Book: Awakening the Sleeping Tiger Within
May 6th, 20240 By Anne Marie Ameri, Ph.D. Dearborn has been called the “Sleeping Tiger” because of the potential political power of particularly the Dearborn Arabic residents when it is “awakened.” For five years, I was compelled to write this powerful book, Awakening the Sleeping Tiger Within: Breaking the Power of Mainstream Media’s...
Three Arab American candidates challenge pro-Israel Democrats in Michigan’s primary
May 4th, 20240 Three vocal Arab Americans against the Israeli genocide in Gaza who have been demanding a ceasefire in the war against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have filed petitions to challenge two Democratic members of Congress and a pro-Israel Democratic U.S. Senate candidate in Michigan. The candidates cited frustration over their...
Michigan implementing “kinship care” rule; feds say it’s first in the country to do so
April 19th, 20240 Michigan has become the first state to be approved to implement separate licensing standards for kin caregivers — extended family members like grandparents, aunts and uncles serving as foster care providers. Advocates said goal of kinship care is to keep families together, increase equity in the child welfare system and allow...
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani visits Metro Detroit, meets with community
April 19th, 20240 On Thursday, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani paid a quick visit to Metro Detroit. The Iraqi leader's first stop was at the Islamic Institute of America, a Dearborn Heights mosque, and his second stop was at the Shenandoah Country Club in West Bloomfield, where he had dinner with local Iraqi Americans. al-Sudani's visit was...
LaPita Restaurant in West Dearborn celebrates 30 years of serving authentic Mediterranean cuisine
April 19th, 20240 DEARBORN – During the last week of the Holy month of Ramadan, LaPita Restaurant in Dearborn held a Ramadan Iftar on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of its founding, attended by local officials and community leaders. While Dearborn has plenty of Middle Eastern restaurants that make it a destination for connoisseurs of...
New York City to pay $17.5 million for forcing women to remove hijabs for mug shots
April 12th, 20240 NEW YORK CITY —The city agreed to pay $17.5 million to settle a lawsuit by two Muslim American women who said the police violated their rights after arresting them by forcing them to remove their hijabs before being photographed. The preliminary class action settlement covers men and women required to remove religious attire...
A shooting at an Eid event in West Philadelphia left three people injured
April 12th, 20240 PHILADELPHIA — At least three people were injured and hundreds fled the scene following a shooting at an Eid al-Fitr event in West Philadelphia. Police said about 1,000 people attended the celebration. The annual Eid al-fitr event took place in the Parkside neighborhood at the Clara Muhammad Square. The event came to an abrupt...
Muslim and Arab American leaders are “out of words” as they tire of the White House outreach on the war in Gaza
April 12th, 20240 WASHINGTON , D.C.— Osama Siblani was sipping his morning coffee at the office when his phone buzzed with a message from one of President Biden’s advisers. As publisher of The Arab American News in Dearborn, Michigan, Siblani serves as an occasional sounding board, and the White House wanted to know what he thought of Biden’s recent...
“Death to America” chants during Al-Quds rally in Dearborn receive strong condemnation from Arab Americans: It has no place in our community
April 12th, 20240 DEARBORN – Anti-American chants from some participants in the International Day of Al-Quds or “International Jerusalem Day” march held in Dearborn last Friday sparked wide condemnation by local Arab and Muslim Americans. Several local officials and leaders in the Dearborn area were quick to condemn the chants, while the right-wing...
Palestinian doctor walked out of Biden meeting, underscoring tensions over war in Gaza
April 7th, 20240 WASHINGTON, D.C. – A private meeting between President Biden and Muslim community leaders at the White House underscored tensions between the two camps as the Israeli war on Gaza rages on. Palestinian American doctor walked out of Tuesday evening's closed-door session, which was part of the administration's scaled-back events to mark...
CAIR reports anti-Muslim discrimination high as Israel’s war on Gaza continues
April 6th, 20240 Michigan’s chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations saw more than a 200 percent increase in civil rights complaints reported, according to its 2023 report, “Gaza and the Rise in Bigotry against Michigan Muslims”, released on Tuesday. Nationally, CAIR received 8,061 complaints – 495 of which from Michigan – in...
$4,500 for a coffee maker? $40,000 for furniture? How Fay Beydoun is spending a $20m taxpayer grant
April 6th, 20240 A $20 million state grant given to Fay Beydoun, a Metro Detroit businesswoman in 2022 continues to raise concerns as former associates — including the chairman of the American Arab Chamber of Commerce — question the means by which the money was obtained and how it’s being spent. Fay Beydoun, who received the $20 million grant to...
Next U.S. Census will have new boxes for “Middle Eastern or North African”, but falls short of capturing diversity
March 30th, 20240 WASHINGTON, D.C. – On the next U.S. Census and future federal government forms, the list of check boxes for a person's race and ethnicity is officially getting longer. The Biden administration has approved proposals for a new response option for "Middle Eastern or North African" and a "Hispanic or Latino" box that appears under a...
Palestinian American journalist files discrimination lawsuit against CBS Detroit
March 29th, 20240 Palestinian American journalist Ibrahim Samra filed a federal discrimination lawsuit against CBS News Detroit and its parent company, Paramount, after being fired on Feb. 28. The lawsuit alleges CBS fired Samra after he filed complaints about how the station treated him and went about covering Israel's war on Gaza, Samra’s lawyer...
Large crowd attended bintjbeil.org’s second annual iftar dinner in Dearborn, honoring 10 women for their distinguished contributions
March 29th, 20240 DEARBORN — On the 21st anniversary of its founding last Thursday, the well known Lebanese social media site BintJbeil.org held its annual iftar dinner in the Summit Banquet Center. Officials with the organization estimated that close to 1,000 guests attended the dinner, including elected officials and community leaders. The event's......
U.S. Supreme Court’s unanimous vote allows CAIR’s challenge against No Fly List placement to proceed
March 22nd, 20240 WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Yonas Fikre’s challenge to his previous placement on the No Fly List can proceed, rejecting the government’s claim that his removal from the list rendered the lawsuit void. Fikre is an Arab and Muslim American initially from Sudan, who was tortured and...
Governor Newsom’s open letter to California’s Muslim and Arab American Communities
March 22nd, 20240 To California’s Muslim, Palestinian American and Arab American communities: California is a better place because of you—our Muslim, Palestinian American and Arab American neighbors and friends who contribute so much to our state’s sense of faith and belonging. From countless achievements in literature, civil rights, arts,......
Death and destruction in Gaza leave local Muslims little to celebrate in Ramadan this year
March 22nd, 20240 From new fundraisers to event cancellations for extra reflection, Ramadan looks especially different this year. The Ramadan Suhoor Festival in Dearborn usually attracts thousands of people to the Fairlane Town Center. Founder Hassan Chami said he canceled the event this year because he doesn’t think the joy is justified, even if the...
Dearborn native Fayrouz Saad appointed as an assistant to DHS Secretary Mayorkas
March 15th, 20240 WASHINGTON, D.C. – On February 25, Dearborn native Fayrouz Saad was appointed to serve as the assistant secretary, office of partnership and engagement, at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. In this role, Saad serves as the primary advisor for DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on external engagements and the impact of the...
War on Gaza costing Starbucks in the Dearborn area big bucks
March 15th, 20240 DEARBORN – Starbucks cafés in the Dearborn area are witnessing an unprecedented decline in customers’ demand for the chain’s most famous products, just as they are elsewhere in the U.S and around the world. This decline comes in conjunction with continuing campaigns on social media platforms to boycott the company, which is...
Delegation from UNRWA visits Dearborn, meets with mayor and community leaders
March 15th, 20240 DEARBORN – Amid preparations by U.S. officials for a potentially indefinite suspension of funding to the principal U.N. agency supporting Palestinians due to Congressional opposition, the American Human Rights Council (AHRC-USA) welcomed a delegation from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) to......
New program aims to wipe out up to $700 million in medical debt for Wayne County residents
March 8th, 20240 DETROIT – Wayne County Executive Warren C. Evans has announced a new program to provide critical relief from medical debt and the financial hardship it has caused for up to 300,000 Wayne County residents. The county has teamed up with RIP Medical Debt, a national non-profit organization that will work with providers like hospitals,...
A Canadian man arrested for a homicide in Vancouver and making threats against Hamtramck mayor, City Council members
March 8th, 20240 Last week, FBI Detroit Special Agent Mara Schneider told the Detroit Free Press that the FBI helped Hamtramck police in identifying and locating the person accused of making threats against Mayor Amer Ghalib and other City Council members. Ghalib said that he and some City Council members received death threats from a man in Canada......
Hamtramck unveils the renaming of Holbrook Street to Palestine Avenue
March 8th, 20240 Hamtramck City Councilman Khalil Refai unveiled Palestine Avenue on Thursday afternoon after the City Council passed Resolution 2023-184 in December to rename a section of Holbrook street as a symbolic gesture of remembrance and support to the people of Gaza. The honorary Palestine Avenue is located between Buffalo and Saint Aubin...
The Muslim vote: An overlooked “swing factor”
March 8th, 20240 By Selen Ozturk At a Feb. 22 briefing held by Houston Ethnic Media, AJ Durrani — treasurer of Emgage Texas and the first Muslim American to serve on the Democratic National Committee — highlighted record national and state-level increases in the Muslim vote, and its impact in light of the 2024 elections. Expanding the Muslim......
