DEARBORN — On Friday, Oct. 25, the Arab American Political Action Committee (AAPAC) held its 16th annual banquet at the Bint Jebail Cultural Center, hosting over 500 attendees, including officials, activists and candidates.  The event highlighted the importance of Arab voter turnout.

Just days away from local municipality races, AAPAC has distributed thousands of copies of its bilingual newsletter to Arab American homes across southeast Michigan.  This newsletter includes a list of endorsements for candidates who are running for election on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

Additionally, the organization will be handing out slates to voters on Election Day with the help of volunteers, who will be placed outside of highly concentrated Arab American precincts.

AAPAC President Mariam Bazzi.

AAPAC President Mariam Bazzi started the event with a speech that emphasized the importance of empowering women in the community. Bazzi said that AAPAC, has set a a good example, since three out of its five officers are women, along with almost half of its members. She stated that by empowering and involving more qualified women, the talent available to serve the community will double. Bazzi thanked AAPAC volunteers and urged everyone to vote on Election Day. 

AAPAC Vice President and local attorney Ali Hammoud shared with the audience the democratic endorsement process that the organization abides by when endorsing a candidate.  He explained that every member only gets one vote, and no candidate gets an endorsement without the support of two-thirds of the body.

Brian Mosallam.

This year, the Dearborn City Council race hits close to home for AAPAC, as two of its members are among the candidates in the running for the seven available seats. Susan Dabaja and Tarek Baydoun, current AAPAC members, have both been endorsed by the organization. While AAPAC proudly extended its support and endorsement for the two candidates, it stressed that the two did not receive any special treatment and were not allowed to have any influence in the endorsement process.

Along with Dabaja and Baydoun, the rest of AAPAC’s nominees were also in attendance at the event, including Dearborn City Council candidates Mike Sareini, Patrick Melton, Jane Ahern, Kristyn Taylor and Thomas Tafelski, Dearborn Heights Mayor Dan Paletko, Detroit Mayoral candidate Benny Napoleon and City of Hamtramck Mayoral candidate Abdul Ghazali  

AAPAC members and election candidates gather for a photo.

External Vice President and Wayne County Corporation Counsel Zenna Elhassan took the stage to discuss the long term benefits which the community has reaped, in forming established relationships with government and elected officials, especially in times of crisis. Elhassan went on to introduce the keynote speaker of the event, Lon Johnson, the chairperson of the Michigan Democratic Party.

In his speech, Johnson highlighted some important statistics, citing Michigan’s voter turnout. In 2010, 995,000 registered democrats did not vote during the election. He said that 21,000 of those voters were Arab American males. Johnson told the crowd that the Democratic Party needed to initiate a better line of communication with Arab Americans in Michigan, acknowledging the importance of diversity in state government as well.

“When we are not reaching out, we are not winning. We at the Party have to look ourselves in the mirror and realize that it’s our fault. We have to do a better job of also recruiting Arab American candidates, not just at city council, not just for the county, but for the state house and senate, for statewide and for congressional,” Johnson stated.

The event concluded with an awards ceremony, honoring three community members, who have each made extraordinary contributions to the community in recent years.

Assistant Wayne County Prosecutor Fadwa Alawieh presented the first award to local resident and longtime AAPAC volunteer Jackline Zaidan. Zaidan received a “Public Service Award” for her years of dedication and commitment to the community, especially on election days.  She has been known to encourage and assist local residents at the polls. 

Arab American News Publisher Osama Siblani presented the second award to Michigan State University Board of Trustees member Brian Mosallam. Mosallam also received a “Public Service Award” for becoming the highest vote-getting Arab American official, after over 1.9 million residents elected him into his position last year.

Siblani told the crowd that just one year in, Mosallam has already proven himself to the community, standing by Siblani’s side, after a controversial letter was written earlier this year by the Anti-Defamation League, urging MSU’s school of journalism to re-consider inducting Siblani into their Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame.

A surprise award was given to AAPAC President Mariam Bazzi, who for the last four years has progressively led the organization, while also fulfilling her position as a Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor. During her acceptance speech, Bazzi thanked AAPAC members and the community for their continued support to the organization.

Aside from the endorsement of candidates, AAPAC also highlighted their support for two crucial proposals, affecting local schools in the City of Dearborn. The organization is encouraging residents to vote “yes” on the SMART bond and the HFCC millage proposals, which will be placed on the back side of the election ballots. Residents who have questions on Election Day can contact AAPAC for assistance at 313.782.3660.