The Arab American News
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Brahimi announces resignation as UN envoy to Syria
UNITED NATIONS — Lakhdar Brahimi is resigning as the international point man on Syria, the UN chief announced Tuesday, marking a second failure by the United Nations and Arab League to end the country's worsening civil war and highlighting the deep divisions among the parties and key countries on how to restore peace.With Brahimi at...‘Miracle baby’ survives 11-story fall from Minneapolis apartment
MINNEAPOLIS — A 15-month-old boy described by doctors as a "miracle baby" was in critical condition at a Minneapolis hospital on Wednesday after surviving an 11-story fall from the balcony of an apartment building.Musa Dayib slipped through slits in the balcony railing and landed on a patch of mulch on Sunday, his family told...US accuses Israel of ‘alarming, even terrifying’ levels of spying
Friends do not spy on friends. That illusion about America’s attitude to its allies was conclusively debunked by Edward Snowden’s revelations about America’s National Security Agency and its British partner in global electronic eavesdropping, GCHQ. But by every account, the US is being repaid in kind by one of its closest...Ukraine, Syria, Anywhere: “We the People Here Don’t Want a War”
The late great 1960's pop singer Bobby Darin hid away in Big Sur for months following the death of Robert Kennedy and revelations about his own life. In the process of finding himself and changing his music to more of a folk style, in 1969 he penned one of the great anti-Vietnam War anthems of the era, A Simple Song of Freedom:Now no...Lebanese parliament fails to elect president, again
BEIRUT — Lebanon on Wednesday, May 7, postponed yet again a parliamentary session to elect a new president amid an ongoing political stalemate.Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri postponed the session to May 15 as the country's fiercely divided 128-member legislature, tasked with choosing a head of state, has been unable to agree on a...U.S. closes embassy in Sanaa, Yemeni army seizes al-Qaeda stronghold
Sanaa — The U.S. embassy in Sanaa was closed to the public Thursday, May 8, after a spate of attacks against foreigners and fears that al-Qaeda will seek revenge for a deadly offensive in the south."The embassy is closed today. And this will remain in effect until further notice," an employee at the U.S. mission in a heavily-guarded...Lieberman denounces Arab Israelis as
JERUSALEM — Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Wednesday, May 7, denounced thousands of Arab Israelis who joined a demonstration calling for the right of return for Palestinian refugees as a "fifth column."Around 10,000 protesters, many waving Palestinian flags, joined a rally in northern Israel on Tuesday to remember 530...‘Saudi Liberals’ website founder sentenced to 10 years in jail, thousand lashes
Raif Badawi, who started the "Free Saudi Liberals" website, was originally sentenced to seven years in prison and 600 lashes in July last year, but an appeals court overturned the sentence and ordered a retrial.Apart from imposing a stiffer sentence on Badawi in his retrial, the judge at the criminal court in the Red Sea City of Jeddah...Egypt court bans Mubarak-era leaders from running in elections
CAIRO — An Egyptian court banned, on Tuesday, May 6, the leaders of ex-president Hosni Mubarak's party from running in any coming elections they did not list any names, drawing complaints about a lack of clarity that could blunt the move's impact.Mubarak's National Democratic Party won all elections during his 30-year rule, mostly by...U.S. renews training of elite Iraqi forces in Jordan
AMMAN — The United States is resuming training for elite Iraqi soldiers in Jordan, a U.S. official said on Wednesday, May 7, as Washington seeks to bolster U.S. support for the Iraqi government's battle against Islamist militants.A small number of U.S. special forces will take part in a training exchange in Jordan with Iraqi...Lebanon divided over Maronite patriarch’s planned trip to Israel
BEIRUT — Israel does not recognize Jerusalem as being Palestinian. According to the Zionists, this land is their capital and they want their counterparts to thank them for allowing them to live on its eastern outskirts. Visiting the occupied lands is only possible by complying with the occupation authorities, who are in...Navigating Syria: The Impossible, Indispensable Mission
I unfriended another Facebook friend this week. It may seem to be a trivial matter, but for me, it is not. The reason behind my action was Syria. As in Egypt, Syria has instigated many social media breakups with people whom, until then, were regarded with a degree of respect and admiration.But this is not a social media affair. The...Happy Mother’s Day to the lowest-paid workers in America
This Sunday, as we offer praise and gratitude to our mothers, I want to suggest that we acknowledge the millions of mothers earning minimum wage who struggle every day just to provide basic necessities for their families. For these mothers, I would bet that brunch and flowers are low on the list of priorities this Sunday.In her recent...The U.S. government should stop supporting jihadists in Syria
Two weeks ago, FBI Director James Comey visited Detroit as part of a speaking tour he embarked upon to numerous field offices. Our newspaper reported, “Comey said homegrown violent extremists and the emergence of Syria as a new ground for jihadi fighters make counterterrorism the top priority for the bureau throughout the...Amid boycott of Beverly Hills Hotel, city confronts Brunei over sharia law
BEVERLY HILLS — The City of Beverly Hills voted unanimously on Tuesday to pressure the government of Brunei to divest the Beverly Hills Hotel, the pink-hued haunt of the Hollywood set, after the small country's enactment of sharia law prompted protests.Comedians Ellen DeGeneres, Jay Leno and British entrepreneur Richard Branson have......
Deadly Middle East virus MERS officially hits the U.S.
WASHINGTON — The first U.S. patient to test positive for the often deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome virus will remain isolated at home after he is released from an Indiana hospital, officials said this week.The patient will remain in isolation until the Indiana State Department of Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control...Boy sneaks onto wheel well of airplane, survives trip to Hawaii
NEW YORK — A 15-year-old Somali boy who survived a nearly six-hour trip from California to Hawaii stowed away in the wheel well of an airplane has left protective custody in Hawaii, officials said this week.The teenager was "no longer in Hawaii" according to a brief statement from Hawaii's Department of Human Services. Officials would......
U.S. proposes immigration rules to help skilled workers
WASHINGTON — Newly proposed rules for highly skilled immigrants to the United States, including a provision to allow their spouses to work, are aimed at making it easier to keep those talented science, technology and engineering workers in the country, officials said this week."These individuals are American families in waiting,"...
Dearborn Police captured on video using excessive force against mentally challenged local man
May 9th, 20140 A frame still from the video that went viral this week.DEARBORN — The Law Office of Cyril Hall is filing a civil rights lawsuit against the Dearborn Police Department for an altercation with a local man that was captured on video by a police dash cam. The video was obtained exclusively by The Arab American News this week...Study: Professors more likely to reply to white males than women and minorities
Philadelphia — If you're a woman or minority student looking for a mentor, don't hold your breath.New research has found that university professors exhibit a bias in favor of their white male students, information that, while perhaps not unexpected, is seriously bad news for the nation's aspiring academics.According to a segment...
ACRL sues UM for denying 8-year Dearborn resident in-state tuition
May 9th, 20140 DEARBORN — The Arab-American Civil Rights League (ACRL) filed a class action lawsuit in federal court against the University of Michigan for requiring local students, whose parents travel frequently overseas, to pay non-resident tuition.The named plaintiff in the lawsuit is Hussein Berry, a 20-year-old U.S. citizen who was denied......
Children, city officials participate in community clean up event in the South End
May 9th, 20140 DEARBORN — On Saturday, May 3rd, hundreds of children turned out to Lapeer Park to participate in a community clean up event assisted by local parents, organizations and city officials. Organized by local parent William Ali, the event included students from Salina School, Edsel Ford, Fordson and Dearborn High who walked block to...
Local imams warn against “jihad” in Syria
May 9th, 20140 DETROIT — Amid growing security concerns about violent Western jihadists in Syria, several local imams said American Muslims should not join the war overseas. Imam Mohammad Mardini, of the American Muslim Center in Dearborn, said there are two kinds of “jihad,” which literally translates as “struggle” from Arabic. He......
Eight Arabs from Dearborn accepted to Harvard University since 2012
May 9th, 20140 DEARBORN — The number of Arab American students from Dearborn Public Schools who are getting accepted to Ivy League colleges is increasing every year. Since 2012, eight students from the district have been accepted to Harvard University, one of the most selective universities in the world with a 5.9 percent acceptance rate.Mariam...
U.S. EPA and MDEQ hold community forum to discuss supplemental environment projects, enforcement action against Severstal
May 9th, 20140 DETROIT — On Tuesday, officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) held a meeting at the Delry Community Center here to obtain input on potential supplemental environmental projects (SEP) and provide information about EPA’s and MDEQ’s current enforcement......
