The Arab American News
Author's Posts
FISA has groups fearing U.S. scrutiny
WASHINGTON (JTA) -- The recent congressional expansion of surveillance powers, aimed ostensibly at terrorists abroad, has Jewish groups at home worried that their dealings with Israel could invite U.S. government scrutiny. The amended Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, rushed through Congress and signed into law by President Bush...Presidential hopeful visits Syria, Lebanon
BEIRUT — A Democratic candidate for the U.S. presidency, Dennis Kucinich, met separately with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Lebanese President Emile Lahoud and Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora on a six-day trip to the region over the Labor Day holiday. The trip began in Syria. In the Golan region, they visited the site of the...Treasury meets with community on charities
Members of the Arab American community voiced their growing concerns regarding charitable contributions during a special town hall meeting on Tuesday, September 4, at the Henry Ford Centennial Library in Dearborn. The meeting was arranged by BRIDGES and the office of U.S. Attorney Stephen Murphy, and hosted Michael Rosen, a Policy...The Shi’a power struggle: Not good news in Iraq
The decision made by Shi'a cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to halt his Mahdi Army's attacks on occupation forces and Iraqi security is likely to be considered the single most promising breakthrough for the U.S. military in Iraq. Although the move comes ahead of several reports to be presented to the U.S. Congress later this month, the decision...Let Arabs tell the truth
Case Number One: Architect and political analyst Raed Jarrar lives in America. A year ago, he was in New York's Kennedy Airport getting ready to board a plane back to his home in Oakland, California, when a federal Transportation Security Administration official told him he would not be allowed on the airliner unless he removed his...Canada: Dual citizenship in question
When Canada spent $100 million to rescue Lebanese-Canadians from the war between Israel and Hizbullah last year, some Canadians reacted by accusing these people of being fair weather—or, rather, ill weather—Canadians. As former Immigration Minister Montel Solberg put it, “Canadians want to know that citizenship means something, that we...Lebanon’s only chance is the army
I had the opportunity to spend the last six weeks in Lebanon, making pleasure and working visits to different areas of the country and engaging in political and other discussions with local officials, academics and opposition activists. The experience has been instructive, simultaneously heartening and depressing, but has also suggested...Arabic spoken? Plane grounded!
Woman's gripe over men speaking Arabic grounded plane bound to Chicago SAN DIEGO - A woman who complained that some fellow passengers spoke Arabic and "had odd behavior" prevented a Chicago-bound American Airlines flight from departing San Diego, police said Wednesday. Flight 590, scheduled to depart at 11 p.m. Tuesday,...Muslims and anti-Semitism
The responsibility of the Muslims and the Jews in the West is tremendous: living together, both citizens of the same countries, they should raise their voices in the name of justice and mutual respect. In France, for example, one finds a unique situation; namely, the largest Jewish and Muslim communities in Europe living together. In...Arab American and Chaldean Council to mark 28 years of service
DETROIT — The Arab American and Chaldean Council (ACC) will host its 28th Annual Civic and Humanitarian Awards Gala at the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center at 6 p.m. Sept. 8. Every year the non-profit human services organization sets the stage for a unique and prestigious event to honor extraordinary individuals who are visionaries in...The new illiterate Orientalism
How do you defend an entire nation's literature and poetry in one small book? When the country to defend is Iran, and the people who need convincing are Americans, the question becomes particularly difficult. Books like Geraldine Brookes' "Nine Parts of Desire: The Hidden World of Islamic Women,"Khaled Husseini's "The Kite Runner,"Azar...Strange request from Bush on detainees
The American government has approached Canada on several occasions with a request to admit 17 Ugyhurs being held in Guantanamo. Canada is reluctant to grant this strange request. Obviously, the U.S. has decided that they are not terrorists and not a danger. Yet, it refuses to admit them to the United States and continues to imprison the...Who are the Yazidis?
Iraqi Yazidis have been in the news lately, and not pleasant news. Back in April, Yazidis beat and stoned a 17-year-old girl to death because she had a Muslim boyfriend. Shortly after, gunmen forced a bus to empty out and separated the Christians from the Yazidis, killing all 23 Yazidis, apparently in retaliation for the earlier...No American president can stand up to Israel
"No American President can stand up to Israel." These words came from feisty Admiral Thomas Moorer, Chief of Naval Operations (1967-1970) and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1970-1974). Moorer was, perhaps, the last independent-minded American military leader. Admiral Moorer knew what he was talking about. On June 8, 1967,...Senator Levin pushes for Iraq withdrawal, al-Maliki replacement
Senator Carl Levin of Michigan came back from a trip to Iraq emboldened by a few new ideas. Significantly, he and Senator Hillary Clinton began calling for the Iraqi parliament to replace Iraq’s Prime Minister, Nouri Al-Maliki. The purpose of Levin's trip was to get a better sense of the impact of the "surge" in American forces. He......
Palestine: A policy of deliberate blindness
Dennis Ross, formerly the United States envoy to the Middle East, admitted back in 2000 that mistakes had been made in the 1978 Camp David accords: The diplomatic process had not taken enough account of developments on the ground, especially the settlements. The number of Jewish settlers in the Palestinian territories doubled from 1994...In Iraq, sex is traded for survival
Baghdad — When Rana Jalil, 38, lost her husband in an explosion in Baghdad last year, she could never have imagined becoming a prostitute in order to feed her children. A mother of four, Jalil sought out employment, but job opportunities forwomen had decreased since the U.S. invasion. She begged shop owners, office workers and companies......
Doesn’t anyone hear those awful cries from Gaza?
No one seems to hear the cries from Gaza enough to act, despite the reports that talk about imminent economic collapse, dangerous food shortages, total aid dependency and impending humanitarian disaster. Neither the cries nor the reports appear in the headlines or news alerts in our mainstream media. And, while the statistics make...Israel “boycotts” Palestinian scholars
When the British University and College Union voted to promote a boycott of Israeli universities, critics hit back with a firm defense of academic freedom. Lee Bollinger, president of Columbia University, found the very idea of the boycott to be �utterly antithetical to fundamental values of the academy.� Such an action, he said,...
Why does Egypt choose to stoop so low?
September 1st, 20070 There is a special sadness to the diminution of giants, to great men and countries that choose to stoop low. Egypt, in this respect, mystifies us once again, as its ruling regime resorts to repression and harassment of those who would challenge it politically and demand more democratic governance. The Egyptian government increases...
ADC Michigan announces new building plans
September 1st, 20070 DEARBORN — What began as a dream is now becoming reality for the American- Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) Michigan, as they move ahead with plans to build the first-ever American-Arab Center for Civil & Human Rights (ACCHR). This ground-breaking education and resource center will stand as the first of its kind not only in......
Group to hold community forum on charitable contributions
DEARBORN — As the month of Ramadan approaches and the time for almsgiving begins, BRIDGES and the U.S. Attorney's Office will make an effort to alleviate concerns about charities in the Arab American community by holding a community forum on charitable giving. The gathering will attempt to provide community members with a better...
Clash with Cheney over Iran prompted Rove departure
August 26th, 20070 It is as though I'm back as an analyst at the CIA, trying to estimate the chances of an attack on Iran. The putative attacker, though, happens to be our own president. It is precisely the work we analysts used to do. And, while it is still a bit jarring to be turning our analytical tools on the U.S. leadership, it is by no means......
We all know the emperor has no clothes
After serving for a few years as ambassador of the United States to Lebanon, Mr. Jeffrey Feltman has finally recognized one of the many common denominators among Arab people. But he doesn't actually know what to do with the information. Based on his new-found knowledge, he has leveled accusations against some important Arab...Fear grows as Ramadan approaches
As Ramadan fast approaches, there is a nervous anticipation among charities on whether the U.S. Treasury will shut down or raid or make some announcement about another charity. Since 9/11, six charity groups have been shut down by the government after being accused of providing financial aid to groups and individuals included on the......