E-Arabica Newsletter

NCCAR will be marking “Jerusalem, 2009 Arab Cultural Capital” on April 6, 2009, in the company of distinguished Jerusalemite guests, H.E. ( Theodosios ) Atallah Hanna, Archbishop of Sevastia for the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, and Dr. Ekrema Sabri , Chief of the Higher Islamic Council in Jerusalem and Former Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and Palestine and Imam of Al- Aqsa Mosque . More Information on this Ottawa event will be sent later this week.

· On February 22, 2009, Board member Samah Sabawi recited poetry (Spoken Word) at a Toronto-area Fundraiser that showcased music, dance and Arabic culture. The fundraiser was for Project Hope .

· On February 18, 2009, NCCAR President Bahija Réghaï published an op-ed: How Can Terrorizing a Civilian Population be a Right?

· On February 18, 2009, President Bahija Réghaï was invited to a meeting of the newly created Middle East Committee of the Group of 78. Also attending as a guest was Paul Heinbecker , CIGI Distinguished Fellow (International Relations).

· On February 13, 2009 NCCAR issued a statement announcing Ehab Lotayef's mission of solidarity with the people of Gaza . At the time of this writing, Ehab is at the Egypt-Gaza border.

· On February 12, 2009, NCCAR's Bahija Réghaï and Anthony Salloum attended an event organized by the Rideau Institute: “Sharing the Future Canadian Foreign Policy in the Age of Obama ,” an address by the Rt Hon. Joe Clark.

· On February 10, 2009, NCCAR president Bahija Réghaï attended a surprise party organized by The Hon. Noël A. Kinsella , Speaker of the Senate and The Hon. Peter Milliken, Speaker of the House of Commons, for The Hon. Marcel Prud'homme on the occasion of his 45th Anniversary as a Parliamentarian.

· On February 9, 2009, President Bahija Réghaï attended a presentation by Mokhtar Lamani , CIGI Senior Visiting Fellow. This briefing on the current situation in Iraq was organized by the International Development Research Centre (CRDI)

· On February 7, 2009, Board member Samah Sabawi conducted a phone interview with Dr. Arwa from Shifa in Gaza for a fundraiser for Gaza organized by the Coalition of Arab Canadian Professionals and Community Association (CAPCA) Ottawa .

NCCAR outreach

· On February 20, 2009, NCCAR President Bahija Réghaï took part in a roundtable on “Why does Canada urgently need fair alternative media”

· On February 18, 2009, NCCAR Vice-President (Outreach and Fundraising) Samer Roumani took part in the Arab Communities Roundtable.

· On February 9, 2009, NCCAR Vice-President (Government and Media) Mark Khoury attended a cocktail event of the Quebec Liberal Party featuring Premier Jean Charest.

· Montreal members and friends are invited to a NCCAR session for those who would like participate in NCCAR's activities and find out about its latest accomplishments and upcoming plans. NCCAR's documentary “Once Upon a Country” will be shown in its short version as well as NCCAR's “Analysis of Canadian Media Coverage of the Middle East .” It will be on Sunday March 8 th , 2009 late afternoon. If you would like to attend, please call 514-581-4322 or email mark.khoury@videotron.ca for more info .

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NCCAR is a non-profit organization dedicated to building bridges of understanding and cooperation between Canada and the Arab world.

Le CNRCA est un organisme à but non-lucratif consacré à sensibilisé le Canada au monde arabe et à encourager des liens de coopération.