Author's Posts
Dingell introduces legislation to protect foster children, inspired by Amer family
October 26th, 20210 DEARBORN — This week, U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell introduced legislation in the U.S. House inspired by the story of a Dearborn family in the 1980s. The legislation, named the Samier Amer Foster Care Improvement Act of 2021, requires state foster care programs to ensure children are prioritized for placement with their relatives and...
Missing 14-year-old Dearborn girl back home safely
October 25th, 20210 DEARBORN — Earlier this week, a 14-year-old Edsel Ford High School student was reportedly missing, with Dearborn Police asking the community for help locating her. Fortunately, police reported that Bettul Al-Aufi had been located and was home safely the next day. The Dearborn Police Department thanked the public for their...
Report says communities of color disproportionate targets for certain scams
October 25th, 20210 WASHINGTON, D.C. — A new report published by the federal government's consumer affairs watchdog agency shows a disproportionate impact of certain scams which target communities of color. The staff report by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) highlight the unique types of consumer problems that these communities face, as well as how...
Hamtramck mayoral candidates respond to questions
October 23rd, 20210 HAMTRAMCK — Hamtramck’s mayoral race has taken a historic turn during and after the primaries, with Yemeni American candidate Amer Ghalib emerging as front runner, competing against long-time incumbent Mayor Karen Majewski. The Arab American News reached out to both, with questions geared towards their particular campaigns. The...
Sectarian violence in Lebanon awaken bitter memories of Civil War in local community
October 22nd, 20210 The subject of decades-old sectarian strife has been rekindled in Lebanon, following a deadly shooting of protesters last Thursday. The leader of the Christian Lebanese Forces (LF) dismissed accusations by Hezbollah that it has a militia and seeks civil war as the fallout of deadly violence, in which seven Shi’a Lebanese were shot...
High levels of lead found in Hamtramck water system
October 21st, 20210 HAMTRAMCK — After elevated levels of lead in the city's water system were detected, the city of Hamtramck partnered with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) to distribute one free water filter with replacement cartridges, per address, to Hamtramck residents on Thursday from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. in...
Michigan could get $32 million in law enforcement funding to “reduce crime”
October 20th, 20210 LANSING — On Wednesday, the state announced a proposal for $32 million in law enforcement funding, as part of an overall "$75 million MI Safe Communities" framework, touted by Governor Whitmer as a way to "reduce crime and keep families safe." The latest funding would have multiple pieces and is geared towards "communities with...
Redistricting: Latest draft State House maps “dilute” Arab vote, but community represented in State Senate and Congress
October 15th, 20210 DEARBORN — A fresh set of draft maps for the State House, Senate and federal Congressional districts published by the state’s citizen-led Redistricting Commission have been available for public consideration for the past few weeks. Those draft maps currently in front of the 13-member Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting...
Henry Ford neurologist explains loss of smell after COVID and how to recover
October 15th, 20210 One of the most common complaints in people who have experienced a COVID-19 infection has been a strange and sometimes long-term loss of smell, a frustrating side-effect. Depending on various factors, anywhere from 50 to 80 percent of people suffering from COVID-19 can lose their sense of smell. The sense of smell, or olfactory...
Despite official Israeli objection, U.S. pushes ahead with Palestinian consulate in Jerusalem
October 13th, 20210 WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. will push ahead with the reopening of its Palestinian diplomatic mission in Jerusalem, despite repeated objections from top Israeli officials over the development. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday that the reopening, which is opposed by Israel’s new cross-party power-sharing...
As Jordanians protested poverty, King Abdullah II bought luxury homes using shell companies
October 8th, 20210 Jordan’s monarchy was back in the headlines this week, with the news that King Abdullah II purchased luxury homes through an offshore scheme that worked to hide a large flow of wealth into tax havens. Last year, with the country hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, Jordan's government had promised to track every dinar that the...
Solicitor General Fadwa Hammoud makes history as first Arab American woman before the Supreme Court
October 4th, 20210 WASHINGTON, D.C. — Michigan Solicitor General Fadwa Hammoud made history on Tuesday as the first Arab American Muslim woman to argue before the U.S. Supreme Court. She argued on behalf of the state in the case Brown v. Davenport. The case was one of the first the Supreme Court heard in its October term, now that the justices have...
Whitmer vetoes GOP voting bills prohibiting procedures that don’t exist
October 4th, 20210 DETROIT — At a recent Detroit NAACP dinner, Governor Whitmer vetoed several bills put forward by the state’s Republicans to add voting measures that imply deep irregularities in the state’s voting procedures. The bills follow a tumultuous November 2020 election, in which former president Trump falsely claimed there was...
D.C. trade expo highlights halal products’ association with healthy living
October 2nd, 20210 WASHINGTON, D.C. — The fourth annual Halal Expo and Summit is due to kick off in late October in the Washington, D.C. area. The trade expo features exhibitors from companies all over the world, cooking demonstrations and a fashion show. The dynamic exhibition space has been redesigned to facilitate networking and commerce...
Community efforts in state redistricting could lead to unprecedented Arab American representation in State House and Senate
October 2nd, 20210 The state’s citizen-led redistricting effort is approaching some crucial deadlines and draft maps have been released for public consideration that show how the process could potentially rework the state’s political maps. Michigan voters approved the creation of the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (MICRC) in......
FEMA deadline extended to Nov. 12; five things to keep in mind about flood assistance
October 1st, 20211 DEARBORN — The deadline for survivors of the June 25-26 severe storms and flooding to register with FEMA to get flood relief has been extended to Friday, Nov. 12. The extension applies to survivors living in Wayne, Washtenaw, Macomb and Oakland counties. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is urging residents of those...
Arab women have staked out college paths for themselves, as education became essential to community identity
September 27th, 20210 — This article was written with generous support from the Education Writers Association's Reporting Fellows program There is little doubt that the Arab American community in Metro Detroit has made great headway in gaining political and economic security as it grows and evolves. Much of this momentum can be attributed to a culture......
Chaldean doctors urge community to get vaccinated, not give in to misinformation
September 24th, 20210 A group of more than 150 Chaldean doctors published a letter urging the state’s large Chaldean community to get vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus as soon as possible. The letter appears on the state’s official website in both English and Arabic. The group of medical specialist comes from various fields. The signees said...
House passes Democrat-introduced bill for $1 billion for Israel’s Iron Dome
September 23rd, 20211 WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved $1 billion for Israel’s Iron Dome "missile defense system" on Thursday. The vote came days after some Democrats successfully managed to get it removed from a stopgap spending bill, but then was introduced as stand-alone bill by another Democrat. The...
7 in 10 Americans say country should cater to other languages, survey finds
September 19th, 20210 A recent survey set out to ask whether Americans believe they should cater to languages other than English. Survey takers at Preply, an online educational platform, knew that the diversity in language and cultures in the U.S. enriches its society, but that differences in language can also sometimes serve as cultural barriers between...
Outrage, frustration from community after student Abdulmalek Alsanabani tortured and killed in Yemen
September 16th, 20210 DEARBORN — The tragic kidnapping, torture and murder in Yemen of Abdulmalek Alsanabani, a Yemeni student who resided in California, sparked outrage and protests in the U.S. and Yemen this week. Alsanabani was a 25-year-old living in Fresno, California and had decided to take an often dangerous journey across the south of Yemen to......
Ferndale officers stop Black Muslim woman in Detroit, coerce photo without hijab
September 15th, 20212 The Michigan chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI) is asking the Ferndale Police Department to take action after its officers arrested a Muslim woman, subjected her to searches by male officers and coerced her to remove her hijab for a photo, violating her constitutional rights. At a press conference on...
The “9/11 effect”: 20 years of evolving U.S. policy targeted an entire population
September 11th, 20210 Twenty years later, the Muslim community in the U.S. and abroad is reflecting on the legacy of U.S. response to the events of Sept. 11, 2001. The tragedy and trauma of the surreal attacks of that day are coupled with two decades of domestic and foreign policy that deeply changed the relationship between the U.S. government,......
See original Arabic calligraphy and an artist talk at Farmington Hills City Hall
September 10th, 20210 FARMINGTON HILLS — A unique exhibit celebrating the tradition of Arabic and Islamic calligraphy can be seen at the Farmington Hills City Hall, supported by the city’s Public Art Program. A solo exhibit by Palestinian American and Farmington Hills resident Dr. Nihad Dukhan has been on display at the building and those interested...
Tlaib, Dingell-led appeal for Lebanon TPS sees 70 cosigners
September 8th, 20210 DEARBORN — As Lebanon's humanitarian crisis worsens, some lawmakers are seeking protection against removal for the Lebanese nationals in the U.S. Last month, U.S. Reps. Debbie Dingell (D-Dearborn) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit) spoke to The Arab American News about a letter they were circulating among colleagues in the House to urge......
