The Arab American News
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Israel may ask U.S. for $20 billion more in security aid
NEW YORK — Israel may request an addition $20 billion in military aid from the United States in light of the unrest sweeping the Arab world, Defense Minister Ehud Barak told The Wall Street Journal in an interview published Monday. Barak deemed the changes in the region a "movement in the right direction," and said that in the long...Pressure mounts on Saudis to ease protest ban
Saudi Arabia came under renewed pressure Wednesday to ease its ban on demonstrations, as Facebook activists called for a "Day of Rage" and a "Saudi revolution" later this week. Protesters chant slogans during a protest in Qatif March 9, 2011. Saudi Shi'ites staged another small protest in the kingdom's eastern province on...
Obama inches closer to military intervention
March 12th, 20110 U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates holds a news conference at a NATO defence ministers meeting (NAC) at the Alliance headquarters in Brussels March 10, 2011. NATO defence ministers meeting in Brussels on Thursday and Friday will discuss options to respond to the turmoil in Libya, including a possible no-fly zone, the officials...LCN excited to bring 2011 national convention to Michigan
Oakland University in Rochester will be the site of the Lebanese Collegiate Network's 2011 annual convention from Friday, April 1 to Sunday, April 3, a wide-ranging national event uniting students, professionals and alumni for the purpose of academic and professional development. The LCN's annual convention is designed to help...Protesters converge on Iraq capital
BAGHDAD — Hundreds of people have converged on Baghdad's Tahrir, or Liberation, Square for an anti-government demonstration despite a vehicle ban that forced many to walk for hours to the heart of the Iraqi capital. The Baghdad demonstration was one of many taking place across the country on Friday, including in the port of Basra and...
Gaddafi forces gain momentum; rebels flee oil port
March 12th, 20110 RAS LANOUF, Libya (AP) — With fierce barrages of tank and artillery fire, Moammar Gaddafi's loyalists threw rebels into a frantic retreat from a strategic oil port Thursday, using overwhelming force in a counteroffensive that reversed the opposition's advance toward the capital Tripoli and now threatens its positions in the...Dearborn woman gives birth on I-94 with help of friend, dispatcher
DETROIT — Dearborn resident Rima Meroueh gave birth to son Mazen Hariri on Tuesday, Mar. 8 on the side of I-94, saying that the child wasn't originally expected to be born until the following Sunday night according to various local news reports. The 31-year-old Meroueh, a graduate student at Wayne State University, was on the way to...Moroccans welcome king’s reform vow, wait for actions
RABAT - Moroccans largely welcomed Thursday King Mohammed VI's promise of sweeping reforms, announced as uprisings rock the Arab world, but said they wanted to see if concrete changes would result. France and Spain, former colonizers which have become key trade partners, also praised the announcement in a rare national speech late...
ElBaradei to run for president
March 12th, 20110 CAIRO — Mohammed ElBaradei, the Nobel Laureate and former head of the UN nuclear watchdog agency, has said on a privately owned TV channel that he intends to run for president in Egypt's 2011 presidential election. "When the door of presidential nominations opens, I intend to nominate myself," ElBaradei said on ONTV channel on...Zogby International polling firm merging with Brazilian company
The Zogby International polling firm, which was founded in 1984 by Lebanese American John Zogby and has become a trusted source of information about issues affecting Arab Americans and the Arab world among many other issues, announced that it will officially begin transitioning with IBOPE Inteligencia, a subsidiary of the IBOPE Group....Zogby International polling firm merging with Brazilian company
The Zogby International polling firm, which was founded in 1984 by Lebanese American John Zogby and has become a trusted source of information about issues affecting Arab Americans and the Arab world among many other issues, announced that it will officially begin transitioning with IBOPE Inteligencia, a subsidiary of the IBOPE Group....Kacem charged over Tunisia deaths
TUNIS — An arrest warrant has been issued for Tunisia's former interior minister, Rafik Belhaj Kacem, on charges of murder, the country's state news agency reports. Kacem was interior minister during the popular uprising that ousted long-term president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January. He's accused of being complicit in the...
Activists gather to oppose Arizona-style immigration bill in Michigan
March 12th, 20110 DEARBORN — Community members met Monday to discuss provisions on newly proposed Michigan HB 4305, also known as "Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act." The bill is similar to the Arizona-style immigration law. Community members gathered at the LAHC on Monday, Mar. 7 to discuss a plan to combat the...
Global unpopularity wearing down Israeli government
March 12th, 20110 Benjamin Netanyahu's advisers conceded last week that the Israeli prime minister is more downcast than they have ever seen him. The reason for his gloominess is to be found in Israel's diplomatic and strategic standing, which some analysts suggest is at its lowest ebb in living memory. Netanyahu's concern was evident at a recent cabinet...‘Interfaith in Action’ the theme of MSA dinner
Scholar Precious Rasheeda Muhammad was among the keynote speakers at the MSA's 8th annual dinner. The theme was 'Interaith in Action.' PHOTO: Nafeh AbuNab/American Elite StudiosDEARBORN — The University of Michigan-Dearborn (UM-D) Muslim Student Association (MSA) held its 8th annual Unity in Diversity Dinner on......
Upcoming UM-D outreach program teaches disadvantaged youth about college options
The University of Michigan-Dearborn is holding "On the Move: College is an option!" inside the campus' Fairlane Center North Building on Mar. 17. The free one day outreach program is dedicated to introducing individuals experiencing socioeconomic challenges to post-secondary education. The deadline to apply for those who wish to...Arab American sues FBI for installing GPS tracking device in his car
Yasir Afifi, a 20-year old Arab American from San Jose, California, is suing the FBI for secretly installing a GPS tracking device in his car. When Afifi refused to give the device back the FBI threatened to hold federal charges against him. According to Zahra Billo, executive director of the Council on American Islamic Relations,......
Marathon Oil offers scholarships for Detroiters
DETROIT — City of Detroit residents are asked to apply for Marathon Oil's scholarship program, which is offering 10 scholarships for those who wish to pursue an education in Process Technology. Applications are now being accepted for scholarships at Henry Ford Community College and the Wayne County Community College District toward...Michigan-Ann Arbor students hold “Shot Down: Dying for Democracy” demonstration
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor students show their support for slain protesters in Libya, Bahrain, and Yemen at the Diag courtyard on campus. Photo courtesy of SAFEAnn Arbor - In response to what has been called one of the most remarkable regional uprisings in history in the Middle East and North Africa, the Students Allied for...WSU students march in solidarity with uprisings
DETROIT — A group of more than 50 people demonstrated in support of Arab uprisings, with an emphasis on Libya, this past week at Wayne State University. The rally was organized by a student named Maryam and included members from Amnesty International and the Arab American Student Union on campus. The demonstrators circled campus and...STATE OF CITY ADDRESS: Dearborn’s O’Reilly: Cuts, tax raise looming
Mayor O'ReillyDEARBORN — Mayor Jack B. O’Reilly, Jr. spoke clearly and directly in his State of the City address on Wednesday, Feb. 23, saying that Dearborn's tremendous financial challenges are real and need to be immediately addressed. The evolving vision for Dearborn is still desirable and doable, he said, but realizing that......
STATE OF CITY ADDRESS: Upbeat Bing announces new projects
DETROIT— “A work in progress.” This was the key message of Detroit Mayor Dave Bing’s state of the city address. The address, which took place at the Max M. Fisher Music Hall on Tuesday February 22 at 7:00pm, drew a crowd that filled every seat. Bing focused on the many improvements made, including a drop in the homicide...‘ELEVATOR’: New suspense thriller film avoids stereotypical Arab role
If the opportunity to star in a Hollywood film means having to play a character that’s degrading to Arab Americans, Waleed Zuaiter won’t think twice about turning it down. Zuaiter is close to evolving into one of Hollywood’s most distinguished Arab American actors. He says Arab actors in Hollywood often avoid taking on roles......
A new era in the Arab world
The sheer brutality of the Libyan suppression of anti-government protests has exposed the fallacy of the post-colonial Arab dictatorships, which have relied on revolutionary slogans as their source of legitimacy. Lebanese and Arab students carry placards during a sit-in against Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and to express...Till September: The PA’s meaningless deadlines
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and his supporters in the Fatah party want us to believe that dramatic changes are underway in the occupied Palestinian territories.Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and his supporters in the Fatah party want us to believe that dramatic changes are underway in the occupied......