Obama visits Detroit, but not Flint
January 21st, 20160 DETROIT – Despite speculation that President Obama would also include a trip to the crisis ridden city of Flint during his visit to Michigan, his stop ended at the Auto show in Detroit. Obama did send an official for his team to Flint while he was scheduled to appear at the Auto Show. Obama...Nearly all Detroit schools closed due to teachers’ sickout
DETROIT - Nearly all public schools in Detroit were closed on Wednesday as teachers called in sick to protest conditions, the school system and teachers' union said. It was the second time in as many weeks that teachers staged a protest. A sickout on Jan. 11 closed 64 schools. All but nine of the district's 97 schools were closed,...
Gov. Snyder apologizes for Flint water crisis
January 20th, 20160 Photo: APLANSING — Governor Rick Snyder, facing protests, lawsuits and calls for his resignation over drinking water contamination in Flint, apologized to the city's residents and called for the state to spend $28 million on fixes."To you, the people of Flint, I say tonight as I have before, I am sorry and I will fix it," Snyder said...
Dearborn Clerk Kathy Buda will retire
January 19th, 20160 BudaDEARBORN — City Clerk Kathy Buda, whose office was raided by the state police last month as a part of an embezzlement investigation, is retiring on Feb. 17.Buda has been clerk since 1997. In 2013, she was elected to serve her fifth four-year term.She said she made the decision because of the mounting stress of the job with the...
Abbie Bazzi announces run for Dearborn judge
January 15th, 20160 Bazzi.DEARBORN — Abbie Bazzi has announced a run for 19th District Court Judge. Bazzi, an attorney, will be vying for the open seat left by Judge William C. Hultgren, who ends his six year term at the end the year. The primary election is slated for Tuesday, August 2, while the general election will be held on Tuesday, November...Reps introduce bill to amend Visa Waiver Program discriminatory restrictions
Dingell.WASHINGTON — A group of congress members, including three from Michigan, introduced a bill Wednesday to remove discriminatory limitations that would exclude certain dual nationals from the Visa Waiver Program. U.S. representatives Justin Amash (R-Mich.), John Conyers (D-Mich.), Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), and Thomas Massie...“Grand Bargain” saved DIA’s treasures to the relief of staff, volunteers, citizens
DIA main entrance - Photo by DIADETROIT — It started with a doodle on the back of a legal pad. Chief Judge Gerald Rosen of the U.S. District Court for Eastern Michigan had been appointed the chief federal mediator to oversee Detroit’s bankruptcy proceedings. Soon after Detroit declared bankruptcy on July 18, 2013, the...
Homeland Security chief visits Dearborn, discusses responses to terrorism
January 15th, 20160 Jeh Johnson speaks at U of M-DearbornDEARBORN—Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson visited Dearborn Wednesday in an effort to form partnerships with the Arab American community and assure residents of tighter security measures against terrorism.Johnson stressed that fighting terrorism is the Department of Homeland Security’s...
Chaldean-Arab coalition group stalls
January 15th, 20160 Muslim and Chaldean leaders meet at The Arab American News last October.DEARBORN — Relations between the Chaldean and Arab communities reached a boiling point in September after Christian Iraqis vigorously protested the proposed building of a mosque in Sterling Heights, which is home to one of the largest Iraqi Christian immigrant...
Chaldean bishop’s stance favoring Christian refugees sparks response
January 15th, 20160 Bishop Francis Kalabat. DETROIT — Last month, Bishop Francis Kalabat, the head of the Chaldean Catholic Church for Michigan, testified in front of a U.S. House subcommittee, where he panned the Obama administration for ignoring the suffering of Christian refugees displaced by war in Syria and Iraq, proclaiming that the U.S. should...Detroit group grows frustrated with Dearborn Police Department
DEARBORN — Frustrations against the Dearborn Police Department are growing, as questions remain unanswered in the death of Kevin Matthew, a 35-year-old Black male killed by a police officer last month. The officer’s name has still not been made public. The case is currently being investigated by the Detroit Police Department and is...
Khaled Beydoun exemplifies academic activism
January 15th, 20160 Khaled BeydounDEARBORN — From exposing the mistreatment of domestic workers in Lebanon, to addressing racism within the Arab American communities, to combating Islamophobia in the media, Khaled Beydoun exemplifies academic activism. Beydoun, a law professor and critical race theory scholar, said politicians' xenophobic statements are...
Senator Peters applauds Obama for inclusion
January 14th, 20160 "Being from Michigan, I feel particularly proud about our very vibrant Arab American community." -Sen. Gary PetersDEARBORN — Sen. Gary Peters (D-Michigan) praised President Obama's final State of the Union Address, applauding the commander in chief for explicitly condemning anti-Muslim rhetoric."I was pleased that he made very strong...Detroit Pistons honor Arab American veteran
Retired Marine Sam Farran.Auburn Hills - At the Detroit Pistons game against the San Antonio Spurs at the Palace of Auburn Hills on Tuesday, January 12, Dearborn Heights resident and retired Arab American U.S. Marine Sam Farran was honored for his prolific history in the military.Farran, 54, garnered international media attention...
Police to watch live video feed from Detroit gas stations
January 12th, 20160 Mayor Duggan, surrounded by city officials and community activists, at a press conference announcing Project Green Light, Jan. 11 DETROIT — Violent crime has been a massive obstacle in the recovery of Detroit's neighborhoods. A disproportionate number of gas stations is turning into scenes for robberies and murder, so police are......
Community pays tribute to Dennis Muchmore
Muchmore with local leaders at LaPita restaurant - Photos by The Arab American NewsDEARBORN — On Tuesday, January 5, community leaders and local and federal officials held an event at LaPita Restaurant to pay tribute to Dennis Muchmore, who served for five years as Gov. Snyder’s chief of staff. In August, Muchmore announced his...Dearborn train station wins environmental award
City leaders receiving the awardDEARBORN — The John D. Dingell Transit Center has earned a prestigious Silver Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, officially acknowledging its environmentally-friendly building components.A presentation took place on Tuesday, Jan. 5.The Silver Certification was awarded under LEED......
More immigrants settling in Troy over Dearborn
TROY — Troy has surpassed Dearborn, becoming the city with the highest percentage of foreign-born residents, according to a recent Census report. The 2014 census data show Oakland County has the highest number of new growth compared to other Metro communities, with more than 27 percent foreign-born residents, a 5.3 percent increase...Fata whistle-blower reaches $1.7 million settlement; new allegations emerge
Fata.DETROIT — The whistle-blower who helped expose Farid Fata, the former oncologist who intentionally misdiagnosed hundreds of patients with cancer, has settled his lawsuit against the criminal for $1.7 million. The case is not over yet, however, as the Free Press reports that additional allegations are emerging against new...Snyder signs controversial bill eliminating straight-party ticket option
Snyder.LANSING — Gov. Rick Snyder signed legislation that will update election law, aligning Michigan more closely with other states by eliminating the option for voters to select a straight-party ticket on the ballot. "Michigan is one of only 10 states that allows residents to vote for just a party affiliation rather than individual...
Residents divided over Dearborn Police shooting controversy
January 8th, 20160 Hundreds rally after the death of Kevin Matthew on Michigan Ave. on Monday, January 4. PHOTO: Ryan Garza, Detroit Free Press DEARBORN — A string of protests following the death of 35-year-old Kevin Matthew, an unarmed African American man who was shot by a Dearborn police officer on December 23, has left residents......
Interracial couples face bigotry from Arab Americans
January 8th, 20160 Rahiel Housey-Johnson at her wedding DEARBORN — Arab Americans who marry outside their race face bigotry and suspicion from friends, family and community members who look upon interracial marriages with skepticism. Nada, a Dearborn resident who wished to be identified by her first name only, said her family...
Dearborn Police’s history with ethnic communities
January 8th, 20160 Ali Baydoun (C), a mentally disabled Dearborn man, filed a lawsuit against Dearborn Police in 2014 for use of excessive forceDEARBORN - The case of Kevin Matthew isn’t the first time the Dearborn Police Department has come under fire for its handling of subjects with a mental disability. Despite the majority of the Arab......
Man who recited Adhan in 50 states aims to show beauty of Islam
January 8th, 20160 Jameel Syed reciting the Adhan DEARBORN — When Jameel Syed overheard three men bashing Muslims at a coffee shop, he did not debate them about theology or the First Amendment. Instead, he bought them drinks. "We have enough lawyers, enough politicians who are bulldogs in the fight upfront," Syed, who recited the Muslim call to...
Activists, religious scholars condemn Saudi Arabia’s execution of al-Nimr
January 7th, 20160 A side of the anti-Saudi protest in Dearborn, Jan. 3DEARBORN — Arab and Muslim American religious scholars and activists condemned Saudi Arabia’s Jan. 2 execution of Shi'a cleric Nimr al-Nimr. Hundreds gathered at a demonstration in front of the Henry Ford Centennial Library in Dearborn on Sunday, chanting anti-Saudi slogans and......
