Media Credit: Dave Martinez Matthew Hadeed, Beshara Kehdi and Norma Kehdi practice introductions for the Arab Student Union's presentation of Arabian Nights

An evening of Arabic music, food, dance and culture awaits those who attend tonight's Arab Student Union hosted event, Arabian Nights, which begins at 6 p.m. and ends at 8 p.m. in the Gerlinger gym.

"It's the first event of its kind," said Arab Student Union co-president Norma Kehdi, who will be reading a poem by Kahlil Gibran at the event.

Only having been on campus one year, this is the Arab Student Union's first event that will be focusing primarily on the culture of the Middle East.

Five performances will be spanning the two-hour event including singing, poetry reading, speeches and various forms of music.

The admission is free, but members of the Arab Student Union are accepting donations at the door.

Student Libby Freeborg will be singing "Ya Taiba," a traditional Arabic song, and "Ya Ghayeb," a popular Arabic ballad written by famous Lebanese artist Fadl Shaker.

Arabic teacher Mohamed Jemmali will be participating in two performances. The first act is a display of Middle Eastern drumming on traditional hand drums decorated with intricate designs. He will be accompanied by fellow drummer Matthew Hadeed and a belly dancer who will move to the beat of the music. Later, he will be giving a speech addressing the differences between the Arab, Muslim and Middle East worlds.

Chris Holman, another Arabic teacher at the University, will also be giving a speech concerning what it's like to be an American in the Arab world.

Between performances, a wide variety of slideshows will depict sites such as pictures of the destruction in the Middle East, Arab-American celebrities and a portfolio of traditional Middle Eastern things.

Free Middle Eastern food will also be served throughout the evening including tabouli, a lemony dish made with bulgur, parsley and tomatoes; mandi, a chicken and rice dish that is full of curry-like spices; falafel, a fried ball of garbanzo beans mixed with various spices; koshary, a mixture of rice, macaroni, lentils and salsa; and baklava, a very sweet flaky pastry that is flavored with almonds and honey.

This delectable food is being cooked by members of the Arab Student Union and will be served by the door.

Dancing to traditional Arabic music for everyone to participate in will close out the night after all of the scheduled performances come to an end.

The club is hoping to raise a substantial amount of donation money to give to the Baitulmaal charity organization. Specifically, the group is donating these funds to provide relief for the tragedy going on in the Gaza Strip, where Israelis and Palestinians have been engaging in military blockades that are preventing the area's citizens from obtaining the fuel and other resources that they need to live.

Arab Student Union member Michelle Andujar will be giving a talk about the Gaza Strip crisis during Arabian Nights that provides further information.

Baitulmaal is a non-profit, non-political organization that provides disaster relief for many different American and international causes such as Hurricane Katrina victims, tsunami victims and victims of the recent Missouri flood.

jswindle@dailyemerald.com

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