Five Irish-Arab stars to celebrate this St Patrick's Day

The Irish and Arab communities have a long and deep sense of affinity, from solidarity with the Palestinian cause to joint experiences of occupation and colonialism. 

Ireland was the first EU member to endorse a Palestinian state in 1980, and just last year, Ireland’s parliament also condemn Israel’s de-facto annexation of Palestinian territories after a unanimous vote - another first in the pan-European body.  

This St. Patrick's Day The New Arab is celebrating Irish culture with five Irish-Arab celebrities. 

Malik Polo  

Hailing from South-East London, the Irish-Egyptian rapper and producer Malik Polo has been active on the scene for some years now. Go listen to his EP 'Marco' if you haven’t already - we are loving it this St Patrick's Day!

Vince Vaughn  

Yes, Vince Vaughn is another example of an Arab/Irish heritage connection. It turns out that Vince’s grandmother on his father's side is of Lebanese descent. The actor also has Irish ancestry on both sides.  

Teri Hatcher 

Teri Hatcher plays Lois Lane from 'Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman'. If you haven't already binged this fantastic 90s sitcom (despite its questionable SFX) then what are you waiting for? Teri’s mother is of Syrian, Czech, and Irish descent, while her father is Irish, English, and Welsh origin.  

Alia Shawkat 

You know her from 'Arrested Development', but did you know that Alia’s father Tony is from Baghdad?

Film producer Tony Shawkat arrived in the US from Iraq in 1978, where he met his wife Dina Burke, who is of Irish, Italian and Norwegian origin. Fun fact: Tony Shawkat spent 2006 bringing young Iraqi football players together along with Ammo Baba, former coach of the Iraqi national football team.  

Yasmine Akram 

Born in Sharjah, UAE, Yasmine Akram is an Irish-Pakistani actress, comedian and writer. You may have seen her playing Janine in 'Sherlock'!