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Attorney Helal Farhat appointed as 19th District Court Magistrate
Farhat.DEARBORN — Attorney Helal Farhat has been appointed as a part time 19th District Court Magistrate, filling a vacancy left by former magistrate Adel Harb, who last month was appointed to the 3rd Circuit Court by Governor Snyder. Farhat attended Wayne State University Law school where he obtained his Juris Doctor degree in 2002....
Muslim Americans raise $200,000 for California victims’ families
December 11th, 20150 Clayborn, a victim in the San Bernardino shooting.DETROIT — Launch-good, a Detroit based Muslim funding platform, has raised almost $200,000 this week to cover expenses of the California shooting victims’ families. In just four days, the Muslims United for San Bernardino campaign has raised close to $200,000 from more than...Wayne County Commission addresses inaccurate reports
WAYNE COUNTY -You may have read or heard some nasty things about the Wayne County Commission recently. Most of it is greatly exaggerated, distorted or entirely untrue. Inaccuracies in a few Detroit News opinion columns were repeated and reported as if they were fact. The editorials stoked the fire, which got the attention of TV and...
Community members, officials weigh in on gun debate
December 11th, 20150 Amira AyyoubDEARBORN — As small business owners, many Arab Americans carry guns for protection. However, recent mass shootings across the country have reignited the gun control debate. Over the past few years, gun violence has claimed many lives in the community. Several suicides, homicides and a murder-suicide were all carried out...Obama: Syrian refugee to resettle in Troy is an ‘inspiration’
Photo by Humans of New York.TROY — A Syrian refugee who will be resettled in Troy was welcomed by President Obama via Facebook Wednesday. "As a husband and a father, I cannot even begin to imagine the loss you have endured. You and your family are an inspiration," Obama commented on a Facebook post that had been shared more than...UM-D students urge City Council to vote on Syrian refugee resolution
A UMD student addresses City Council. DEARBORN – The Social Justice League (SJL) at the University of Michigan-Dearborn wants the City Council to pass a resolution that would welcome Syrian refugees. Members of the organization say they drafted the resolution following Governor Snyder’s controversial decision to put a halt to...More than one in 10 U.S. kids have ADHD as diagnosis rates surge
(Reuters Health) - More than 10 percent of U.S. children have been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), reflecting a surge in recent years particularly among girls and minority groups, a new study finds. Spikes in diagnoses among girls, Hispanics and older kids may be the result of better screening and...Visa Waiver Program overhaul is discriminatory and illegal
We fear discrimination in the name of national securityAt a time when America was busy denouncing Donald Trump's plan to ban Muslims from coming to the United States, Congress overwhelmingly passed a bill that restricts Arabs and Muslims' entry into the country.The bill excludes Iraqis and Syrians from the Visa Waiver Program even if...
‘He Named Me Malala’ shortlisted for Oscar, shows in Dearborn
December 11th, 20150 Panelists lead the discussion after the showing of "He Named Me Malala"DEARBORN — One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world, said Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani teenager who was shot by the Taliban at age 15 for speaking out about the need for girls’ education. “He Named Me Malala” recounts the...
Dearborn resident shouldn’t claim false discrimination
December 11th, 20150 DEARBORN — In recent weeks, residents have contacted The Arab American News to report incidents where they or someone they knew were allegedly discriminated against because they were Muslim or Arab. While reports of discrimination should never be disregarded, after a thorough investigation on our end, we’ve concluded that...Protesters highlight mixed feelings about Detroit post-bankruptcy
Shirley Lightsey talks about her experience as a pensioner affected by Detroit's bankruptcy.DETROIT — The city emerged from the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history one year ago, but not all residents think the process has been positive.A forum held Wednesday night to discuss the state of the city post-bankruptcy became a show...Syrian rebels arrive in Idlib after Homs ceasefire deal
Red Crescent units wait in Homs during a truce between the government and rebels, Dec. 9DAMASCUS — Buses carrying Syrian rebel fighters and their families safely reached the northwestern city of Idlib on Thursday after withdrawing from Homs under a local ceasefire agreement, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.The United...Imprisoned Saudi blogger goes on hunger strike
Badawi is sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashesOTTAWA — Imprisoned Saudi blogger Raif Badawi has been on a hunger strike since Tuesday, Dec. 8, after being transferred to a "new isolated" prison, his wife, Ensaf Haidar, said on Thursday.Haidar, who lives in Canada where she and their three children were granted political...House passes “discriminatory” Visa Waiver bill
Participant nations in the Visa Waiver ProgramWASHINGTON — The House passed a bill that would restrict the travel of Iraqi and Syrian nationals to the United States, even if they are natives of nations whose citizens can enter the United States without obtaining a visa.The bill, which overhauls the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), was...Muslim home in Texas vandalized twice
Plano Texas, - A message is loud and clear in a neighborhood in Plano, Texas. Islam is not welcomed. A Muslim family who just moved into the neighborhood six weeks ago has been targeted with a hate crime after rocks smashed through their windows at least two times in the last week. The family said they believe that the people......
Area leaders receive “Community Hero Awards”
Community Hero Award recipients DEARBORN— Local community leaders received awards recognizing them as "Community Heroes" at The Lava Lounge in Dearborn Heights on Monday, Dec. 7.Hosted by community activist Kimberly Ismail and presented by state Rep. George Darany (D- Dearborn), the award ceremony celebrated local business owners who...Elephant in the room: Terrorism and the U.S.-Gulf States alliance
President Obama with King Salman of Saudi Arabia.When it comes to existing discourse on efforts to counter radicalization and the subsequent extremism that arises, it appears that Western policymakers and media outlets want to address everything but the actual long-term causes. The elephant in the room being Gulf States (namely......
Everybody condemned Trump, but xenophobia runs deep
Jeanine PirroEven Dick Cheney criticized Donald Trump. The Republican presidential candidate's call to ban Muslims from entering the United States went too far, even for far right ideologues. Despite the general atmosphere of xenophobia and skepticism of immigrants, Americans from both sides of the political spectrum came out to...CAIR office evacuated after foreign substance received in mail
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Muslim advocacy group Council on American-Islamic Relations said on Thursday its Capitol Hill office was evacuated by police after a foreign substance was received in the mail. The office received an envelope containing a note that read, "Die a painful death, Muslims" and a white powder, according to CAIR staff...Sam Baydoun appointed president of Dearborn Area Board of Realtors
Sam Baydoun (L) with Gary Reggish, the President of Michigan Realtors. DEARBORN — Sam Baydoun of Century 21 Curran & Christie, is the new president of the Dearborn Area Board of Realtors, replacing Al Makled of Remax Leading Edge. The Board held it general membership meeting on Tuesday December 8, at Byblos Banquet Hall. During...California Sikh temple vandalized in suspected hate crime
The graffiti included the word Islam and a reference to ISISBUENA PARK, Calif. — Police in Southern California have opened a hate crime investigation into the vandalization of a Sikh house of worship in Orange County that was defaced with Islamaphobic and gang graffiti. The graffiti was discovered on the exterior of the Gurdwara......
KKK in Alabama recruiting to fight Islam
December 10th, 20150 KKK flyer being distributed in cullman and Decatur Alabama. ALABAMA - The KKK in Alabama is recruiting Americans "to fight the spread of Islam in our country." The Alabama chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Alabama) on Wednesday called on public officials to repudiate growing Islamophobia following reports...
Muslim Americans praise Obama’s speech, with reservations
December 10th, 20150 "ISIL does not speak for Islam."DEARBORN — ISIS is a death cult of thugs that does not speak for Islam, President Obama said in a rare Oval Office address on Sunday.The speech was in response to the San Bernardino, CA shooting that left 14 people dead. The president sent a strongly worded message in defense of the Muslim community,......
Pig’s head found outside Philadelphia mosque
PHILADELPHIA - A severed pig's head was found outside a Philadelphia mosque early Monday, and officials say it may have been thrown from a car window. The caretaker of the Al Aqsa Islamic Society found the pig's head near the front door about 6 a.m. early Monday. Surveillance video shows a red pickup truck slowing down in front of the...Muslim convenience store owner beaten in New York
NEW YORK - Cops arrested a man who attacked a Muslim store owner in Queens. The store owner, Sarker Haque, claims that suspect Piro Kolvani, 55, screamed that he would “kill Muslims” as he threw haymakers at the shop owner, but police and prosecutors have yet to charge him with committing a hate crime. Kolvani was charged with......
