Arabic Studies Blog

Eat Tabbouli Earn College Credit
Posted on February 28th, 2025 in Announcements, Classes, Featured, Teaching by ecurtis4

Eating is required in at least one IU Indy Arabic Studies course this fall: Syrian-Lebanese Food and Cooking. But we have other online, one-credit appetizer courses on offer as well, including an Introduction to the Qur’an and a course on Islamophobia, or anti-Muslim bias. A feast for the mind can be had in the debut …

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Samia Alajlouni
Posted on March 17th, 2025 in Announcements, Classes, Faculty, Teaching by ecurtis4

Indianapolis, Indiana — The 2024 retirement of Dr. Amira Mashhour, Senior Lecturer Emerita of Arabic, left the Arabic Studies program without a full-time instructor in Arabic language. The program sought to address this challenging situation (1) by making available intermediate and advanced level classes via IU Bloomington’s Summer Arabic Workshop and Study Abroad and (2) …

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Headshots of the six students who have won scholarships
Posted on March 3rd, 2025 in Scholarships, Students by ecurtis4

The first Arabic and Islamic studies minor scholarships have been awarded to a diverse group of students, including a professional cook, a future physician, an art historian, an aspiring elementary education teacher, a social worker, and a Qur’an reciter. Salma Abdelhamid was raised in Egypt. A native speaker of Arabic who enjoys sharing her heritage …

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Eat Tabbouli Earn College Credit
Posted on February 28th, 2025 in Announcements, Classes, Featured, Teaching by ecurtis4

Eating is required in at least one IU Indy Arabic Studies course this fall: Syrian-Lebanese Food and Cooking. But we have other online, one-credit appetizer courses on offer as well, including an Introduction to the Qur’an and a course on Islamophobia, or anti-Muslim bias. A feast for the mind can be had in the debut …

Read More


Posted on February 27th, 2025 in Announcements, Internships, Students by ecurtis4

Congratulations to Sarah Bennett, who has been named 2025 Arabic Studies Program intern. As program assistant, Sarah will spend the spring semester working on behalf of the program with both students and community members. Her focus will be recruiting Arabic and Islamic studies minors. We interviewed Sarah to find out a more about her. Q. …

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Meza dishes
Posted on February 13th, 2025 in Announcements, Events, Featured, Students by ecurtis4

A professional dabka, or Arab line dancing, troupe from Detroit in addition to an art exhibit and free food are headlining a community fair at the Indianapolis Global Village on April 12, 2025, from 12 Noon to 4pm. Tickets are free but must be reserved via Eventbrite in advance. The fair, which will take place …

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Arabesque call for art poster
Posted on February 6th, 2025 in Announcements, Community Service, Events, Featured by ecurtis4

Arabesque: The Art of Storytelling Submission Deadline: March 15, 2025 Exhibition Dates: April 5-April 26, 2025 Opening Reception: April 12, 2025 Venue: Indy’s Global Village Welcome Center About the Exhibition As part of this year’s Arab American Heritage Month celebrations, the Indiana chapter of the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee in partnership with the Indy’s Global …

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Posted on December 6th, 2024 in Announcements, Faculty, Teaching by ecurtis4

The Arabic Studies Program is delighted to announce Hiba Alalami as a new associate faculty member. Ms. Alalami, a PhD candidate in the School of Liberal Arts’ American Studies program, is a distinguished Arab American and Muslim American non-profit leader. Currently the research and development director at Indiana League of Women Voters, she served previously …

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Stop Anti-Arab Racism
Posted on November 3rd, 2024 in Classes, Community Service by ecurtis4

*NELC 261 — Class No. 29583 — Intro to Arab American Studies (3 credits) with Edward Curtis, T/H 10:30-11-45: We’ve been given a $4,000 grant to work with Indianapolis’ Arab American community to reduce discrimination and violence against Arab Americans. You will first study the history and the contemporary lives of Arab Americans in Indiana and the United States–from immigrants in the …

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Foundation of the Midwest Federation in Indianapolis, 1936
Posted on October 24th, 2024 in Internships by ecurtis4

Raneem Hijazi has been hired to intern as the digital archivist for a unique collection of Arab American historical sources. Raneem is working with Anna Proctor of the IU University Library to digitize the archives of the Midwest Federation of Syrian and Lebanese American Clubs, which was established in 1936 at the Syrian American Brotherhood …

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Posted on October 21st, 2024 in Alumni, Announcements, Classes, Community Service, Events, Faculty, Internships by ecurtis4

The Community-Engaged Alliance has awarded the IU Indy Arabic Studies Program a $4,000 grant to support the work of IU Indianapolis students and members of ADC Indiana, the Indiana chapter of the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), during the spring, 2025, semester. Their goal is to use art, legal advocacy, and community-building to prevent or mitigate the harm caused by the …

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