The Arab American News
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Iraqis speak out against Biden amendment
Washington — Leaders of a newly-established umbrella organization called Iraqi Voices for Peace have spoken out forcefully against an amendment sponsored by U.S. Senator Joseph Biden (D-DE) and approved by the Senate expressing support for the "soft partitioning" of Iraq along religious and sectarian lines. They are urging that the Biden...U.S. balks at Harkat request
The American government has refused a request by Mohamed Harkat's lawyer to interview Abu Zubaydah, a Guantanamo prisoner alleged to be a ranking member of al-Qaeda, whose allegations about Harkat have played a role in Harkat's precarious position. He is currently in virtual house arrest under strict bail conditions and threatened with...Men mistreated in Syria demand openness
When Justice Dennis O'Connor issued his report on the case of the mistreatment of Maher Arar in Syria, he also noted the existence of other cases that appeared to have some resemblance to that one, cases involving Ahmad El-Maati, Abdullah Almalki, and Muayyed Nureddin. In his report, O'Connor called for a separate inquiry into these...Montreal imam deported
Montreal Imam Saïd Jaziri, founder of Montreal's Al Qods Mosque, was deported from Canada on October 22. His resident status was cancelled in 2006 on grounds that he failed to reveal a criminal record from France when he applied for refugee status in 1997. At the same time, his Canadian wife was admitted to hospital, eight months...Canadian Conservatives introduce anti-terror bill
Currently, there are five Muslim men in Canada subject to strict controls under anti-terrorism legislation which the Supreme Court has declared unconstitutional. One, Hassan Almrei, is still held in prison. All are resisting deportation, claiming serious mistreatment if returned to their countries. The court gave the government till...New case for war in Mideast
The Middle East peace conference proposed by the Bush administration is clearly a smokescreen, aimed at concealing the true intentions of U.S. foreign policy in the region. In the predictable process of rewarding "moderate" allies and chastising "extremist" foes, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will most likely receive the...Critical clarity from humanitarians
Karen Abuzayd, commissioner-general of the United Nations' agency that provides aid and services to Palestinian refugees, and Alvaro de Soto, the recently retired UN diplomat from Peru, offer critical clarity with regard to the Israeli-Palestinian crisis. BEIRUT — It is very refreshing when law, international responsibility, and human...Arabs should seize the peace initiative
In the aftermath of Secretary of State Rice's fourth recent visit to the region to prepare for a Middle East peace conference, only the meeting's proposed location has been decided. The situation looks quite bleak, with little to show for the efforts made to date. Early in her visit, Rice made an effort to tamp down expectations about...Government’s fear-mongering didn’t work
A prosecution that is likely to go down in the record books as one of the great abuses of the American legal process ended with a mistrial this week in Dallas, Texas. The politicized case against the Holy Land Foundation (HLF), an American charity providing aid to needy families in Palestine, alleged material support for a terrorist...On the eve of destruction, Bush owes world an explanation
Don't worry, the White House is telling us. The world's most powerful leader was simply making a rhetorical point. At a White House press conference last week, just in case you haven't heard, President Bush informed the American people that he had told world leaders "if you're interested in avoiding World War III, it seems like you ought...Israel threatens Gaza with blackout
JERUSALEM — Israel unveiled a new tactic this week aimed at deterring Palestinians from firing rockets out of the Gaza Strip. It will cut off Gaza's electricity bit by bit as a pressure tactic every time rockets hit Israeli territory. Israel provides more than half of Gaza's electricity, and any power cutoff is sure to make life more...Bloody protests worsen in Yemen
Since May, Yemen has witnessed widespread civil unrest in the southern governorates, including Aden and Marib. Three protesters were killed during demonstrations in Mukallah, and two more were killed in Dhalie. On October 13, five people were shot dead at a sit-in in Radfan, Lahj when security forces opened fire on the crowd. Witnesses...U.S. to build ‘strategic partnership’ with Lebanese army
A senior Pentagon official said last week that the U.S. military would like to see a strategic partnership with Lebanon's army to strengthen the country's forces so that Hizbullah would have no excuse to bear arms. The comments by Eric Edelman, undersecretary of defense for policy, in an interview aired on Lebanese television two days...In Israel raid’s wake, Syria turns defensive
President Bashar al-Assad met with North Korean officials this week as Damascus hardens against the West after a September Israeli airstrike. Damascus — The peace overtures were nuanced and often veiled. But in the months before Israeli jets struck a Syrian military facility in the northeast of the country, Syria had expressed some...Mistrial declared in Holy Land case
Five defendants in the terrorism-financing trial of the Texas-based charity Holy Land Foundation were not convicted on any of nearly 200 charges when verdicts were read Monday. They were not acquitted of all charges either, but that didn't stop a crowd of supporters from celebrating outside the Dallas courtroom, hoisting attorney Greg......
YABA to unveil renovated center
DEARBORN — The Western Union Company, a worldwide leader in money transfer services, has assisted the Yemeni American Benevolent Association (YABA) to renovate two classrooms at its community center in the Southend here. As part of its continuing efforts to give back to the communities it serves, Western Union sponsored a four-week...Discrimination lawsuit filed against American Airlines
DETROIT — Six Michigan men, who in August were escorted off an American Airlines flight and then detained, filed a race discrimination lawsuit this week against the airline, saying the incident was a clear case of racial profiling, false imprisonment and a violation of civil rights. Filed in U.S. District Court by Allen Brothers PLLC......
AAI, NNAAC conferences coincide
DEARBORN — This weekend, two major national networks are holding their annual conferences in Dearborn. One is an organization promoting electoral participation and greater Arab American involvement in the American political system. The other is a broad network of Arab community groups and service-providers. The participants from both...Arabs get Ontario funding to improve communication
The National Council on Canada-Arab Relations has been funded by the Trillium Foundation, an organization of the Ontario government, to create a network of organizations to serve the Arab-Canadian community in the province. The work is to be completed by June, 2008. This network will facilitate communication among the groups and is...Canadian Conservatives seek minority votes
The Conservatives are reaching out to increase their support among various ethnic and religious groups. An internal party document makes this effort clear. The document also suggests that there is no hope in making inroads with some. Where do Muslims stand in this strategy? Prime Minister Stephen Harper sent out Rosh Hashanah greeting...Veil: French Arabs more targeted than Jews
Simone Veil, speaking at a luncheon in Montreal sponsored by the Azrieli Foundation, said that "Anti-Arab sentiment is much stronger in France than anti-Semitism." Veil, a Holocaust survivor from Auschwitz, served in cabinet positions in various French governments and was president of the European Parliament. The Azrieli Foundation is a......
ADC honors ‘Guardians of Justice’
6th annual judges night The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) Michigan honored judges and their contribution to civil rights at its 6th Annual Judges Night Reception on Tuesday, October 16, at the Bint Jebail Cultural Center in Dearborn. Among the invited guests were distinguished judges, attorneys, community leaders,...Only Congress can declare war
If anyone doubts that the republic created by the U.S. Constitution is dead, he or she only has to watch the Republican presidential debates. Save for Dr. Ron Paul, all of the candidates believe a president can take the country to war on his own, though most concede it might be a good idea to "consult" attorneys and even......
Prisoner swap: Marwan for Gilad?
Ramallah — More than 11,000 Palestinian prisoners are in Israeli jails. One Israeli soldier, captured 16 months ago, is being held by Palestinians in Gaza. Behind the new push for Israeli-Palestinian reconciliation are reports of talks about a possible controversial trade-off that could see the release of two of those prisoners. Such...State Department recruiting minorities
WASHINGTON — Representatives of the U.S. State Department, including ambassadors and other senior-level members, will be visiting Detroit in an effort to recruit more Arab Americans, African Americans, Latinos and other people of color. The Detroit event will be the 10th held in this series since the U.S. DoS and the Minority......
