Dearborn public safety members honored by service clubs
May 20th, 20160 Cpl. Bartok, Sgt. Doulette, Commander Robinson, Explorer Post Lt. Hoballah, Chief Haddad.DEARBORN — Two organizations honored members of the Dearborn Police Department for "outstanding" service to the community during National Police Week. The Exchange Club of Dearborn hosted its annual Dearborn Police Awards Luncheon on May 10. In...
Local families face challenges in adopting Syrian refugee orphans
May 20th, 20161 Syrian orphans seeking aid and adoption from foreign families - Photos by SyrianOrphans.orgDEARBORN — As millions of Syrian families suffering the impact of war seek refuge in the West, numerous Arab American families are stepping up to adopt children whose families are nowhere to be found. Maria Kabbani, an international trade...
Detroit approves municipal ID program
May 20th, 20160 DETROIT — The City Council approved a municipal ID initiative, which will help the homeless and undocumented immigrants gain access to city services. To obtain a Michigan ID card, a resident needs a Social Security Number and three documents to prove state residency, legal presence and identity verification. That is too much for...
Gene Hunt aims to bring experience to Dearborn’s court
May 20th, 20160 DEARBORN — If there's a candidate who's familiar with the 19th District Court, it would be Gene Hunt. The longtime Dearborn attorney threw his name into the competitive race in hopes of replacing William C. Hultgren, who will be retiring at the end of the year. Hunt said he decided to run for the position because he knows the...
Graduation Day: Shahad Atiya
May 20th, 20160 Shahad Atiya with her familyShahad Atiya-Wayne State University Law School –juris doctor degree Shahad Atiya, 28, an Iraqi immigrant, has accomplished some noteworthy feats since moving to metro Detroit with her family in 2000. She's since obtained her undergraduate from the University of Michigan-Dearborn in political...
Detroit Public Schools caters to a growing Arab immigrant population
May 20th, 20160 Priest Elementary-Middle School.DETROIT — The Detroit Public Schools System appears to be embracing its growing Arab immigration population with a series of upcoming programs and initiatives aimed at impacting the community's educational needs in coming years. Among the programs include an Arab Dual Language Immersion...
Community honors Lebanon’s security chief in first visit to U.S.
May 20th, 20160 Siblani, Haddad, O'Reilly and Gelios present an award to Ibrahim.DEARBORN — In a country where most institutions are disabled by political bickering and divisions, Lebanese security forces are the most respected and functioning presence in the state. As the general director of national security, Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim is one of the...
Evangelicals win Muslims “burn in hell” free speech case
May 20th, 20160 DEARBORN — The evangelical Christian group that protested against Muslims at the Arab American Festival in 2012, chanting Muslims "burn in hell" while holding a pig's head on a pole, won the free speech case on Monday. The U.S. Supreme Court stayed quiet, unwilling to hear the case, which means the 6th U.S. Court of Appeals'...
Muslim Capitol Day draws record participation
May 20th, 20160 LANSING — Last Tuesday, Muslim and Arab Americans met with state legislators for Muslim Capitol Day to discuss issues plaguing their communities and ways the officials could assist in promoting better attitudes toward minority ethnic groups. Dr. Muzammil Ahmed, chair of the Michigan Muslim Community Council (MMCC), who organized the...
NAACP sues Michigan, governor over Flint crisis
May 19th, 20160 The Flint RiverDETROIT — The NAACP has filed a federal lawsuit against Michigan and Gov. Snyder on behalf of the residents and businesses in Flint, where high levels of lead in the drinking water has created a health crisis.The civil lawsuit, which seeks class-action status, accused city and state officials and two engineering firms...
Detroit Police officers to get body cameras
May 18th, 20160 DETROIT - Detroit on Tuesday approved a $5.2 million contract to equip its police department with body and vehicle cameras in a move to make the department more transparent, city officials said. Several U.S. states and cities have approved or expanded the use of body and dashboard cameras since August 2014, when a white officer...
Oceana County reaches settlement with Dearborn woman over hijab
May 17th, 20160 Dakroub sitting in front of her family at the ACRL office, May 28, 2015GRAND RAPIDS — Oceana County reformed its booking process to accommodate Muslim women after a Dearborn resident sued its sheriff department for forcing her to remove the hijab.Fatme Dakroub, 35, who was arrested for driving on an expired license, filed a federal...
“A great loss” — Arab Americans mourn Clovis Maksoud
May 16th, 20160 Clovis Maksoud. Photo: Al JazeeraWASHINGTON — Arab American diplomat, activist and scholar Dr. Clovis Maksoud died Sunday at Washington Hospital Center, after suffering a severe cerebral hemorrhage. He was 90 years old.The son of Lebanese immigrants, Maksoud was born in Oklahoma in 1926. His family moved back to Lebanon, where he...
Detroit teenager missing
May 16th, 20160 Faduma Ali Mumin DETROIT — Faduma Ali Mumin, a 16-year-old Detroit resident, has been missing since Thursday morning. Police said Mumin left for school at 7:15 a.m. from the home in the 12000 block of Charest. Her mother also talked to her over the phone while she was at school. She attends Oakland International Academy in...
Hundreds of local youth give Detroit school a makeover
May 14th, 20160 Arab American high school students pose for a group photo before giving a Detroit school a makeoverDETROIT – Hundreds of Arab American high school students gave the Detroit Institute of Technology at Cody High School a major makeover for National Arab American Service Day on Saturday.With shovels and paint brushes in hand, over 400......
Community raises $200,000 for Iraqi orphans
May 13th, 20160 Community members raise funds for Iraqi orphansDEARBORN— Almost 800 community members filled the halls of the Bint Jebail Cultural Center to help raise $200,000 to fund basic needs and education for orphaned Iraqi children.In association with the Development and Relief Foundation, the fundraiser was the first annual dinner of the Imam...
Iraqi Americans in pain over Baghdad massacre
May 13th, 20160 Baghdad demonstrators protest against security forces, whom they claim are not able to protect them, May 12DEARBORN — As the triple suicide bombings hit Baghdad, killing more than 80 people, the terror was felt by the Iraqi diaspora. Iraqi American humanitarian Nidhal Garmo, who returned from an aid mission to Iraq in March, said......
Arab Americans support Prosecutor Worthy at fundraising event
May 13th, 20160 DEARBORN — Community leaders, dignitaries and other officials turned out at Byblos Banquets on Monday, May 9 to support Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy's fundraising event, "Arab Americans for Kym Worthy." Worthy is only the second African American woman to hold the position of a county prosecutor. She was appointed to the...
The LAHC awards $100,000 in scholarships
May 13th, 20160 LAHC officials with the awarded students - Photo by Bill Chapman.DEARBORN — The Lebanese American Heritage Club distributed $100,000 in scholarships at its 28th annual award gala on May 6. The LAHC also honored Ziad Ojakli, group vice president for government and community relations at Ford Motor Company, and Veronika Scott, the...
Arab Women’s council to host mentorship program
May 13th, 20160 DEARBORN — The Arab American Women's Business Council, where women can become either a mentor or mentee and achieve personal development, kicks off its mentorship program at Habib's Cuisine on Wednesday, May 18, at 6:30 p.m. The program involves matching up mentors and mentees based on the needs of mentees and the field of...
Community leaders to demand answers from Feds
May 13th, 20160 DEARBORN — Community members and organization leaders expressed frustration with the apathetic attitude given by federal officials toward Muslim and Arab Americans' efforts to cull discrimination and planned to demand answers from government leaders at a BRIDGES meeting at The Arab American News office on Tuesday. Despite......
Dearborn officers turn against their chief
May 13th, 20161 Mayor O'Reilly (R) and Police Chief Haddad (L) welcoming new police recruitsDEARBORN — "Scathing" is an understatement to describe the Dearborn Police survey that made headlines two weeks ago. The study, obtained by The Arab American News, revealed widespread and profound discontent in the department. The disgruntled officers piled...
Islamic Center of America awards scholarships, highlights youth
May 13th, 20160 High school scholarship awardees at the ICA - Photo by Bill Chapman.DEARBORN — Reaffirming their gratitude, hundreds of community members attended the Islamic Center of America's (ICA) semi-annual fundraising dinner on Saturday, May 7. From regular worshippers to local government officials and church pastors who packed the......
Hamtramck Public Schools voters approve $4 million millage
HAMTRAMCK — On May 3, voters approved the Hamtramck Public Schools' $4 million millage— which will be used to improve the school buildings and playgrounds— for another 10 years. The recession and declining revenues have affected the upkeep of the buildings in the district, but the bond will secure accessible entries, safety...
Michigan Radio rejects sponsor’s pro-Israeli message
May 13th, 20160 ANN ARBOR — Michigan Radio decided not to air a sponsor's message wishing Israel a happy birthday on the Zionist state's independence day. For a donation of at least $365, listeners can broadcast a message six times on the public radio station based at the University of Michigan. However, the pro-Israeli message of Lisa Lis, an......
