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| Anan Ameri of the Arab American National Museum |
Anan Ameri is the director of the Arab American National Museum. The museum documents, preserves, celebrates, and educates the public on the history, life, culture, and contributions of Arab Americans. It serves as a resource to enhance knowledge and understanding about Arab Americans and their presence in the United States. In 2006 the Arab American National Museum held a national conference entitled DIWAN: A Forum for the Arts. This conference brought together Arab American artists and art scholars for the first time to present their work, debate, and exchange ideas. Forthcoming is a published collection of the proceedings, Etching our Own Image: Voices from the Arab American Art Movement by Cambridge Scholars Press in England.
E. Ethelbert Miller: What do you think of the title of Jimmy Carter's new book Palestine Peace Not Apartheid?
Anan Ameri: As a Palestinian American who has been to Palestine on a regular basis and has family and friends in East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza Strip, and as an activist who was involved in the U.S.-based South Africa anti-apartheid movement, I think that the resemblance between the Palestinian occupied territories and South Africa is so obvious. It exists in every aspect of life. Yet in the United States no one is allowed to talk about that or voice criticism toward Israel without being accused of being anti-Semitic. In the United States, we take pride in our freedom of speech, in being a democracy, in our ability to criticize our politicians, including the president. We can criticize religion and its institutions; we can even criticize God if we choose to. But when it comes to criticizing Israel and its occupation, and its oppressive and racist practices toward the Palestinians, then we are accused of being anti-Semitic.
There is no doubt that Carter's book is one of the most important U.S. publications that addresses the Palestinian question. Not only does the book reflect the reality of the Israeli occupation, but it also comes from a previous U.S. president who is known for his integrity and high moral standards and who is respected world-wide.
E. Ethelbert Miller: What are some of the major issues or themes that Arab American artists are dealing with today?
Anan Ameri: An important issue for many Arab American artists is the issue of identity, discrimination, and stereotyping of Arab Americans especially after 9/11. Then there is the issue of belonging to two worlds that seem to be in conflict. Both Palestine and Iraq seem to be of importance to Arab American artists. These issues are reflected in their visual, theater, hip hop, and literary works.
E. Ethelbert Miller: Who are some of the contemporary Arab American writers we should be reading?
Anan Ameri: Of course the late Edward Said. Other important contemporary Arab American writers are Elmaz Abi Nader, Naomi Shihab Nye, Suheir Hammad , Natalie Handal, and Betty Shamieh. There is also Jack Shaheen, the author of Reel Bad Arab and Ali Abunimah who recently published One Country: A Bold Proposal to End the Israeli Palestinian Impasse. There is also Dr. Rashid Khalidi who has many publications about Palestine.
Anan Ameri is the director of the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. E. Ethelbert Miller is an award-winning poet, the director of the African American Resource Center at Howard University, and the board chairperson of the Institute for Policy Studies. His interviews are a regular feature of Fiesta.
