Trump nominates Hamtramck Mayor Amer Ghalib to be the U.S. ambassador to Kuwait
March 15th, 20250 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,...
Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud hosts Iftar dinner uniting all walks of life
March 15th, 20252 DEARBORN — Mayor Abdullah Hammoud hosted an Iftar dinner on Wednesday, March 12 at Byblos Banquet Hall, bringing together some 700 people of different backgrounds for an evening of unity to celebrate an important part of the holy month of Ramadan. Community members, appointed and elected officials, esteemed individuals and members...
Dearborn Heights Council Chairman Mo Baydoun hosts fourth annual Iftar dinner with Fire Department
March 15th, 20250 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Dearborn Heights City Council Chairman and mayoral candidate Mo Baydoun hosted the fourth annual Iftar dinner with both the Dearborn Heights Fire Department and the Dearborn Heights Police Department. Baydoun told The Arab American News that this initiative started four years ago when he challenged Battalion Chief...
Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist joins Michigan’s 2026 Democratic gubernatorial race
March 15th, 20250 DETROIT – Targeting President Trump, whom he described as a "fire starter", Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II officially launched his campaign for the 2026 gubernatorial race Tuesday, aiming to become the first Black governor of the Great Lakes State. He seeks to succeed Governor Whitmer, who is term-limited and cannot run for a third...
James Craig joins crowded race to succeed Mike Duggan as Detroit mayor
March 15th, 20250 DETROIT – Former Detroit Police Chief James Craig has entered the increasingly crowded race for mayor of Michigan's largest city, positioning himself as a Republican aligned with President Trump, despite the nonpartisan nature of the election. Craig announced his candidacy on Wednesday, March 12, at Executive Cuts, a Black-owned...
Department of State takes action against Albaraka Driving School in Hamtramck
March 14th, 20250 LANSING – The Michigan Department of State (MDOS) suspended the operations of the Albaraka Driving School after the provider was found to be in violation of the Driver Education Provider and Instructor Act (DEPIA). Al Baraka is located at 11405 Conant Street in Hamtramck. An investigation by MDOS staff found the...
“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 Public Schools providing free take-home meals for fasting students during Ramadan
March 7th, 20250 DEARBORN — Dearborn Public Schools is offering free Iftar meals to students during the holy month of Ramadan. Ramadan, a spiritual month when Muslims fast from dawn to dusk, is widely observed by the Dearborn community, including the substantial Muslim student population within the Dearborn Public Schools. In a video posted on...
Local Arabs and Muslims celebrate Ramadan: Religious events, iftar gatherings and a Ramadan village on weekends
March 7th, 20250 Despite the suspension of the “Suhoor Festival” and other nighttime events like “Ramadan Nights” in Dearborn due to the wars in Gaza and Lebanon and the holy month coinciding with harsh winter weather, Arab and Muslim communities in the Detroit area continue to organize various religious and social activities for Ramadan. These...
Michigan Jewish delegation visits Damascus, receives warm reception and tours synagogues
March 7th, 20250 Michigan Rabbi affirms that the new Syrian government seeks to embrace all sects in Syria Rabbi Asher Lopatin, director of community relations at the Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor, described his trip to Damascus, Syria, as part of a delegation of five American Jews as welcoming and acceptance by the Syrian people. The...
Governor Whitmer delivers seventh State of the State Address: A strong Michigan and the need for sustainable road solutions
February 28th, 20250 LANSING – Governor Whitmer delivered her seventh annual State of the State address at the Capitol in Lansing, addressing key successes and challenges in Michigan. She emphasized political division, economic uncertainty and her vision for the state's development in 2024. Despite battling a cold, Whitmer outlined plans for economic...
Michigan Democrats elect former State Senator Curtis Hertel, Jr. to lead the party in 2026 elections
February 28th, 20250 DETROIT – At its annual state convention last Saturday in downtown Detroit, the Michigan Democratic Party elected former State Senator Curtis Hertel Jr. as its new chair, positioning him to lead the party into the critical 2026 elections. These elections will include races for: Governor Attorney General Secretary of...
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...
Eighth grade student says her teacher told her to “go back to your country” after sitting for the Pledge of Allegiance
February 28th, 20250 An eighth grade student said she was racially discriminated against after not standing for the Pledge of Allegiance. Danielle Khalaf, an Arab American student at East Middle School in Plymouth, said she made the decision to sit during the Pledge of Allegiance on Jan. 10 as an act of protest against what is happening in Gaza. Danielle......
Senator Jim Runestad defeats Trump-backed candidate for Michigan GOP chair
February 28th, 20250 DETROIT – Michigan State Senator Jim Runestad of White Lake Township won the Michigan Republican Party chairmanship last Saturday, defeating Meshawn Maddock, the candidate endorsed by President Trump, at the party's state convention held at Huntington Place in downtown Detroit. The conservative lawmaker from Oakland County pledged to...
Dearborn Heights City Council President Mo Baydoun announces his candidacy for mayor
February 21st, 20250 DEARBORN HEIGHTS – Surrounded by dozens of his supporters, Dearborn Heights City Council President Mo Baydoun officially announced his candidacy for mayor last week in a city grappling with deep-rooted political feuds between the majority of the City Council and Mayor Bill Bazzi. These conflicts escalated to a no confidence vote by the...
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,......
Former employee accuses Wayne County Sheriff Raphael Washington of sexual harassment and retaliatory termination
February 21st, 20250 DETROIT – A former employee of the Wayne County Sheriff's Office recently filed a federal lawsuit against the county and Sheriff Raphael Washington, alleging "retaliation and persistent sexual harassment" between 2021 and 2024. She is seeking unspecified financial compensation for damages resulting from her termination last...
Longtime Walmart employee files age discrimination lawsuit against retail giant
February 21st, 20250 DEARBORN — A 70-year-old former Walmart employee has filed a lawsuit against the retail giant, alleging age discrimination after dedicating 16 years of service to the company. The lawsuit, filed in Wayne County Circuit Court, claims that Walmart engaged in discriminatory practices in violation of the Eliot Larson Civil Rights Act that......
Ramadan Village event to be held at the Canteen in Dearborn
February 21st, 20250 DEARBORN — The holy month of Ramadan is approaching, and much of the Dearborn community is preparing for this spiritually significant time when Muslims abstain from food and water from dawn to dusk for 30 days, while also engaging in prayer and community. Throughout the month, large Iftar gatherings — the meal when Muslims break...
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......
