The Arab American News
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Oakland University panel discusses Mideast
Rochester The Lebanese Club of Oakland University hosted a panel discussion in the university's Fireside Lounge Wednesday, covering a number of issues relating to the Middle East and the Muslim world. Debates were held on topics including women in the Arab world, the Israel-Palestine conflict, and America's "War...Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter to lead study mission to Middle East
Atlanta Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter will lead a study mission to Israel, the West Bank, Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan April 13-21, 2008, as part of the Carter Center's ongoing effort to support peace, democracy and human rights in the region. ...Imam detained, may be deported
AUSTIN Members of Austin's religious community are rallying around a Muslim cleric who is being detained in West Texas and may be deported to Pakistan. Imam Safdar Razi, who led a Northwest Austin mosque for six years before taking a job in Dearborn, Mich., in 2006, was arrested on immigration charges at his home in Plano on...Iraqi Olympians dodge violence and politics on the path to Beijing
A sprinter and an archer two of the four Iraqis who have qualified so far struggle to train amid sectarian divides and a dearth of equipment. BAGHDAD It's a glorious spring day and sprinter Dana Hussein Abdul-Razzaq is busy stretching and warming up ahead of her morning training routine. Nearby, under the shade of...Play explores Pakistani culture
In Khaled Hosseini's "The Kite Runner," Baba enthusiastically encourages his son Amir to fly kites and to defend the record he set as a child for cutting down the most opponents' kites in Kabul. But in "Kite on the Wind: A Tale of Pakistan," a collaboration of the Pakistan National Council on the Arts, the Embassy of Pakistan, and...Basra battles: What reporters omitted and fabricated
The latest battles in Basra, Iraqs largest city and a vital oil port, provide ample examples of misleading and manipulative practice in corporate journalism today. One commonly used tactic is to describe events using self-styled or "official" terminology, which deliberately confuses the reader by giving no real indication or...Standing in the shoes of the foe
My life in the West Bank during the summer of 2006 was a lot less dramatic than some might imagine. I wasn't kidnapped and I didn't see any gunbattles in the street. I went to university every day, ate delicious food, and traveled throughout various cities in the area. This is not to say that life is normal in this part of the...Report issued on Muslim-West relations
Washington Interfaith leaders from the worlds of government, religion, academe and civil society gathered at a roundtable organized by the World Economic Forum and Georgetown University, on the occasion of the official U.S. launch of the first "Islam and the West: Annual Report on the State of Dialogue." The report is the first of...The power of the ink of the scholar
WASHINGTON (IPS) In an age when suicide bombings and religious and ethnic riots comprise the bulk of the evening news, it seems as though compassion and compromise are more elusive than ever. Buddha said that there are three poisons in this world: greed, anger, and ignorance. These poisons have the capacity to destroy individuals ...Nothing to laugh at here
Four comedians recently came together in Houston, Texas "to promote peace through comedy" under the banner of the Israeli-Palestinian Comedy Tour. However, rather than promoting a just end to the conflict, their material exploits it in a disturbing manner. "We rely on the conflict; peace would ruin our show," co-founder Ray...Children’s area of Henry Ford Centennial Library being remodeled
DEARBORN The children's area of the Henry Ford Centennial Library (HFCL) will undergo extensive remodeling and updating in April. As a result, the children's area of the library and the mezzanine level of the library are scheduled to be closed from Friday, April 11 through Wednesday, April 30. During the period of closure of...Canadian pro-peace Jews organize
Naomi KleinJournalist and author Naomi Klein gave the keynote address at a meeting in Toronto over the last weekend of March of more than 100 Jews from across Canada dedicated to promoting a just peace in Israel/Palestine. She told those assembled that Israel has two main industries, tourism and security. It is trying,...Iranian public sees reduced U.S. threat
WASHINGTON (IPS) While still distrustful of U.S. intentions, the Iranian public believes that the threat posed by Washington has diminished over the past year and favors increased exchanges between the two countries, including direct talks on stabilizing Iraq and other issues, according to a major new survey released here Monday by...Arab world’s minorities must be respected
NEW YORK The gunmen used silencers on their weapons when they assassinated Assyrian Orthodox priest Youssef Adel outside his home in Baghdad last Saturday. But their message was loud and clear: Iraq's dwindling Christian minority is the target of a cruel bloodletting. It may seem insensitive just to single out one group for...U.S.-Arab Economic Forum promotes trade
WASHINGTON The third annual U.S.-Arab Economic Forum, hosted by the American Middle East Economic Affairs Committee (AMEEAC) in cooperation with the League of Arab States, will be held here May 7-9, 2008. The Forum strives to enhance bilateral relations between the U.S. and Middle East. By bringing together top business,......
Jordan acts as hub for U.S. renditions
NEW YORK (IPS) Jordan, often described in the mainstream press as the most moderate country in the Arab Middle East, was the first to receive prisoners "as a true proxy jailer for the CIA" and has received more victims of "extraordinary rendition" than any other country in the world, according to a new report by Human Rights Watch...Iraq still a quagmire say experts
WASHINGTON (IPS) Despite a reduction in violence over the past 15 months, "the U.S. risks getting bogged down in Iraq for a long time to come, with serious consequences for its interests in other parts of the world," according to a new assessment by the same group of experts who advised the bipartisan blue-ribbon Iraq Study Group......
Ellison speaks out on need for unity
DETROIT U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., the country's first Muslim congressman, appeared in Detroit on April 6 at an anniversary event for a local civil rights group, where he spoke about uniting advocates of different causes to fight together in an unfavorable political atmosphere. Ellison keynoted the 27th anniversary...Driving Skills for Life emphasizes safety
DEARBORN Students here participated in the Ford Motor Company Fund's "Driving Skills for Life" program this week, an ongoing initiative designed to reduce teen car crashes and fatalities. Students from Fordson, Edsel Ford, and Dearborn High School competed to create public service announcements (PSA) that effectively conveyed...Edsel Ford tackles diversity challenges
Dearborn Former Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer paid a visit to Edsel Ford High School students March 26 during a student leadership conference that Principal Hassane Jaafar said was put together in part to address issues of diversity and division at the school. He said the event was the first of a series of interactive efforts to...USCIS updates projected naturalization case processing and name check times
WASHINGTON U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that it will finish more than one million naturalization cases during fiscal year 2008 far exceeding the number of cases completed last year. This update comes following a thorough analysis of the work completed during the last six months. ......
Community Foundation supports ACC refugee outreach
Detroit The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan has awarded a grant of $150,000 over two years to the Arab American and Chaldean Council (ACC), a non profit organization, for support for refugee acculturation outreach services. ACC's Community and Family Strengthening and Integration Project will target the Metro Detroit...Detroit gas station owner charged in rival’s slaying is shot to death
DETROIT According to The Detroit News, police are investigating the killing this week of a gas station owner who was charged last year with killing a rival gas station owner during a price war. "Hassan Masbouth, 52, was shot to death outside his home in the 1600 block of Infantry on the city's southwest side at about noon. He......
Granholm signs booster seat legislation
LANSING Governor Jennifer M. Granholm this week signed legislation that will require the use of approved booster seats for children who are between the ages of four and eight and less than 4 feet 9 inches tall. The bill takes effect July 1. "I am pleased today to sign into law a bill that protects...AANM founder honored at ACCESS dinner
DEARBORN Ismael Ahmed, a driving force behind the creation of the Arab American National Museum, will be honored for his long and varied service to the community at the ACCESS 37th Anniversary Dinner on May 10 in downtown Detroit. Ahmed, who currently serves on the Museum's National Advisory Board, is also a founder of ACCESS; he......