The Arab American News
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Hate crimes against Muslims only escalating 10 years after 9/11
January 4th, 20130 The tragic events that unfolded on Sep. 11, 2001 gave birth to an ugly and embarrassing chapter in America’s history-the post 9/11 anti-Islamic and Arab era that continues today. Despite relentless national efforts to combat the negative stereotypes and intolerance of Muslims and Arabs that’s emerged after 9/11, hate crimes...
Petition to recognize Westboro Baptist Church as hate group is most popular in White House history
January 4th, 20130 WASHINGTON, D.C. — Users of the White House's "We the People" digital petition platform have flooded the site in support of an effort to officially designate the Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church as a hate group.The most popular petition was submitted on Dec. 14, the same day as the school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in...
Marianna Kay Siblani (1948-2013), A powerful voice and advocate for Arab and Muslim Americans, passes away
January 2nd, 20130 Marianna Kay Siblani (1948-2013)DEARBORN (January 2, 2013) - It is with deep regret and profound sadness that we inform you of the passing of Marianna Kay Siblani, the executive editor of The Arab American News for the last 28 years. She passed away peacefully last night surrounded by her family, after a long struggle with...
U.S. Senate extends warrantless wiretapping under FISA
December 28th, 20120 WASHINGTON, DC - The Senate agreed on Friday to approve an extension of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, legislation that allows the NSA and other US intelligence agencies to wiretap conversations involving foreign citizens without obtaining a warrant.Despite growing opposition to one of the most notorious and secretive US...
Petition to recognize Westboro Baptist Church as hate group is most popular in White House history
December 28th, 20120 WASHINGTON, DC - Users of the White House's "We the People" digital petition platform have flooded the site in support of an effort to officially designate the Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church as a hate group.The most popular petition was submitted on Dec. 14, the same day as the school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary...Local family hosts foreign exchange student from Palestine, encourages others to follow suit
DEARBORN - Maysoon Abu-Omarah and her husband Mohamad have been hosting 16-year-old Aseel, a foreign exchange student from Palestine at their home, along with their five children. Through a program funded by the Department of State of Education, Aseel is staying in the U.S. for an entire school year, where she has been attending Fordson...The unmaking of Syria: Beneath the fog
Everything about Syria is steeped in miasma: Is this conflict politically and sociologically definable as a civil war? Has it become a sectarian war? How strong and widespread is the Salafist (and global Jihadi) presence? Was militarization wise or did the opposition have no choice in this regard? Are the armed groups able to defeat the...Human Rights Watch: Israel violated laws of war by targeting media, civilians in Gaza
Israeli army attacks on journalists and media centers in Gaza during last month’s military operation violated the laws of war, Human Rights Watch has said.Two Palestinian cameramen were killed and at least 10 media personnel were wounded during the conflict. Four media facilities and four private companies were also damaged, and a...School children donate their hair to cancer patients
DEARBORN - More than 12 girls from Iris Becker Elementary School here volunteered to have their hair cut and donated to the charity, Children With Hair Loss on Thursday as a large crowd of students watched cheering them on for reaching out to disease stricken children. Left: Parent Lila Chami stands with her daughter, who...Pew Research Center issues in-depth report on Arab American media
According to a new study by the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism the Arab American media’s efforts to meet the demands of its readers have become difficult in recent years because of declining ad revenue, new technology and increasing competition from Arab outlets in the Middle East and North Africa.The...
Time to reflect, give thanks and look ahead to a brighter 2013
December 21st, 20120 As we put this final issue of The Arab American News this year to bed and bid farewell to 2012, we wanted to thank our readers first and foremost, who have been very loyal, anxiously and patiently waiting for the paper to be delivered each weekend. Your loyalty, support and feedback is always much appreciated. We also cannot forget...Iraqi American family caught in sanctions nightmare
Columbia, Missouri - During the first war with Iraq, the Gulf War that started in 1990, President George Bush appeared on TV. He said, “We have no argument with the people of Iraq.” At the time, Iraq was under U.N. sanctions.Meanwhile in Columbia, Missouri, Lamya Najem and her husband, Shakir Hamoodi, had migrated to the U.S. They...
2012: Year in Review
December 21st, 20120 Below is a year-in-review of the most important news and developments as reported by The Arab American News. The following are 2012 headlines in local, statewide, national and international news. LOCAL • Patriarch Rai in Detroit, “Time for Lebanese to unite in love and diversity” • Islamic Center...Neo-Cons, Israel lobby mobilize to pre-empt Obama Pentagon favorite
WASHINGTON - Neo-conservatives and leaders of the powerful Israel lobby are mobilizing their forces in what looks like an all-out campaign to pre-empt the nomination by President Barack Obama of an outspoken former Republican senator and decorated Vietnam War hero to replace Leon Panetta as secretary of defense.The campaign was launched...
Mosallam takes oath to MSU Board of Trustees at his former high school Fordson
December 21st, 20120 DEARBORN - On Wednesday, the community gathered at Fordson High School's auditorium to witness Michigan State University (MSU) Board of Trustees Brian Mosallam's swearing-in ceremony. The event included attendance by Mosallam's close family and friends, honorary judges and dignitaries, and former Fordson alumni, who all shared a special......
Dearborn Public Schools addresses student safety following national tragedy
DEARBORN -The tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut has left a nation in mourning. However, schools across the country have also begun to take extra precautions to ensure something of that nature does not occur again. Dearborn Public Schools has reacted to the incident by sending out a letter to the district's...Dearborn Police Department hires six new officers including an Arab American
DEARBORN - Last week The Arab American News revealed exclusively through an interview with Dearborn Police Chief Ron Haddad that six new officers would be hired into the department. On Monday, the department had sent out a press release identifying the six new police officers who completed their police academy training. The new......
From this day on: Christmas in Newtown
From this day on, Christmas in Newtown, Connecticut will always mean something very different. It is difficult to imagine the raw pain and the horror being felt in that community now ravaged by unspeakable violence. But imagine it we must, because Newtown is all of us, and we have something to learn from their tragedy.For families in...
Hundreds express solidarity with families of Sandy Hook victims at candle light vigil
December 21st, 20120 DEARBORN HEIGHTS - During a candle light vigil Monday more than 300 people expressed solidarity with victims of the Connecticut school shooting that left 20 children and six staff members from Sandy Hook Elementary School dead last week. The vigil was organized by the Dearborn Heights Community Organization (DHOC) in the span of...State Rep. Rashida Tlaib joins ACRL board
DEARBORN - The Arab-American Civil Rights League (ACRL) announced earlier this week that State Rep. Rashida Tlaib would be joining the group’s board of directors as its newest member. Tlaib.“We are honored to have Representative Tlaib join our board,” said ACRL Board Chairman Nabih Ayad. “She has been a voice for the...
Community reacts to Connecticut elementary school massacre
December 21st, 20120 DEARBORN, DEARBORN HEIGHTS -- The Lebanese American Heritage Club (LAHC) with the co-sponsorship of the Arab Student Union of the University of Michigan Dearborn held a candlelight vigil in honor of the victims from the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut on Monday, December 17th in front of City Hall.Twenty elementary......
Bills signed that alter rules to recall elected officials
LANSING - Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder signed bills on Thursday that alter the rules for recalling elected officials such as shortening the time period in which people can gather signatures needed to recall elected officials. Democrats have blasted the move which changes the number of days from 90 to 60 days to garner signatures....“No vote” on anti Shari’a bill in state’s legislature
LANSING - A no-vote on House Bill 4769, also known as an "anti-Shari’a bill,' in the Michigan State House at the end of its 2012 legislative session occured recently. Since the introduction of the bill approximately a year and a half ago by MI State Rep. Dave Agema (R-Grandville), groups and community leaders have vigorously......
Border Patrol no longer allowed to act as interpreters for law enforcement
DETROIT - Immigrant advocate groups are hailing a new decree from the Department of Homeland Security that says U.S. Border Patrol agents will no longer be called in to act as “interpreters” by local law enforcement. “We applaud DHS for taking a serious step toward stopping the sort of racial profiling, injury and death that has...Concealed weapons bill vetoed by Gov. Snyder
LANSING - Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder vetoed the state’s latest gun bill Tuesday, only days after the Connecticut school shooting massacre. The bill would have allowed concealed weapons to be carried in schools, churches and day care centers.It has brought relief to some, but others have expressed dismay saying it would have provided a......