The Arab American News staff during our 30th anniversary celebration

The Arab American News was established 31 years ago, on Sept. 7, 1984. Since then, it has grown from an idea to become a destination for tens of thousands of readers, journalists and politicians seeking the news of Arab America.

The newspaper has matched the growth and successes of the Arab community. We have won awards, broken stories that went national, spoken for our readers, stood for civil rights and combated bigotry.

But despite the triumphs, this anniversary coincides with sad times for our country, community and homelands. 

In America, racism and bigotry are gaining momentum and becoming more accepted, which runs against the natural course of history. It has become permissible to express hatred against people, based on their religious beliefs and national origins. Politicians, including presidential candidates, have gotten away with attacking minorities, particularly Arabs and Muslims.

Even in our own backyard, fellow Michiganders in Sterling Heights are protesting against our fundamental Constitutional right to build a house of worship.

Arab Americans are being harassed at the borders and airports without justification. Some community members have even been unfairly deprived of their right to travel after being placed on the No Fly list. Our bank accounts are being closed for no reason. Federal authorities are cracking down on Arab American activists across the country.

In Southeast Michigan, Arab Americans have achieved a respectable status in the worlds of business and politics and earned the region’s respect. However, not all is good in our community. Over the past two years, we have endured six reported suicides and two murders by Arabs in Dearborn and Dearborn Heights.

And some community members refuse to acknowledge this grave matter and attack the newspaper for reporting on it.

As for the Arab world, the people are suffering immeasurably. 

Humanity was shaken this week by the image of a Syrian child, lying face down on the shores of Turkey, after his boat was capsized en route to Greece. Aylan Kurdi, the late refugee, is one of thousands of Syrians who have drowned in the Mediterranean while trying to reach Europe. Arabs are escaping war to more suffering.

ISIS, one of history’s most brutal and immoral gangs, now rules over large swaths of territory in Iraq and Syria, as the civil wars in both countries seem to be a long term reality. Palestine is being chewed up by the Israeli colonizers, as the world watches without objection. Yemen is being bombed without mercy by its Arab neighbors, while its own people fight a vicious civil war on the ground. Egypt, which returned to military dictatorship, is also suffering ISIS’ terror. The terrorists have gained a foothold in Libya, which is now “governed” by two governments and countless warlords.

The newspaper will continue to report the joy without ignoring the agony. The pain is severe now.

Our past three decades have not been easy, either. We will continue to rise to the occasion and seek the truth. We will stand with our readers and support the aspirations of the Arab masses, like we always have.

The Arab American News will continue to advocate for our common cause, write our community’s success stories and point out the shortcomings.

On our 31st anniversary, we would like to convey our gratitude for everyone who has stood by us.

We thank, first and foremost, our readers, who have given us a reason to thrive for more than three decades. We also thank our advertisers, who have allowed us to circulate our publication and improve it while remaining editorially independent. Our hope is that our readers will return their generosity in kind, by supporting their businesses. And finally, we extend our appreciation to our current and former staff, whose dedication to the profession has been the driving force behind our success.

We look forward to our 31st year with hope and the desire to do all we can to improve our community, country and the world. 

Thank you for being a part of our ongoing journey.