The Arab American News was founded 25 years ago, as of this past week. The newspaper’s purpose was two-fold. We wanted to provide a source for objective, comprehensive news and subjective views on a region of the world not covered by mainstream media. We also wanted to help shape the identity of a vibrant, evolving Arab American community in Southeast Michigan and to showcase that community to the rest of the population.

We began immediately to serve as a forum for those whose views on U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East were not being heard. We believed then, as we believe now, that U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East is badly misguided. For 25 years we have supported the rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination. We have steadfastly stood for these rights when it was very unpopular, even unsafe, to do so. We have always said that the Palestinian crisis is the heart of the Middle East conflict, growing eventually to become a major source of anti-American extremism, while spreading unrest throughout the world. Today there are signs that some leaders in this country realize this fact also, and we fervently hope that more leaders will have the wisdom and courage to rectify the glaring violation of human rights and international law that the Palestinian situation represents.

The Arab American News has always stood for the unity and sovereignty of all the states in the Arab world, particularly of Lebanon, whose people have suffered mightily from that misguided foreign policy and divisive intervention.

Perhaps most strongly, we have been completely opposed to American policy on Iraq. Without regard for human life, with an eye only toward the protection of oil, the United States has caused unbelievable, unconscionable suffering in that country. We strongly opposed the crippling economic sanctions that meant the most fragile and innocent of Iraqis lost their lives. We strongly and fervently opposed the subsequent invasion and occupation of the country, predicting from early on exactly what would happen if that ill-thought-out war was allowed to proceed. We then faithfully reported the truth of what was transpiring in the war, as opposed to what the mainstream media did, which was to reprint the official government position. The past few years have proven that the war was indeed a disastrous idea, whose negative consequences we will long pay for.

Following the tragedy of 9/11, The Arab American News did the most patriotic thing we could do: We opposed the steady erosion of civil liberties engendered by the George W. Bush administration which, if allowed to continue, would indeed mean the terrorists responsible for the attacks had won their battle by destroying American ideals and freedoms. We continue to speak out and encourage a meeting of minds among all Americans for our future safety and security. We also called insistently for an examination of the root causes behind the attack, unafraid to do so because we knew the terrorists did not represent Arab Americans or American Muslims, no matter their names or faces or statements.

The Arab American News has been careful to not only reflect the community we represent, but to lead it as well. That has been a two way street. We have had a lot of help along the way, and for that we are eminently grateful.

In the final analysis, this newspaper is about hope. Hope that the American dream remains alive and well and attainable for all its citizens. Hope that nations will learn to balance self interest and communal interest to everyone’s benefit. Hope that peace and prosperity will become as global as the news business has. Hope that the generations to come will reap the benefits of our labor and not the wrath of our misdeeds.

We are hopeful because, after all, we have been allowed the freedom this last quarter-century to pursue our own dream of publishing weekly what we want to say to the world. And for that, America, we thank you.