The Arab American News
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TSA chief vows to close security gaps at U.S. airports
WASHINGTON — The new leader of the Transportation Security Administration said on Wednesday his top priority would be to close security gaps at airport checkpoints where an internal report showed 96 percent of undercover tests failed. Peter Neffenger, the agency's new administrator, told a congressional panel that front-line TSA...Greater cooperation needed between police and businesses in Detroit
Excessive ticketing of gas stations and liquor stores owners continues to be a problem in Detroit. Once again, business owners are receiving multiple tickets for not having the proper licenses, missing invoices and other suspected violations. Sometimes the owners get several tickets for the same offense while in the processes of...
Women in the Niqab share experiences and struggles
July 30th, 20150 The Niqab has sparked controversy in a number of stories and events, including one about a Muslim woman in Canada who was not allowed to take her oath of citizenship because she wore the Niqab. In France, it was banned— along with a number of other face covering gear, such as balaclavas, helmets, and masks— in public places where,...
Group seeks families to host exchange students from the Middle East
July 30th, 20150 D EARBORN – Youth For Understanding (YFU), a non-profit organization that assists in bringing foreign exchange students into the country, is looking for hosting families who would be able to provide a home for three students during their stay. YFU works with the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study Program, a scholarship program...Anti-Gulf bigotry is inexcusable
Intra-Arab bigotry is a known matter. The Lebanese don't like Iraqis. The Iraqis think they are better than Yemenis. Yemenis think all Lebanese are condescending bigots. The clash of national identities is a tragedy in our community, especially since anti-Arab xenophobia does not differentiate in its hatred for us. Moreover, because...Florida gun store sued after declaring itself ‘Muslim-free’
ORLANDO, FLA — A Florida gun store that proclaimed itself a Muslim-free zone was sued on Wednesday, July 29, in federal court by the state chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations on the grounds that the restriction is discriminatory. The lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court in Fort Lauderdale accuses Florida Gun...
Israeli diplomat: majority of American Jews support Iran nuclear deal
July 30th, 20150 Alon PinkasDETROIT — According to Alon Pinkas, the former Consul General of Israel in New York, American Jews are more in favor of the Iran nuclear deal than the general American public. A telephone poll of 501 respondents conducted by the LA Jewish Journal found that 49 percent of American Jews favor the deal, while 31 percent...
‘Harley Hijabi’ stirs social media discussion
July 30th, 20151 DEARBORN — On Monday, July 27, The Arab American News published a photo on its Facebook page capturing a Muslim woman in a headscarf riding a motorcycle on Ford Road in east Dearborn. A reader who had stopped at a traffic light with the Muslim biker sent the photo to the newspaper. It was taken at an angle that did not reveal...
Israeli media: Drone strike targeted Samir Kuntar in Syria
July 30th, 20150 Samir Kuntar in Beirut, 2008 (AP)Several Israeli media outlets have reported that a drone strike on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights targeted Samir Kuntar, a former Lebanese guerrilla fighter who spent 29 years in Israeli prison before being released in a prisoner exchange in 2008.Kuntar, 53, was apprehended at age 16 while carrying...
Land swap deal approved by Detroit City Council
July 30th, 20150 DETROIT—On Tuesday, the Detroit City Council approved a controversial deal between the city and billionaire Manual “Matty” Moroun. The land swap deal would not only provide land for Moroun to build a second span adjacent to the Ambassador Bridge, which he owns, but also $3 million that would be...
Grand Rapids man arrested for smuggling guns to Lebanon
July 30th, 20150 GRAND RAPIDS— A Grand Rapids man faces federal charges for allegedly smuggling guns from the United States to Lebanon.Gilbert Oscar Elian, a Lebanese man who became a naturalized U.S. citizen, was in federal court in Grand Rapids on Tuesday, July 28.Federal authorities allege the 54-year-old used the import/export business he owns to...
Court of Appeals to consider case of Arabs’ bank accounts’ closure
July 30th, 20153 Huntington Bank in DearbornDEARBORN — The U.S. Sixth Court of Appeals reversed the decision of the federal District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan to dismiss a lawsuit against Huntington Bank for allegedly discriminating against Arab Americans by closing their accounts. The lawsuit was filed in Detroit in July 2013...
I was barred from entering my homeland
July 29th, 20150 I waited more than seven hours and endured six different interrogations; and this is the conversation (from memory) that barred me from entering my homeland on the grounds that I was uncooperative. It was with an extremely unpleasant woman in uniform, red hair and massive amounts of makeup (for some reason, that's relevant). Keep...Iraqi militia leader says U.S. not serious about fighting ISIS
Qais al-KhazaliBAGHDAD - The head of one of Iraq's fiercest Shi'a militias called the U.S.-led coalition's campaign against ISIS ineffective and accused Washington of lacking the will to uproot extremists controlling large swathes of Iraq and Syria.Qais al-Khazali, leader of Iranian-backed paramilitary group Asaib Ahl al-Haq, said the...Community garden contributing to recovery process for adults with mental illness
DEARBORN—ACCESS Hope House members and ACCESS youth volunteers toiled in the soil this spring to plant the center’s first community garden. Hope House members, adults with a history of mental illness, worked together with the youth to dig up the ground near the front corner of the Hope House......
Muslim man accused of trying to establish campground to train terrorists
July 28th, 20150 SalhaDETROIT—Nayef Salha, a Dearborn resident was denied a permit to establish a campground in northern Michigan after neighbors accused him of trying to use it to train terrorists. Salha, a father of seven said all he wanted to do was build a secular peaceful summer youth camp in Michigan. Salha was shocked by the accusations....
Registered voters encouraged to cast ballots in Aug. 4 elections
July 28th, 20150 LANSING—All eligible voters are encouraged to cast their ballots in local elections on Tuesday, Aug. 4. According to Secretary of State Ruth Johnson 46 counties in Michigan are holding elections. “Because many of these elections are for schools, townships and cities, everyone’s vote is essential,”......
Another ceasefire fails in Yemen
A child injured in a Saudi-led air strike in Sanaa, July 25 (Reuters) SANAA - Yemen's Houthi group carried on fighting across Yemen on Monday despite a ceasefire announcement by its Saudi-led foes, and media controlled by the Iran-allied movement acknowledged that its forces had shelled targets inside Saudi Arabia.The violence prolongs...
Muslim group offers condolences to families of Chattanooga victims
July 27th, 20150 DETROIT—The Michigan Muslim Community Council (MMCC) stands with other American Muslim organizations across the country in condemning the attack and offering prayers and condolences to the families of the Chattanooga shooting victims. “Our hearts go out to the loved ones who are...
Yemeni businessman competes in Hamtramck City Council race
July 27th, 20150 AlsomiriHAMTRAMCK— Mohamed Alsomiri, a Yemeni American, is one of nine candidates competing in the race for Hamtramck City Council. He is also one of two Yemeni American candidates. The other is Saad Almasmari. The primary election will take place on Tuesday, Aug. 4. Only six candidates will compete in...Obama dines with Kenyan family after arriving in father’s homeland
Obama with his half sister Auma Obama U.S. President Barack Obama dined with his step grandmother, his sister and other extended family members after arriving in Kenya for his first presidential visit to his father's homeland on Friday. Obama's plane, Air Force One, landed in the evening in the......
WSJ: White House to release Israeli spy Pollard
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is preparing to release Jonathan Pollard, a U.S. Navy intelligence officer convicted of spying for Israel, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing U.S. officials.The release would end a decades-long fight between Israel and the United States over Pollard, 60, who was convicted of...
Attorney Zeina S. Djurovski joins Gary Peter’s staff
July 23rd, 20150 DjurovskiDETROIT— Zeina S. Djurovski, an attorney at the law office of Ayad and Associates and a board member of the Arab American Civil Rights League, recently accepted a position as constituent services representative with United States Senator Gary Peters’ (D- Mich.) office. Djurovski is a graduate of......
Local experts share thoughts on Iran nuclear agreement
July 23rd, 20150 Imam Mohammad Ali Elahi with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Local experts on the Middle East agree that the historic agreement reached between world powers and Iran over its nuclear program both prevents Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and opens doors for cooperation between the United States and...
Yemeni businessman competes in Hamtramck City Council race
July 23rd, 20150 HAMTRAMCK — Mohamed Alsomiri, a Yemeni American, is one of nine candidates competing in the race for Hamtramck City Council. He is also one of two Yemeni American candidates. The other is Saad Almasmari. The primary election will take place on Tuesday, Aug. 4. Only six candidates will compete in the general election this November for......
