The Arab American News
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Is ‘Kite Runner’ anti-religious?
When Mr. Banks sings "Let's go fly a kite and sends it soaring up through the atmosphere" at the end of the movie "Mary Poppins," he is abandoning his workaholic, unimaginative ways and bonding with his children Jane and Michael for perhaps the first time. But they can frolic in and out of chalk drawings and on detachable carousel...The algebra of occupation
On 1805, the French Army out-maneuvered, outsmarted and out-fought the combined armies of Russia and Austria at Austerlitz. Three years later it would founder against a rag-tag collection of Spanish guerrillas. In 1967 it took six days for the Israeli Army to smash Egypt, Jordan and Syria and seize the West Bank, the Golan Heights,...Stop the murder in Gaza
Everyone must act now to stop this collective punishment. It is the only ethical, just and humane thing to do. The siege must stop. Now. People are dying in Gaza. Patients die in their hospital beds because they are denied permits to access life-saving treatments abroad. Patients with such permits die at the Erez crossing because the...Christians in Gaza: An integral part of society
Gaza � Abu Saeed, a vendor selling electrical appliances in Gaza City's Rimal district, says that it only occurs to him that the vendor selling foodstuffs next door, Abu Hana, is Christian during the Christian holidays. They have been working together in their neighboring shops for over 30 years, exchanging greetings and pleasantries, as...Clergy join ‘Tapegate’ battle
NEW YORK (IPS) � A coalition of more than 130 religious organizations has joined a growing chorus calling for appointment of a special counsel to investigate allegations regarding the Central Intelligence Agency's destruction of videotapes and its use of "harsh" interrogation techniques. In a letter to Attorney-General Michael Mukasey,...
Bombing kills Lebanese general, deepens crisis
December 15th, 20070 The assassination of Brig. Gen. Francois Hajj may have been revenge for a summertime campaign against Islamic militants. Beirut � The political crisis here deepened this week when a senior Army general was killed in a powerful car bombing, the ninth high-profile attack on a prominent Lebanese in a sporadic campaign of assassinations...Heard at Mecca: ‘Are you single?’
Matchmakers ply their trade at Islam's holiest site Mecca � In the midst of overlapping murmurs of prayers in a sea of white-cloaked worshippers, a woman's voice interrupts the collective trance as she asks: "Are you single?" For hundreds of years, Mecca has been the sacred meeting point of millions of Muslims from across the world....Hamtramck fails to pass anti-profiling ordinace
The Hamtramck City Council did not pass an ordinance brought to vote Tuesday that would prohibit police from profiling people based on their appearance, immigration status or other factors, because they said what they had in front of them was the wrong version of the measure they intended to vote on. City attorney Jim Allen told the...Collecting goods for Gleaners
Dearborn � Over 1350 pounds of non-perishable food was collected at a recent food drive held at Henry Ford Village, a full-service retirement community, in Dearborn. Residents and staff alike gave generously to the Food Drive that was held between November 27 and December 1, 2007. Cash donations were also accepted and...
Democrats strip Michigan of delegates
December 15th, 20070 Vienna, VA � Democratic leaders voted last week to strip Michigan of all its delegates to the national convention next year as punishment for scheduling an early presidential primary in violation of party rules. Michigan, with 156 delegates, has scheduled a Jan. 15 primary. Democratic Party rules prohibit states other than Iowa, New...Dearborn residents reminded about city’s snow plowing policy
DEARBORN � As the season of winter snow arrives, Dearborn residents are reminded about the details of the city's official snow plowing policy. The key fact to remember is that when the City determines that snowplowing is necessary, Dearborn's emergency warning sirens will be sounded. The siren noise is a distinctive alternating high and...Derborn Public Schools Winter Break Will Start On December 19
Originally scheduled to start on December 20, 2007 the Dearborn Public Schools will now start the Winter Break on December 19, 2007. On Monday, December 10, 2007 district administration learned that the start of Eid Al-Adha (holiday of sacrifice) would be on December 19, 2007. Due to expected low attendance, the district will...LIFE provides emergency relief to victims of cyclone in Bangladesh
Southfield � As part of its ongoing efforts to alleviate human suffering, the American-based relief organization, Life for Relief and Development (LIFE), is currently working on the ground in Bangladesh to provide food and other essentials to some of the hundreds of thousands who survived the devastation of Cyclone...Death ruled a suicide, family disagrees
DEARBORN �A 22 year-old Dearborn Heights man, Hiesham Al-Shawwa, was found shot to death in his 2007 GMC Yukon in east Detroit on Friday, Dec. 7, according to family members. Naher Asleh, a cousin of Al-Shawwa, said he was found on Beaconsfield Street near East Warren Avenue with a shotgun wound to the chest, and that the shotgun...Henry Ford Health receives state’s highest honor
Ann Arbor � The Michigan Quality Council (MQC) announces Henry Ford Health System as a 2007 Quality Leadership Award recipient. The Michigan Quality Leadership Award is the highest honor for organizational performance excellence in the state. It is awarded after a rigorous review by a team of examiners who perform a......
ACCESS Leadership dinner honors judge, entrepreneur
DEARBORN � The Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS) honored two local leaders Wednesday at its Annual Community Leadership Dinner. Wayne County 3rd Circuit Court Judge Charlene Elder and Armada Oil & Gas CEO Ali Jawad received leadership awards. Elder was appointed to her seat by Governor Jennifer Granholm...
Grooming the Syrian version of Ahmed Chalabi
December 15th, 20070 Richard Perle is again propping up regime-toppling Mideast dissidents who lack credibility. On a cold morning last winter, I arrived at the home of Richard Perle outside Washington for a scheduled interview. I was about 10 minutes early, so I chose to shiver a bit on the front porch. Perle, the point man for the neoconservatives'......
Local imam has memoirs published
DEARBORN � A group of interfaith leaders, including the Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion, met at the Islamic Center of America recently to discuss Imam Sayid Hassan al-Qazwini's book "American Crescent," published in October. Well-known religion journalist David Crumm said that in more than 20 years of writing about...Granholm names Dan Krichbaum chief operating officer
LANSING � Governor Jennifer M. Granholm has announced that she has named Dan Krichbaum to serve as her chief operating officer. As COO, Krichbaum will oversee the implementation of the governor's economic plan to ensure that all state departments work cohesively and aggressively to grow the state's economy, improve access to health...U.S. citizens question terror watch lists
TOLEDO � Toledo, Ohio native Zak Reed is tired of being stopped and detained at the Canadian border every time he tries to drive home. "I don't feel very welcome in my home at all," Reed tells CBS News. "In fact, I feel like I am not wanted in my country any more." Last month, for the ninth time in the past year, Reed was held in custody...Teaching unschooled youngsters
It is a leap for a young person to come to a major Canadian urban center from a far country, in some cases from a refugee camp, where that person has had little or no education in any language, often being illiterate even in a mother tongue. Yet, that leap is taken by many children and teens, even though such youngsters are but a......
Ten ways to manage your finances and avoid post-holiday regrets
Indianapolis �The holidays are upon us, bringing all those images and sensations we cherish � the glow of the menorah, the fragrance of home-cooked meals and sugar cookies, and the sounds of the season in holiday songs, laughter, and shrieks of joy from kids discovering Santa's generosity. But for many of us there are a few not-so-joyous...HFCC offers History of Islamic Art course for Winter 2007 semester
DEARBORN � Does Islamic art reflect the faith of Islam? Is there such a thing as Qur'anic iconography and how is it related to Biblical iconography? What is the role of the muqarnas (geometric design) and Arabic calligraphy in Islamic architecture? How can we identify Islamic art? As Henry Ford Community College continues to......
Films explore post 9/11 Arab American reality
Dubai � The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) has included a special sub-section in its Arabian Nights programming segment which is dedicated to films that depict Arab life and stories in the Middle East and around the world. This year, the segment will feature a thematic grouping of films called The 9/11 Effect that delve into...Bush: It’s a goat even if it flies!
What did President Bush read in his oval office on Monday Dec. 3, 2007? He read a report compiled by sixteen American intelligence agencies concluding that Iran halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003, contradicting a previous assessment that Tehran was working on, even close to, building a nuclear weapon. This report......