More memories from a historic day. Thank you once again to everyone who helped make this dream a reality! The legacy of Little Syria, its people, and its poets will live on through this beautiful installation.
Photo credit 📸
@medialeelah
I’m so curious what songs and artists teleport you to the past? The ones that help you relive special moments, bring loved ones back to life and take you straight back to so many of your “firsts.” The songs that teleport you decades into the past. Can’t wait to see your teleportation songs. Music is so powerful and it keeps the past alive. It’s a mood changer. You can go from sad to happy, pumped to nostalgic, crying to clapping to dancing, all within just a few songs.
I also want to thank my friends who are artists, keeping these very moments alive for our children to be teleported to decades from now. Thank you for carrying our emotions through every beat and verse. And thank you to all the musicians and artists who help shift our moods and keep our past alive.
Last week, we celebrated the historic opening of Al Qalam: Poets in the Park, honoring Little Syria’s enduring legacy. Created by @ouhaddou_sara , this permanent installation celebrates the literary and cultural heritage of Little Syria, the nation’s first Arabic-speaking community.
We are deeply grateful to our longtime supporters and friends of WSHS for championing this historic project.
Thank you to @nycparks , @miottomosaics , @eventscape , and Harder Construction for helping make this vision a reality.
Photo credit:
NYC Parks / Daniel Avila
@medialeelah
Maher Takkoush
As Arab American Heritage Month comes to a close, here are 5 meaningful ways to celebrate, support and amplify the voices and impact of Arab Americans beyond the month of April. We honor their work not only during Arab American Heritage Month but all year around! #arabamericanheritage #arabidols #arabamericans #farahnj
Using hip-hop as a lens for dialogue, identity, and connection.
Now more than ever—we need less division and more understanding.
Now booking Fall 2026 & Spring 2027
for universities, organizations, and communities.
Let’s build something that creates real impact.
#weremuslimdontpanic
#guestartist
#unityindiversity
#hiphop
#dance
A glimpse into our recent show at Brooklyn Academy of Music earlier this month, with @hadieldebek@moeldebek@ryan_el_solh@jeremysmithpercussion@gideonforbesmusic and @shipditty . We’re so grateful for the energy, the presence, and everyone who shared this moment with us.
This gathering was part of a special Fisher Takeover for Arab American Heritage Month (NAAHM), marking over 150 years of Arab cultural presence in New York City. Curated by @offendum , the event brought together artists from across the Arab community for a five-hour experience of live music, poetry, film, and connection—spanning the Fishman Space, rooftop, and beyond.
“Bringing the Shām to BAM” honors Bilad al-Shām—the historic Levant region (modern-day Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, and parts of Turkey). A place layered with history, movement, and cultural depth.
More to come…
Logo by @monart1981
Free Ahmed. Journalism is not a Crime. We call on Kuwaiti authorities to free our guy!!! Enough with the narrative control!
#freeahmed #journalismisnotacrime
“We call on Kuwait to release Ahmed Shihab-Eldin and drop all charges against him,” said CPJ Regional Director Sara Qudah. “Journalism is not a crime, and Shihab-Eldin’s case reflects a broader pattern of using national security laws to stifle scrutiny and control the narrative.”
Prior to his detention, Shihab-Eldin – who has contributed to The New York Times, PBS, and Al Jazeera English, among others – commented on publicly available videos and images related to the Iran war. His recent posts included a geolocated video, verified by CNN, showing a U.S. fighter jet crash near a U.S. air base in Kuwait.
The Syrian-American rapper, poet, and peace activist Omar Offendum blends the sounds of hip hop and classical Arab music and literature into his stage works. He has spent much of the past few years on a New York-themed work called The Little Syria Show, named after a historical neighborhood in Lower Manhattan. In a celebration of Arab-American cultural heritage, Omar Offendum shares insights on diasporic memory and performs some of the songs from The Little Syria Show, in-studio. Listen at newsounds.org, the @wnyc app, or wherever you get your podcasts.
@offendum
#SoundcheckPodcast
15 years ago, my dad (last slide) brought home a CD copy of @offendum ‘s first ever mix tape, so excited that there was a Syrian American musician. Now Omar is putting on a Shami focused event at one of Brooklyn’s oldest institutions @bam_brooklyn . Baby me could never have imagined something like this existing, let alone performing at it. Alhamdululah for everything 💕 forever grateful
A special shoutout to @randaeidstylist for styling me
And @adam.not.adam for the millions of photographs and videos
When the DJs so good even security starts to dance. #hipsdontlie Thank you @offendum for bringing us all together. 🥹 @bam_brooklyn
Scarf by @sarahmusa 🤍
sham in the bam curated and hosted by @offendum was electrifying—for so many of us in diaspora, it felt like a home away from home, for so many that can’t be home (for so many reasons). incredible musical performances and ensambles, poetry and live talks, vendors with arab records, products drinks and delicious bites.
Truly grateful to capture the Pillars NYC Iftar. Witnessing the space they’ve created for the community to break fast during this holy month—and highlighting their amazing work—was such a special experience. 🌙✨
