Hassan Khalifeh
Author's Posts
Dearborn Heights municipal election attracts record number of Arab American candidates
April 4th, 20170 DEARBORN HEIGHTS ― As the April 25 filing deadline for municipal elections draws near, dozens of candidates have thrown their hats in the ring to compete for available city positions. Dearborn Heights is facing shifting demographics, reflecting that of its neighbor, Dearborn, where nearly half of the 22 candidates for city...
With revitalization underway, new downtown Dearborn Hampton Inn hotel opens doors
April 4th, 20170 DEARBORN – The opening of a hotel in the heart of downtown Dearborn brings the first stages of promising business developments expected to substantially revitalize the city. A towering, seemingly new building on Michigan Avenue is among dozens of award-winning Hampton Inn Hotels owned by four Iraqi immigrants – the Bacall...
Yemeni Americans stage New York protest, urge U.S. to rethink Saudi alliance
April 2nd, 20170 NEW YORK CITY — On a cold, snowy Sunday morning, more than 100 Arab Americans gathered outside the United Nations headquarters to protest the United States' support for Saudi Arabia, which they say is the culprit responsible for extreme devastation and famine in Yemen. Dozens of Yemeni, Lebanese and Iraqi American demonstrators met...
Community meeting with DHS Secretary Kelly turns sour
March 28th, 20170 DEARBORN – A meeting on Monday, March 27 with community activists and Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly turned antagonistic, when a local attorney and civil rights advocate pressed Kelly about orders and harassment that target Arabs and Muslims. The meeting, held at The Arab American National Museum, was a second...
Lebanon’s proposed tax hikes, stagnant wages estrange expatriates
March 24th, 20170 DEARBORN — Amid proposed tax hikes in Lebanon that have citizens in a fury and the parliament paralyzed over clashes about finding an antidote to commonplace inadequate public services, local Lebanese Americans are increasingly becoming disenchanted with reconnecting to their homeland. This reluctance prevails despite an ongoing...
Muslim athlete to run in Boston Marathon for Syrian refugees
March 20th, 20170 DEARBORN — On course to cross another milestone, Rahaf Khatib, the first Muslim woman to wear a hijab on the cover of an American health and fitness magazine last year, is set to run along side tens of thousands at the 121st annual Boston Marathon. The 33-year-old Dearborn native has participated in several full and half marathons...
Asylum seekers long for freedom from ‘traumatizing’ immigration actions
March 20th, 20170 DETROIT — It was a full house on a March afternoon at Freedom House Detroit. Through the window, you can see the historic St. Anne's Catholic Church; beyond, the Ambassador Bridge connecting Detroit to Canada seems within reach – a prime location for the Customs and Border patrol vehicles that comb the neighborhood. In the...
Lebanese consulate moves to accomodate community growth
March 15th, 20170 SOUTHFIELD — A vast, green vista, dotted with skyscrapers and notable landmarks, unfolds below the large windows of a contemporary office – a landscape reminiscent of millions' homeland of Lebanon. Bilal Kabalan, consul general of Lebanon, looks through binoculars from his office and points out the several observable towns where...
Local car dealership makes inroads region-wide
March 6th, 20170 DEARBORN — Selling cars in Detroit is a paradox – it's not easy keeping up with demand in the Motor City's highly competitive market. Planted in the heart of the automotive industry's birthplace, one dealership among a cluster established decades ago has ranked among the region's highest in sales and service, standing victorious...
Senator Gary Peters: Travel ban is outrageous and un-American
March 6th, 20170 DEARBORN — Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) called President Trump's executive order to ban immigrants and refugees from seven predominantly Muslim countries "outrageous" and un-American during a visit to Dearborn on Saturday, Feb. 25. Peters, a Democrat, met with a roomful of community activists and rights group leaders at...
Sterling Heights settles mosque lawsuit amid residents’ outcries
February 27th, 20172 STERLING HEIGHTS — Tempers flared to such a degree at the City Council meeting Feb. 21 that the mayor ordered the chamber cleared and an impassioned mob burst through the doors, shouting "This is just a show" and "they will be so sorry." Residents and others were forced to watch the remainder of the meeting, in which council members...
Arab and Muslim Americans outraged by Trump’s plan to ban immigration from selected Arab nations
January 29th, 20170 DEARBORN— It did not take long for President Trump to deliver on campaign promises to bar Muslims and refugees from entering the United States. On the fifth day of his presidency, Trump signed a slew of anti-immigrant executive actions and intends at press time to order a suspension on refugees and visas for citizens of Syria and six...
Gene Hunt takes oath of office as Dearborn District Court judge
January 25th, 20170 DEARBORN, Michigan - Gene Hunt, the newest judge on the 19th District Court, received salutes and a resonant ovation in the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center on Mon., Jan. 23, as he took the oath of office. Hunt, a long-time attorney, was embroiled in a fierce 10-month campaign for the seat. “This is the largest audience...
Federal Middle Eastern officers inspire youth to pursue law enforcement careers
January 21st, 20170 DETROIT – As Arab and Muslim Americans prepare to reciprocate Donald Trump’s harsh scrutiny following the fruition of promised policies, a group of federal law enforcement officers are working to bridge the gap between themselves and a community critical of government. The Middle Eastern Law Enforcement Officers Association...
Gretchen Whitmer running for governor, seeking community input
January 11th, 20170 DEARBORN — Only a few months after the Nov. 8 elections, Gretchen Whitmer, the interim Ingham County prosecutor tasked with fixing a scandal-ridden office, said she is out do the same for Michigan. Whitmer, a Democrat whose tenure in the prosecutor's office ran from July to December, filed her candidacy for governor with......
