All Events
DIVERSITY LECTURE
The Muslim American Life: Crushing Islamophobia with Countercultures of Resistance
MCC Theater
How should we understand the nature of contemporary Islamophobia? What motivates it? What sustains it? Who gains by it? Moustafa Bayoumi—author of the award-winning books How Does It Feel To Be a Problem? Being Young and Arab in America and This Muslim American Life: Dispatches from the War on Terror—discusses “War on Terror culture” as way to comprehend today’s Islamophobia. He will examine the ways the media, law, and politics mutually reinforce each other in viewing Muslims as potentially dangerous outsiders. Bayoumi will also address a growing “War on Terror counterculture,” that, by resisting the stereotypes and challenging the prevailing narratives of the “War on Terror,” fights not only for the rights of Muslim Americans but for the civil liberties of all. Professor Bayoumi teaches English at Brooklyn College.
Music Performance
The UCSB Middle East Ensemble
Solo vocalist: Steven Thomson
In-Person Performance: MCC Theater
Peforming the Umm Kulthum song Aghadan Alqak
FREE ADMISSION
Masks Required
(For the reception following the event in the MCC Lounge, registration at UCSB Shoreline is REQUIRED by November 3rd: https://cglink.me/2dD/r1251080 )
Umm Kulthum (c.1904-1975) is recognized as the most famous Arab singer of the 20th century. In 1971 she premiered the song Aghadan Alqak (Will I See You Tomorrow), composed for her by Muhammad ‘Abd al-Wahhab, the 20th century’s most famous Arab composer.
In celebration of the song’s 50th anniversary, the UCSB Middle East Ensemble presents a free concert of the entire song, with a performance featuring Steven Thomson, solo vocalist. The UCSB Middle East Ensemble, founded in 1989, presents a wide variety of music and dance reflecting the great diversity of cultures found in the Middle East.
Cosponsors: UCSB Department of Music and the Center for Middle East Studies.
Cup of Culture
The Undocumented Lawyer
MCC Theater
Immigrant Resilient Week
This short documentary follows Lizbeth Mateo, an attorney in Los Angeles—one who started a law practice, hired four employees, and took an oath to uphold the U.S. constitution. She also has no legal options to stay in the country. Lizbeth is undocumented.
Since crossing the border at age 14, Lizbeth hasn’t let her immigration status hold her back. Frustrated by an unjust system, she’s drawing from her own experiences to fight for immigrant rights in the streets and in the courts.
Her latest client is Edith Espinal, a woman avoiding deportation by taking sanctuary in a church. As the months turn to years, Lizbeth is running out of legal options to help. Lizbeth returns to her activist roots and teaches Edith to fight back—because sometimes you need to ignore the law in order to change it.
Co-Sponsor: Undocumented Student Services
Book Reading
Truth and Dare: A Comic Book Curriculum for the End and the Beginning of the World!
Online
The goal is to create a space to read and unpack articles, PDFs, e-books, etc written by and for communities at the margins. There will be a specific focus on race/racism; colonialism and capitalism, (eco) feminisms from below, environmental justice, and coalition building/solidarity networks.
Participants will be asked to read the texts beforehand, and will be given a couple guiding questions; however, you can still join even if you have not read the material or answered the questions! Please email Abire Sabbagh, asabbagh@ucsb.edu , if you need access to the readings.
