The Arab American News
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Documentary: How ‘Brooklyn, Inshallah’ excited Arab voters
September 8th, 20180 BROOKLYN, NY — Ahmed Mansour’s film “Brooklyn, Inshallah” documents Khader El-Yateem’s 2017 campaign for New York City Council. Not only did El-Yateem’s position as a Lutheran pastor make him distinguishable from other candidates, his identity as a Palestinian American immigrant did so as well. From that, he was even...
U.S. Senate passes anti-hate crime legislation
September 8th, 20180 WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate passed by unanimous vote an anti-hate crime bill (S. 994), protecting religiously affiliated institutions. This legislation amends the federal criminal code and increases the penalty — a fine, a prison term of up to five years, or both— for intentionally threatening or destroying...
Defunding UNRWA highlights Trump’s anti-Palestine agenda
September 7th, 20180 The Trump administration has cut all funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA). Created after the 1948 war which displaced 700,000 Palestinians, UNRWA works in collaboration with local governments to provide direct relief and resources aiding economic reintegration. The agency provides food...
Dearborn police arrest carjacking suspect
September 7th, 20180 DEARBORN — The Dearborn Police Department responded to an armed carjacking on Warren Avenue on the morning on Sept. 2. One of the victims reported that while he and his brother were seated in their vehicle an unknown male approached and ordered them out of their car at gunpoint. The victims exited the vehicle and the suspect took...
Supreme Court nominee steers clear of Trump criticism
September 7th, 20180 WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Thursday, U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh stressed that he believes the judiciary has broad authority to check the power of the White House, but refused to criticize the man who selected him, President Trump. In a second day of testimony, Kavanaugh declined to comment on Trump’s criticism of the...
CAIR announces complaints against Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office
September 7th, 20180 FARMINGTON HILLS — The Michigan chapter of Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI), a chapter of the nation's largest Muslim Civil Rights and advocacy organization, held a press conference on Thursday, Sept. 6 to announce the filing of civil rights complaints with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights and the U.S. Department...
Arab American Portland Festival aims to shatter stereotypes, promotes culture
September 7th, 20180 PORTLAND, Oregon — From Algeria to Yemen to Portland, Oregon, it takes a big, big tent at the festival to welcome everyone who's a part of the Arabic culture. Expats, immigrants and tabbouleh lovers from all over gathered for the Arab Mahrajan Festival on Saturday, Sept. 1 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Oaks Amusement Park in Southeast...
‘Kite Runner’ author pens tribute to refugees who die fleeing war
September 5th, 20180 LONDON — “Kite Runner” author Khaled Hosseini urged world leaders to “act with compassion” towards refugees as he launched his new book inspired by a Syrian boy who drowned in the Mediterranean trying to reach Greece. Hosseini said on Wednesday there was a “deeply concerning” shift in attitudes in Europe - where several...
Lana Del Ray cancels Israel festival appearance
September 5th, 20180 Pop singer and songwriter Lana Del Rey has canceled her September 7 appearance at Israel’s Meteor Festival. Del Rey (real name Elizabeth Woolridge Grant) had pulled out of an earlier engagement in 2014. According to Variety Magazine, the entertainment trade paper, “the organizers are said to be livid”, especially since Grant...
Parliament speaker Berri: Lebanon in ‘intensive care’ and economy ‘very dangerous’
September 5th, 20180 BEIRUT — Lebanon’s Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said on Wednesday the country was in “intensive care” and the economic situation was “very dangerous”, according to a lawmaker who regularly speaks for him. Four months after parliamentary elections, Prime Minister-designate Saad al-Hariri has not yet managed to form a...
Kaepernick ad spurs Nike boycott campaign
September 4th, 20180 Protesters on social media called for people to burn their Nike sneakers and boycott the sporting goods maker after it chose former San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick, the first NFL player to kneel during the national anthem as a protest against racism, to participate in a new ad campaign. Shares in the Beaverton, Oregon-based...Check with voter registrar — Are you still on the rolls?
You think you're a registered voter and intend to vote on November 6? U.S. citizens across the country soon will vote on all 435 seats in the House of Representatives, for 35 U.S. senators and three dozen governorships. The House of Representatives and possibly the Senate are up for grabs. Given the high stakes, voters would do...
Michigan language arts exam results raise concern
September 3rd, 20180 LANSING — Michigan’s state-wide reading and writing exam results may concern residents after the state invested around $100 million to improve reading instruction. The results, which were released Wednesday morning by the Michigan Department of Education (MDE), stated that only 44 percent of students in grades 3-8 who took the...
Kids in college? State fire marshal urges fire safety for college students
September 3rd, 20180 As our young adults start another academic year at Michigan colleges and universities, State Fire Marshal Kevin Sehlmeyer is urging students and their parents to make fire prevention a top priority and practice life-saving fire safety measures whether living on- or off-campus. “Having working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide...
Artist Paul Zenian exhibit to benefit Dearborn gallery
September 2nd, 20180 DEARBORN — Artist Paul Zenian will present an exhibition to benefit the Dearborn Community Arts Council (DCAC) and the Padzieski Art Gallery, which showcases a portion of his work. The exhibition will run Sept. 7 through Oct. 3. Zenian expresses his creativity through large representational and abstract paintings. He also......
IAEA report: Iran is complying with nuclear deal restrictions
September 2nd, 20180 VIENNA — Iran has remained within the main restrictions on its nuclear activities imposed by a 2015 deal with major powers, a confidential report by the U.N. atomic watchdog indicated on Thursday. In its second quarterly report since President Trump announced in May that the United States would quit the accord and reimpose...
Macomb County judge arraigned on hit-and-run charges
September 2nd, 20180 MARINE CITY— Macomb County Judge Catherine Steenland has been arraigned on two misdemeanor criminal charges in connection with a hit-and-run collision that occurred in Roseville last September. Steenland, 51, was arraigned on Monday in the 72nd District Court in Marine City before Judge Michael Hulewicz. On September 25, 2017, at......
Dearborn Heights to host public forum on corridor improvement project
September 2nd, 20180 Dearborn Heights — Dearborn Heights, Taylor and the civil engineering firm Wade Trim will host a public forum to secure the public’s input and opinions regarding the proposed Van Born Corridor Improvement Project. The forum will take place Wednesday, Sept. 19 at the Richard A. Young Recreation Center on McKinley Street. The meeting...
Arab American Texas Festival offers culture, fun and food
September 1st, 20180 By Taylor Adams DALLAS, Texas — The second annual Arab Texas Festival returns to Mesquite on Sept. 2, offering food, performers and activities aimed at spotlighting Arabic culture. And it comes with a tempting array of food, including shawarma, falafel, meat and cheese pies and Arabic desserts. The festival is the...
Russian navy to hold drills off Syria as Idlib offensive looms
September 1st, 20180 MOSCOW — Russia will begin a major naval exercise in the Mediterranean on Saturday, the Ministry of Defense announced, a move the Kremlin said was justified by a failure to deal with militants in Syria’s Idlib province. Idlib and areas surrounding it are the last major enclave held by rebels opposed to Syrian President Bashar...
The Arab supergirl fighting crime and smashing stereotypes
August 31st, 20180 By Heidi Pullyard A new vigilante supergirl is defying the genre. Emara doesn't wear spandex, skintight leather or masks — instead, she dons a hijab. The first homegrown female Emirati superhero, Emara is gaining attention around the world. By day, she's a typical teenage girl named Moza. By night, her fearless alter......
Hold the plaudits, John McCain’s 2008 campaign paved the way for Donald Trump
August 31st, 20180 What if John McCain hadn’t run for president in 2008? Donald Trump might not be sitting in the White House today. At first glance, that might sound odd. The six-term Republican senator, who passed away Saturday, has been hailed as an outspoken opponent of the president, while Trump himself despised McCain and famously claimed the...
Minimum wage hike proposal will appear on Nov. ballot
August 31st, 20180 A proposal to increase Michigan’s minimum wage to $12 an hour over the next four years will be on the November ballot, pending the outcome made by the the Michigan Supreme Court. The members of the Board of State Canvassers voted 3-0 to certify the ballot proposal on Friday, Aug. 24. The proposal, which is backed by a committee......
High lead, copper levels force Detroit Public Schools to shut off drinking water
August 29th, 20180 After tests revealed elevated lead and copper levels Detroit Public Schools' drinking water, the district prompted all of the drinking water to be shut off. The following statement was released from Dr. Nikolai Vitti, superintendent of Detroit Public Schools Community District: I initiated water testing of all of our school...
U.N.: Some Saudi-led coalition air strikes in Yemen may amount to war crimes
August 28th, 20180 Air strikes by the Saudi-led coalition in the war in Yemen have caused heavy civilian casualties and some may amount to war crimes, U.N. human rights experts said on Tuesday. The experts’ panel also said that fighters of the Houthi group had fired missiles into Saudi Arabia and shelled the Yemeni city of Taiz. It accused them of......
