The Arab American News
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Syria frees thousands, jails prominent dissident
DAMASCUS — Syria has freed around 11,000 detainees since President Bashar al-Assad declared a general amnesty in June, the country's National Reconciliation Minister Ali Haidar said.But authorities jailed Thursday a veteran dissident, arrested a day earlier as he tried to leave the country to visit his family abroad, his lawyer...Barghouthi placed in solitary confinement after calling for armed resistance
RAMALLAH — The Israeli Prison Service on Wednesday moved jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouthi to solitary confinement in Hadareim prison, a day after he sent a widely-published letter from prison calling for armed resistance against the Israeli occupation, a rights group said.In a statement, the Palestinian Prisoner's Society said...
Arab woman files suit against Advance America, says she was denied services because of religious headscarf
November 13th, 20140 INKSTER—A local Arab American woman is suing Advance America for discrimination. Raghdaa Ali was denied services at the Advance America location in Inkster because she was wearing the hijab, a traditional headscarf worn by Muslim women. On Wednesday the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee of...Odeh’s conviction a racist attack on Arab Americans
Palestinian activist Rasmea Odeh was found guilty of unlawful procurement of citizenship on Monday. Her trial was a farce orchestrated by a biased judge and the charges against her had nothing to do with the rule of law. Prosecuting Odeh was a slap in the face to the Arab American community and anybody who stands for Palestinian...
Odeh found guilty of unlawful procurement of citizenship, defense to appeal
November 10th, 20140 DETROIT — A federal jury found Palestinian American activist Rasmea Odeh guilty of unlawful procurement of citizenship. After the verdict was announced on Monday, U.S. District Judge Gershwin A. Drain revoked Odeh's bond, and she was detained immediately by federal marshals. Odeh, 67, is accused of lying on...Detroit gas station clerk murdered
DETROIT — Detroit police are still searching for the armed gunman who shot and killed gas station clerk Mohamed Zokari after 6 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 4.The shooting occurred shortly after Zokari started his shift. About an hour later, his body was discovered by a customer who entered the store.Zokari had a permit to carry a concealed...
Arsons target Arab homes in Dearborn Heights, police claim incidents not racially motivated
November 7th, 20140 A Bazzi family was awakened to a firebomb in Dearborn Heights, October 22.DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Residents are on edge this week after the third arson and home invasion incident since July targeted yet another Arab American household.Two of the incidents occurred just days apart and both of those families' last names are Bazzi, although...Local and state election results
Below are the results for this year's local and state elections.MICHIGAN GOVERNOR (R) Rick Snyder…1,598,922…51%(D)Mark Schauer…1,469,375…47%(L)Mary Buzuma…35,574…1%(UST) Mark McFarlin…19,177…1%(G)Paul Homeniuk…14,893…0%U.S. SENATE (D) Gary Peters…1,693,781…55%(R) Terri Lynn Land…1,283,850…41%(L) Jim...
Education top priority for Dearborn voters
November 7th, 20140 DEARBORN — Several voters surveyed by The Arab American News at precincts throughout Dearborn in Tuesday's midterm elections said education is the number one issue that brought them to the polls. The elections included races for governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representative, state legislature and county executive. However,...
Mariam Bazzi wins first place in School Board
November 7th, 20140 Bazzi and AAPAC volunteers meet before election day.DEARBORN — The Arab American community celebrated a triumph on election night after voting results revealed that candidate Mariam Bazzi had landed in first place in her bid for a seat on Dearborn's School Board. The race, which had three open seats out of a seven member body,...
Judge Mark Somers re-elected in heated race
November 7th, 20140 Somers.DEARBORN — 19th District Court Judge Mark Somers emerged victorious in his re-election bid against opponent Tony Guerriero, in what was— by far— the most heated and heavily debated race in the city. Somers and his supporters were on the edge of their seats all evening long at La Pita, where his campaign staff unwound...
Senator-elect Peters: We want to increase minimum wage
November 7th, 20140 DETROIT — In a post-election rally held at the at the MGM Grand Hotel on Tuesday, the Michigan Democratic Party celebrated Democratic Rep. Gary Peters’ win over Republican former Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by the retiring Democratic Sen. Carl Levin.Peters defeated Land by 13 percentage...
Victorious Snyder: It is time to get more done
November 7th, 20140 Snyder gives his acceptance speech in Detroit. Photo: Natasha DadoDETROIT — Addressing supporters after winning reelection, Gov. Rick Snyder touted his administration’s work throughout his first term and stressed this is only the beginning of what it will accomplish. “When you have success like this, what is the...
ADC-MI brings back ‘Judges Night Gala’, keynote speaker Mike Duggan honored
November 7th, 20140 ADC-MI Director Abdrabboh with Attorney Petter Hammer..DEARBORN — Following an interval in 2013, the American Arab Anti Discrimination Committee of Michigan (ADC-MI) held its 12th annual Judges Night gala on Thursday October 30. Dozens of dignitaries, activists and community leaders attended the event.Held at Byblos Banquets in...Obama to seek authority from Congress for “Islamic State” fight
WASHINGTON — President Obama said on Wednesday he would seek fresh authorization from Congress in the next few weeks for the U.S. military campaign against Islamic State militants, taking a new approach to congressional backing for the fight.Obama made the announcement at a news conference after his Democratic Party suffered big......
Political prophecies: Sealing the fate of al-Aqsa
Israel's decision to shut down al-Aqsa Mosque on Oct. 30 is not just a gross violation of the religious rights of Palestinian Muslims.In fact, the rights of Palestinian Muslims and Christians have been routinely violated under the Israeli occupation for decades, especially in Jerusalem, and more recently in Gaza. During the 51-day war...Lessons learned this election: Vote based on qualifications, not ethnicity
While Tuesday's election results brought bad news for Democrats both across the state and nationwide, they brought a mixed bag for the Arab community in Dearborn and Dearborn Heights. The resounding victory of Mariam Bazzi who came in first in a field of 11 candidates for the Dearborn School Board, with a total of 9,038 votes,......
Sectarian attack kills eight Shi’a in Saudi Arabia
RIYADH — On Monday, militants attacked a Shi'a Muslim village in Saudi Arabia and left eight people dead. By Wednesday, grief among the villagers was mixed with anger about a culture of sectarianism they say paved the way for the shooting.With civil wars in Iraq and Syria now being fought along mainly sectarian lines, Saudi Arabia's...Nasrallah warns Israel against war in Lebanon, backs Aoun for presidency
Nasrallah.BEIRUT — Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah rejected “Israel’s threats of war on Lebanon,” saying it is fully prepared to defend the country, while an Israeli MP said in the event of war the Israeli army would return Lebanon “to the Stone Age.”Addressing a mass gathering of Lebanese Shi'a celebrating the...Palestinian van attack kills Israeli policeman
JERUSALEM — A Palestinian driver rammed a van into several pedestrians in Jerusalem, killing a policeman, hours after clashes at the city's holiest site.At least 13 people were injured in the attack on Wednesday. The driver was shot dead.Hamas militants said they carried out the attack. Israel's prime minister said it was a result of...ICC will not prosecute Israel for Gaza flotilla raid
THE HAGUE — The International Criminal Court will not prosecute over Israel's raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla in 2010 in which 10 Turkish activists died, despite a "reasonable basis to believe that war crimes were committed."Chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said that there would be no investigation leading to a potential prosecution......
Report: Obama sends letter to Khaminei seeking help in fight against “Islamic State”
Secretary of State Kerry (R) meets with Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif.WASHINGTON — President Obama has secretly written a letter to Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, urging progress on nuclear talks and stressing common interest in fighting the "Islamic State" (IS), the Wall Street Journal says.Obama sent the letter to...Bombs kill four in Cairo
Egyptian mourners carry the coffin of Ahmed Kamal, one of the two policemen who were killed in a bomb attack, during his funeral on Nov. 6.CAIRO — A bomb blast aboard a train north of Cairo killed four people, including two policemen, and wounded nine, officials said Thursday it was the latest attack by suspected militants battling......
UM-D students express mixed feelings about elections
November 7th, 20140 Historically, midterm elections have a lower turnout than presidential elections. And young people don’t always go to the polls. On Monday, The Arab American News asked students at the University of Michigan-Dearborn if they intended to vote in any of the races, including governor, representatives in the U.S. Senate and House...Five new Michigan faces in Congress
DETROIT — Five new faces, including two women, will represent Michigan in the U.S. House of representative starting Jan. 3.The retirement of the Dean of the House of Representatives, John Dingell (D), prompted his wife, Debbie Dingell, to run for his seat. She won her bid for Congress in the 12th District by a comfortable......