Arab Festival cancellation draws mixed reactions from past organizers
May 2nd, 20140 DEARBORN — A signature event in the city for almost two decades, last week's announcement of the cancellation of the Arab International Festival for a second consecutive year sparked a mixed community reaction. Within hours after the organizer, the American Arab Chamber of Commerce (AACC), confirmed the cancellation, previous...
Iraqi Americans turned away at the polls in Michigan
May 2nd, 20140 Iman Abbas (left) holds her son Ahmed Al Kanani.DEARBORN - Voter identification requirements prevented several members of metro Detroit’s Iraqi American community from voting in their homeland’s parliamentary elections this week. The Iraqi Parliamentary Elections were held on Wednesday, April 30, but thousands of Iraqis in...
Muslim imam convicted of sexually abusing his nieces in Detroit
May 2nd, 20140 Masroor. DETROIT — A Muslim imam was found guilty of 15 counts of criminal sexual conduct by a jury on Friday, May 2. Mohammad Masroor was convicted for sexually abusing his nieces as children, when they lived in Detroit from 2000 to 2003.He will be sentenced on May 21 and could face up to life in prison. A circuit...
Hamdan awaits trial after grand jury indictment for ties to Hizbullah
May 2nd, 20140 Hamdan (left) and his sister. DETROIT — Dearborn Heights resident Mohammad Hassan Hamdan pleaded not guilty on Friday, April 25 at the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Michigan to charges of "attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization" made by the FBI and the U.S. District Attorney's...ACC encourages patient compliance with texting software for Behavioral Health Program
LATHRUP VILLAGE —The Arab American and Chaldean Council (ACC) has been awarded a $35,000 Health Innovation Grant by the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH). The grant is to be used to develop a texting software program to benefit the ACC’s Behavioral Health Program (BHP), a comprehensive community-based, outpatient...
Dearborn Police: Crime down 15 percent in first quarter, up 26 percent in South End
May 2nd, 20140 DEARBORN — On Wednesday, April 30, the Dearborn Police Department held a Community Awareness Meeting at the Dearborn Public Schools Administration Building on the city's west side to inform residents of crime trends that typically arise in the spring and summer seasons.Hosted by Sergeant David Marshall and Corporal Dan Bartok, the...
Dearborn bodybuilder places first in showdown
May 2nd, 20140 Klait (left). DEARBORN — Arab American bodybuilder Ibrahim Klait has taken home first place in the 2014 NPC Simmons-Peckham Ultimate Showdown. The competition took place on April 26 at Rochester’s Adams High School. He competed against bodybuilders from 13 other Midwest states in the heavyweight division. Klait, better...
Disqualified EMU student government candidate alleges discrimination
May 2nd, 20140 Jaber.YPSILANTI — An Arab American candidate who was disqualified from the election of the student government presidency at Eastern Michigan University is accusing the Student Government Elections Commission of discrimination.Fatma Jaber ran a write-in campaign to challenge incumbent Desmond Miller. Students voted online on March...
FBI Director James Comey: Syria war and homegrown extremists a growing threat to national security
May 2nd, 20140 DETROIT — FBI Director James Comey said homegrown violent extremists and the emergence of Syria as a new ground for jihadi fighters make counterterrorism the top priority for the bureau throughout the country.Comey explained that the threat of terrorism has changed over the years and is not solely carried out by al-Qaeda against major...Democrats need ethnic voters to win in November
In this November's mid-term elections, the Democratic Party will be focused on winning back the governorships and legislatures in Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Democrats lost decisively in these important states in 2010, giving Republicans the opportunity to institute far-reaching changes in programs, benefits and...
Shatila Bakery expands with second location in West Bloomfield
April 25th, 20140 WEST BLOOMFIELD — Shatila Bakery has expanded with a second location that recently opened in West Bloomfield. Riad Shatila, the founder and owner of the internationally renowned Middle Eastern sweet shop passed away last year, but his wife and daughters are expanding and improving the business. The flagship store is located in...
Arab International Festival cancelled for second year in a row
April 25th, 20140 "There will be no festival this year," Beydoun told The Arab American News. "We are still in the process of working on ideas for events that would involve the community in the future."She said those events, which are still in "the planning stage," will not be in the same format as the festival.The festival had become a target for...
Lebanese high school robots team looks to continue success in U.S. competition
April 25th, 20140 DEARBORN — A fundraiser was held at the Lebanese American Heritage Club (LAHC) on Saturday, April 19 for a Lebanese High School Robots Team that has been traveling across the globe and participating in competitions.10 students who are part of Hassan Kassir High School's "Tic Tac Toe" team in Beirut, Lebanon, are here in the U.S. to...
Community commemorates Qana massacres in Dearborn
April 25th, 20140 DEARBORN — On Sunday, April 20, about 100 members of the Arab American community commemorated the 18th anniversary of the first Qana Massacre and the 8th anniversary of the second one at the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn.The event, which was organized by the Congress of Arab American Organizations and Qana Al-Jalil...
High School student club to address substance abuse at banquet
April 25th, 20140 DEARBORN — ‘Discover Islam,' a student organization out of Dearborn High School, is looking to address concerning issues among youth in the community by bringing them closer to their faith. Next week, the organization, which consists of over 50 students, will be hosting an "Empowering the Youth" event at Byblos Banquet Hall,......
Law corner: GM Class Action Suits Rolling Along
Throughout the country, there have been about 50 nationwide class action lawsuits filed against General Motors over the defective ignition switches it installed in over 2.6 million of its vehicles. More such lawsuits are filed every week. The pace of developments in the case has been quick.This week, GM filed a motion in the...
Dearborn police execute search warrant at the wrong house, ADC demands investigation
April 25th, 20140 DEARBORN — Dearborn police executed a search warrant in the wrong house last month. About 10 officers with guns and flashlights entered the home of an Arab American family, handcuffed the father, woke up his three children and interrogated the mother before allowing her to put her hijab on, said the owner of the house.The police were......
Kravat Menswear brings Euro-English fashion to Dearborn
April 25th, 20140 DEARBORN — Kravat Menswear located at 14935 W Warren Ave, Dearborn, MI 48126 has been open since 2009. Kravat offers a variety of casual and dressy Euro-English clothing for men. The store sells clothes and suits form band name companies, like French Connection and DKNY. The owner, Hassan Saleh, has been in the clothing...
Dearborn woman wins community outreach award for work with the homeless
April 25th, 20140 Ayoub.DEARBORN—On April 12, Nahid Ayoub, the founder of the charity Project Dignity, received the Community Outreach Award from the A. Philip Randolph Institute Detroit Downriver Chapter during a ceremony at the UAW Local 600 in Dearborn.Project Dignity’s work focuses on the needy and bringing attention to...
Supreme court upholds Michigan ban on affirmative action
April 25th, 20140 WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday further undermined the use of racial preferences in higher education by upholding a voter-approved Michigan law that banned the practice in university admissions.The 6-2 vote and the four opinions issued by justices in the majority revealed divisions on the court as to the legal...
The Arab American News publisher, FOX News’ O’Reilly debate over termination of NYPD Muslim surveillance program
April 25th, 20140 DETROIT — On Monday, Osama Siblani, publisher of The Arab American News, made an appearance on FOX News’ “The O’Reilly Factor” to discuss the end of the New York Police Department’s Muslim surveillance program. The show is hosted by Bill O’Reilly, a popular American television host and political commentator.......
Location of Dearborn polling station for Iraqi Parliamentary Elections changed, times extended
DEARBORN — Iraqi Americans in southeast Michigan and states across the country are gearing up to vote in Iraq’s 2014 parliamentary elections this weekend. The elections will take place April 30 in Iraq. In Michigan, Iraqis will cast their votes Sunday, April 27 and Monday, April 28 at two different polling stations.The Dearborn...
Arab American chef Denise Hazime discusses growing business, first cookbook
April 23rd, 20140 DEARBORN - It’s been eight years since Denise Hazime moved to California and turned her cooking hobby into a thriving internet-based business that now draws thousands of daily visitors to her website. On www.dedemed.com, traditional Mediterranean recipes are adjusted to her taste and given a modern-day presentation through......
Local Muslims, scholars weigh in on shaking hands with the opposite sex
April 18th, 20141 DEARBORN—Many Muslim women who wear the hijab will tell you they have experienced that awkward moment. A man will reach out his hand to greet her in a professional setting, and she will have to make an impulsive decision on whether she should reciprocate the gesture.For Muslims living in the U.S., greeting the opposite sex by shaking...
Civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson condemns attack on Steven Utash
April 18th, 20140 DETROIT—Civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson this week condemned the attacks on Steven Utash, the Clinton Township man who was severely beaten by a mob of people April 2 after he accidently hit a child with his car and stopped to help the 10-year-old. Jackson this week said the attacks were driven by "hatred,"......
