The Arab American News
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UN Envoy Brahimi ponders resignation
CAIRO — UN-Arab League peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi is thinking about stepping down as the Syrian war becomes more intractable, but is likely to stay on until at least mid-May, a senior aide said on Thursday.UN and Arab diplomats said on Wednesday the veteran envoy was on the verge of quitting over his frustration with...
Lebanese American concert promoter placed on No-Fly List, contemplates legal action
May 3rd, 20130 ROMULUS - Lebanese concert promoter Saeb Mokdad announced his decision to sue the federal government this week, after he was prevented from boarding a flight to Beirut at Detroit’s Metro Airport (DTW). Mokdad, who was at DTW on May 1, was looking forward to boarding his plane to Beirut to meet with his wife and children upon...The price of pursuing truth about Israel-Palestine
I am withdrawing from the battlefield of the war for the truth of history as it relates to the making and sustaining of the conflict in and over Palestine that became Israel, and the following is an explanation of why.More than three decades ago, when I made my commitment to this war effort — with the full knowledge that it would make...Double trouble: Democrats, Republicans failing Americans
The Republican Party is in trouble, and it knows it. But it does not have a clue what to do. The Democratic Party is in trouble, too. But its troubles run much deeper: It does not even recognize that it has a problem, as it stands on the brink of making that problem substantially worse. Just after the circus known as CPAC came...Poll: Americans more concerned about civil liberties in wake of Boston bombing
Two weeks after the Boston Marathon terror attacks, the American people are far more concerned about new government limits on civil liberties than the need for new law enforcement measures to prevent future attacks, according to a new TIME/CNN/ORC poll released Wednesday.When given a choice, 61 percent of Americans say they are more...Lockdown, USA: The Boston Marathon over-reaction
The bomb attack on innocent civilians and subsequent shooting of two law enforcement officials was a reprehensible act of terrorism, but the saturation media coverage and resulting societal frenzy is unwarranted and actually harmful. Apparently, the lone surviving terrorist, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, told the FBI, before receiving notice of his...Hypocrisy over Iran’s nuclear program
The controversy over Iran’s nuclear activities has at least as much to do with the future of international order as it does with nonproliferation. For this reason, all of the BRICS countries have much at stake in how the Iranian nuclear issue is handled.Conflict over Iran’s nuclear program is driven by two different approaches to...Janet Badalow advocates for change in Dearborn Heights mayoral race
DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Mayoral Candidate Janet Badalow says that it’s time for a change in the City of Dearborn Heights. After serving for 12 years on the city council, Badalow now has her eye on the mayoral position in this year’s election, hoping to defeat longtime incumbent Mayor Daniel Paletko. Badalow has deep roots in her...ACCESS Annual Dinner honors Arab American pioneers in medicine, media
DETROIT — The Arab American Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS) celebrated its 42nd Annual Anniversary Dinner on Saturday, April 27 at the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center. The event, which is known as the largest Arab American sit-down dinner in the entire country, attracted nearly two thousand...Islamic House of Wisdom holds fundraiser, recognizes local leaders
DEARBORN HEIGHTS — The Islamic House of Wisdom (IHW) celebrated its semi-annual fundraising dinner last Sunday, before an audience of hundreds of officials, dignitaries, supporters, and community members of different faiths and nationalities, who turned out to support the mosque.Since its establishment in 1995, the IHW has created a...Bing criticizes New York City Mayor for Detroit comparison
DETROIT — New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg drew major criticism this week from local officials for comparing his City's crime rate to that of the City of Detroit.In a tweet on Tuesday, Bloomberg compared the crime rate-to-population ratio of the two cities. New York City has a population of approximately 8 million people....Dearborn Mayor proposes tighter budget for 2014 fiscal year
DEARBORN — Mayor Jack O'Reilly proposed a reduced 2014 fiscal year budget for Dearborn at the City’s April 24 council meeting. The $4.9 million reduction from the City’s 2013 budget is a result of efforts to run all City departments on a leaner budget and combat the deficits faced in previous years. The City approves all...Mayor Paletko meets Arab American activists: “Your community is vital to our City”
DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Mayor Dan Paletko praised Arab Americans for the economic impact that they have had on the City over the years, during a meeting on Monday at Al-Ameer Restaurant that was organized by the Dearborn Heights Community Organization. About 30 Arab Americans were present and shared their concerns on issues, ranging...Susan Dabaja holds campaign fundraiser
DEARBORN — Hundreds of people including elected officials, activists, family, friends and community leaders packed LaPita Restaurant's banquet hall last Thursday evening for a campaign fundraising dinner held to support Dearborn City Council candidate Susan Dabaja. Dabaja discussed the upcoming city council race, listened to...Student group raises campus awareness on suffering across the globe
DEARBORN — Chants were heard throughout the University of Michigan-Dearborn campus early last month, as students marched in solidarity with the oppressed of Pakistan and various places in the Middle East, like Bahrain, Palestine, Iraq and Syria. The event, titled "The Silenced Genocide: The Forgotten Voices," was held by the......
U.S. State Department official meets with Syrian refugees during metro-Detroit visit
DEARBORN — One of the U.S. government’s highest ranking policy officials on refugee resettlement issues took time to meet with stakeholders, invested in the crisis in Syria, during her visit to Metro-Detroit late last month. Ann Richard, the U.S. Department of State’s Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees and...Arab League land-swap offer angers Palestinians
Earlier this week, a media storm erupted in Israel and the U.S. over an Arab League announcement that the Palestinians have agreed to the possibility of land swaps with Israel as opposed to a rigid conformation to the "Green Line" or pre-1967 borders.While Israeli officials such as Tzipi Livni, chief negotiator with the Palestinians,......
JP Morgan Chase to give $1.5 million grant to improve southwest Detroit
DETROIT — JPMorgan Chase announced on Monday that it is expected to disburse $1.5 million in grants to various agencies and groups in southwest Detroit, in an effort to improve services and neighborhood revitalization around three of the City’s public schools. Over the course of three years, Southwest Solutions will receive $1...Polls: Americans opposed to U.S. intervention in Syria
WASHINGTON - Most Americans do not want the United States to intervene in Syria's civil war even if the government there uses chemical weapons, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed on Wednesday, in a clear message to the White House as it considers how to respond to the worsening crisis.Only 10 percent of those surveyed in the online poll said...Nancy Pelosi criticizes appointment of Detroit EM at NAACP dinner
DETROIT — U.S. Representative Nancy Pelosi of California spoke out against the appointment of Detroit’s emergency manager last Sunday, during the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s 58th Annual Dinner at Cobo Center. Thousands of guests attended the dinner, including officials, dignitaries, community...Secretary of State applauds final approval of veteran designation on driver’s licenses
LANSING — Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson¸ who has led efforts to include a special “veteran” designation on driver’s licenses for honorably discharged veterans, explains that this new distinction will help veterans get the benefits that they have earned and deserve. Johnson.“It is my hope that every store clerk......
Wayne County Parks gives six-mile stretch of Hines Drive back to visitors
WAYNE COUNTY — In an effort to address the primary concern of motor vehicle traffic for skaters, cyclists, runners and walkers, Wayne County Parks has established the “Saturday in the Park” program. This program gives visitors an opportunity to participate in their favorite activities in a traffic-free environment on a six-mile...Six Michigan crew members killed in Afghanistan jet crash
The Dubai-bound Boeing 747-400 was operated by National Air Cargo and crashed just after takeoff from Bagram Air Base, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a statement Tuesday. PHOTO: APBELLEVILLE — Six of the seven crew members who were killed on board a National Airlines cargo jet that crashed this week......
2013 road construction projects set for Dearborn neighborhoods
DEARBORN-The City’s roads, water mains and sewers will be under construction this summer in the following neighborhoods: Dearborn Hills, Highland, Kentucky, Hubbard, Indiana, Queen, and Vassar streets, Diversey, Morross, and Wisconsin streets, Schlaff between Michigan Avenue and Chase, Chase between Michigan Avenue and Ford Road,...Dearborn to receive $280,000 for trail extension
DEARBORN – State Representative George T. Darany (D-Dearborn) applauded the approval of a Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund (MNRTF) development grant that was recently awarded to the City of Dearborn to extend the Rouge River Gateway Trail. The City will receive $280,000 to extend the trail and connect it to Ford Field......