The 18th annual Middle Eastern Heritage Celebration was held on the evening of April 11 in the Student Center.

SJCC chemistry instructor Sami A. Ibrahim has chaired the event since 2001.

“I heard there would be Middle Eastern poetry and speakers that would recite in Farsi,” said Niusha Yazdani, nursing major, 21, who attended the event.

Six speakers took the stage and shared poetry, stories, quotes and wisdom acquired through their experiences.

A common theme in the poems that were presented was that of endurance and perseverance.

One of Ibrahim’s main goals is to continue to inform the college community about the history, culture and about the aspirations of the peoples of the Middle East, according to the event’s handout prepared by Ibrahim. This modest effort will ultimately lead to greater understanding between cultures, and hopefully ultimately world peace.