Detroit to add 679 area code in November, marking end of 313-only dialing era
March 21st, 20250 DETROIT – Starting November 7, phone service providers in the Detroit area will begin issuing phone numbers with the new 679 area code, as the historic 313 area code nears exhaustion, according to a statement issued by the Michigan Public Service Commission (MSPC) on Monday. The agency announced that the 679 code will serve the same...
Official and community iftar dinners in the Dearborn area promote Islamic values and compassion during the holy month of Ramadan
March 21st, 20250 DEARBORN, DEARBORN HEIGHTS – During the blessed month of Ramadan, numerous official and community iftar dinners took place in the Dearborn area after a period of intermittent pause in such activities in recent years due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the repercussions of the Israeli wars on Gaza and Lebanon, which heavily...
Trump nominates Dearborn Heights Mayor Bill Bazzi to be U.S. ambassador to Tunisia
March 15th, 20250 WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a move seen as a reward for his support during Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, President Trump announced on March 11, on his Truth Social platform, the nomination of Dearborn Heights Mayor Bill Bazzi as the United States ambassador to Tunisia. The appointment requires confirmation by the U.S. Senate. Bazzi,...
Trump nominates Hamtramck Mayor Amer Ghalib to be the U.S. ambassador to Kuwait
March 15th, 20251 WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Trump has nominated Amer Ghalib, the Yemeni American mayor of Hamtramck, to be the next U.S. ambassador to Kuwait, rewarding him for his support of Trump’s successful bid to return to the White House in the November 2024 presidential election. In an announcement on his Truth Social account on Friday,...
CAIR reports increase of hate against Arab and Muslim Americans, amid war on Gaza and anti-Israel occupation protests
March 15th, 20250 WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) reported a 7.4 percent increase in discrimination and attacks against Muslim and Arab Americans in 2024 compared to the previous year, detailing crackdowns on university students protesting in support of Palestine. The annual report, titled "Unconstitutional...
Mayor Bill Bazzi appointed as Ambassador to Tunisia by President Trump
March 12th, 20250 DEARBORN HEIGHTS - President Donald Trump has appointed Dearborn Heights Mayor Bill Bazzi to be the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Tunisia. In a social media post, Trump said that he was pleased to announce Bazzi as the ambassador. “Bazzi is a decorated U.S. Marine, who honorably served our country for 21 years,...
“Mina’s Ramadan Adventure” – A children’s book by three Dearborn students, now available on Amazon
March 7th, 20250 DEARBORN – On the eve of Ramadan, three students from Dearborn Public Schools celebrated the signing of their children's book about a young girl attempting to fast during the holy month. The book, titled Mina's Ramadan Adventure, is now available on Amazon. The project began last year as a school assignment by two Muslim American...
Iraqi American man’s heroic intervention thwarts armed robbery attempt in Ypsilanti
March 7th, 20250 YPSILANTI – With remarkable courage and composure, an Iraqi American man successfully thwarted an armed robbery attempt at a juice store in Ypsilanti on the evening of Friday, February 28. He managed to disarm the perpetrator and pin him to the ground before allowing him to leave, leading to his later...
Dearborn mayoral race: GOP-backed Almudhegi steps in, another candidate disqualified over felony record
February 28th, 20250 DEARBORN – The race for the 2025 Dearborn mayoral election is taking shape as Yemeni American activist Nagi Almudhegi becomes the first potential challenger to incumbent Mayor Abdullah Hammoud. The election will also determine the city clerk and all seven City Council seats. Although the Dearborn mayoral position is nonpartisan,...
Dearborn Police crack down on vehicles with tinted front windows, give more than 850 citations in three months
February 28th, 20250 DEARBORN – In an effort to enhance public safety, the Dearborn Police Department has been conducting an ongoing traffic enforcement campaign for more than three months, targeting drivers with illegally tinted front windows. Since December 26, police have issued nearly 850 citations to violators. Police Chief Issa Shahin emphasized...
Young Arab American woman killed in road rage shooting incident near Dearborn-Detroit border
February 28th, 20250 DEARBORN – A 19-year-old Arab American woman was tragically shot and killed following a road rage altercation with another vehicle at approximately 10 p.m. on Friday, February 21. According to police, the victim, Rawan Mohamed Baseti, a resident of Dearborn Heights, was driving a black 2018 Jeep Cherokee with two female friends when...
Ramadan: Contemplation and reflections on wealth inequalities, poverty, wastage and famine.
February 28th, 20250 The sighting of the crescent moon on February 28 signifies the commencement of Ramadan, a sacred month of fasting observed by billions of Muslims around the globe. Ramadan is a period of spiritual reflection, fostering a sense of responsibility, discipline, control over evil desires, communal prayers, acts of generosity and family...
Arab American youth killed due to reckless driving
February 21st, 20250 DEARBORN — A young Arab American from Dearborn lost his life after his car overturned on Southfield Freeway in Detroit on Tuesday afternoon. According to the Michigan State Police, the 19-year-old driver was ejected from his seat and became trapped in the front window of the overturned car, which came to rest beneath the bridge wall...
Hamtramck mayor and three City Councilmen attended Trump’s inauguration at taxpayers’ expense
February 21st, 20250 HAMTRAMCK – Mayor Amer Ghalib and three other City Councilmen faced growing criticism last week over their attendance at President Trump’s inauguration last month, after it was revealed that their trip cost the city’s taxpayers at least $9,662, as reported by the Detroit News. Through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request,...
Arab Americans reject Trump’s plan to relocate Palestinians in Gaza: A call for ethnic cleansing
February 14th, 20250 President Trump’s remarks about taking control of Gaza and resettling its population in neighboring Arab countries under the pretext of achieving lasting peace in the Palestinian occupied territories have sparked widespread condemnation and rejection both inside and outside the United States. Many human rights organizations, civil......
Arab American honored in Dearborn Heights for heroic act
February 7th, 20250 DEARBORN HEIGHTS – On Monday, in the presence of Mayor Bill Bazzi and Fire Chief David Brogan, an Arab American man who works at a restaurant in the northern part of the city received the "Citizen Award" at City Hall for his heroic efforts in saving the life of a driver trapped inside a burning vehicle following a traffic accident on...
Dearborn honors Police Chief Issa Shahin in a grand ceremony
February 7th, 20250 DEARBORN – The Arab American community in Dearborn honored the city’s police chief, Issa Shahin, at a special dinner held last Friday evening at the La Pita Restaurant Banquet Hall. Businessmen Ali Jawad and Shaker Aoun and The Arab American News Publisher Osama Siblani organized the event, attended by a large gathering of......
Dearborn honors social media activist and educator Hussein Hachem for serving Arab American communities
February 7th, 20250 DEARBORN – In a gesture reflecting the city of Dearborn’s appreciation for the role of media in shaping community awareness and strengthening communication among Arab American communities, the Dearborn City Council honored social media activist and educator Hussein Hachem and the What’s Up Media Network last week. The recognition...
CAIR-MI welcomes federal court decision allowing lawsuit against Oakland County sheriff for forcing Muslim woman to remove her hijab
January 31st, 20250 The Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI) has welcomed a federal court ruling in Detroit, allowing a lawsuit to proceed against the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office on behalf of a Muslim woman who was forced to remove her hijab during her arrest in 2023. The Sheriff’s Office attempted to have the...
Dearborn Heights appoints fourth new police chief in three years, mayor accused of violating police union contracts
January 30th, 20250 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — After a nearly six-hour City Council meeting on Jan. 28, Mayor Bill Bazzi appointed a new police chief, the city’s fourth in just under three years. Bazzi confirmed in a press release that Officer Ahmed Haider will assume command of the Dearborn Heights Police Department as the acting chief while the city...
Resilient Neighborhoods: Detroiters helping each other: “It’s just straight groundwork.”
January 30th, 20250 By Amy Kuras Metro Detroit is blessed with a community of incredible people creating a better world for all of us. They range from highly professional funders and executives crafting strategies to ameliorate complicated social problems, to the hands-on staffers that carry out those plans, at organizations small and large. And then......
Mayor Bill Bazzi raises concerns over treasurer’s performance
January 19th, 20250 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Mayor Bill Bazzi has raised concerns over the performance of Treasurer Lisa Hicks-Clayton and her ability to accurately conduct city business. According to a press release issued by the city, a Jan. 6 communication was sent to members of the City Council where Bazzi had expressed concerns over issues raised in the...
Resilient Neighborhoods: Seniors A Go-Go keeps Brightmoor seniors engaged
January 15th, 20250 By Julie R. Riddle In the Detroit neighborhood of Brightmoor, a group of pole dancing, crime-fighting, take-no-guff seniors believes their twilight years are for having fun, not sitting still. Organizers started Seniors A Go-Go, a project of the Brightmoor Alliance, a few years ago, after a Brightmoor resident lost patience with......
Michigan officially celebrates “Muslim American Heritage Month” for the first time this month
January 10th, 20250 LANSING – In a historic move highlighting the contributions of American Muslims to the history and culture of the United States, Governor Whitmer declared January as "Muslim American Heritage Month" for the first time in the state’s history. The Democratic governor’s announcement comes as part of growing recognition of the...
Tale of Two Cities scheduled to outline 2025 visions for Dearborn, Dearborn Heights
January 7th, 20250 DEARBORN — The Dearborn Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting its annual “A Tale of Two Cities” luncheon for both Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud and Dearborn Heights Mayor Bill Bazzi to outline their 2025 visions. The two mayors will address local business leaders and the public at the event, which is presented by Comcast......
