DEARBORN — Mother’s Day comes early each year in the Arab
World (March 21) and this year, it came even earlier for Rehab Amer at the Arab
Student Union of the University of Michigan-Dearborn’s 6th Annual
“Empowering the Youth” banquet.

The Amer family is reunited in Dearborn; from left are Hussein, Rehab, Mohammed Ali (who was taken by foster services) and Ahmed.

The event, titled “Tribute to the Amer Family,”
stirred strong emotions from the sell-out crowd at Bint Jebail Banquet Hall in
Dearborn on Friday, March 18 with a personal interview and documentary of Rehab
Amer and her family’s struggle after losing three children to the state’s
foster care system.

The sadness of hearing the Amer’s tale of heartbreak in
Rehab’s own words gave way to joy as one of those children, son Mohammed Ali,
surprised everyone, walking through the entrance of the main dining room
bearing flowers along with his brother Hussein, the one child to grow up with
his biological family.

Later, the three posed along with Ahmed Amer, the father of
the family, together again for the first time in more than a year.

“Ever has it been that love knows not its own depth
until the hour of separation,” said ASU Vice President Khalil Dabaja,
quoting the great Lebanese poet Khalil Gibran at the podium.

“My son Mohammed Ali, this is all your family right
here,” said Ahmed Amer before his wife Rehab spoke.

“Thank you so much…all praises go to God the
Almighty, the most merciful…the cries of Samier were heard…no more
cries,” she said before trailing off due to the gravity of the moment.

President Mahde Abdallah addresses a packed house at the Bint Jebail Cultural Center during the “Empowering the Youth” banquet.

Mohammed Ali, who now goes by the name Adam Stamper after
being raised by a Christian family in a foster home apart from his original
Muslim heritage, was one of three children taken away from Rehab Amer by the
state after she was accused of killing her son Samier, who suffered from a
brittle bone disease and died from injuries suffered in a bathtub fall. Rehab
Amer was unable to get her kids back and shockingly had one, Zinabe, taken
almost immediately after being born and after she was acquitted.

But, as highlighted in the ASU’s documentary, Rehab Amer was
able to turn tragedy into a positive for families across Michigan as she and
her family saw the “Amer Act” signed into law in December 2010,
allowing for children to be placed with relatives if possible and for special consideration
to be given in regards to religion and culture.

Nabih Ayad, a Canton-based lawyer who filed a civil suit on
behalf of the Amers against a Royal Oak foster home in their case and four
others, spoke about the injustices of the situation, as did Congress of Arab
American Organizations Spokesman Osama Siblani, who originally helped raise
funds to aid the Amer’s in their struggle to fight for justice.

“We did not slow down, we kept fighting, but guess
what, the people who deserve the credit today are Rehab and Ahmed Amer.

“Tonight we will go home, thank you Mohammed Ali for
coming, thank you habibi, we don’t care if you are a Christian or a Muslim, we
love you, you are our son and we love you,” he said while praising the ASU
for putting together the event.

“We still have two daughters out and we will never rest
until we bring them home, so are you with us?” he asked, as the crowd
shouted in approval.

Former State Rep. Gino Polidori (D-Dearborn) also spoke,
recounting his experiences in attempting to pass the bill. He said it took
great persistence, especially from the Amer family, who visited him every month
to hear updates over several years.

“I saw many of you had tears in your eyes and I did
too, because I didn’t forget this case,” he said.

The Arab Student Union also showed a video highlighting the
year’s accomplishments and experiences which included packing food for the
needy on Thanksgiving, inviting renowned author Norman Finkelstein for a talk
on the siege against Palestine, and leading a protest in response to longtime
White House correspondent Helen Thomas being stripped of her Spirit of
Diversity Award by Wayne State University because of her remarks saying that
“Zionists control Congress, Wall Street, and Hollywood” at an event
in Dearborn.

The first-ever Helen Thomas Lifetime Achievement Award was
given to Thomas, who was unable to attend the event.

Other awards went to Ali Sayed, the founder of Hype
Athletics, for the Empowering the Youth award; Ali Ashkar of  Print Xpress and also Dr. Kassem Charara
of Oakwood Hospital for Patron of the Year; and Wayne County Assistant
Prosecutor and Arab American Political Action Committee co-founder Abed
Hammoud, for the Community Service Award. Proceeds from the dinner were
expected to go to the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee’s Michigan
office.

ASU President Mahde Abdallah said that keeping the secret of
Mohammed Ali’s appearance was difficult but well worth it in the end.

“Keeping the secret was hard but this year it was the
perfect surprise, especially with Mother’s Day in the Middle East so close to
the date of the event.”

 ASU Director of
Political Action, Rashid Baydoun thanked, the Amers for their two-decades plus
struggle as well.

“The Amer’s great accomplishment will be recorded both
in American history and our Arab American history,” he said.

“The Amers could have easily retreated into bitterness
but instead they took their tragedy and turned it into a positive act to
protect the rest of Michigan’s children.”