Photos by Carolyn Corcoran
On Oct. 19-20, people of all ages gathered in Steele Indian School Park for the seventh Arab American Festival.
Items like belly dancing outfits, flags, light-up toys and shirts were for sale. The smell of gyro meat mixed with the hookah smoke that floated above tables. The tables faced a stage that had different acts throughout the two days, including a disc jockey and a dance troupe.
Ashraf Elgamal, president of the Arab American Festival, established the festival in 2006. By 2009, the festival had gathered an average of 35,000 people and became one of the largest multi-cultural events in the country, according to the Arab American Festival website.
Elgamal is also the founder of the Arab American Association and the Arab TV1 station. In March 2011 he started the annual Arizona International Festival for members of all nations to get together and celebrate different cultures. He also started the Miss Arab USA Pageant to support Arab American women.
“The festival is the only event for (the Arab American) community in the year (in Phoenix),” Elgamal said.
However, he stressed that the festival isn’t just for the Arab American community.
“It doesn’t mean the festival of American people with Arab American descent. The Arab American Festival is Arab culture and American culture being shared,” Elgamal said. “(The festival) is more about the exchange of different cultures together.”
In 2008 and 2009, the festival was held in downtown Glendale, but it was moved to Steele Indian School Park in 2010 to accommodate crowds. The festival represents Arab Americans from 22 countries. According to data from the 2005 to 2009 U.S. Census Bureau, there are about 24,000 Arab Americans in Maricopa County.
For people like Jamal Bishara, owner of a service-oriented religious organization known as Glad News for Arabs, the point of the festival is getting to know other people from the Middle East. Bishara said he thinks the Middle Eastern community is not adequately represented in Phoenix.
“There is a misunderstanding of what the Middle East is all about,” Bishara said. “People are lacking knowledge of the history of the Middle East.”
He said all the different ethnic groups coming together adds variety, and festival attendees are “just trying to have fun.”
This year there were booths for religious organizations, relief groups and Middle Eastern-themed gifts.
Amani Elsharkawi, a festival volunteer, guessed that most of the people were there to see Kasim Alsultan, a famous Iraqi singer.
“The Arabic community likes the singers from the Middle East,” Elsharkawi said, adding that Alsultan came all the way to Phoenix especially for this event.
Of course, everyone had their personal reasons for attending. For Diana Rojas, it was the food.
“I like the variety,” Rojas said. “They do a good job of having not just the traditional stuff.”
Organizers tried to focus the festival on family and community. At the booths young adults and children helped their parents sell their goods. There were rides and games for kids, while adults talked at the tables near the stage.
Contact the reporter at knasiff@asu.edu
