4/5/13 - About 30 residents attended a presentation at the Howell Carnegie Library last night that provided history and information about Arab Americans. About 30 people attended the program, which was led by educator David Serio from the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn. He spoke on a wide variety of topics, including the cultural, linguistic, and political ties that define Arab countries, as well as the history of immigration from those countries to the United States. He made a strong distinction between Arabs, which represent a cultural and ethnic group, and Muslims, which make up a religious group. According to Serio, less than half of the worldâs Muslim-majority countries are considered Arab nations and only 10% of the worldwide Muslim population is made up of Arabs. Serio and his colleagues give presentations like this one frequently and are willing to go wherever they are wanted in the name of informing people about the history and culture of Arab Americans. The meeting concluded with the audience joining Serio in the debkah, a traditional Arab line-dance performed at weddings and celebrations. (TD)
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