Middle East

[close] The Chai Circle is a book club in the Santa Cruz/Monterey/San Jose area that seeks to expand notions about Islam, Middle East and the Muslim experience. We intend to explore religion, culture, colonialism, war, gender, societal taboos and the diasporatic experience through ancient and contemporary Islamic/Middle Eastern voices. The group will select a book for the month and meet at a coffee shop or group member's home for the discussions. The Chai Circle is open to everyone, irrespective of religious and political affiliations; feel free to invite your friends. We want to form a loyal group of members, so make sure to invite friends who have a serious interest in participating in the club. Join us if you share our love of books and would like to engage in conversation about Islamic literature in a safe, relaxed environment.

[close] This group is a place to talk about books, places, items, stories, events related to Palestine. I am from the USA, but I was recognized as a honorary Palestinian by a woman from the West Bank. Something I have always felt honord to have.

[close] This book club originated in 2008 out of the Arab Center of Washington, a non-profit organization working in Washington State to foster deeper understanding of and appreciation for the rich and vibrant Arab culture and its cultural contributions. We read books by Arab authors or about Arab culture.

[close] Author Jayseth Guberman will be happy to answer questions about his book, writing, or independent publishing, what he's reading, discussions of current events, and just about anything else you can imagine within reason as long as it avoids racist, nationalistic or other dogmatic or demagogic positions that could make discourse unpleasant.