Arab American police officer sues Melvindale Police Department for alleged discrimination
June 6th, 20250 An officer with the Melvindale Police Department is suing the department and the city, claiming that he was harassed and discriminated against because he is Muslim. Marko Law, which filed the lawsuit on behalf of Corporal Hassan Hammoud, alleged the officer was targeted for reporting misconduct, creating a hostile work...
Hamtramck showdown: City manager sues Council with 256 allegations amid explosive claims of corruption against police chief
June 6th, 20250 HAMTRAMCK – Following his placement on temporary administrative leave by unanimous vote of the Hamtramck City Council on May 27, City Manager Max Garbarino fulfilled his earlier warning by filing a lawsuit on Monday against Hamtramck and its City Council. The lawsuit, submitted to Wayne County Circuit Court, includes 256 allegations of...
Pork on pizza, slurs at pickup: Domino’s in Waterford accused of Islamophobia
June 6th, 20250 WATERFORD — The Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Michigan) has filed a civil rights complaint with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, accusing a Domino’s Pizza outlet in Waterford of violating the constitutional rights of two Muslim women and their children following an alleged incident of...
Arab American Civil Rights League celebrates its founding and confronts today’s challenges: “We remain committed to achieving justice”
June 6th, 20250 DEARBORN – Under the theme “Fight for Justice” the Arab-American Civil Rights League (ACRL) held its 13th Annual Gala at the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center in Dearborn, drawing a large crowd that included public officials, civil rights activists and representatives from numerous communities across Metro Detroit,...
Dearborn man pleads guilty in federal gun charge after threatening Jewish temple visitors in Detroit area
May 30th, 20250 DETROIT – A Dearborn man has pleaded guilty to a federal firearms charge that could carry a prison sentence of up to 15 years, more than two years after he threatened to kill visitors at a Jewish temple in Oakland County and attempted to illegally purchase firearms. Hassan Chokr, 37, admitted on Tuesday to possessing a firearm...
City Manager Garbarino suspended as Hamtramck crisis deepens
May 30th, 20250 In a dramatic escalation of the political and administrative crisis gripping Hamtramck, the City Council unanimously voted on Tuesday to place City Manager Max Garbarino on paid administrative leave. The decision came just days after his controversial move to place Police Chief Jamil Altaheri on temporary leave following allegations of...
Livonia proposes $150 million bond on August 5 ballot to fund new police HQ, library and fire station upgrades
May 30th, 20252 Livonia – The City Council has unanimously approved a ballot proposal for the August 5 election that would allow residents to vote on a $150 million tax initiative aimed at funding major construction and revitalization projects across the city. The proposal includes building a new police headquarters, a modern public library and...
A group at WSU is using barbershops to educate Arab American men about colon cancer
May 29th, 20250 DETROIT — Volunteers at Wayne State University are working to inform Arab American men about colon cancer and how to get properly screened for it, specifically targeting those aged 45 and older through a program called Trimming the Risks. As medical research in the MENA (Middle Eastern North African) category is incomplete, this...
Michigan lawmaker pushes a bill to ban artificial dyes, additives in school food
May 29th, 20251 A Michigan state representative has introduced a bill to ban several ingredients and synthetic food dyes from school foods starting next summer. The list includes four ingredients: brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, propylparaben and titanium dioxide; and five dyes: Red 40, Green 3, Blue 1, Blue 2 and Yellow 6. Supporters...
This is how Sterling Heights aims to redefine the city’s commercial landscape
May 28th, 20250 STERLING HEIGHTS – As part of its efforts to revitalize business developments across the city, the Sterling Heights City Council is expected to approve a new ordinance that would broaden the types of businesses permitted to operate within more than 20 commercial plazas and strip malls located at nine key intersections throughout the...
Syrians in Metro Detroit celebrate end of U.S. sanctions, hail dawn of a “New Syria”
May 23rd, 20250 DEARBORN – Syrians in the Detroit area gathered Sunday in front of the Henry Ford Centennial Library in Dearborn to celebrate the lifting of U.S. sanctions on Syria. They expressed their gratitude to world leaders who contributed to giving the country a new opportunity to recover from the effects of the devastating war — foremost...
Dearborn approves Fūsus surveillance system to fight crime amid fears of targeting activists and immigrants
May 23rd, 20250 DEARBORN – In an effort to enhance public safety and combat crime, the Dearborn City Council approved a $720,000 five-year contract last month with Axon to implement the Fūsus real-time surveillance system. The program will allow police to access emergency calls and live camera feeds from participating businesses and residents — a...
Hamtramck turmoil: Police chief placed on leave amid explosive misconduct allegations as city manager warns against political retaliation
May 23rd, 20252 Hamtramck City Manager Max Garbarino’s decision to place Police Chief Jamiel Altaheri on temporary administrative leave pending investigations into serious misconduct allegations has sparked a wave of controversy across social media. Supporters of Altaheri, who is of Yemeni descent, denounced the move as retaliatory and unprofessional....
Dearborn invests in East and South sides with housing, businesses grants, and infrastructure projects
May 23rd, 20250 By Mohammed Rezq The City of Dearborn hosted its first public meeting on May 8, 2025, for the groundbreaking W. Warren Transformation Project. This initiative was made possible through Mayor Abdullah Hammoud's successful effort in securing a $24.8 million "Safe Streets for All" grant, along with the vital support of Representative...
Dearborn Heights announces detail for its annual summer fest
May 21st, 20250 DEARBORN HEIGHTS – The city of Dearborn Height Parks and Recreation Department has announced the details for its annual Summer Fest, which will take place June 4-8 on the grounds of the city’s (Beech Daly Road) Canfield Community Center. Hosted by the Parks and Recreation Department and sponsored by Antonio’s Cucina Italiano......
Dearborn Board of Education unanimously appoints Dr. Lori Gonko as interim president of Henry Ford College
May 16th, 20250 DEARBORN – On Tuesday, the Dearborn Board of Education announced the unanimous appointment of Dr. Lori Gonko as interim president of Henry Ford College. Gonko, who is currently vice president of strategy and human resources at HFC, succeeds outgoing President Russell Kavalhuna, who will leave his position in early July to become...
We Shall Read partnering with Dearborn Public Library to offer bilingual reading workshops for parents
May 16th, 20250 DEARBORN - We Shall Read, a non-profit organization aimed at improving children's literacy, is partnering with the Dearborn Public Library to offer a series of free workshops for parents, in both English and Arabic. We Shall Read uses a program called Brain Friendly Reading that equips teachers, tutors and parents with instructional......
Whitmer warns proposed Medicaid cuts would strip coverage from 700,000 Michiganders
May 16th, 20250 LANSING — On Monday Governor Whitmer released findings from a Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) report outlining the severe consequences federal proposals to slash Medicaid would have on Michigan. The report warns that the proposed cuts could strip health care coverage from more than 700,000 residents, place...
Leadership in action: The West Warren Avenue Transformation Project
May 16th, 20250 By Adel AlAdlani Donald McGannon once said that "leadership is an action, not a position." This speaks to the idea that true leadership is not defined by words alone but by decisive, inclusive and transformative efforts. A leader’s worth is measured by their ability to turn vision into reality, to engage communities and to address...
Joe Tate joins crowded Democratic race for the open U.S. senate seat in Michigan
May 16th, 20250 DETROIT – State Rep. Joe Tate (D- Detroit), the former Michigan House speaker, has entered the race for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat, becoming the fourth Democratic candidate seeking the party’s nomination in the August 2026 primary elections. He aims to succeed Democratic Senator Gary Peters, who has announced he will not seek...
Melvindale man faces terror charges over planned attack on Warren military facility
May 16th, 20252 An Arab American man from Melvindale is facing federal charges for attempting to carry out an armed attack on behalf of the terrorist organization ISIS against a military base in Warren on Tuesday. The arrest followed an undercover sting operation by two FBI agents that lasted nearly a year. The U.S. Department of Justice announced......
Hamtramck City Council rejects ouster of members facing residency probe; Michigan State Police launches investigation
May 15th, 20250 HAMTRAMCK — The City Council has rejected two proposals to remove Council members Muhith Mahmood and Abu Musa, who are respectively running in this year's mayoral and City Council elections, following the recent launch of a Michigan State Police investigation into allegations against them for violating residency requirements for local...
Dearborn is set to hold its second annual Bet on Dearborn Expo
May 9th, 20250 DEARBORN — The Bet on Dearborn Expo is making its way to Dearborn for the second time. Formerly known as the Dearborn Entrepreneur Expo, the event is planned for Wednesday, May 14, from 4-8 p.m. at the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center. Connecting new entrepreneurs with business experts, workshops, programming, and......
Nessel drops charges against pro-Palestinian students at the University of Michigan amid pressure, bias allegations
May 9th, 20250 ANN ARBOR – After sustained pressure from civil rights and advocacy groups, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced the dismissal of charges against seven pro-Palestinian student protesters who were arrested in May 2024 during a campus encampment at the University of Michigan. The protest condemned what demonstrators described...
Prominent Arab American attorney Abdeen Jabara donates an endowment of $100k to U of M-Dearborn
May 9th, 20251 Prominent Arab American civil rights attorney Abdeen Jabara, 85, has donated an endowment of $100,000 to the University of Michigan-Dearborn's Center for Arab American Studies. This donation will enhance student-led research, internships and coursework at the center as well as at the Arab American National Museum. The endowment will......
