Author's Posts
Whitmer reflects on Nov election, misinformation around public health and more in interview
November 18th, 20220 DETROIT — Fresh off a double digit election victory over a Trump-backed candidate, Governor Whitmer spoke at the 50th anniversary gala for ACCESS in Detroit on Thursday. More than 1,000 people attended the half-a-century celebration at the Marriott hotel in the Renaissance Center for an organization that began as a modest,...
FBI to investigate Shireen Abu Akleh’s murder; Israel says it won’t cooperate
November 18th, 20220 The U.S. Department of Justice has decided to investigate the killing of renowned Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, with Israel saying it does not plan to cooperate. The investigation by the FBI comes after months of pressure from rights groups, Democrats and Abu Akleh’s family on the Biden administration to push...
Democratic incumbents and newcomers break tie in Michigan congressional roster
November 11th, 20220 After the state lost a congressional seat from the census and with redistricting causing upheaval to the U.S. House maps, Democrats have broken the tie in the Congressional roster from Michigan and added two new faces. After the Nov. 8 election, Michigan will have seven Democrats and six Republicans in the U.S. House of...
Abraham Aiyash selected as House majority floor leader as Democrats take control of the legislature
November 11th, 20220 Hamtramck native Abraham Aiyash will become the first Arab American to be a majority leader in a state legislature next term after he was selected by his colleagues to be Michigan’s new majority floor leader of the State House. Aiyash will be the highest-ranking Muslim American in Michigan legislative history. "Incredibly honored...
Federal agency releases report on how TSA can curb discriminatory practices at ports of entry
November 10th, 20220 DETROIT — A federal agency has released a report, after a 2020 request from U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-Michigan), on how the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) can eliminate the potential for discrimination in travel screenings. The report comes out of years of requests by Arab Americans and Muslim Americans to their...
Comfortable victories for Democrats in Dearborn, Hamtramck, despite GOP efforts
November 9th, 20220 Democrats cleared victories with wide margins despite a renewed push by Republicans to make in-roads with voters, with the picture becoming clearer as election results came out of the Dearborn Clerk’s office Tuesday night. With all precincts reporting in Dearborn, unofficial results from the Dearborn City Clerk showed comfortable...
Representing Dearborn in MMA, Abe Alsaghir thanks coaches, family for 5-0 streak
November 4th, 20220 DEARBORN — Dearborn has a rising star in mixed martial arts (MMA) and he's fresh off a 5-0 record, hungry for more and looking ahead at a bright future in one of the country’s most popular sports. 21-year-old Abe Alsaghir’s story is yet another example of the community's immigrant, working class roots and its penchant for...
Local prosecutors say Proposal 3 will not affect parental consent laws, opposition claims are “nonsense”
November 4th, 20220 A proposal to enshrine in the state’s constitution guaranteed protections over reproductive health such as pregnancy, prenatal care and abortions has seen some growing opposition in Dearborn. Recently a pamphlet put out by Dearborn Parents for Principled Civic Engagement appeared in English and Arabic with claims that the proposal,...
Dems, GOP make final push to gain votes among local Arab Americans
November 4th, 20221 The last days into a tight race between Democrats and Republicans for control in Michigan have seen a push by both parties to gain favor among local Arab Americans. Though most polls put incumbent Democratic Governor Whitmer ahead of her GOP opponent, Tudor Dixon, the Nov. 8 race is tighter than what the Democrats would have hoped...
Arab American sues U.S. Steel over discrimination, termination at Ecorse plant
November 3rd, 20220 ECORSE — An Arab American man is suing U.S. Steel for wrongful discrimination termination following employment discrimination by his supervisor. The lawsuit, filed by the Michigan chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI) in federal court on behalf of Yemeni American Jalal Muflihi, says Muflihi complained for...
State crackdown takes nearly 171 illegal guns off the streets; 182 arrests made
October 27th, 20220 LANSING — A statewide crackdown aimed at reducing gun violence by getting illegal guns off the streets and away from people who cannot legally be in possession of a gun due to prior criminal history has led to hundreds of guns being taken off the streets. Since the Operation Safe Neighborhoods began, law enforcement officials have...
Book pulled out of instruction in Dearborn Heights after social media post
October 21st, 20221 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — A book was recently taken out of instruction in a Dearborn Heights school, following an ongoing controversy around books in schools in neighboring Dearborn. Crestwood School District officials were made aware of a social media post with photos of a book being taught to ninth grade students that included sexually...
Galata Sweets brings one-of-a-kind Turkish food experience to downtown west Dearborn
October 16th, 20220 DEARBORN — Galata Sweets, a new cafe, bakery and breakfast spot, is set to leave its mark on Dearborn’s vibrant food scene. Located in downtown west Dearborn just south of Michigan Avenue on Mason Street, Galata is not the only Turkish food or cafe experience in Michigan, but is the first in the state to provide a Turkish cafe,...
Study says Michigan second highest in country for auto repair demand
October 15th, 20220 A study by a warranty and auto market expert company places Michigan as second in its list of states where mechanics are most in demand. The study’s result won’t surprise too many Michigan drivers, especially those reeling from expensive damage to their suspensions and tires from the state’s brutal winter "pothole...
Poll says 54 percent fear U.S. is on path to civil war; democracy may not exist in five years
October 15th, 20220 A new national poll has some disturbing insights into the health of democracy in the country and voters' outlook about unity. The poll commissioned by The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and conducted by Brilliant Corners Research and Strategies has found that ahead of the 2022 midterm election, strong majorities of......
Dearborn school board reconvenes after protest over library books brings Monday’s meeting to an early end
October 14th, 20223 DEARBORN — A Dearborn Public Schools Board of Education meeting commenced on Thursday after being shut down on Monday when protesters against certain books in the district’s libraries packed the room and the meeting descended into chaos and confusion. The books, which have been pulled off the shelf pending review for weeks,...
Arraignment for Hampton Inn shooter reveals senseless violence
October 14th, 20220 DEARBORN — An arraignment took place Sunday for a 37-year-old Detroit resident who engaged in a nearly eight-hour standoff with police after killing a hotel staff member in downtown west Dearborn. Reichard Lee Williams-Lewis was charged by the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office Sunday with a 10-count felony complaint, including......
Gunman surrenders to police after killing west Dearborn hotel manager and barricading himself in his room
October 6th, 20220 DEARBORN — After seven hours of tense negotiations, a 38-year-old armed man surrendered himself to police, bringing a long ordeal to a close in downtown west Dearborn. The city was rattled by reports of an active shooting at the Hampton Inn on Michigan Avenue Thursday afternoon. Earlier the Dearborn Police Department told...
Dearborn School District releases guidelines on how it selects books, evaluates challenges
October 5th, 20220 DEARBORN — The Dearborn Public School District has released details on how it plans to revamp how it selects books for school libraries or media centers and its current procedures for handling challenges brought by parents. In a meeting with reporters on Wednesday, school officials also reiterated that it has not banned any books,...
A team of doctors is bringing joint replacement surgeries to besieged Palestinians, here’s how you can help
October 1st, 20220 The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF) and Fajr Scientific will host a charity fundraising dinner on Oct. 8 for resources to bring joint replacement surgeries to Palestinians living under a brutal occupation. The situation for Palestinians, like those living under a crippling economic blockade in Gaza, has made the routine...
Mayor Hammoud answers questions regarding statement on school and public libraries
September 30th, 20220 DEARBORN — Tensions over calls to remove a number of books in Dearborn Public Schools libraries continued this week, with the city’s mayor chiming in and receiving both praise and anger over his comments. (An interview with Mayor Hammoud appears below.) The school district restricted access to seven books after demands from some......
Senator Peters hosts Census Director Robert Santos in Dearborn, Detroit
September 30th, 20220 DEARBORN — U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-Michigan) brought Robert Santos, the director of the U.S. Census Bureau, to Dearborn this week to meet with members of the local Arab American community and local officials. The two visited Dearborn and Detroit on Monday for two roundtable meetings to discuss how to improve the process of...
Whitmer appoints Ali Alhashemi, “Barber Al”, to state’s Board of Barber Examiners
September 29th, 20221 DEARBORN — Gov. Whitmer has appointed Dearborn resident and well known entrepreneur Ali Alhashemi, also known as "Barber Al", to the state’s Board of Barber Examiners. The Board regulates the services of barbers, barber students, barber colleges, barber instructors, student instructors and barbershops in Michigan. The Board......
Henry Ford Health first in the state to offer new cancer-detecting blood test
September 22nd, 20220 A Michigan hospital network is the first in Michigan to receive a blood test technology that detects cancer early, when it can be cured. Henry Ford Health, which has several hospitals in the Metro Detroit area, is among an early group of healthcare providers that will offer Galleri, a "Multi-Cancer Early Detection (MCED) blood test"...
National poll dives into demographics of American Muslims, Islamophobia, political attitudes, more
September 18th, 20220 A new, extensive national poll shines light on American Muslims' attitudes and perspectives on major issues, in the context of the broader faith landscape in the country. The American Muslim Poll 2022: A Politics and Pandemic Status Report was released late last month by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU), which......
