U.S. Supreme Court abortion ruling could overturn Michigan laws
July 1st, 20160 LANSING - The 5-3 Supreme Court decision to abolish controversial Texas rules on abortion clinics could overturn similar laws in Michigan, according to the state’s Planned Parenthood representatives. "I think we have a good case now," Amanda West, a director of government relations for Michigan Planned...
The DIA is coming to Dearborn
July 1st, 20160 DEARBORN — Tour the DIA Away and think like an artist at Dearborn's Ford Community & Performing Arts Center on July 14, from 1 to 6 p.m. Open to the public at no charge, DIA Away is a mobile, interactive creative exploration space for people of all ages. This educational "hands on" experience is provided by the Detroit...
Michigan’s U.S. Reps. say “No Fly, No Buy” is flawed, but offer no solutions
July 1st, 20160 U.S. Reps. discuss gun legislation on a panel in Berkley - Photos by The AANewsBERKLEY — Democratic Congress members acknowledged a defect in a proposed gun legislation in the House of Representatives that would deny individuals on the No-Fly list the right to buy firearms. They said it should be corrected, but offered no...
Hamtramck lives the full excitement of Ramadan
July 1st, 20160 Hamtramck residents after an iftar organized by Councilman AlmasmariHAMTRAMCK — Throughout the United States, Muslims break their fast to the timing of special calendars they often hang on their fridges. Here the sound of the Adhan, the Muslim call for prayer, declares the sunset, announcing the time for iftar. "It's like Old Sanaa,"...
State rep. candidate Sophiea stresses pragmatism, transparency
July 1st, 20160 Paul SophieaDEARBORN — Paul Sophiea is the kind of Republican that predates Donald Trump. He says he is practical, independent and looking to represent the entire Dearborn community in his bid to win the State House's District 15. Sophiea said he is running because Dearborn is a growing city that needs proper representation in...
Concerns arise over selection process for State Rep. vacancy
July 1st, 20160 Julie Palwecki being sworn in to the State House.LANSING — The 13th Congressional District Democratic Party organization is preparing to fill a vacancy following the untimely death of State Rep. Julie Plawecki. The first term representative, who passed away on Saturday, June 25, was running unopposed in the August primary for...
Cities issue warnings, ban on consumer fireworks
July 1st, 20160 A firework vendor in Detroit - Photo by The AANews.LANSING — Michigan's state fire marshal is weighing recommending bans on fireworks and burning in parts of the state with extremely dry conditions heading into the Fourth of July weekend. "It is being discussed at the state level, and at this point, we are not taking any actions for...
Maronite Patriarch Rai stresses ties with the homeland
June 30th, 20160 Dr. Daher Rahi with Patriarch RaiDETROIT — Maronite Patriarch Bechara Peter Rai came to Detroit with a prayer for peace. He called on world powers to end the wars in the Middle East and demanded expatriates hold on to their homelands’ identities.“We pray together for the Middle East, for its peace, for a permanent, overreaching,...
WSU president, federal judge awarded for social justice efforts
June 30th, 20160 DETROIT — On Tuesday June 7, The Arab American Civil Rights League (ACRL) and the NAACP branch of Detroit awarded federal judge Terrance Berg of the Eastern District of Michigan and Dr. M. Roy Wilson, president of Wayne State University, for their commitment to social justice and equality. Wilson created the Office of Multicultural...
Arab American journalist Hassan Hamie dies at 81
June 30th, 20160 DEARBORN — Veteran journalist and diplomat Hassan Hamie died on Sunday, June 26 after a long struggle with illness. He was 81. Hamie was born in the Lebanese village of Taraya. He had a degree in political science and history from Brussles University in Belgium. He started his journalistic career as a reporter for Al-Nabaa...
Community mourns loss of State Rep. Plawecki, a dedicated public servant
June 29th, 20160 Plawecki was a regular volunteer with Project Dignity Outreach, a local non-profit organization that feeds the homeless in Detroit. DEARBORN HEIGHTS – The local community is grieving over the untimely death of State Representative Julie Plawecki, 54, who died on Saturday, June 25, from a presumed heart attack...
Iftar with an African American family
June 29th, 20160 The El-Amins having iftarDETROIT — "God, we thank you for the food that has been prepared for the nurturing, for the healing of our bodies," prayed Maurice El-Amin, hands folded together, in ritualistic gesture. "Amen," his family responded collectively at the Ramadan dinner table. "Bismillah (in the name of Allah)," said another, as...
Saudi-led air strike kills 10 Yemeni civilians
June 28th, 20160 A Saudi airstrike in Sanaa, March 2015SNAA — A Saudi-led coalition air strike killed 10 Yemeni civilians and wounded at least another 15 in the southern province of Lahj on Tuesday, residents said, a day after bombing attacks by ISIS that killed 45 others.Yemen is more than 15 months into a war in which the Saudi-led coalition has...
State Rep Julie Plawecki dies
June 26th, 20160 DEARBORN HEIGHTS - State Representative Julie Plawecki, 54, has passed away. Her unexpected death occurred on Saturday, June 25 when she was hiking with her daughter in Oregon, where she suffered a heart attack, according to our sources. Plawecki was serving her first term in Michigan's 11th House District, which covers...
Maronite Patriarch Rai to start U.S. tour June 29
June 24th, 20160 Patriarch RaiDETROIT — Bechara Boutros al-Rai, Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and all the East, will embark on a U.S. tour at the end of the month, where he will visit several churches throughout the country.Rai will start his trip in Detroit at the Church of St. Maron on June 29. He will also lead services at churches in Dayton,......
Local Muslims raise $35,000 to feed hungry in Wayne County
June 24th, 20160 Muslims participate in the Hanini annual food drive.DEARBORN — The Ramadan spirit was in full swing Saturday, June 18, at the Hanini Outreach Center's annual food drive, where more than $35,000 was raised and a total of 500,000 pounds of food collected to feed needy families, seniors, veterans and refugees in Wayne County. Each year...
Henry Ford College President Stan Jensen: ‘Great things ahead’
June 24th, 20160 DEARBORN — Future Driven. There appears to be truth behind the slogan of Henry Ford College (HFC), as the campus has plenty to look forward to in the coming years. In an interview with The AANews, President Stan Jensen discussed the re-branded college's turn-around since he began his tenure three years ago and the optimistic......
Group of women establishing social services at Islamic Institute
June 24th, 20160 IIOK employees packing lunches for the Meat up and Eat up Program - Photo by The AANewsDEARBORN — Local mosques are often urged to address social issues beyond religious services and funerals. A group of spirited women at the Islamic Institute of Knowledge is answering the call. C-ASIST is providing free, healthy meals for children...
Church members assist local refugee families
June 24th, 20160 Local children partake in "Backyard Kids Club" at a church member's home in east Dearborn - Courtesy of Pastor Jonathan Swift.DEARBORN — A local church has extended a hand to refugee families in need of assistance. Christ Community Church in Dearborn, which has a congregation of about 50 members, has worked with ACCESS to identify...
Michigan fireworks sales continue to grow while safety concerns rise
June 23rd, 20160 LANSING – Since the state legalized louder and larger fireworks in 2011, the sales have increased by more than 50 percent according to the data from the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. Michigan only permitted low impact fireworks, like sparklers, in the past. It led in the powerful...
Dearborn schools plans to raise recycling awareness
June 23rd, 20160 DEARBORN- Students of Bryant Middle and Long elementary schools are taking part in an experimental education project called Dearborn Education and Action on Recycling, which is sponsored by the City of Dearborn, Dearborn Public Schools, Recycle Ann Arbor and The Ecology Center. The pilot program was first......
Dearborn Heights Residents worried about discolored water
June 23rd, 20160 DEARBORN HEIGHTS – Residents in one Dearborn Heights neighborhood have been dealing with yellowed water for about a month and living off bottled water. "Flint pops into my head... yellow water... it's scary," Andrea Pagli, a concerned Dearborn Heights mom, said. She said she has been buying bottled...
Woman in hijab claimed to have bomb during Bank robbery in Taylor
June 23rd, 20160 TAYLOR – Police are searching for a woman who claimed to have a bomb during a bank robbery on Thursday, June 23. Taylor Police is seeking the public’s help in identifying a female suspect caught on surveillance during a bank robbery at approximately 9:45am. The suspect entered the Monroe Bank......
Local Muslims raise $35,000 to feed hungry in Wayne County
June 23rd, 20160 DEARBORN – The Ramadan spirit was in full swing Saturday, June 18, at the Hanini Outreach Center’s annual food drive, where more than $35,000 was raised and a total of 500,000 pounds of food collected to feed needy families, seniors, veterans and refugees in Wayne County. Each year the Hanini Outreach...
Looking at the characteristics of the region served by the Iman Sadr Foundation
June 23rd, 20160 Introduction: This is the third part of a three-part series. The first two parts examined how the Imam Sadr Foundation is helping improve mental as well as physical health in Lebanon and how it works to empower women. This article looks at how and why the ISF came about and what it has achieved. In the 1960s, Imam Moussa Sadr......
