Detroit leaders condemn Warrendale incident coverage, warn against Arab–Black division
October 9th, 20261 Excessive media coverage of a traffic collision between an Arab American woman and an African American woman in the Warrendale neighborhood on Detroit’s west side has sparked widespread discontent in the local community, amid accusations of attempts to inflame relations between Arab American and Black residents in the area for...
Interviews held for Dearborn Heights vacant city council seat
October 8th, 20260 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Five residents interviewed for the vacant City Council seat, despite seven individuals submitting letters of intent. The interviews were held during a special meeting on Oct. 6 and are intended to fill the seat vacated by former Council Chairman Hassan Ahmad. The candidates included former Councilman Ray...
Between deportation and war: The plight of Yemeni asylum seekers
October 2nd, 20260 When H.K. first came to the U.S. more than eight years ago, her native Yemen was mired in civil war. Today, that war threatens to become a second front in President Trump’s conflict with Iran, further straining global oil supplies and the broader economy. But for H.K., a beneficiary of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) until the Trump...
Crestwood student Ahmad Bazzi a winner in Michigan’s “I Voted” sticker contest
October 2nd, 20260 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — An Arab American student at Crestwood High School in Dearborn Heights is a winner in Michigan’s contest for the best designs for the “I Voted” stickers that voters receive after casting their ballots at polling stations. Michigan will offer nine winning designs for the small stickers in the upcoming November...
Dearborn denies religious favoritism alleged in federal lawsuit
September 25th, 20260 DEARBORN — The city and Mayor Abdullah Hammoud face a federal lawsuit filed by a resident who alleges that public money was used to promote Islamic observances while Christian and Jewish holidays were ignored. Hammoud has categorically denied the allegations, affirming his administration’s commitment to treating all residents fairly...
Detroit consulate becomes first U.S. stop for Lebanon’s biometric passport rollout
September 25th, 20260 SOUTHFIELD — As part of Lebanon’s broader digital transition to make official documents easier to obtain, reduce forgery and ease the burden on Lebanese expatriates, the Consulate General of Lebanon in Detroit completed the procedures for issuing the first Lebanese biometric passport in the United States on Monday. Major General...
Dearborn Heights names new council chair and pro-tem, accepting applications for vacant seat
September 23rd, 20260 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — During the Sept. 22 City Council meeting, the Dearborn Heights City Council appointed a new Council chair and Council chair pro-tem. In a 4-2 vote, Councilman Hassan Saab was appointed to be the new Council chair while Councilman Bob Constan was appointed to be the new Council chair pro-tem. Councilman Tom Wencel...
HYPE Athletics marks 25 years with major expansion and renewed mission
September 18th, 20260 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Twenty-five years ago, HYPE began with a simple idea: Use sports to bring children and young people from different racial and religious backgrounds together in a safe, healthy environment away from drugs, violence and risky behavior. Today, that ambitious idea has evolved into a comprehensive sports and...
Armed Troy man accused of threatening to kill Muslims outside public library
September 18th, 20260 TROY — In the latest act of Islamophobia in Metro Detroit, an elderly Troy resident faces four counts of aggravated hate crime after allegedly threatening to shoot and kill four Muslim men outside a public library last weekend. According to local police, Peter Hamilton Northup, 79, was arrested while carrying a loaded pistol after the...
Community rallies around Samir Alnasir after serious soccer injury
September 18th, 20260 DETROIT — A GoFundMe campaign has raised tens of thousands of dollars for the family of an Arab American man who suffered serious injuries while officiating a Catholic High School League soccer game in August. Samir Alnasir, 51, was struck in the head by an errant ball during a game at the University of Detroit Jesuit High School on...
Detroit native looking to keep legacies alive
September 17th, 20260 DETROIT - A local cultural anthropologist is working to help Arab and Muslim families capture their elders’ stories and keep their history alive. Zarinah El-Amin, a Detroit native, has worked in book publishing since 2009 but said that everything shifted for her when she lost her parents, her mother in 2019 and her father in...
Detroit police determine death of Ali Wissam Aoun was a suicide
September 16th, 20260 DETROIT — The death of 27-year-old Dearborn resident Ali Wissam Aoun has been determined to be a suicide, according to the Detroit Police Department. Detroit Police Department spokesman Jackson Vidaurri informed The Arab American News of the department’s findings by phone and email and said the investigation has been closed. “Mr....
Metro Detroit community honors Imam Musa al-Sadr’s legacy 48 years after his disappearance
September 11th, 20260 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Under the banner “A Nation’s Trust”, the Al Amal Social Foundation commemorated the 48th anniversary of the disappearance of Amal Movement founder Imam Musa al-Sadr and his two companions during a large gathering Wednesday evening at the Islamic Institute of America in Dearborn Heights. The event featured...
Mohamad Farhat’s journey from immigrant teenager to honored officer
September 4th, 20260 The Dearborn Police Department has named Corporal Mohamad Farhat its 2025 Officer of the Year, recognizing his “exceptional professionalism, proactive performance, leadership and commitment to public safety.” The honor marks the culmination of a nearly decade-long law enforcement career for an immigrant who came to the United States...
CAIR-MI launches safety toolkit for mosques and Islamic schools
September 4th, 20260 CANTON — The Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI) has launched a safety toolkit for mosques and Islamic schools amid what the organization described as a rise in anti-Muslim threats nationwide. The civil rights organization’s Safe Spaces Department met with local police departments to help guide......
LAHC opens $3 million behavioral health and workforce development hub in Dearborn
August 28th, 20260 DEARBORN – Leaders Advancing and Helping Communities, the nonprofit formerly known as the Lebanese American Heritage Club, has opened a new behavioral health, education and workforce development center in Dearborn following a construction investment exceeding $3 million. The new 6,500-square-foot facility is an extension of LAHC’s...
Second financial scandal intensifies pressure on American Arab Chamber of Commerce leadership
August 28th, 20261 DEARBORN — In a stunning development, the American Arab Chamber of Commerce fired Executive Director Bilal Hammoud amid allegations that more than $1 million from a government grant intended for the organization was diverted. As the Michigan Attorney General’s Office investigates the matter in coordination with the FBI, questions......
Proposed new council seeks to strengthen Arab and Muslim American advocacy in Michigan
August 28th, 20261 DEARBORN — Dozens of leaders and representatives from Arab American associations, clubs and organizations across Metro Detroit, along with community figures, business leaders and elected officials, accepted an invitation Monday from Dr. Nassib Fawaz, president of the Lebanese International Business Council, to form an umbrella...
El-Sayed holds narrow lead over Rogers in pivotal Michigan Senate race
August 28th, 20260 DETROIT — With less than three months remaining before the general election, Michigan is witnessing one of the most closely watched races in the country: The contest for retiring Democratic U.S. Senator Gary Peters’ seat between Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed and Republican nominee Mike Rogers. The outcome could prove decisive in...
Whitmer appoints Dearborn Magistrate Rula Aoun to the Wayne County Circuit Court
August 21st, 20260 LANSING — Gov. Whitmer announced the appointment of Dearborn Magistrate Rula Aoun to the Wayne County Circuit Court on Wednesday, further expanding Arab American representation on the bench of Michigan’s largest trial court. Aoun was appointed alongside attorneys Robbie Gaines, Jr. and Robyn Liddell to fill three vacancies on the...
Dearborn officials and Christian clergy unite against anti-Muslim hate, as far-right agitators target city again
August 21st, 20260 DEARBORN — Ahead of an anti-Muslim demonstration organized by a far-right activist, the city of Dearborn took a series of security and preventive measures designed to protect public safety and deny outside agitators an opportunity to inflame religious and ethnic divisions. Jake Lang announced plans to return to Dearborn for a fifth......
Anti-Muslim agitators descend on Dearborn bringing chaos; police arrest 22
August 21st, 20261 A heavy police presence descended on Dearborn Tuesday as an anti-Muslim demonstration led by a far-right agitator drew hundreds of supporters and counter protesters, transforming the grounds of the Henry Ford Centennial Library into a chaotic gathering of groups spanning the American political spectrum. Amid heated verbal confrontations...
Rising back-to-school expenses squeeze Dearborn-area families
August 21st, 20260 DEARBORN / DEARBORN HEIGHTS— With the new academic year approaching, backpacks, notebooks, pens, clothes and shoes are returning to family shopping lists. This year, however, preparations come amid rising living costs that are forcing many households to cut spending, particularly those with several children and mounting expenses. Not......
CAIR-MI sues Oak Park over alleged hostile workplace for Muslim employee
August 21st, 20260 OAK PARK — The Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations filed a lawsuit in Oakland County Circuit Court on behalf of a Muslim former municipal employee who alleges that the city of Oak Park and three of its employees subjected her to religious and national-origin discrimination, sexual harassment, privacy...
Michigan expands free community college program to residents 21 and older
August 14th, 20260 LANSING — More Michigan adults will be eligible for tuition-free community college this fall after the state temporarily lowered the minimum age for the Michigan Reconnect scholarship program from 25 to 21. The expansion was included in Michigan’s fiscal year 2026–27 education budget, with lawmakers allocating an additional $25......
