Local 22-year-old dies in bedroom,family and friends mourn
DEARBORN — This week Dearborn's community mourns the death of a young Arab American man who was found dead in his bedroom on the morning of March 1. Twenty-two-year-old Tarek Hakkani, who was known to have a sleep apnea disorder, had died in his bedroom several hours before his body was discovered by his mother near his bed side. Tarek...Dearborn woman claims she was fired from Arab owned restaurant because of headscarf
WYANDOTTE — Dearborn resident Summer Shahab is suing her former place of employment, Middle Eastern cuisine restaurant Shish Gardens, located in Wyandotte, for allegedly firing her after she showed up to work one day wearing a headscarf. The owners of the restaurant are of Arab descent, according Shahab and her lawyer Amir I. Makled,...
Dearborn to amend ordinance on “garage living rooms” due to safety issues
March 8th, 20130 DEARBORN — The city will soon be amending an ordinance regarding a current trend that many Arab American residents have been following: using their garage as a family room, sitting area, or bedroom, which the city cites as a zoning violation.While the practice might have been occurring for a while longer, the city began cracking down...
Ficano: county’s administration operates with high ethical standards
March 8th, 20130 DETROIT — Despite the FBI’s investigation into Wayne County that was launched in 2011, and intensified last year, County Executive Robert Ficano called 2012 a year of change and progress during his State of the County Address Monday at the Guardian Building here. A controversial $200,000 severance payment triggered the...Hundreds attend fundraiser for city council candidate’s campaign
Attorney Tarek Baydoun.DEARBORN-Hundreds of people including elected officials, activists, family, friends and community leaders packed the Bint Jebail Cultural Center here Thursday night for a campaign kickoff and fundraising dinner held by Dearborn City Council candidate Tarek Baydoun. Baydoun discussed the upcoming city council...Comcast’s Internet Essentials Program connects more than 150,000 low-income families — or 600,000 Americans to the Internet
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Comcast Executive Vice President David L. Cohen today announced details about the 2nd Annual Internet Essentials Progress Report, which features key milestones for the program as well as a number of program enhancements and a new award designed to honor top-performing school districts. Internet Essentials...Budget cuts force Detroit Police Department to eliminate gang squads
DETROIT — Budget cuts are forcing the Detroit Police Department to eliminate its gang and tactical squads, and placing them into routine patrol work in an effort to cut costs and put more law enforcement officials on the street. Reverend Jerome Warfield, the chair of the DPD Board of Commissioners said the plan was poorly...New free program at DIA for people with memory loss
DETROIT — The Alzheimer's Association-Greater Michigan Chapter in partnership with the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) is pleased to announce a new program at the DIA called Minds on Art (MoA) that will launch early April. The new MoA program allows people to be creative and productive. It brings people living with dementia and...
NAAMA launches volunteer medical mission to Jordan
March 8th, 20130 The National Arab American Medical Association is launching a volunteer medical mission to Jordan to provide medical assistance to displaced Syrian refugees. The mission is being led by NAAMA member and chair of the group’s Syria Liaison Committee, Dr. Humam Akbik, volunteers will be in Jordan from March 22 through March 28, to...Junior wins first place in high school state finals
AURBURN HILLS — Malik Amine, who’s Lebanese, and a junior at Detroit Catholic Central High School won first place in the Michigan High School State Championships which were held at the Palace of Auburn Hills here recently. In addition to the wrestler’s impressive performance in sports, Amine has managed to maintain...McLaren Cancer Institute offers free cancer screening kits during March
FLINT — During March, Michigan residents could get free at home screening tests for the nation’s third-most diagnosed cancer from McLaren Cancer Institute during National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Last year, more than 5,400 people took advantage of McLaren’s free colorectal cancer screening program. The kits are suggested...$6.4M raised by business group for Detroit lighting
DETROIT — According to a report, the Southwest Detroit Business Association has stepped in with $6.4 million to help restore working street lights along a 2.3 mile thoroughfare on the city’s southwest side. The Association started the effort five years ago after learning Detroit officials weren’t planning for the street light work...Facts about emergency manager laws in Michigan
There are several misconceptions about emergency manager laws in Michigan. Here are a few facts about the laws that have been around for years, and implemented in various cities around the state that are in financial crisis. The following information was obtained from Gov. Rick Snyder’s site: • Emergency manager laws have...Community leaders, elected officials plan to fight Detroit EM
DETROIT — Community leaders and a group of legislators representing Detroit in Lansing plan on fighting the city’s proposed appointment of an emergency manager. They say the appointment of an emergency manager is a violation of people’s rights, and unconstitutional. One of the actions they plan on taking is writing a letter...Ficano appoints Dr. Curtis Ivery and Mark Gaffney to Regional Transit Authority
DETROIT— Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano announced the appointment of Dr Curtis Ivery and Mark Gaffney to the Regional Transit Authority (RTA). Ivery, of Detroit, currently serves as Chancellor of the Wayne County Community College District. As Chief Executive Officer, he directs five campuses, which serve more than 72,000......
Film offering positive portrayal of Arabs and Islam premiers in Dearborn
DEARBORN — The film ‘Day of the Falcon’ is set to premiere at the AMC Fairlane Theater here on Mar. 1. The film stars Antonio Banderas, Freida Pinto, Mark Strong and Tahar Rahim and is directed by award-winning director Jean-Jacques Annaud. Day of the Falcon is an epic adventure film with global appeal that offers a positive...Graduation rates rise, dropouts decrease at Dearborn-Dearborn Heights high schools
DEARBORN/DEARBORN HTS. — Recent figures released by the Michigan Center for Educational Performance and Information shows that Dearborn Public Schools has improved its graduation rate and trimmed its dropout rate in 2012 at all three of their public high schools-Fordson, Edsel Ford and Dearborn High. Dearborn and Fordson high......
Snyder appoints David Viviano to Michigan Supreme Court
LANSING — Gov. Rick Snyder today announced the appointment of Judge David Viviano of Sterling Heights to the Michigan Supreme Court.Viviano is chief judge of the 16th Circuit and Macomb County Probate courts. He fills a vacancy created by the resignation of former Supreme Court Justice Diane Hathaway. "Judge Viviano has a...Dearborn City Council candidate to hold campaign kickoff and fundraiser dinner
DEARBORN — On Thursday, Mar. 7 Dearborn City Council candidate and attorney Tarek Baydoun will hold a campaign kickoff and fundraiser dinner at the Bint Jebail Cultural Center from 7 - 9 p.m. here where he will discuss the upcoming city council race, listen to residents, and get a head start on fundraising goals for his...AMECC issues statement regarding resignation of Pope Benedict XVI
Ramsey DassOAK PARK — Dr. Ramsey Dass, the president of the American Middle East Christians Conference issued the following statement regarding the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI: “There are those who have underestimated the influence, charisma, and intellectuality of the retiring Pope Benedict XVI. His contribution to the...Inside the 19th District Court with Judge Sam Salamey
DEARBORN — It's been almost two full months since Chief Judge Sam Salamey began his term at the 19th District Court. On Tuesday, Feb. 26, The Arab American News chronicled Dearborn's first Arab American judge and his day-to-day duties at the courthouse.A typical day for Salamey begins at 8 a.m., when he comes in to prepare for his......
Arab youth make an impact at Michigan Democratic convention
DETROIT — Several Arab Americans attended the Michigan Democratic Party (MDP) convention Feb.23, but it was the youth who made the Arab community more visible to the more than 3,600 delegates there. About 35 members of the Arab Student Union (ASU) from the University of Michigan Dearborn and Fordson High School (FHS) engaged...Twenty-five students awarded scholarships at ADC’s 14th Annual MLK reception
DEARBORN — The legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. shined through this past Friday at Byblos Banquet Hall when the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee of Michigan (ADC-MI) hosted their 14th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Awards Reception, co-hosted by American Citizens for Justice (ACJ).For 14 years now, the ADC has......
Arabs in the media: National journalists briefed at AANM
(L-R): Rana Elmir, Osama Siblani, Imam Al-Qazwini and Robert Foley. PHOTOS: Laura FawazDEARBORN-Nearly 20 journalists from around the world who're part of the prestigious Knight Wallace journalism fellows program visited the Arab American National Museum (AANM) Tuesday where a panel discussion on reporting about Arabs living in and...Mayor O’Reilly discusses crime prevention, budgeting, and Dearborn’s future at annual address
DEARBORN — On Wednesday evening Mayor Jack O'Reilly held his 2013 State of the City Address at city hall, where he discussed the city's recent developments and upcoming projects. Dignitaries and officials at the event included Dearborn Police Chief Ron Haddad, 19th District Court Judge Sam Salamey, Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano,......