The Arab American News
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Morsi grants himself far-reaching powers
November 23rd, 20120 CAIRO — Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi issued a new constitutional declaration on Thursday in which he assumed sweeping powers that will not be subject to appeal.Morsi has become a "new pharaoh" by assuming sweeping powers that place him above judicial oversight, opposition figure and Nobel laureate Mohamed ElBaradei...
Art exhibit depicts horrors of local man imprisoned in Iran
November 23rd, 20120 DETROIT — Amir Hekmati, 29, a former Dearborn and West Bloomfield resident, has been imprisoned in Iran since August 2011 for suspicions of being a CIA spy. Now in an effort from local organizations and Hekmati's family, an art exhibit opened last week in Detroit in his honor, hoping to raise awareness of his dire situation.His older...Leo’s Coney Island partners with PCRF to raise money for underserved children
DEARBORN — College students from the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund were stationed at the Leo’s Coney Island here on Greenfield Road Tuesday to raise money for the PCRF which provides free medical care for sick and injured children in the Middle East. The restaurant agreed to donate 10 percent of every customer’s bill to the...Interfaith unity dinner held at Islamic House of Wisdom
Dearborn Heights — Muslim community members in addition to members of the Christian and Jewish communities gathered at the Islamic House of Wisdom in Dearborn Heights for a unity dinner that included attendance from the interfaith community last Friday.Imam Elahi of the Islamic House of Wisdom and Rev. Bill Gepford of Littlefield...LAHC celebrates Lebanon Independence Day and its 30th anniversary
DEARBORN — More than 100 people gathered at the Lebanese American Heritage Club here Tuesday in celebration of the 69th anniversary of Lebanon’s Independence Day, and the LAHC’s 30th anniversary. On Nov. 22, 1943 Lebanon gained its independence from France. The celebration of Lebanon Independence Day was held early since...New music and dance school embraces Arabic traditions
DEARBORN — A new music and dance school here is helping preserve traditional Arabic dance and music for the next generation of young adults by offering dabke dance and Arabic music courses. The Fab Music School opened Oct. 22, and has already attracted a lot of clients, proving that the business is much needed. The school...ICA raises nearly $200,000 at semi-annual fundraiser
DEARBORN — The Islamic Center of America raised nearly $200,000 Sunday, Nov. 11 at its semi-annual fundraising dinner. There were about 900 people at the ceremony, which included an awards presentation. The fundraiser comes after the ICA celebrated its fiftieth anniversary in May with a black tie themed gala. Since the...Dearborn Heights police urge residents to be cautious after string of home invasions
DEARBORN HEIGHTS — A woman living near Ann Arbor Trail in Dearborn Heights returned home one morning after dropping off her children to school only to find an unfamiliar car parked in her driveway. The woman, Randa Mojhni, entered through the backyard, where she found her back door opened with her flat screen TV, laptop, and camera...New book questions whether Detroit will boom again
DETROIT — "Rising from the Ashes: Engaging Detroit’s Future with Courage," is the title of a nascent book by Bankole Thompson, a widely respected journalist, radio and television analyst and editor of the Michigan Chronicle.The book, a compendium of select interviews and analysis, examines the current state of the city’s...Former Dearborn woman’s husband arrested in connection with her murder
El Cajon, California — On Nov. 9 Kassim Alhimidi, 48, was arrested and booked on one count of murder in connection to the gruesome death of his wife Shaima Alawadi, a former Dearborn woman who was once a worshiper at the Karbala Center on Warren Avenue when she was younger. Since then he has plead not guilty. The victim’s...From Midwest to Mideast, Dr. Fakih gives hope to infertile couples
DEARBORN — To call Dr. Hassan Michael Fakih one of the most renowned doctors in Michigan in the field of Reproductive Medicine might be an understatement, considering Dr. Fakih doesn't only practice in the state. From a clinic out of state as well as practices in the Middle East, Dr. Fakih is very much in demand and it all started here...Civil rights group appoints longtime community advocate as executive director
DEARBORN - The Arab American Civil Rights League (ACRL) announced this week the appointment of Rana Abbas as its new executive director. Abbas, an established community advocate and communications professional, and a resident of Northville, Michigan, is set to take the helm of the organization on November 26, 2012. The...Re-elected Obama’s pluses and minuses
Well maybe, but even peas can vary. Here are some positive differences to consider, which will be followed by some negative similarities to Romney and his conservative advisers. We will start with the bright side:– In terms of probabilities, under Obama the U.S. is less likely to find itself at war with Iran than would be the case with...Historic UC Irvine divestment vote deals stinging defeat to Zionist bullying on campus
Just over a year since an Orange County jury, in a politically-motivated prosecution, convicted the "Irvine 11" students for disrupting a lecture by Israeli Ambassdor Michael Oren, the Associated Students of UC Irvine voted unanimously earlier this week to call for divestment from companies that profit from Israeli occupation.The vote...Arab Americans and law enforcement: Rights at risk
I testified before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights this week on the relations between law enforcement agencies and the Arab American and Muslim American communities. This provided an opportunity to lay out the problems that exist and an agenda that would allow us to move forward.In a democratic society based on constitutionally......
Syrian conflict ‘approaching decisive stage’?
The newly unified Syrian opposition is insisting that it should be the sole conduit for channeling logistical and financial assistance to the in-country rebels. The credibility of the Syrian National Coalition for Opposition and Revolutionary Forces will hinge on it securing "the buy-in of as many Syrian stakeholders as possible, as well...Israel may cancel Oslo if Palestinian UN bid succeeds
Israel may cancel the Oslo Accords if the November 29 Palestinian bid for non-member statehood at the United Nations succeeds, Israeli daily Ha'aretz reported Wednesday.The foreign ministry reportedly sent a cable Sunday to Israeli diplomats instructing them to "do all possible to halt the Palestinian initiative because of its......
Demonstrators call for ‘regime change’ in rare protests against Jordan’s king
AMMAN - Overnight demonstrations over fuel price hikes in Jordan may have spiraled into a nation-wide revolt against the country's regime Wednesday, according to various activist sources.Rioting broke out in several cities and various key routes were reported to have been blocked by protesters, after Jordanian prime minister Abdullah...Israel ranked world’s most militarized nation
WASHINGTON (IPS) — Israel tops the list of the world’s most militarized nations, according to the latest Global Militarization Index released Tuesday by the Bonn International Centre for Conversion (BICC).At number 34, Israel’s main regional rival, Iran, is far behind. Indeed, every other Near Eastern country, with the exceptions...
Gaza trembles, Arab world simmers as Israel prepares for ground assault
November 17th, 20120 An Israeli ground operation against the beleaguered Gaza Strip seemed imminent on Thursday as forces moved toward the border area according to the Associated Press. Trucks were seen moving tanks and armored personnel carriers according to the report which buses carrying soldiers also arrived. On the social media site Twitter, several...
Who started it? Bloodbath in Gaza
November 17th, 20120 A New York Times article, published November 14th, reports on the death of Hamas military commander Ahmed Jabari, killed by one of Israel’s recent airstrikes. "Gaza truce broken as Israeli raid kills six Hamas gunmen," published in the Guardian and written by Rory McCarthy, in which an Israeli official is quoted bragging about a......
MSU Board of Trustee Brian Mosallam scores landmark win for Arab Americans
November 16th, 20120 DEARBORN — Brian Mosallam set a new precedent last week when he was elected by over 1.9 million Michigan residents on the Michigan State University (MSU) Board of Trustees, becoming the first Arab American Muslim to win a statewide election on a Democratic slate. The position couldn't seem more fitting for Mosallam, who was previously...
Paralyzed Arab American put on ‘No Fly List’ without explanation
November 16th, 20120 DEARBORN — The law firm of Ayad and Associates has brought a federal lawsuit against the FBI, U.S. Department of Justice and the Terrorist Screening Center in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan on behalf of an Arab American who’s a U.S. citizen, and being denied access to leave the country by......
Election results by the numbers: Winners and Losers
November 12th, 20120 The Arab American News (TAAN) endorsed several candidates for the Nov. 6 general election. Below are the results for the following selected races. The percentage of votes each candidate earned is listed, and the names of the winners endorsed by TAAN are highlighted in red. Winners that aren’t endorsed by TAAN are highlighted in...
Blackburn, Lane re-elected despite puzzling endorsements for Petlichkoff
November 12th, 20120 Even though former Dearborn School Board member Mary Petlichkoff had the endorsement of Dearborn Mayor Jack O'Reilly, five Dearborn City Council Members, the current State Rep. and a former State Rep, she failed to win a seat on the School Board, and was defeated by a wide margin. When all votes were tallied, Aimee Blackburn came......
