WXYZ to hold town hall in Dearborn on Dec. 5 with an open mic
December 1st, 20170 DEARBORN — As residents, about half of them Arab Americans, find themselves under the local and national spotlights, it has been more imperative than ever for the community to present an accurate image of itself. They will have that opportunity on Tuesday, Dec. 5, during a town hall organized by WXYZ Channel 7, as part of its...
Appeals Court blocks deportation of Jordanian woman facing ‘honor killing’
December 1st, 20170 CINCINNATI — "Every year, 15 to 20 women and girls in Jordan are burned, beaten or stabbed to death by family members because they are seen as having transgressed social codes of 'honor,'" according to a recent report from Rothna Begum, a researcher in the Women's Rights Division of HumanRightsWatch.org. Ruling unanimously in "Olga...
Locals, Muslim leaders condemn ‘rogue’ reenactment during Arba’een procession
December 1st, 20170 DEARBORN — Preserving heritage as well as cultural and religious practices have been the undertaking of generations of Arab and Muslim Americans. But as the heat intensifies due to the nation focusing its magnifying lens on the "Arab capital of America", a recent "religious" reenactment held in the city's streets has local Muslim...
Conyers hospitalized as top House Democrat calls for his resignation
November 30th, 20170 WASHINGTON — House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi on Thursday called on Democratic Representative John Conyers to resign, saying sexual harassment allegations against him were serious and credible, and that “zero tolerance means consequences for everyone.” “The brave women who came forward are owed justice,” Pelosi told...
University of Michigan students walk out of class protesting talks with white nationalist
November 29th, 20170 ANN ARBOR — Students at the University of Michigan walked out of classrooms Wednesday morning in protest of the Ann Arbor campus's response to a request made by white nationalist Richard Spencer to speak there. The student group “Stop Spencer” organized the walkout in response to the “failure of University of Michigan...
Michigan Dept. of Treasury warns taxpayers of fraudulent phone calls
November 28th, 20170 Within the last couple of days, the state Treasury Department has observed a surge in scam phone calls where scammers are claiming to be state tax officials and asking for cash through a wire transfer, prepaid debit card or gift card. LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan Department of Treasury is warning taxpayers of aggressive and...
Lt. Gov. Brian Calley is running for governor
November 28th, 20170 I am running for Governor to make Michigan the most prosperous state in the nation LANSING — Lt. Gov. Brian Calley is running for governor, he announced on his website early Tuesday morning. "I am running for Governor to make Michigan the most prosperous state in the nation," he wrote. "I represent a new generation, and in a time...
U.S. Rep. Conyers steps down from committee amid harassment investigation
November 26th, 20170 WASHINGTON ― Congressman John Conyers is stepping down as ranking Democratic lawmaker of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, while lawmakers investigate allegations of sexual harassment against him, Conyers said in an emailed statement Sunday. Conyers said that while he denies the claims, his continued presence during a congressional...
Dearborn Heights’ Crestwood schools undergoing major renovations
November 23rd, 20170 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — The Crestwood School District's facilities will look very different for students and faculty going back to school next fall. Major renovations to buildings across the school district are well underway, following the passing of a $35 million bond last May that's set to thoroughly replace damaged property,...
Dearborn families gather to celebrate Thanksgiving
November 23rd, 20170 By Laida Sukari and Dalia Sukari The Arab American News - interns DEARBORN — According to statistics by "Static Brain", an average of 51,650,000 total turkeys are consumed in America on Thanksgiving Day each year. This national holiday became official in 1863 after President Lincoln declared that, annually, the fourth Thursday...
Michigan voters will decide whether to legalize recreational marijuana next year
November 23rd, 20170 LANSING — Next year Dearborn residents will vote, with the rest of the state, over the legalization of recreational marijuana. On Monday the group Mi Legalize turned in more than 360,000 signatures of voters who approved its proposal for the "Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act." "We are the first state in the Midwest...
Central Student Government president speaks about #UMDivest resolution
November 23rd, 20170 ANN ARBOR — In the wake of the passage last week of a #UMDivest resolution at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Central Student Government President Anushka Sarkar said in a statement that she believes the resolution's intent, "is to elevate a marginalized community's voice, voices that have been muffled and diluted, year after...
Local Arab American student receives Rhodes scholarship
November 23rd, 20170 DEARBORN — Lebanese American student Nadine Jawad, 21, might be the first Arab American from Dearborn to receive one of the most prestigious fellowship awards in the world, the Rhodes scholarship. Jawad, a senior at the University of Michigan's Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, is one of 32 American Rhodes scholars chosen for...
Lebanese Americans celebrate strength, unity on homeland’s independence day
November 23rd, 20170 DEARBORN — Coinciding with tensions calming in Lebanon as Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri returns home and holds off on his resignation, Lebanese Americans celebrated their social, economic and political leverage on the 74th anniversary of their homeland's independence day. The ceremony, hosted by the Consulate General of Lebanon...
U.S. team doctor Nassar pleads guilty to criminal sexual conduct in Michigan court
November 22nd, 20170 INGHAM COUNTY, MI -- Larry Nassar, the former USA Gymnastics team doctor, pleaded guilty in a Michigan court on Wednesday to seven counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct. In a press statement Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette said Nassar had pleaded guilty in Michigan’s Ingham County court to felony criminal......
Hijabi Olympic fencer makes history again with namesake Barbie doll
November 18th, 20170 EL SEGUNDO, CA— Mattel, maker of the popular Barbie doll, has un-veiled its first hijabwearing Barbie to honor an American Olympic fencer, as the traditional Islamic headscarf goes mainstream through catwalks, magazine covers and "emoji" Smartphone symbols. Ibtihaj Muhammad made history in Rio last year as the first U.S. Olympian to...
Abuse of prescription drug Gabapentin increasing
November 17th, 20170 DETROIT— Gabapentin is a new prescription drug on the rise, with up to 64 million prescriptions sold in 2016 in the U.S. Also known in the black market as Johnnys, Gabapentin is not an opioid, but patients are using it to get the drowsiness affect and to feed their addiction. This medication is usually prescribed to treat several......
Religious institutions in Metro Detroit take caution after being threatened
November 17th, 20170 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — The Dearborn Heights Police Department is conducting a joint investigation with the FBI and other local law enforcement agencies after finding threats to houses of worship and an abandoned firearm in a bag. None of the religious institutions threatened are located in Dearborn Heights, but in other cities;...
Dearborn Heights police officer faces charges after fatal crash in Allen Park
November 17th, 20170 Allen Park —Dearborn Heights police officer Larry A. Little, 32, is charged with causing a fatal crash due to reckless driving. The crash happened on January 2 at the intersection of Van Born and Pelham Roads and resulted in the death of Timothy Lee Turner, 59. Little’s first hearing will take place on November 27. Little was...
What could Amazon do for Detroit? Just imagine…
November 17th, 20173 Members of Detroit's Amazon HQ committee tasked with landing the business behemoth make the case for why this matters By Keith A. Owens Amazon announced on October 5 that it is planning to open a second headquarters, to be called Amazon HQ2. Facing steep competition - and some might say steeper odds – a broad list of 59 local and...
#UMDivest resolution passes at University of Michigan
November 17th, 20171 ANN ARBOR — On November 15 at 3 a.m., a historical moment took place at the University of Michigan when the Students Allied for Freedom and Equality (SAFE) passed a resolution at the Central Student Government (CSG) meeting regarding U of M's investment ties to companies involved in human rights violations. The investigation of......
Dearborn Board of Education holds forums, discusses solutions to overcrowding
November 17th, 20170 DEARBORN — Since the end of last month, the Dearborn Board of Education has been holding community forums that educate and solicit community feedback on three boundary line change proposals— the possible solution to overcrowding in the district's high schools. The forums, which are open to all community members, started on Oct. 24...
State Senate OKs carrying concealed weapons in houses of worship, schools
November 17th, 20173 DEARBORN — Amid a recent spike in threats against places of worship, officials and mosques in Metro Detroit are tightening security and bashing a new gun legislation that passed in the Michigan Senate last week. It was tense at the Michigan Capitol on Wednesday, Nov. 8, when the Senate passed in a 25-12 vote a bill allowing the......
Is 35 mph the right speed for Dearborn’s downtowns?
November 17th, 20170 DEARBORN — "The objective of any speed limit is that it can be reasonable, enforceable and that it assures a maximum limit," according to the Michigan Department of Transportation's website. Although, according to some experts, appealing to pedestrians with a lower speed limit may be more beneficial to society. "Many of the...
University of Michigan CSG passes divestment resolution
November 15th, 20171 ANN ARBOR--The University of Michigan (UM) Central Student Government (CSG) passed a resolution to have the University's Board of Regents form an ad hoc committee to investigate companies that are tied to human rights violations against Palestinians. The meeting began at 7:45pm and the vote took place at almost 3:00am. There was an......
