Why the former Dearborn city clerk is under investigation for embezzlement
December 2nd, 20160 DEARBORN — Exclusive details about a murky embezzlement case centered around now-retired Dearborn City Clerk Kathleen Buda have emerged, revealing the reasons State Police raided City Hall last December.On Dec. 16, 2015, Michigan State Police investigators obtained a warrant and seized several boxes of documents and other...
Jill Stein’s Michigan vote recount request challenged by Trump and hiked costs
December 2nd, 20160 LANSING — Dr. Jill Stein, the Green Party nominee for president, is spearing efforts to hold vote recounts in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Republican Donald Trump narrowly won those states. Although some election lawyers and data experts say there’s reason to make sure the ballots were counted correctly, there’s little...
Dearborn Heights police donate winter wear to school children
December 2nd, 20160 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Dearborn Heights police officers grew their beards out for a fundraiser called "No shave November" and collected more than $2,100 to donate to local elementary school students in need of winter clothing. Thanks to the department's efforts, schools received more than 1,500 donated gloves and hats. On...
New state rep. Jewell Jones is youngest in Michigan history
December 2nd, 20160 INKSTER — Jewell Jones, 21, a lifelong resident of Inkster, became Michigan's youngest state representative upon his election Nov. 8. His two-year term will begin Jan. 1. Jones, a Democrat, succeeds the late Julie Plawecki, who died in June. He will represent the 11th District, which includes Inkster, Garden City and parts of...
Small business empowers refugee women and breaks employment barriers
December 2nd, 20160 ANN ARBOR — A common emotion most mothers carry is hope— especially when carrying their babies in their wombs. They paint pictures of the future and attain strength from carrying that feeling, which Brea Albulov called "Hope Carried." When the mother of two started her home-based business a year and a half ago, she didn't know...
Arab teens sue Detroit Police officers in botched hooker sting
December 2nd, 20161 CVS, located on Warren Ave. in Detroit.DETROIT — Attorneys for three Arab teens have filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court, claiming that Detroit police officers abused their authority and violated the teens' Miranda rights during a prostitution sting on Aug. 26. The lawsuit, filed Nov. 18 by attorneys Amir Makled and Nick Hadous,...
Arab American organizations help others enjoy Thanksgiving
November 24th, 20160 LAHC volunteers preparing turkey bagsLeading up to Thanksgiving, Arab American led organizations and schools partnered with major chains to give thanks to the community they are proud to be a part of. Many of them, not all included here, sponsored and organized canned food drives and distributed thousands of turkeys and meals to...
Corruption allegations put Macomb Township trustee back in hot water
November 24th, 20160 MACOMB TOWNSHIP — In the midst of a string of corruption busts in Macomb County by the federal government, new allegations have recently surfaced against Macomb Township Trustee Dino Bucci. Local entrepreneur Eddie Jawad claims Bucci abused his power and threatened to impede his establishment's business affairs if he did not...
Gov. Snyder looks to build relationship with President-elect Trump
November 24th, 20160 LANSING — On Tuesday, Gov. Snyder voiced his desire to try and build a relationship with President-elect Donald Trump. Although Snyder, who has only met Trump once, disagreed with and has spoken out against some of the comments Trump has made in the past regarding immigration, minorities, women and Michigan's manufacturing...
Local educators approach Trump’s presidency with sensitivity
November 24th, 20160 DEARBORN — Donald Trump's election to the presidency has led to dozens of reported conflicts among students at public schools across the nation. Some notable ones include a fifth grader bringing an air pistol on a school bus in Minnesota and threatening a third grade Muslim student. Several reports surfaced in numerous states of...
State Senator Knezek: Remain ‘vigilant’ during Trump administration
November 24th, 20160 DEARBORN — As Arab Americans and other ethnic minorities keep a concerned eye on President-elect Donald Trump's cabinet picks, Republican legislators are urging the public to stay calm and take comfort in the county's system of protective civil rights laws. Not everyone is buying that, including State Senator David Knezek...
Local school teaches Students the art of journalism
November 24th, 20160 Teacher April Kincaid helps a student with classwork - Photos by Marissa CampbellDEARBORN — Young minds are encouraged to grow, develop and create in the young journalists program taught to eighth graders at Unis Middle School – the only program of its kind in the Dearborn School District. April Kincaid, who teaches the...
Refugee and immigrant students’ first Thanksgiving experience
November 24th, 20160 McCollough-Unis school teachers and students celebrating Thanksgiving. DEARBORN — When three refugee students were asked last Friday what they learned about the history of Thanksgiving, the best friends brawled and talked over each other— all trying to answer. They eventually agreed to let Sleiman Alaeddin, a...
Iraqi American woman teaches fellow hijabis self-defense
November 24th, 20160 Zaineb Abdulla - Photo by Brittany Palm CHICAGO — Following Donald Trump's election, hate crimes rocketed and Muslim women wearing the hijab felt it essential to learn self-defense or at least carry shielding products like pepper spray. Zaineb "Zee" Abdulla, a Chicago native, said she looked up a self-defense move...
Lebanese Americans celebrate homeland’s independence and dual identities
November 23rd, 20160 DEARBORN — "We are all for the homeland, for the glory of the flag," trumpeted local Lebanese Americans – lest the diaspora remains divided. In homage to the old country, hundreds, including recent immigrants and multiple generations of Americans, gathered with local officials, dignitaries and others to celebrate the 73rd......
Victims seek payment as “Dr. Death” declares innocence
November 23rd, 20160 DETROIT - Victims of “Dr. Death” had until this week to submit receipts for unnecessary chemotherapy, medical bills for liver damage and funeral expenses for their loved ones.517 former patients and their families had filed claims against Farid Fata, the Detroit-area cancer doctor convicted of raking in over $17 million by...
U-M student government rejects resolution to divest from Israel
November 18th, 20160 ANN ARBOR — After passionate discussions on Tuesday, Nov. 15, the University of Michigan's Central Student Government voted down a resolution to urge the university to divest from several companies that do business in Israel. The resolution, brought to the assembly by the group Students Allied for Freedom and Equality (SAFE), called......
Major retail stores to open early on Thanksgiving for Black Friday
November 18th, 20160 Thanksgiving is all about reuniting with family, friends and being grateful. But if you're one of those who'd like to indulge in the tradition of shopping after your meal — you're in for a treat. Several major retail stores and a few malls in Metro Detroit will open early for a few hours during Thanksgiving evening, before Friday...
Arab superstitions are hard to undo
November 18th, 20160 DEARBORN — Living in a city with a high percentage of Arab Americans can play a role in how prevalent superstitions are. According to the young, they're quite prevalent. If at tata's (grandma's) house, grandchildren playing together are destined to run into some here and there. "'You can't step over your little brother lying on...
FBI reports hate crimes increase by 6.8 percent in 2015
November 18th, 20160 WASHINGTON — An FBI report released on Sunday, Nov. 13, revealed that in 2015, hate crimes increased 6.8 percent from the previous year. Crimes against Muslims saw the highest jump, a 67 percent increase from 2014, totaling 257 incidents compared with 154 in 2014. The number of hate crimes against Muslims in 2015 was the second...
State Rep. elect Sylvia Santana looks to strengthen a diverse district
November 18th, 20160 Sylvia SantanaDETROIT — Sylvia Santana was elected to succeed her husband, Harvey Santana, in the Michigan House of Representatives for the oddly shaped District 9. That district covers a portion of east Dearborn and a bulk of Detroit, including the Warrendale area. Santana said she's gotten to know many of her......
Local Arabs and Jews join forces against bigotry
November 18th, 20160 MJF member Tamim Shaker with Jordan Weiss, co-chair of AJC's ACCESS-Detroit.DETROIT — Talk of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict often conjures unfavorable perceptions within many Arab and Jewish households – populations with a considerable presence in Metro Detroit. However, with large populations of both Arab Americans and Jews in...
Activists embrace grassroots resistance of violence in Palestine
November 18th, 20160 DEARBORN — It was heart-wrenching for Iyad Burnat, an activist from Palestine, to see his son unable to join his friends in playing soccer because of a protest they had chosen to lead. Recounting the moment his child was shot by Israeli soldiers during a non-violent resistance demonstration in the West Bank farming village of......
Grosse Pointe students and parents support principal’s comments regarding unity
November 18th, 20160 GROSSE POINTE — After Grosse Pointe South High School Principal Moussa Hamka, a Muslim, came under attack from a few parents following his message to students encouraging respect and unity after the presidential election, more than 100 parents and students showed their support at a school board meeting on Monday, Nov. 14. According...
Dearborn Federation of Teachers donate books to DPS students
November 18th, 20160 DEARBORN — For its fourth year of classroom book donations, the Dearborn Federation of Teachers donated a free book to every student in a classroom at Miller Elementary, Bryant Middle and Edsel Ford High School. This contribution is part of its ongoing effort to hand out "a free book for every student in Dearborn." Students stopped......
