MOSTResource.org

Resources on Muslims for the Entertainment Industry

  • Story Bank
    • Business & Technology
    • Entertainment
    • Culture & Lifestyle
    • Medical
    • National
    • Faith
    • Sports
    • Women
    • World
  • Resources
    • Faces & Places
    • Statistics
    • Infographics
    • Research / Reports
    • Quick Takes
  • Perspectives
  • Events
  • About
    • Contact Us
    • Staff
    • Parent Organization
    • Videos
  • Story Bank
  • Business & Technology
  • Entertainment
  • Culture & Lifestyle
  • Medical
  • National
  • Faith
  • Sports
  • Women
  • World
mostresource storybank video

Explored Our Story Bank Yet?

Our curated collection of thousands of stories has helped top Hollywood writers, producers, and creatives. Watch our brief video to learn more.

Culture and Lifestyle, National — July 13, 2016   

Syrian Artist Finally Free To Make Political Art in America

Original article by Jason Strother published in the PRI on 06/21/2016

Photo Credit: PRI
Photo Credit: PRI

At the start of the Syrian civil war, artist and scholar Jumana Jaber fled Syria, along with her family, and eventually immigrated to the United States through the help of the Institute of International Education’s Scholar Rescue Fund. Since 2002, the fund has helped 650 persecuted intellectuals (many from Iraq and Syria) – helping with the red-tape (including visas), and even employment, providing a necessary entry point to American academia.

Jumana Jaber took advantage of this and for the past few years has taught visual arts at Montclair State University in New Jersey. Sarah Willcox, the fund’s director, says Ms. Jaber is a good example of those that the fund seeks to help. “They are often dissidents,” Willcox says. “Scholars are targeted because they are recognized and respected people in their community.”

In Syria, Ms. Jaber made art with political messages including paintings with motifs of chairs which she says symbolize ruthless power in Syria. Ms. Jaber feels she is free to create art in the U.S. that would not be possible in her home country. Her family though is worried about the rising anti-Muslim sentiment in America but Ms. Jaber tries not to let that get to her. “It’s hurts me a little bit,” she says. “But I have wonderful colleagues and friends and they understand our situation.

Read more ...

Our Experts Are Here To Help

Want to start a conversation with our experts for help with your project?

Related Articles

  • M Film Lab Now Accepting Applications for Screenwriting Program
  • American Eid – Interview with Director Aqsa Altaf
  • Post vaccine, Muslim travelers are heading to… Israel

More From The Story Bank

Post vaccine, Muslim travelers...

Last year the Abraham Accords were signed between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan. This marked a public normalization of relations not seen in decades. And with this new … [Read More...]

Meet the first Muslim head...

As new head coach for the New York Jets, Robert Saleh is making history as the first Muslim American to lead a team in the National Football League. The Lebanese American is also the third Arab … [Read More...]

Meet American’s Youngest...

According to The Hill, Bushra Amiwala "is part of a new generation stepping into politics." In 2019, she was elected to the Skokie Board of Education in Illinois, making this Pakistani-American … [Read More...]

Riz Ahmed Is Oscars’ First...

Riz Ahmed has become the first Muslim nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role at the Academy Awards for Sound of Metal, not long after Mahershala Ali made his own history with two Best Supporting … [Read More...]

More Women Study Physics in...

A recent report from Physics magazine finds that physics departments in many western universities have a "significant gender disparity, with far fewer women than men taking up the subject." However, … [Read More...]

Enter your email to receive periodic updates

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter

About | Contact Us | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy© 2002–2023 MOST ResourceMOST Resource globe


We use cookies to improve your browsing experience and to collect anonymous data to enable us to manage our website. Our Privacy Policy is a complete disclosure of our data collection policies, including the choices you have to control information we might collect. Your use of this site represents your consent to our Privacy Policy.