The Arab American News
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Bahraini activist sentenced to six months over a tweet
Nabeel Rajab, president of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, pauses during a conference at the Swiss Press Club in Geneva June 18, 2014.MANAMA — Prominent Bahraini activist Nabeel Rajab was sentenced to six months in prison for a tweet posted last year, which was considered insulting to the Gulf Kingdom’s Ministries of Interior...
Egyptian court frees Mubarak’s sons
January 23rd, 20150 Gamal Mubarak, son of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, reacts inside a cage in a courtroom at the police academy in Cairo May 21, 2014.CAIRO — An Egyptian court ordered the release of the sons of ousted president Hosni Mubarak on Thursday pending a retrial, their lawyer said, as rare protests erupted days before the...
Freedom of speech stutters when it comes to Israel
January 23rd, 20150 Freedom of speech is a prerequisite to all political rights in a democracy. Without it, "we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter," as George Washington once said. The terrorist attacks on the Charlie Hebdo office in Paris on Jan. 5 sparked countless statements in defense of freedom of speech, no matter how controversial or offensive...
Dearborn Fire Department looking to attract Arab Americans
January 23rd, 20150 DEARBORN — The Dearborn fire chief and city officials are trying to encourage Arab youths to pursue a career as firefighters to increase the diversity of the department and help it better connect with the Arab community. "In any public service department you want people representative of the community," Chief Joseph Murray...
Secretary of state promotes community service to waive driving fines
January 23rd, 20150 DETROIT — About 168,000 people could perform community service instead of paying hundreds of dollars for some driver responsibility fees, which are driving fines issued by law enforcement. The move benefits both drivers and the agencies that serve Michigan communities around the state, Secretary of State Ruth Johnson said at the...
State of the State: Gov. Snyder describes a ‘river of opportunity.’
January 23rd, 20150 LANSING — Michigan will create an environment in which all residents can succeed, regardless of their stage in life, through a strategic realignment of government services and unparalleled public-private collaboration, Gov. Snyder said during his fifth State of the State address Jan. 20. The governor outlined his vision for focusing...Saudi prince: U.S. should stop Syria, not ISIS
DAVOS — U.S. policymakers should concentrate on eliminating the threat posed by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad instead of "Islamic State" militants in Iraq and Syria, according to an influential member of the Saudi Arabian royal family. Prince Turki bin Faisal Al Saud told CNBC at the World Economic Forum in Davos that the reason...Iraqi PM warns low oil prices could hurt fight against terror
LONDON — Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Thursday he feared lower revenues from falling global oil prices could hurt his country's military campaign against "Islamic State." Speaking after attending a meeting of members of the U.S.-led coalition against "Islamic State" in London, Abadi said allies could help by potentially...Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi resigns
SANAA — Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi resigned on Thursday, a government source said.Just before, Prime Minister Khaled Baha offered his government's resignation to Hadi, saying it did not want to be dragged into "an unconstructive political maze".This was an apparent reference to a stand-off between Hadi and...
Customers, business owners weigh in on low gas prices
January 16th, 20150 DETROIT — A barrel of crude oil was $115 in June of 2014. Seven months later, it is selling for less than $50. The sharp dip in price meant relief to oil-consuming nations like China and the United States and agony to economies reliant on gas sales, including Russia and Iran. But regardless of politics, customers are loving...
Dearborn Police collaborate with neighboring agencies as part of “Operation Blue Light” initiative
January 16th, 20150 U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade stresses the importance of law enforcement agency collaboration.DEARBORN — On Tuesday, Jan. 13, the Dearborn Police Department held a press conference with multiple law enforcement agencies at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center to share details of their "Operation Blue Light II"...
Gov. Snyder signs road funding legislation
January 16th, 20150 Gov. Snyder holds up a piece of concrete that fell from a bridge in Michigan after signing the road funding bill.LANSING — Gov. Rick Snyder has signed legislation that will restore Michigan’s crumbling roads and bridges, in part by ensuring taxes paid by consumers at the gas pump are dedicated to that purpose. The initiative, which...
Census Bureau tests new MENA category
January 16th, 20150 DEARBORN — U.S. Census Bureau has decided to initiate plans to test a new classification for persons from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region for possible inclusion in the 2020 Census. The bureau is receiving feedback on the category. Inclusion on the Census has been a major Arab American issue for the past two...
West Bloomfield officials accused of racism against Chaldeans
January 16th, 20150 WEST BLOOMFIELD — Members of the West Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees are accused of making racist remarks about Chaldean Americans. Board members were confronted about the allegations at a meeting held at the West Bloomfield Township Hall, 4550 Walnut Lake Road, on Monday. “There have been allegations that a...
Duggan reaches out to the Arab community at the Islamic House of Wisdom
January 16th, 20150 (L-R) School administrator Nawal Hamade; State Sen. David Knezek; AACC executive director Fay Baydoun; Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan; Imam Mohamad Ali Elahi, and Dearborn Mayor Jack O'Reilly Jr. among others, pose for a group photo at the Islamic House of Wisdom, Jan. 9.DEARBORN HEIGHTS — In a town hall meeting at the Islamic House of......
Three new Dearborn Public Schools trustees begin their terms
January 16th, 20150 DEARBORN — On Monday night, Dearborn Public Schools welcomed three new trustees and three new administrators during its first Board of Education meeting of 2015. The new trustees, Mary Petlichkoff, Michael Meade and Mariam Bazzi, were sworn in before the meeting by Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Timothy Kenny. Community...
NAIAS opens this week
January 16th, 20150 DETROIT — The 2015 North American International Auto Show will open up to the public at Cobo Center on Saturday, Jan. 17 and close Sunday, Jan. 25. There will be more than 500 vehicles on display, representing the most innovative designs in the world. The NAIAS is North America’s largest and most prestigious automotive showcase.......
Homeland Security Deputy Jaafar continues to serve county under new administration
January 16th, 20150 Homeland Security Deputy Samer Jaafar accepts an award presented to him by Wayne County Commissioner Diane Webb.DEARBORN — Samer Jaafar, the deputy director of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) at Wayne County, said he is honored and humbled for the opportunity to work with new Wayne County Executive Warren...
Bob Bashara sentenced to life in prison
January 16th, 20150 DETROIT — Bob Bashara. was sentenced to life in prison on Thursday for the murder of his wife, Jane. Bashara was sentenced by Judge Vonda Evans after making statements in court denying his guilt and vowing to appeal his conviction. Bashara was found guilty of five different charges on Dec. 18. They include: homicide-murder...U.S. appeals court hears case on NYC police surveillance of Muslims
PHILADELPHIA — Civil rights groups asked a panel of federal judges on Tuesday to overturn a lower court's ruling that there was nothing harmful in New York City police conducting surveillance on Muslims in neighboring New Jersey without suspicion of a crime. The hearing came days after the deadly attacks in Paris by Islamist gunmen,...Obama seeks enhanced cybersecurity following Twitter hack
WASHINGTON — President Obama sent a bill to Congress on Tuesday to strengthen U.S. cybersecurity laws to protect government, businesses and consumers while protecting privacy, after recent hacking attacks against Sony Picture, Home Depot Inc, Target Corp and on Monday the federal government itself on Twitter. "We've got to stay......
White House to curb methane emissions from oil, gas production
WASHINGTON — President Obama’s administration unveiled rules on Wednesday to slash methane emissions from oil and gas production by up to 45 percent from 2012 levels by 2025, its latest move to solidify the Democratic president's credentials on climate change. The Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Interior proposed...On Black-Palestinian solidarity: Can we dream together?
Activist Steven Pargett and rapper Tef Poe in Dheisheh Refugee Camp near Bethlehem.This week, a delegation of African-American activists returned from a 10-day trip to Palestine. Black organizers, artists, and journalists from organizations including the Florida-based Dream Defenders, Chicago’s Black Youth Project, and Ferguson’s......
The Saudi hypocrisy
Then President George W. Bush and then Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al Saud walk amid the blue bonnets of Crawford, TX in 2005.On Wednesday, Jan. 7, Saudi Arabia denounced the attacks on the satirical French magazine Charlie Hebdo as a "cowardly terrorist act." Two days later, the kingdom flogged liberal blogger...Lebanese army thwarts series of terrorist plots
A bombing targeted a cafe in a predominantly Alawite neighbourhood in Lebanon's second city, Jan 10.BEIRUT — The Lebanese army foiled a series terror plots Thursday, announcing the arrest of a cell planning a number of suicide attacks in the country and dismantling a car packed with explosives in northeastern Lebanon. Interior......