living as a full-time reporter at Blue Sky Innovation, a Chicago Tribune website centered on covering news about innovation and entrepreneurship.

“It’s a little intimidating to be the youngest person on the team, but at the same time the learning opportunities are unparalleled,” Elahi said.

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It’s a little intimidating to be the youngest person on the team, but at the same time the learning opportunities are ~Amina Elahi unparalleled.

Elahi works alongside veteran reporters, some who have been in the industry for 20 plus years.

While covering innovation in the business world, Elahi focuses her content on lessons for rising entrepreneurs and businesses.

In one piece titled, “What founders and innovators know about growth,” Elahi investigates the transitional challenges that come with growing a company. Originally a feature story, the staff decided to transform it into a series due to the diversity of experiences and interviews.

“It’s pretty cool to have a feature that I have ownership over and can continue to develop,” Elahi said.

Elahi has been reporting for Blue Sky for about two months. Before that, she worked as a freelance journalist for business related publications such as Chicago Grid and Sprout Insights. Elahi was previously the lead writer at Built In Chicago and qualified her time there as the “fluke” of her career.

“Built In Chicago ended up opening the door to entrepreneurs and startups in particular.” Elahi said. “It was really good timing for me and based on what I did in the past, it seemed like a good fit and snowballed into what I do today.”

Not only does Elahi report for Blue Sky, she is also the founder and editor of Paper/Plates, a blog that fuses her background in reviewing books with her passion for cooking.

“Paper/Plates is a purely creative pursuit and Blue Sky Innovation and the Chicago Tribune is obviously founded in real reporting and objectivism,” Elahi said. “There’s a part of me that really loves the creative side and who needs it in order to feel balanced and fulfilled.”

For Paper/Plates, Elahi takes a theme or significant aspect of the books she reads and translates them into food. Almost effortlessly, she describes the reason behind the book-recipe pairing

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of TransAtlantic by Colum McCann and hasselback potatoes. Garnishing the plate of potatoes with herbed cheese, she embraces her devotion to cooking five times a week and transcribes that into her writing, staining the blank plate with a side dish and the blank screen with her thoughts. Due to her full time commitment at Blue Sky, however, Elahi leaves the responsibility of updating the blog to additional writers.

Prior to creating the blog, Elahi used to work at an advertising agency called Draftfcb as an assistant media planner. She attained the job after graduating in 2010, but left after two years to make the switch back to journalism.

“When I was there, I saw a lot of the decisionmaking and the challenges that go into running a business, both on the agency side and the client side,” Elahi said. “It really exposed me more to the business side of communication.”

As Elahi entered the working world, she found that there were limited options in Chicago. She mustered whatever techniques she learned at her internships and translates them to an online medium.

“What I am doing now is obviously different, but it captures the same tone, and it’s really hard to deny that it’s fun to see your articles being shared on the Internet,” Elahi said. “With all the data that comes in, it makes it easier to become a better journalist.”

When she’s not updating her blog or reporting for Blue Sky, Elahi can be seen practicing her photography skills or at the movies with her husband, a fellow Northwestern alum. Elahi refers to the University as the foundation for her accomplishments, valuing the education and opportunities she received while at campus.

“Northwestern was probably the best launching pad I could have expected for me in my career,” Elahi said.

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Natural Solidarity

The uniting factor in the movement for Palestinian freedom

By Hazim Abdullah Recently, the American Studies Association endorsed the academic boycott of Israeli institutions through a majority vote. This has caused debate and discussion especially on college campuses like Northwestern where an open letter was released in support of academic boycott. We find ourselves in a moment where it seems that the forces of Zionism, white supremacy, and neoliberalism have dug a hole so deep that it is nearly inescapable. Yet, the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement to acquire equal rights for Palestinians continues to grow.

In 2005, Palestinian Civil Society called for BDS as a global response to Israeli human rights violations.

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This movement demands that Israel end its occupation of Arab lands and dismantles the segregation wall, recognizes full equality for the Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel and agrees to the right of return as promised by United Nations Resolution 194. These core demands establish a platform where Palestinians can begin to achieve the freedom and power necessary to determine their own future.

Solidarity activists are commonly referred to as “people of conscience”. These ‘people of conscience’ are diverse in every sense of the word and are united for the goal of a free Palestine. In my experience with the Palestine solidarity movement, I find that

photo courtesy of Hazim Abdullah

these ‘people of conscience’ are often people of color as well as gender and sexual minorities who are motivated to change the unjust power structures which negatively impact their lives and the lives of Palestinian people in the occupied territories and beyond. As marginalized people, this is not about sympathy and charity. This is a demand for liberation from institutions of oppression. This is why I find the movement for Palestine to have a uniting factor for various communities. For example, a common theme in the student movement is the conscious commitment to resisting various forms of mistreatment. Through conferences, events and conversations, I have seen that Palestine solidarity activists are committed to resisting discrimination and hostility within our own organizing circles. Students for Justice in Palestine National has stated, “The freer we are of internal repressions, the better we are able to resist external ones.”

BDS campaigns on college campuses have been the greatest example of mobilizing diverse groups of people. For example, Stanford University’s divestment campaign gained support from over two dozen student groups including the Black Student

Union, Stanford Students for Queer Liberation and Movimento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán (MEChA) among others. In many cases, people just are not aware of the violence of the occupation. Many are not aware of the dehumanizing treatment of African refugees in Israel, the harsh reality of the 25 foot segregation wall, or Israeli manipulation of LGBT rights rhetoric to cover up human rights violations.

Yet, through education and direct action, that natural solidarity in all people of conscience is triggered.

To be clear, there is no justification for tolerating any oppression for the sake of the movement including, but not limited to anti-Black prejudice, anti-Jewish bigotry, homophobia or misogyny.

Solidarity with the Palestinian liberation struggle is natural for people who are currently and have been historically oppressed by unjust power structures.

And since justice for Palestine naturally attracts so many different types of people, it is of constant importance to appreciate and mobilize this asset.

As the late Nelson Mandela said in 1997, “We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.”

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OMG! It’s Olive.

AlBayan’s Naib Mian reviews Olive Mediterranean Grill— Evanston’s popular new (halal) Middle Eastern eatery.

A short walk away from Northwestern University, Olive Mediterranean Grill, Evanston’s most recent Mediterranean addition, offers hummus-craving, shawarma-loving students a new and slightly different take on the popular cuisine.

Trudging through the icy weather to the small shop on Sherman Avenue, my friends and I were greeted with friendly service within the well-lit, casual venue. We ordered “OMG Plates,” which offer a choice of spread (hummus, baba ghanouj, persian yogurt), two sides (rice, couscous, tabbouli, chick pea salad, Mediterranean cucumber salad), and a protein (lamb shawarma, chicken kabob, Mediterranean chicken, steak shawarma, steak kabob, falafel). The menu also included pita sandwiches, soups and desserts.

With a variety of options, Olive Mediterranean Grill finds a happy medium that offers more than Naf Naf’s oversimplification and yet maintains a distinctly more modern experience than Olive Mountain.

My plate came with lamb shawarma, couscous, Mediterranean salad, hummus, and a couple pieces of pita. The chicken was tender, and the well-seasoned couscous enhanced the milder flavor of the chicken. The cucumber salad had a strong lemon flavor with a kick from interspersed jalapenos, but was a bit jarring when eaten with the rest of the plate. The creamy consistency of the hummus made it the perfect addition to every bite, but it could have done with a bit less limejuice. While the amount of pita provided was very small, it was soft and tasted great with the hummus.

I was also able to try the chicken kabob and baba ghanouj. They warned me of the kabob being spicy, which I took lightly given my spice-abused, Pakistani taste buds. It was a warning I should have heeded, as I proceeded to fill up four cups of water. The baba ghanouj, while it was good, lacked the taste or consistency of eggplant.

While the food isn’t very authentic, the quality of the ingredients is evident. Priced similarly to competitors and conveniently located, it’s definitely a worthwhile excursion.

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THINGS WE LOVE 1

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1. Mashrou’ Leila, an alternative Arab rock band based in Amman, Jordan. 2. Muslim Journeys, an American Library Association initiative to inform Americans about Muslim history, faith, and culture.

3. Somewhere in America, a video on hijabi fashion that sparked controversy and dialogue 4.

Unmosqued, a documentary about why millenials are leaving the masjid. 5. Omar, a drama selected as the Palestinian entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the 86th Academy Awards.

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