Posts tagged with "Culture"

2011 in review (Arab politics)

Posted by aziza 1 Comment
Dec 31 2011

Happy new year!

 

Happy new year!

عام سعيد! كل عام وأنتم بخير!

2011 is coming to its end, and in a few hours’ time, we will welcome a new year. I believe that 2011 has marked a turning point in the history of the Arab world, as it witnessed many revolutions in several Arab countries, one of which turned into a civil war in Libya. 2011 is indeed the year of the Arab spring with revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Libya, Bahrain and Syria. For the first time in decades, the Arab peoples decided to have their voices heard and to seize their right to democracy and freedom. The revolutions have been inspiring and refreshing to most people, however they have taken a heavy toll in each country. At the end of 2011, the revolution continues in Syria!

For more information about the Arab Spring, follow the links: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/interactive/2011/mar/22/middle-east-protest-interactive-timeline 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_Spring

2011 has also witnesses a change in the map of the Arab world. A new state was established in South Sudan. For more information about South Sudan, follow the link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Sudan

The Palestinian people submitted a request to join the United Nations as a full member state, and Palestine was granted full membership at UNESCO. For more information, follow the link:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/31/us-palestinians-unesco-idUSTRE79U1ZY20111031

2011 has seen the first democratic elections in Tunisia and Egypt with Islamic parties winning the majority of the Parliamentary seats in both countries.

2011 has indeed been a very eventful year for the Arab peoples, and it has changed the Arab world dramatically! I hope that 2012 brings stability, justice, peace and prosperity to all the Arab peoples and to the whole wide world.

New theme in Arabic song

Posted by aziza 1 Comment
Jan 22 2011

In recent years, Arabic songs have been showing new attitudes and presenting new themes. I heard a new song lately by the famous Lebanese singer Elissa (one of my favorite!). It deals with a very important and brave topic which is violence in relationships. The song is in Egyptian Arabic and it tells a short story of a man who is trying to ask for forgiveness after hitting his wife/friend? I found a nice amateur clip for the song on youtube that uses a film footage to represent the song.

I have to say that I was very surprised to come across this song that deals with a topic that you do not expect in songs like this one, and also that the female character in the story told in the song takes a very positive and strong attitude and refuses to forgive him. Thumbs Up!

Please find the lyrics and clip below:

YouTube Preview Image
In every possible occasion he meets me

Pretending to be innocent and trying to please me

He apologizes a lot, but no matter what

I will not forget that he hurt my pride

I can no longer forgive him for what he did

Whether  he apologizes or seeks forgiveness

After today how could I accept,

To return to one who dared hit me!

I cannot look for a reason to forgive him

One who makes a mistake must be punished for it

For if  one allows others to hurt my pride once

Deserves to be humiliated a hundred times

من غير مناسبه وبمناسبه بيقابلني

بيجيلي يستغلب عليا وبيحايلني

وبيعتذرلي كتير و انا مهما اعتذرلي

مش هانسى انه في كبريائي كان قاتلني

ماعادش ينفع اسامحه على اللي عمله فيّ

لو ييجي يتأسف لي ولا يبوس ايديا

بعد النهارده ازاي انا على نفسي هارضى

ارجع لحد قدر يمد ايديه عليا

مش هقدر اتهاون واشوف حاجه اسامحه بيها

لازم اللي يغلط غلطه يتحاسب عليها

اصل اللي يتهاون في جرح كرامته مرّه

يستاهل انه يتجرح مية مره فيها

Happy Birth Day

Posted by aziza 2 Comments
Jan 11 2011

Hi there! It has been days before I wrote in the Arabic blog. I wanted to write about a nice topic, and I was lacking inspiration. But, today is my sister’s birthday, and I thought that it would be a good topic to talk about my sister … sorry about birthdays and how they are celebrated in the Arab world.

Birthday = عيد ميلاد

Birthdays = أعياد ميلاد

Birthdays are particularly important for children, and parents take the effort to organize a party in the evening for family and friends. The highlight of the party is blowing the candles on the birthday cake, while singing happy birthday to you both in English and in Arabic.

Happy birthday to you = سنة حلوة يا جميل

YouTube Preview Image

Before and after the cake, there is music, dancing and sometimes games and magic tricks. Now in Arab countries, McDonald’s and other food chains organize birthday parties for kids, and many parents prefer to book a venue like this because it is less hassle and many kids prefer it.

For average people, as one gets older, birthdays become less important and parties get smaller and smaller all the time. However, some people always cherish their birthdays and go the extra mile to make each party more fancy than the previous one. How that I am in the thirties, my birthday is usually a cake and 30 minutes of laughing with the closest family members.

For the older generation, i.e. grandparents, birthdays become important again, not by them but by their children and grandchildren. Birthday parties are considered times for the whole family to get together and they are usually long again and elaborate again.

Happy birthday = كل عام وانت بخير

كل سنة وانت طيب

The Day of Ashura

Posted by aziza No Comments
Dec 18 2010

The Day of Ashura (عاشوراء‎) is on the 10th day of Muharram, the first month in the Islamic calendar. It marks the climax of the Remembrance of Muharram. The day of Ashura is special to all Muslims, especially the Shiites. Sunni Muslims celebrate the day by fasting it and by preparing a special treat that has the same name made from wheat grains, sugar and milk.

For Shia Muslims, Ashura is a day of mourning for the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad at the Battle of Karbala on the 10th of Muharram in the year 61 AH. In some Shia countries and regions such as Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Lebanon, and Bahrain, the Commemoration of Husayn ibn Ali has become a national holiday and most ethnic and religious communities participate in it. For Shiites, commemoration of Ashura is a sad event; it is a period of intense grief and mourning. Hundreds of thousands take to the city of Karbala and other places with Shiites majority where they participate in activities express their grief collectively.

Thanks Wikipedia

Image sourcse:

http://www.y4yy.net/images/40106545968728298116.jpg

http://hard-thinker.com/we/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/p05_20070201_politicsfull.jpg

The New Hijri Year

Posted by aziza 1 Comment
Dec 15 2010

The new Hijri year (1432) started on the 7th of December 2010. The word Hijri is derived from the word Hijra (emigration of Prophet Mohammed from Mecca to Medina.) This is considered the beginning of the establishment of the Islamic state.

The beginning of the Hijri year is often celebrated in many ways. Sufi traditions hold special celebrations that include reciting the Quran, giving religious speeches and singing Islamic songs. These celebrations are held in Mosques and the main ones are aired on national television.

At the family level, mothers cook special meals and make special pies for the family. Children often play with special toys made from sugar. Girls play with sugar dolls

Boys have horse and knight sugar figures.

The Hijri months are listed below:

Muḥarram محرّم

Ṣafar صفر

Rabīʿ al-Awwal ربيع الأوّل

Rabīʿ al-Thānī (or Rabīʿ al-Ākhir) ربيع الآخر أو ربيع الثاني

Jumādā al-Ūlā جمادى الأولى

Jumādā al-Thānī (or Jumādā al-Ākhirah) جمادى الآخرة أو جمادى الثانية

Rajab رجب

Shaʿbān شعبان

Ramaḍān رمضان

Shawwāl شوّال

Dhū al-Qaʿda ذو القعدة

Dhū al-Ḥijja ذو الحجة

http://image04.webshots.com/4/1/34/2/72713402wDKgNX_ph.jpg

http://www10.0zz0.com/2010/02/23/23/809028260.jpg

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