The Arab American News
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The politics of death: Human lives devalued in the Middle East
How many Egyptians have been killed since the January 2011 revolt? My pursuit for exact figures has proven to be futile. Various sources suggest all sorts of numbers, some scrambled in such a way as to make a political point. It is as if the life of the ordinary Egyptian doesn’t matter on its own, as an absolute value that must be...Not a ‘slam dunk’: U.S. intelligence can’t prove Assad used chemical weapons
Only days after the White House suggested it was all but certain Syrian President Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons to gas hundreds of civilians, United States intelligence officials briefed on the situation say the evidence isn’t all there.Despite recent remarks from President Barack Obama, Secretary of State John Kerry and other...With Brotherhood out, popular military controls Egypt’s future
CAIRO - Workers in blue overalls clamber over scaffolding around Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque, whitewashing its charred walls to restore a semblance of normalcy to the corner of Cairo where the struggle for Egypt reached a bloody climax this month.After a stunning reversal in which the army seized upon a tide of public discontent to...Syria, aided by Iran, could strike back at U.S. in cyberspace
If the United States attacks Syria, it will be the first time it strikes a country that is capable of waging retaliatory cyberspace attacks on American targets.The risk is heightened by Syria's alliance with Iran, which has built up its cyber capability in the past three years, and already gives the country technical and other support....
Uncertainty in Syria: UK backs down, U.S. hesitates… Russia and Iran warn of consequences
August 30th, 20130 The United Kingdom government motion on Syria intervention has been rejected by the British Parliament, on Thursday, Aug. 29, by a 285 to 272 margin after lawmakers refused an opposition Labour amendment calling for more information about the deployment of chemical weapons in Syria.British Prime Minister David Cameron has asserted that...
Syrian Americans anxious over possible U.S. attack on their homeland
August 30th, 20130 DEARBORN— President Barack Obama is facing international condemnation over his consideration of authorizing a U.S. military strike against Syria in only a matter of days. The action could have disastrous implications. Obama said he would only take military action in Syria, if evidence was found that the Syrian government attacked...Bomb hits Yemen military bus in Sanaa
SANAA — A bomb tore through the side of a bus carrying Yemeni air force personnel to their base in the capital Sanaa on Sunday, Aug. 25, killing at least one officer and wounding several others, state media reported.Witnesses told Reuters that as many as six people died when the device, planted on the vehicle, exploded and blew...
Community leaders oppose war on Syria, condemn terrorism
August 30th, 20130 DEARBORN — Several representatives of Arab American organizations, faith leaders and activists met at the Lebanese Heritage Club on Wednesday, Aug. 28, to declare their opposition to a possible U.S. strike on Syria and condemn violence throughout the Middle East. About 40 prominent people in the community debated ways to take...
ACCESS warns locals about deadly MERS virus, spreading across Middle East
August 30th, 20130 DEARBORN — The Arab Community Center for Economic & Social Services (ACCESS) is warning locals who have recently traveled to the Middle East about a growing viral respiratory illness called MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) that has, so far, claimed the lives of 47 people and made close to 100 others ill.ACCESS is urging...Violence kills 86 in Baghdad in one day
BAGHDAD — A series of car bombings and other attacks across Baghdad on Wednesday, Aug. 28, killed 86 people and wounded 263, police and medical sources said, extending the worst wave of sectarian bloodshed in Iraq for at least five years.It was not immediately clear who carried out the attacks, which appeared coordinated, but Sunni...Massive wildfire prompts road blockage in California national park
SAN FRANCISCO — Firefighters, determined to keep a massive blaze from raging into the heart of California's Yosemite National Park, have shut down half of its main east-west corridor, just days before a holiday weekend, marking the end of the peak summer tourist season.A long stretch of Tioga Road through the western half of the park...Federal government allocates $2.5 million for Sandy Hook massacre costs
WASHINGTON — The federal government will give Connecticut $2.5 million to offset costs related to the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, Attorney General Eric Holder said Wednesday, Aug. 28.Holder said the money from the Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Assistance will go to the Connecticut State Police, the Newtown,...Fort Hood shooter sentenced to death for 2009 killings
FORT HOOD, Texas — A military jury on Wednesday, Aug. 28, sentenced a U.S. Army psychiatrist to death for the 2009 mass murder of 13 people, mostly unarmed soldiers, at Fort Hood, Texas. The convicted gunman said he carried on the killings in retaliation for U.S. wars in the Muslim world.Major Nidal Hasan, who said he wanted to...Fast food workers protest across U.S. over wages
NEW YORK — Fast-food workers staged strikes at McDonald's and Burger Kings and demonstrated at other stores in sixty U.S. cities on Thursday, Aug. 29, in their latest action in a nearly year-long campaign to raise wages in the service sector. The strikes spread quickly across the country and have shut down restaurants in New...Garage ordinance is a safety issue, not an Arab issue
Controversy over the City of Dearborn’s newly proposed garage ordinance is growing, as the measure could be approved at the next City Council meeting Sep. 10. Many Arab Americans plan on attending the meeting and voicing their opposition to the ordinance. The Arab American News, however, would urge these residents not to take that......
Arab Americans: Mr. Obama, stop wars, make peace
Representatives of Arab American organizations, faith leaders and activists met at the Lebanese Heritage Club on Wednesday, Aug. 28, and issued the following statement: DEARBORN — The Arab American community in Metro Detroit is concerned about the recent developments surrounding a possible, imminent U.S.-led attack on Syria,...Local protestors reject Obama Administration’s military intervention in Syria
DEARBORN - Demonstrators at a rally here Thursday criticized President Barack Obama’s Administration for its involvement in the Syrian crisis. Speaking, Osama Siblani, publisher of The Arab American News said, “We tell Obama, instead of spending our money and our energy to destroy Damascus, why don’t you do something about......
Saudi Arabia criminalizes domestic violence
RIYADH — Saudi Arabia has passed landmark legislation, aimed at protecting women, children and domestic workers against domestic abuse, a human rights official said on Thursday, Aug. 29, in a move aimed at reducing hidden violence against women in the kingdom.The "Protection from Abuse" law is the first of its kind in the...Tunisia Interior Ministry: Islamist radicals planned murders, Islamic state
TUNIS — The freshly banned jihadist group Ansar al-Sharia was planning a series of political assassinations in Tunisia in its effort to establish an Islamic emirate in North Africa, the Interior Ministry said on Wednesday, Aug. 28.The ministry disclosed Ansar's plans one day after Prime Minister Ali Larayedh declared it a terrorist...SOS Ruth Johnson: Expanded online services, other tools improving customer service
Like so many working parents, I know it takes a lot to balance work with the demands of family life, whether it’s paying bills, school conferences, soccer games, doctor appointments, or the challenges of helping out with our own parents.As your Secretary of State, I am committed to making it easier, faster and better for you to do...Algeria takes two Gitmo detainees
Algiera — Two Algerian detainees at the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have been transferred to Algeria, the U.S. Defense Department said Thursday, Aug. 29.The Algeria's News Agency said the detainees have undergone preliminary interrogation by Algerian prosecution, awaiting their arraignment in front of a judge.......
Egyptian soldiers will no longer swear loyalty to president
Egyptian soldiers will no longer swear loyalty directly to the president of the republic, according to a published decree, a symbolic change analysts said underlined the military's independence from any civilian control.Officers will vow to "execute the orders of my leadership," according to the amended oath of allegiance, that removes...Allegations of tax delinquency and ballot fraud in Hamtramck election race
HAMTRAMCK — Reports of tax delinquency and voter fraud could change who is facing off in Hamtramck’s upcoming mayoral race during the November general election. Both the Hamtramck Police and Wayne County Prosecutors Office are investigating both issues. Hamtramck City Council member, Dr. Abdul Algazali’s chances of......
IRS: Michael Jackson estate owes $702 million in taxes
WASHINGTON — The estate of pop music legend Michael Jackson owes $702 million in federal taxes and penalties, according to the Internal Revenue Service, which accused the estate of undervaluing some of the star's assets by hundreds of millions of dollars.The dollar amounts in dispute had not been previously disclosed in the court...Fairlane Fuddruckers starts serving halal meat
DEARBORN — In an unprecedented move, the Fuddruckers at Fairlane Town Center began serving halal meat last week.The international, Huston-based, hamburger franchise now provides halal burgers and chicken, upon request, at its Dearborn location. It is the first Fuddruckers to offer such options in the United States."We would love for......