The Arab American News
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YOUR MONEY: Enabling first time home buyers
DEARBORN— Among the most effective economic stimulus policies proposed by President Obama and passed by Democrats in Congress this week is a refundable, $8,000 tax credit payable to first time homebuyers and those who have not owned a home for three years. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the bill provides for...Regional deals won’t harm Lebanon
BEIRUT — U.S. Sen. John Kerry said on Wednesday that the new administration will press Syria to help disarm Hizbullah as it forges ahead with a fresh diplomatic approach in the region. John Kerry, Chairman of the U.S. Senate's Foreign Relations Committee (L) shakes hands with Lebanon's Prime Minister Fouad Siniora at the...Thousands rally in Beirut on Hariri assassination anniversary
BEIRUT – A massive crowd of flag-waving Lebanese filled Martyrs' Square on Saturday to remember slain former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri — an occasion his supporters used to rally the public before parliamentary elections in which they are struggling to stay in power. Tens of thousands of Lebanese attend a rally near the...
Hassan or Grant — no religion excuses domestic violence
February 21st, 20090 Muzzammil Hassan, 44, allegedly beheaded his wife, Aasiya Hassan, 37, last week and surrendered to police. Hassan was later charged with the second-degree murder of his wife, whose body was found at the office of Bridges TV, their television station in Orchard Park, near Buffalo, New York. Muzzammil Hassan and his late wife...Obama not likely to change Mideast policy
Almost a thousand Palestinian civilians were dead from Israel's recent Blitz on Gaza before Barack Obama interrupted his mantra, that there's only one president at a time, to bemoan what he called a tragedy for both sides. Israel suffered civilian losses, too, after all. Three to be exact. And if Obama, the consummate underdog, didn't...One-state solution requires shared state of mind
In the future, Israelis and Palestinians may find it natural to live together in a single, integrated and democratic state. However, planning for a one-state solution unilaterally is bound to be risky, if not deadly. But as hope for reaching a two-state solution erodes, the one-state solution emerges as an attractive alternative. The...Why we must boycott Starbucks
The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against apartheid Israel is gaining momentum around the world. The boycott of Starbucks is Michigan's modest contribution to the worldwide movement. Here are a few other examples: • South African dock workers refused to unload Israeli ships (Feb. 3rd 2009) • Church of...What Israel must do to save itself
Tantalus is punished by the Gods for reasons that are not entirely clear. He is hungry and thirsty, but the water in which he stands recedes when he bends down to drink from it and the fruit above his head continually evades his hand. Tzipi Livni Tzipi Livni is now undergoing a similar torture. After winning an impressive...
Mayoral candidates address community concerns in AAPAC forum
February 21st, 20090 DETROIT — Five of the 15 candidates running for mayor and facing a Feb. 24 primary addressed a crowd at the Islamic Center of Detroit on Feb. 13 in a forum organized by the Arab American Public Affairs Council (AAPAC). Candidate for Detroit mayor Sharon McPhail speaks to a crowd during an AAPAC election forum at the Islamic...
Mayoral primary Feb. 24, two more candidate profiles
February 21st, 20090 Wayne County Sheriff Evans making headway The special election for Detroit mayor is fast approaching, and so far, almost all of the attention has been on the perceived "big three" candidates. But Warren Evans scored a big victory for his campaign recently that might give the Wayne County Sheriff enough publicity for a chance...
O’Reilly plans department shake up
February 21st, 20090 DEARBORN — Mayor Jack O'Reilly on Wednesday announced a planned shake up of a city department and voiced a message of hope despite harsh economic times in his State of the City Address. Dearborn mayor Jack O'Reilly stands with residents Suehaila Amen, Lucia Gliese and Art Hughes, at the Henry Ford Centennial Library auditorium...
Community news briefs: Dingell becomes longest serving U.S. Representative in history
February 21st, 20090 WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. John Dingell, D-Dearborn, became the longest-tenured member of the House of Representatives on Feb. 12. U.S. Rep. John Dingell, of Dearborn He was congratulated a day early by President Barack Obama. "Over the past 53 years, Chairman Dingell has been a champion for the health and well-being of...
Bistro 222: Dearborn’s hidden gem
February 21st, 20090 The sautéed perch with lemon caper sauce is one of the most popular dishes at Bistro 222 in Dearborn. One of the joys of living in a big city like New York or Chicago is discovering a new favorite restaurant, one that's just out of the public eye but still features top-notch cuisine. Dearborn doesn't have as many as those...
Breaking News: Dearborn police cordon off neighborhood during possible hostage situation
February 18th, 20090 Dearborn police block off Appoline Street near Warren Avenue in East Dearborn on Tuesday night. PHOTO: Khalil AlHajal/TAAN DEARBORN – A standoff between police and a gunman who held a man hostage in his home for several hours Tuesday night ended Wednesday morning with the victim suffering only minor injuries. Crowds gathered...
Extremism dominates Israeli polls
February 14th, 20090 RAMALLAH (IPS) — "The peace process is based on three false basic assumptions," said Avigdor Lieberman, leader of Israel's extreme right-wing Yisrael Beiteinu party, which will dictate the formation and political course of the next Israeli government. Avigdor Lieberman, leader of Israel's Yisrael Beiteinu party, attends a......
Will the stimulus bill boost public confidence?
February 14th, 20090 Leaders from the Senate and House Appropriations Committees meet to negotiate the stimulus package in Washington, DC, February 11, 2009. U.S. lawmakers reached a compromise deal on Wednesday on a $789 billion package of tax cuts and spending to rescue the ailing economy and votes could begin as early as Thursday. REUTERS/Joshua...
Video: Barcelona fans go wild for Palestinian rights during basketball game
February 14th, 20090 In a frenzied show of support for human rights in besieged Gaza and the occupied West Bank, Barcelona basketball fans waved banners and shouted pro-Palestinian slogans during a Euroleague Top 16 game on Feb. 5, some of them storming the court before being dragged off by security. The game between FC Barcelona and Maccabi Electra......
UM-D students vote to study unethical investments
February 14th, 20090 The University of Michigan-Dearborn's student government body voted on Tuesday to form an ad hoc committee to study possible unethical investments within the university's endowment fund. University of Michigan-Dearborn philosophy professor David Skrbina addresses student government members during a meeting on Feb. 3. Skrbina...
Hampshire College to divest from companies supporting Israeli occupation
February 14th, 20090 Students for Justice in Palestine at Hampshire College launched a campaign to convince the college's board of trustees to withdraw the college's investments in six companies that support the Israeli occupation through their business activities. The board moved to pull its investments in over 200 companies, including the six listed in the...Will Obama break the law for Israel’s sake?
U.S. President Barack Obama answers a question from Hearst columnist Helen Thomas (L) during his first news conference as president in the East Room of the White House in Washington, February 9, 2009. REUTERS/Jason Reed Since entering office, President Barack Obama has promised sweeping changes in three aspects of governance:...
The PLO: Why an alternative and why the panic?
February 14th, 20090 Left: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah in June 2008. Right:Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal speaks in Tehran in May 2008. REUTERS When Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal declared before a cheering crowd in Doha, Qatar, on Jan. 28, the need for a new leadership, his words generated panic amongst leaders of the West Bank-based......
Arabs, stay in the street
Commentary I will sum up the transition in U.S. foreign policy as follows: in the Bush era, since September 2001, U.S. foreign policy entailed the orchestration of crisis that played on the twin themes of the "war against terror" and "those who aren't with us are against us." The Barack Obama era opened with the two central chords,...One thing Iraqis hold onto
Among things that have not changed in Iraq is one that I hope never changes. After a four-year-long absence, each of my meetings here with former friends and fresh acquaintances seems to suggest that adversity has taken its toll on everything except Iraqi hospitality and Iraqi generosity. I am awestruck to find the warmth of the Iraqi......
Egypt hinders investigations into Gaza war
Egypt has refused entry into the Gaza Strip to members of an international committee in charge of investigating Israeli war crimes. The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) set up the committee. Four French and Norwegian lawyers comprise the committee. The ICC had earlier started preliminary analysis into alleged...Thousands flee Afghanistan for Iran
It is early morning in the Maimana city bus station, and crowds of young men are waiting to board buses that will take them far away. Yuldash Mohammad, 27, stows his bags under the seat of a bus leaving for Balkh province, but his ultimate destination is Iran. "I am a farmer," he told IWPR. "I sold my bull and my farming equipment,......