The Arab American News
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The Dearborn Heights hijab settlement: Positive change is possible
July 10th, 20150 The Dearborn Heights Police Department will no longer require women who wear the hijab to remove their headscarves during the booking process when they are arrested. Although this policy change is overdue— given the growing Muslim population in the city— it is a positive step that ensures that the police do not violate...
HFC president discusses new name, finances and diversity
July 9th, 20150 DEARBORN — When Dr. Stan Jensen started his tenure as the president of Henry Ford College two years ago, the school had enough cash to cover operational costs for a few months only. But the new president helped lead the school through the bleak economic times and raise its educational and administrative standards. Jensen's...
Bint Jebail Cultural Center vandalized after hosting Qazwini
July 9th, 20150 DEARBORN— The Bint Jebail Cultural Center was vandalized with graffiti-sprayed statements, relating to Sayed Hassan Qazwini, who has been hosting Ramadan evenings at the banquet hall."The Qazwini and Iraq Club," the graffiti read in Arabic on the exterior of the center. Similar statements, which also attack the center's founder, were...Former Saudi foreign minister Saud al-Faisal dies
RIYADH — Former Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal died Thursday, two Saudi sources said, two months after he was replaced following 40 years on the job.Prince Saud, who was appointed in 1975, was the world's longest serving foreign minister when he was replaced on April 29 by Adel al-Jubeir, the then ambassador to...
Humanitarian crisis in Yemen worries local Yemenis
July 9th, 20150 DEARBORN – The humanitarian crisis in Yemen is worsening. The International Red Cross warned of a "real risk" of famine in the war-torn country, as the conflict enters its fourth month. Outbreaks of disease and lack medical supply are also threatening the population. An alliance of Arab nations led by Saudi Arabia is conducting a...
Judge sentences Dr. Farid Fata to 45-years in prison
July 9th, 20150 Dr. Farid Fata has been described as a "cancer to the medical community and accused of "medical genocide." DETROIT—Judge Paul Borman sentenced Dr. Farid Fata to 45 years in prison on Friday after the oncologist tearfully begged for mercy. Fata showed no emotion when victim impact statements were read...
Dearborn Heights police implement new policy for Muslim women
July 8th, 20150 Kazan filed a lawsuit earlier this year after she was forced to remove her hijab during her arrest. DEARBORN HEIGHTS— The Police Department has announced that it will be implementing a new policy for women who wear a religious headscarf, following a lawsuit filed earlier this year by a resident who was arrested and forced to remove...
Restaurateurs find that fasting during Ramadan can be difficult
July 8th, 20150 Elhassan talked to WWJ's Zahra Huber TAYLOR–Fasting during Ramadan can be especially difficult for restaurateurs who prepare and serve food all day. While fasting, Mahmoud Elhassan, the co-owner of Peepo’s Subs and Shawarma, works over a hot stove for hours, making subs and other dishes. Sometimes...
Iraqi chef Samira Cholagh earns popularity on YouTube
July 8th, 20151 Cholagh DETROIT—Popular Iraqi American Chef Samira Cholagh’s YouTube videos have received about two million views. Cholagh, a native of Baghdad has her own cooking show on Almas Television called Cooking with Samira. She initially became known around metro Detroit as the former host of a...
Muslims determined to revitalize Detroit neighborhood
July 8th, 20150 DETROIT—Two nonprofits that were founded by Muslim Americans are bringing a Detroit neighborhood back to life. The nonprofits, Neighborly Needs and Indus Community Action Network are working on the Dream of Detroit Project together.The Dream of Detroit Project started on Waverly Street. To date three of five...South Carolina Senate votes to banish Confederate flag to museum
South Carolina's Senate passed legislation Tuesday to remove the Confederate battle flag from the state capitol's grounds, where it has flown for five decades despite being viewed by many as a symbol of slavery.A bill to banish the flag from the State House grounds to a museum easily passed a third and final 36-3 vote in the Senate. It...Red Cross: Real risk of famine in Yemen
Conflict-ridden Yemen, where more than 3,000 people have been killed and one million displaced since war broke out in March, is at risk of famine, aid chiefs said on Tuesday, the day after the conflict's highest one-day death toll was recorded.The situation is "clearly deteriorating by the day," said Antoine Grand, head of the...Muslim organizations raise money for burned Black churches
Eight Black churches have been set on fire by arsonists and burned down since the Charleston shootings at a historic Black church, Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, which is the oldest AME church in the South. A group of Muslim charities has vowed to help the congregants rebuild their houses of worship.The network of Muslim...
Dave Abdallah runs for Dearborn Heights City Council
July 6th, 20150 Abdallah.DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Dearborn Heights resident and real estate agent Wassim “Dave” Abdallah announced his candidacy for Dearborn Heights City Council this week. The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Abdallah has been a Dearborn Heights resident for 15 years and has worked in the city even longer....
Arab Americans divided over gay marriage
July 3rd, 20151 DEARBORN — The Supreme Court has dubbed marriage a fundamental constitutional right that states cannot deny to gays and lesbians. Same-sex marriage has been a contentious issue on the national agenda for decades. Despite the conservative leanings of the Arab American community and the floods of anti-gay comments that followed......
The Iran nuclear deal is brewing, Saudi Arabia is boiling
July 3rd, 20150 The nuclear deal with Iran "reached on all key aspects," Russia's foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday. The statement snuffed out speculations about the failure of the negotiations, as the June 30 deadline passed without white smoke rising. The week-extension to the deadline seems negligible compared to 20 months of...If you don’t like it, call your representative
After the Dearborn City Council approved the first reading of an ordinance to ban smoking at parks, hundreds of social media users expressed outrage at the decision, saying that it targets Arab Americans hookah smokers. But how many of those Facebook activists have called a council member to convey their feelings? Not many.Lack of......
ISIS clashes with Egyptian army in Sinai, more than 100 dead
CAIRO — Egypt's army said on Wednesday that more than 100 militants and 17 soldiers were killed after simultaneous assaults on military checkpoints in North Sinai, in the deadliest fighting in years in the restive province. After a day of fighting, which involved F-16 jets and Apache helicopters, the army said it would not stop its...Is Dearborn shunning its Arabs?
Who is hurt by some Arabs sitting in their garages, passing the time? Some White residents of Dearborn might not understand that our mothers and wives turn our houses into museums, prohibiting us from bring our friends inside. It doesn’t matter whether or not we men own the house. See, you don’t have to believe Fox...Red Cross: Civilians in Aden struggling to survive
GENEVA — Civilians struggling to survive street battles and Saudi-led air strikes in Yemen's southern port city of Aden are also facing shrinking supplies of food and fuel, a senior official from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said.Hunger and disease are threatening the 1 million residents of Aden, now a war zone...Kuwait arrests two police officers in crackdown on militants
KUWAIT CITY — Kuwait arrested two police officers in a security crackdown on Islamist militants launched after last week's deadly bombing of a mosque claimed by "Islamic State", newspapers reported on Wednesday.The attack by a suicide bomber on Friday killed 27 people and injured more than 200, prompting the government......
Dubai plans to build 3-D printed office building
DUBAI — Fast-growing Dubai, where something new is always being added to the skyline, may have found a way to make construction move even faster.The Gulf commercial hub Tuesday announced plans to add the world’s first office building made using three-dimensional printer technology to its collection of eye-catching...Morocco breaks up militant cell linked to ISIS
RABAT — Morocco said Thursday security forces had dismantled a terrorist militant cell affiliated to ISIS, including members with knowledge in handling weapons and explosives.North African governments are on high alert after last Friday’s rampage by a gunman at a Tunisian beach resort attack.The Moroccan group of nine......
Iraq’s Christians train to recapture homes
BAGHDAD — With wooden crosses around their necks and others tattooed on their arms, several dozen Iraqi Christians are training to recapture their homes overrun by ISIS militants.A year ago, ISIS launched a fierce offensive in northern Iraq, quickly capturing second city Mosul with its large Christian minority, and...Four arrested in unarmed Dearborn bank robbery
DEARBORN— On June 30 at about 1:30 p.m., an unarmed robbery occurred at a bus stop near Michigan and Gulley. The victim, a 27 year-old Dearborn man, told police that he was at the bus stop when he was approached by two young males. One of the men asked the victim if he could use his cell phone. The victim......
