Daesh Girl: A film about love
July 1st, 20160 NEW YORK — In the global fight against terrorism, drowning in the noise of political rhetoric, fear-inducing news and bullet-firing drones, an arguably more effective – and certainly a creative – method of uniting people in the muddled battle against extremism is film. A Saudi-American filmmaker, Abdul Almutairi, aims to do just...
Muhammad Ali, boxing icon, dead at 74
June 4th, 20160 Former world heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali, whose record-setting boxing career, flair for showmanship and political stands made him one of the best-known figures of the 20th century, died on Friday aged 74. Ali, who had long suffered from Parkinson's syndrome which impaired his speech and made the once-graceful athlete almost a...
Muslim rapper Belly & The Weeknd cancel TV performance over Trump
May 28th, 20160 NEW YORK— Muslim rapper Belly, a Canadian of Palestinian origin, cancelled a coveted appearance on a late-night US television show as a protest against fellow guest Donald Trump. Belly had been due to perform his hit single “Might Not” with R&B sensation The Weeknd on Wednesday night on Jimmy Kimmel Live to promote the...
Library cardholders offered discounted and free passes to Michigan parks
May 19th, 20160 LANSING — Library card holders statewide can once again get free or discounted access to hundreds of Michigan's state parks, historic sites, cultural attractions, campgrounds and recreation areas through the second annual Michigan Activity Pass program. The initiative is sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, the...
Rima Fakih’s star-studded Lebanon wedding
May 16th, 20161 Fakih with husband Salibi and R&B singer The Weeknd.LEBANON - Former Miss USA Rima Fakih has finally tied the knot in Lebanon to music producer Wassim Salibi on Sunday, May 15.The star-studded event included attendance by R&B singer The Weeknd, Rapper French Montana and Lebanese Singers Haifa...
Rapper 2 Chainz releases bold video defending Muslims
May 14th, 20160 LOS ANGELES - Rapper 2 Chainz gets takes a stand with Muslim Americans in his new music video for his song “100 Joints.” The video is a response to people like Donald Trump who accuse Muslims of being a threat to the country. The clip opens with the Republican presidential candidate's controversial statements about Muslims,...DJ Khaled tours with Beyonce
NEW YORK - Despite spending most evenings in the same vicinity as Beyoncé at the moment, DJ Khaled has admitted he’s too nervous to speak to her so “kind of runs" away instead.Khaled, a Palestinian-American, has joined Beyoncé on her Formation tour in north America in recent weeks, getting the crowd hyped...Amal Clooney slams Donald Trump
Amal ClooneyAmal Clooney, the British-Lebanese human rights attorney who has been married to Hollywood actor George Clooney since 2014, says populist GOP frontrunner Trump doesn’t represent “U.S. values.”In a BBC interview, the 38-year-old criticized “the leading candidate on the Republican side” for proposing...Muslim woman bakes Queen Elizabeth’s birthday cake
ENGLAND - Queen Elizabeth II will have love in her tummy, courtesy of British reality show "The Great British Bake Off's" first Muslim winner Nadiya Hussain. The Queen turned 90 on Thursday, April 21. In honor of her big birthday, the Royal family asked Nadiya to not only cook the longest-reigning (63...Music icon Prince dead at 57
MINNESOTA — The artist known as Prince has died, according to TMZ. He was 57. Prince’s body was discovered at his Paisley Park compound in Minnesota early Thursday morning, April 21st. The singer — full name Prince Rogers Nelson — had a medical emergency on April 15th that forced his private jet to make an emergency...Celebrities clash over Presidential candidates
HOLLYWOOD- Pop star Demi Lovato is jazzed about Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton. Comic Sarah Silverman’s enthusiasm for Bernie Sanders is no joke. Meanwhile, 1980s sitcom star Scott Baio wants Republican businessman Donald Trump to be in charge. With Tuesday’s New York primary approaching and...
Sesame Street introduces hijabi muppet
April 13th, 20160 DETROIT – Sesame Street has welcomed a purple-toned female Muppet with multi-colored yarn hair — and sometimes a hijab — into its cast of colorful characters. Zari, is an eager 6-year-old from Afghanistan who will focus on girls’ empowerment, health and emotional well-being, the production company said. The...Tourists keep vandalizing Trump’s Hollywood Star
HOLLYWOOD – Donald Trump’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was installed in 2007 without much noise or fanfare. However, now the sight has become the subject of vandalism and graffiti. In the last month, numerous tourists have expressed their dismay at the reality star’s turn as a...D-list celebrities endorse Trump, A-listers plan to leave country
HOLLYWOOD – While Hillary Clinton boasts A-list celebrity backing such as actor George Clooney and pop superstars Beyonce, Christina Aguilera and Katy Perry – Republican frontrunner Donald Trump seems to be racking up an unimpressive roster of celebrity supporters. Tila Tequila, the reality television...Batman v Superman filmed in Detroit, features thousands of Michiganders
DETROIT - The biggest movie of 2016 has arrived, and all throughout the film are Detroit landmarks and thousands of Michigan actors.The $250 million budget blockbuster extravaganza starring Ben Affleck as Batman and Henry Cavill as Superman, was shot in Detroit during the summer of 2014. Local residents who watch the film will be......
“The Simpsons” predicted Trump would be president
HOLLYWOOD - “The Simpsons” predicted Donald Trump would be president in an episode that aired 16 years ago. The March 2000 episode is now garnering attention for accurately predicting America’s current political climate. The writers of the episode “Bart to the Future” said they conjured up the idea of Trump being...Local Iraqi-American musician lands on “The Voice”
Laith-Al-Saadi.ANN ARBOR — "The Voice" season 10 has landed an Iraqi-American contestant from Ann Arbor.Laith-Al-Saadi’s blind audition aired on NBC’s top rated show on Tuesday night. Al-Saadi performed the song "The Letter", a cover of The Box Tops and Joe Cocker. This season’s coaches are Pop superstar Christina......
Lebanese band Mashou’ Leila to perform in Detroit
DETROIT — Lebanese band Mashrou' Leila will perform on Saturday, June 4. The acclaimed five-member alternative rock band has a large following of young listeners in the Middle East, despite its unconventional music that does not follow the trends of Arabic pop songs. The band was formed in February 2008 at the American...Internet sensation Noel Kharman back with another Fairuz mashup
Noel KharmanWhen Palestinian artist Noel Kharman made her own cover of Adele's song "Hello" in November 2015, she became an instant Internet sensation. And it's no wonder that the teenage Palestinian's mashup of the British singer's hits with one of Lebanese diva Fairouz's songs titled "Keefak Eta" (How are You?) went viral...Nancy Ajram breaks Arabic YouTube record with 40 million views
BEIRUT — Nancy Ajram's music video for her hit single "Ma Tegi Hena" (Why Don't You Come Over Here) has broken the record for the most-watched Arabic music video on YouTube. With more than a whopping 40 million views, Nancy proved that her music is still relevant and she's on top of her game after more than a decade in the...Oscar nominees urged to skip Israel trip
LOS ANGELES — On Wednesday Oscar-nominated celebrities were urged to skip a $55,000 trip to Israel offered as part of an awards gift bag. Two U.S.-based groups campaigning for an end to Israel's occupation of the Palestinian Territories made the plea in a full-page ad in the Los Angeles Times that appeared five days before the......
Al-Ameer restaurant receives national award
February 24th, 20160 Co-owners Khalil Ammarand Zaki HashemDEARBORN — If you search "Arabic food in Dearborn on Google," Al-Ameer Restaurant emerges as the top suggestion. The restaurant's reputation has now exceeded the reviews of local food enthusiasts. On Tuesday, Al-Ameer was announced as a recipient of the James Beard Foundation America’s Classics...The Weeknd’s six degrees of Arab connections
The Weeknd with Palestinian American girlfriend Bella Hadid. LOS ANGELES — R&B singer The Weeknd must love Arabs. He is currently dating a Palestinian American. He is managed by two Middle Eastern men and is currently featured on a song with a Canadian Palestinian rapper. The "Earned It" singer is no longer being private......
Kanye West says he is in debt, asks Mark Zuckerberg for $1 billion
WestRapper and fashion designer Kanye West, who says he is $53 million in debt, has asked Facebook Inc's Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg to invest $1 billion into his "ideas."West asked his Twitter followers to urge Zuckerberg to support him. "World, please tweet, FaceTime, Facebook, instagram, whatever you gotta do to get Mark...Beyoncé blasted by civil rights groups for possible Israel concerts
ISRAEL - Just days after a controversial Super Bowl performance, pop super star Beyoncé is now under fire for planning to perform two concerts in Tel-aviv this summer. Beyoncé performed her new song “Formation” at the Super Bowl Halftime Show on Sunday, where she faced criticism for its #BlackLivesMatter......