FBI translator secretly flew to Syria to marry ISIS leader
May 4th, 20171 DETROIT- Federal court documents revealed that an FBI interpreter working in Detroit secretly traveled to Syria three years ago to marry an ISIS terrorist leader she was supposed to be investigating. Daniela Greene worked as a German translator in 2014 for the Detroit FBI office where she was helping inspect a German national who was an...
Gov. Snyder appoints Mariam Bazzi as Wayne County Circuit Court judge
May 2nd, 20172 LANSING – Governor Rick Snyder today announced the appointment of Mariam Bazzi to the 3rd Circuit Court in Wayne County. “Mariam Bazzi’s commitment to her community and the law makes her a natural pick for the Wayne County Circuit Court,” Snyder said. “Mariam brings with her to the bench years of experience in complex areas...
Crestwood ranked 25th best high school
April 30th, 20170 DEARBORN HEIGHTS— Crestwood High School ranked as the 25th best public high school in Michigan, earning a silver medal, according to U.S. News and World Report. It also ranked as the 1,078th best high school in the country. Dearborn High School ranked 74th in Michigan; Star International Academy 80th; Fordson 92nd and Edsel Ford...
Belle Isle shines as park attendance skyrockets
April 30th, 20170 DETROIT — Turns out Metro Detroit loves the rejuvenated Belle Isle. After decades of city neglect and budget drama, the jewel of a park is shining again. About 320,000 daffodils have been planted this spring, with a goal of having one daffodil for every one of Detroit's residents. And that kind of attention to detail is bringing...
Largest automotive supplier investment coming to Detroit
April 30th, 20170 DETROIT — Auto parts maker Flex-N-Gate will build a plant in Detroit in what local officials described on Monday as the first new investment by an automotive supplier in decades in the Motor City, the cradle and former beating heart of the car industry. "This is the largest automotive supplier investment in Detroit in more than 20...
Coleman Young II aims to reinvent Detroit through his father’s legacy
April 29th, 20171 DETROIT — It's not uncommon for the children of influential figures to dedicate their careers to ensuring their parents' legacies are kept alive, but State Senator Coleman Young II (D-Detroit) made an audacious move in announcing his candidacy for Detroit mayor. Young, whose term ends next year, is the son of former Detroit Mayor...
Troy leads settlement, integration of immigrants and refugees
April 29th, 20170 TROY — While many associate a successful Arab American population with Dearborn, Troy is another city with a large and thriving immigrant community. Michigan was the fourth largest recipient of refugee cases and individuals in 2016, with the majority of their cases coming from Iraq. Troy recently surpassed Dearborn as the...
Henry Ford College board of trustees reiterates school’s commitment as welcoming college
April 28th, 20170 DEARBORN — On April 17, the Henry Ford College board of trustees unanimously passed a resolution introduced by Policy Committee Chair Fadwa Hammoud that reaffirms the college's commitment to welcome anyone in search of an education and employment opportunities. Hammoud told The AANews that the resolution accentuates HFC's devotion...
Islamic Institute of America: Not just a place of worship
April 28th, 20170 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — In early April, Sayed Hassan Al-Qazwini, one of the most prominent Muslim leaders in Metro Detroit, unveiled his new, all-inclusive mosque, the Islamic Institute of America, in Dearborn Heights. According to Qazwini, the mosque doesn't have a "sectarian label", but rather welcomes all Muslims. "We are not...
Dearborn Heights elections feature unprecedented number of Arab Americans
April 28th, 20170 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Following the April 25 filing deadline for municipal elections, residents have a clearer picture of who might be leading their city. Dearborn Heights is facing shifting demographics, reflecting that of its neighbor, Dearborn, where half of the 26 candidates for city positions are Arab Americans and where the...
Vandals damage and kick over headstones at Dearborn’s Northview Cemetery
April 27th, 20170 DEARBORN- Dearborn Police are investigating a Monday night vandalism at the Northview Cemetery in Dearborn at Outer Driver and North Military. Lt. Gary Mann of the Dearborn Police Department said the headstones were destroyed. “About 35 headstones were damaged or kicked over,’’ Mann said, adding that police are...
Minneapolis Muslims protest ‘sharia’ fanatic
April 24th, 20170 MINNEAPOLIS — A Georgian man has been reported imposing what he calls "the civil part of the sharia law" in the Minneapolis neighborhood of Cedar-Riverside by dictating to others how they should dress, what to eat or drink, that they should not to use drugs or even interact with the opposite sex. Abdullah Rashid, 22, who has...
Michigan official sees Detroit’s exit from state oversight in 2018
April 21st, 20170 DETROIT— Detroit's post-bankruptcy finances have improved to the point where the city should be able to exit state oversight in early 2018, a state official said on Wednesday. Eric Scorsone, who oversees local Michigan governments as a senior deputy state treasurer, said Detroit was on track to end its third-straight fiscal year...Syrian-Lebanese Federation to bring 81st annual convention to Detroit
DEARBORN — The 81st meeting of the Midwest Federation of American Syrian-Lebanese Clubs is holding its final planning meeting regarding the 81st annual convention at the Arab American National Museum on April 22, as announced by President Michel Aboul-Zelop. The convention will take place in Cleveland, July 27 – 30. Ed Deeb,...
Great Revelations Academy exceeds state standards
April 21st, 20173 DEARBORN — It's open enrollment season at Great Revelations Academy, a non-profit Islamic academic institution that offers Arabic and Islamic classes on top of the core subjects to students of different grade levels. The two-story, 75,000 square foot school, which is located at 6400 Miller Road, next to the Bint Jebail Cultural......
Lebanese American astronomer helped discover seven Earth-like planets
April 21st, 20170 Imagine standing atop a mountain, where ridges, valleys and lakes in a red desert landscape unfold. Look up and you recognize similar terrain — mountainous landscapes and water on several surfaces hovering above. No, you are not looking through a telescope, standing in the middle of an Arizona desert or in a science fiction...
City to shut down third west Dearborn bar in recent months
April 21st, 20170 DEARBORN — Another west Dearborn bar is facing efforts to shut it down following scrutiny from the City Council, which stemmed from a rash of violent episodes outside the business. City Council President Pro Tem Thomas Tafelski charged last Sunday that the Post Bar is a "public nuisance", heralding that it could become the fourth......
Local Taekwondo students to compete in national championships
April 21st, 20170 DEARBORN — On April 8, 16 of Koubeissi Taekwondo School's students of various ages and divisions finished strong at the Michigan State Taekwondo Championships, all qualifying for the 2017 USA Taekwondo National Championships. The event took place at Flowerville High School in Flowerville, Michigan. Many of the students had fought...
State representatives oppose colleague’s anti-sharia bill
April 21st, 20170 LANSING — An anti-sharia law bill is being proposed in the Michigan House of Representatives, in response to news about Jumana Nagarwala, the Detroit physician charged with mutilating the genitalia of two 7-year-old girls from Minnesota. The bill (S-1386) was proposed by Rep. Michele Hoitenga (R-Manton) last Monday, whose district...
Dearborn Heights considers purchasing Warren Valley Golf Course
April 21st, 20170 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Following months of passionate resistance by Dearborn Heights residents against the sale of the Warren Valley Golf Course to developers, Wayne County decided to sell the property. However, the site was not bought by real estate developers as originally intended. Rather, the county is contemplating selling to...
Dearborn police, bomb squad investigating a suspicious package in Dearborn building
April 20th, 20170 DEARBORN - The Social Security Office near Michigan and Outer Drive in Dearborn has been evacuated due to a suspicious package. A number of other businesses in the Dearborn complex have also been evacuated. Dearborn Police, Homeland Security and the bomb squad are investigating a possible bomb at the building....
Dr. Stanley Jensen announces his retirement from Henry Ford College presidency
April 17th, 20170 DEARBORN - Dr. Stanley Jensen, President of Henry Ford College announced that he will be retiring from his position comes June 30, 2018. He made the announcement this afternoon in an official statement: "After a great deal of thought, and careful consideration, I have decided to retire from my position as President of Henry Ford College...
UM-Dearborn student honored for working to fix incorrect braille signs
April 15th, 20170 DEARBORN — It can be challenging for a disabled student to get around his college campus. For the blind, painless navigation through a maze of hallways, stairs, elevators and classrooms depends on accessible passages and braille labels. However, Khodr Farhat, a visually impaired University of Michigan-Dearborn student, discovered......
Lawsuit claims Schuette and staff used personal emails for state business
April 14th, 20170 LANSING— The progressive group Progress Michigan filed a lawsuit on Tuesday in the Michigan Court of Claims regarding Attorney General Bill Schuette and his staff’s use of personal emails to conduct state business. However, Schuette’s office denied knowing anything about the matter, according to a Progress Michigan press...
Finding quality special education is a challenge
April 14th, 20170 Stigmas usually form when, ironically, some of the most critical forces of life— those that must be addressed— hit. The Arab American community's prominent taboo topics, which are brought to the forefront by local groups more often nowadays, include mental health, substance abuse, domestic abuse and learning and physical......
