Save the Date! April is Arab American Heritage Month

April is Arab American Heritage Month and we welcome this opportunity to honor the Arab Americans -- students, staff and faculty and their contributions to our community. Here's some information about the Kickoff Event: "Getting It Right: Bridging the Divide through Knowledge and Engagement" is scheduled on Wednesday, April 6, 2011 at 7:00pm at Montgomery College's Rockville Campus, Theatre Arts Arena. Dr. James "Jim" Zogby is the opening event guest speaker. He will give a talk about what is happening in the Arab world in the light of his new book "Arab Voices." His talk will be followed by a book signing. Copies of his book are available at the Rockville Bookstore only. Dr.Zogby is the author of Arab Voices (Palgrave Macmillan, October 2010) and the founder and president of the Arab American Institute (AAI), a Washington, D.C.-based organization which serves as the political and policy research arm of the Arab American community. He currently serves as a Senior Advisor for the polling firm Zogby International, as well as on the national advisory board of the American Civil Liberties Union, The Human Rights Watch Board of Directors for the Middle East and North Africa and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Additionally, he serves on the Executive Committee of the Democratic National Committee, as well Co-Chair of the Resolution's Committee and Secretary of the Ethnic Council. Dr Zogby writes a weekly column, 'Washington Watch', which is currently published in 14 Arab and South Asian countries. From 2001 until now he hosts the award winning Viewpoint with James Zogby on Abu Dhabi Television, LinkTV, Dish Network, and DirecTV. If you want to get a sense of what leading authors and commentators are already saying about Zogby 's book, here are a few highlights... "Persuasively illustrates...that Americans tend to project heir fears and desires onto Arabs and Muslims rather than searching for common ground...It's hard to deny the validity of Zogby's larger argument. To succeed in the Middle East, the United States needs to listen more to actual Arab voices, and not let preconceived myths about the Muslim world dictate policy."-The New York Times Sunday Book Review "Arab Voices is a breakthrough book. Finally, after decades of relentlessly ignorant or bigoted stereotyping of the so-called 'Arab Mind'-often a form of anti-Semitism against Arabs-by partisans having other agendas, James Zogby responds. He presents the results of intensive polling, within historical, political and cultural contexts, in an engrossing search for accuracy, fairness and truth. Let's see if the slanted press and the wrathful cable-talk radio hosts can tolerate giving this book and its calm author a chance to correct the record."--Ralph Nader "Arab Voices distills Jim Zogby's lifetime of immersion in a central issue of our times-how can America and the Arab world can find the right path forward? Well-written, provocative, and peppered with vivid anecdotes and surprising data, this is essential reading for anyone seeking to penetrate the myths surrounding the Middle East." -Richard North Patterson "The need for United States engagement in the Middle East has never been greater, and I believe it is essential that Americans better understand the people and cultures in the region. This book improves our understanding of these diverse communities and provides valuable insight into the lives of Arab Americans."--President Jimmy Carter "Jim Zogby has written a timely and valuable book on the pressing need for effective public diplomacy toward the broader Middle East. The best definition of public diplomacy is to first listen, understand, and then inform, engage and influence. Zogby explains how this can be done." -Ambassador Edward P. Djerejian, former Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs and founding director, James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University. Please mark your calendars and share this information with your students and the community. Questions? Please contact Enas Elhanafi at 240-567-1759 or enas.elhanafi@montgomerycolleg.edu