Selected Non-Fiction:
Understanding Arabs: A Guide for Westerners, Margaret K. Nydell (Intercultural Press, 2002)
3rd edition of a practical, useful handbook that provides insights into Arabic culture.

What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam, John. L. Esposito (Oxford U., 2002)
"Answers to frequently asked questions from one of America's leading experts" (see CMCU, below).
For background on the Holy Qur'an, please consult "The Qur'an: An Introduction," by Thomas Cleary, included in The Arab World Studies Notebook and reprinted from Cleary's translation, The Essential Koran: The Heart of Islam (Harper Collins, 1993). http://www.mepc.org/public_asp/workshops/quranintro.asp

Book Lists and Publishers/Distributors :
Americans for Middle East Understanding
http://www.ameu.org/store.asp
Online source for books and videos; also published monthly in The Link.

The Arab World and Arab Americans
http://www.ala.org/BookLinks/v09/arab.html
Annotated guide to books for children and young adults prepared by Kristin Lems for Book Links.

Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding
http://cmcu.georgetown.edu/
Highly-respected source for authoritative publications, including books by CMCU director, Prof. John L. Esposito.

"Discovering Arabic Fiction"
http://lfkhome.northstarnet.org/ArabFic.html
Reading list developed in conjunction with the "Arab Voices" series sponsored by the Library Community Foundation of the North Suburban Library System. Since 9/11, this page on the Lake Forest Library's Web site has been visited upwards of 400 times a month.

Interlink Books
http://www.interlinkbooks.com/Mideast.html
Publisher of fiction and non-fiction titles; their Mideast catalog features an "Emerging Voices" series with translations from numerous countries, from Morocco to Iran.

"Islamic Resources for Libraries," Robert P. Doyle (ILA Reporter, December 2002, pp. 3-4).
http://www.ila.org/pub/reporter.htm

"A Misunderstood Faith," Martha Cornog and Elizabeth Plantz (Library Journal, November 15, 2001)
http://libraryjournal.reviewsnews.com/ (use search feature to locate article)
An up-to-date listing of books on Islam suitable for the general public.

MAGAZINES/NEWSPAPERS/NEWS SOURCES
Al Jadid: A Review and Record of Arab Culture and Arts
http://www.aljadid.com/
L.A.-based publication dedicated to contemporary Arab/Islamic arts.

BBC News online
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/default.stm
Focused, timely online news coverage.

Jordan Times
http://www.jordantimes.com
Gives another point of view on news of the region.

MERIP Report: Arabs, Muslims and Race in America (Fall 2002)
http://www.merip.org/mer/mer224/mer224.html
Authoritative articles on Arabs in a post-September 11 United States.

Saudi Aramco World
www.saudiaramco.com
Beautiful color photographs and high-quality articles provide a survey of various facets of Arab life and culture. Please send subscription requests to Box 469008, Escondido, CA 92046-9008 (no charge).

Washington Report on Middle East Affairs
http://www.wrmea.com/
Produced by former State Department officials who seek to provide balanced reporting.

ONLINE SOURCES
College of Lake County
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Oracle/3439/melinks.html
Variety of sites covering Middle Eastern humanities
and politics; developed for the late Prof. Stephen Infantino's Middle Eastern Civilization class.

Encyclopaedia of the Orient
http://lexicorient.com/e.o/index.htm
Handy, concise definitions for ready reference; also Atlas
of the Orient, http://lexicorient.com/e.o/atlas/index.htm

North Park University
http://campus.northpark.edu/history/WebChron/
Islam/Islam.html
Chronology of Islam.

Reference on the Web: Islam
http://www.ala.org/booklist/v99/oc1/47islam.html
Online version of Booklist article (October 1, 2002,
p. 356)

University of Pennsylvania
http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~rs143/map.html
Maps: Islam's historical development.

AUDIO-VISUAL
The Music of Morocco and the Cycles of Life
48-minute documentary, available in VHS or DVD format,
in English and French from Victoria Vorreiter of DePaul University, c/o Resonance Productions
(1337 W. Lunt #1KL, Chicago, IL 60626 ;
773-274-3990).

On Boys, Girls and the Veil
Humorous, intimate look at contemporary life in Egypt;
perfect for young adults.
Arab Film Distribution:
http://www.arabfilm.com/item_print.html?itemID=111

Umm Kulthum: A Voice like Egypt
Splendid documentary about the legendary singer;
a glimpse into Egyptian history and culture, with
original footage and interviews.
http://www.aramusic.com/htmls/afd023.htm

Note: extensive film/video annotations by Prof. Ellen-
Fairbanks Bodman are included in The Arab World
Studies Notebook, cited below.

CURRICULUM SUPPORT/TEACHER
TRAINING
Dr. Louise Cainkar (Illinois Coalition for Immigrant
& Refugee Rights) recently consulted with the
Chicago Council on Foreign Relations (in cooperation
with the Chicago Community Trust) to conduct an
assessment of educators' needs in the Chicago Public
School System. The resulting report, titled A Post-
September 11th Curriculum for the Chicago Public
Schools, is a goldmine of information for decision-makers. Among the findings: the realization that teachers had
a critical need for information
about the Middle East, especially the Islamic world;
major gaps existed in teachers' knowledge base,
including points of geography. The report was
published by:
The Chicago Council on Foreign Relations
116 South Michigan Avenue, 10th Floor
Chicago, Illinois 60603-6097
Phone: (312)726-3860; fax:(312)726-4491;
http://www.ccfr.org/

AWAIR: Arab World and Islamic Resources (http://awaironline.org/; awair@igc.org)
Their well-organized, comprehensive binder
(The Arab World Studies Notebook) belongs in every elementary and high school classroom! (Each page is ready
-to-copy). Audrey Shabbas, with many expert collaborators,
has gathered a treasury of information and activities about cuisine, history, music, art, religion, literature, geography, sociology, etc. that will delight and inform students. Ms. Shabbas also conducts teacher workshops under the sponsorship of the Middle East Policy Council (http://www.mepc.org).

ORGANIZATIONS
AAAN (Arab American Action Network)
http://www.aaan.org/
Chicago social service/education/advocacy non-profit.
The Arab Arts Council coordinates cultural activities
throughout Chicagoland, including events for Arab
Heritage month in November.

ADC (American-Arab Anti-Discriminatory Committee)
http://www.adc.org/
"Grassroots civil rights organization" that promotes the
welfare of the 3 million+ Americans of Arab ancestry. The Chicago chapter sponsors programs featuring major
leaders of the region.

Center for Middle Eastern Studies, North Park University
http://campus.northpark.edu/centers/middle/default.htm
Dedicated to advocacy of the Arab Christian community,
in Chicago and the Middle East.

Center for Middle Eastern Studies, University of Chicago
http://www.cmes.uchicago.edu/
Interdisciplinary research center that offers enrichment
programs and resources for educators.

Council on American-Islamic Relations
http://www.cair-net.org/
Includes a "mosque open house kit" intended to promote understanding and communication (http://www.cair-net.org/downloads/aa311openhouse1.pdf); this document includes a helpful glossary and Q&A section. CAIR also publishes a very helpful guide for teachers and
administrators who have Muslim students in their
schools. Also see "The Muslim Student in the American Classroom," http://4dw.net/besteacher/muslim.html

Cynthia Percak Infantino is Head of Reference Services
at the Lake Forest Library. Cindy lived in Jordan in the
spring of 1996 and has traveled widely in the Middle East.
She is on the staff of the Arabic Music Retreat and is
president of Xauen Music, Inc., a company dedicated
to the preservation of classical Oriental music. She
serves on the MVP (Multicultural Voices and Perspectives) committee for the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs,
as well as the National Council of Americans for Middle East Understanding. This resource list was adapted from
"Humanizing Islam," an article written for Social
Studies Review (California). Please contact to have this document sent by e-mail.

Web site: http://c.infantino.home.att.net/
Cindy Infantinoc.infantino@att.net