Innovative educator Nawal Hamadeh: A pillar of the Arab American community
August 26th, 20120 Nawal Hamadeh had just completed the 9th grade before emigrating to the United States from Beirut, Lebanon in October 1971.Despite arriving to a new country with limited knowledge of the language, she would grow to become a pillar in her community by creating a world-renowned charter school system in metro Detroit, making her a true...
City of Taylor under scrutiny for apartment fire, several families left dismantled
August 26th, 20120 TAYLOR — Last week a major fire at the Park Place Apartment complex in the city of Taylor located on Eureka Rd. left a total of seven families displaced and homeless after the fire was put out several hours later. The incident is the latest in a string of controversies for the city, who earlier this month had already been under...New Detroit, Inc. seeks leaders to join Multicultural Leadership Series
DETROIT — New Detroit, Inc. is currently seeking applicants for its 2012 Multicultural Leadership Series which provides participants an up-close experience to increase their cultural competency by focusing on the culture and history of six communities of color in Southeast Michigan. Sessions begin Thursday, September 20, 2012.“The...Lebanese American Club Youth feeds the hungry in Ramadan
On Friday Aug. 17 the Lebanese American Heritage Club Youth Leadership Committee (LAHC-YLC) provided several unprivileged families with free meals at the Muslim Center in Detroit during Ramadan. "During an era of budget cuts, and with people losing their source of income and becoming vulnerable to facing hunger... such programs become...Tilling the ground for the seeds of terrorism
After more than 10 years of war against al Qaeda and the accompanying global "war on terrorism," we have failed to learn that our actions create reactions. Our presence creates destabilization, then radicalization. Occupations create insurgencies. In Afghanistan, we have fueled the very insurgency we struggle to fight.Al Qaeda had...
Christian missionaries attract mixed reactions along Warren Avenue;say they’re not against Muslims
August 21st, 20120 DEARBORN-A group of five men demonstrated peacefully along Warren Avenue here today drawing mixed reactions from drivers and others who found it hard to avoid them, considering one man held up a large wooden cross featuring Christian teachings written in Arabic. The men are here from...
Dearborn Eid Festival Sunday, Aug. 26, thousands expected to attend
August 21st, 20120 DEARBORN-The annual Eid Festival is Sunday Aug. 26 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Centennial Library Soccer Field here, with no admission cost. The festival attracts thousands of people every year, and has hundreds of volunteers. It’s held in celebration of Eid al-Fitr, and is expected to include attractions such as live interactive...U.S. Census sets goals to expand on ethnic categories, including Arabs
WASHINGTON D.C — This week the U.S. Census Bureau made an announcement that they are in the process of working on expanding their ethnicity categories for the 2020 census. During the last count held in 2010, the Bureau sampled an alternative survey to a small group of people which gave them the opportunity to detail their ethnicity and...
Arab community questions Dearborn’s hiring practices
August 17th, 20120 DEARBORN — A group of local leaders consisting of businessmen, attorneys and civil rights groups under an umbrella called The Congress of Arab American Organizations of Michigan (CAAO) has come together to launch an investigation on the city of Dearborn regarding hiring practices and procedures. The investigation, which was announced...
Huge turnout for Al-Mabarrat annual iftar fundraiser
August 17th, 20120 Group launches its Islamic school project in Dearborn Thousands gathered at the H.Y.P.E Recreation Center in Dearborn Heights Aug. 11 for Al-Mabarrat’s 26th annual fundraising dinner. Guests made generous donations to support a new Islamic school in Dearborn anticipated to open in 2013. DEARBORN HEIGHTS — During its 26th annual...
Plans for Muslim Center in West Bloomfield face stiff resistance from residents
August 17th, 20120 WEST BLOOMFIELD — Hundreds packed the West Bloomfield Township Hall for a joint meeting Tuesday held by the city's planning commission and wetland review board to hear whether the Islamic Cultural Association's (ICA) request to construct a storm water managment system with a direct discharge to the Franklin Branch of the Rouge River,...Dearborn Police warns residents to be more cautious at traffic lights
DEARBORN —This month the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments released information regarding traffic accidents related to the running of red lights, and Dearborn ranked fifth on the list. According to the council, between 2009-2011, 114 drivers in Dearborn were involved in accidents relating to someone crossing a red...Wayne County treasurer’s auctions assist distressed taxpayers in avoiding foreclosure
DETROIT — “In our July auction we were able to sell nearly 1,000 properties. Prior to that auction we sold approximately 600 properties to occupants. These transactions help to stabilize our communities and provide housing for our citizens,” announced Wayne County Treasurer Raymond J. Wojtowicz. The Treasurer is...Detroit Public Serious awarded $250,000 for new series called, “Arab American Stories-A National Dialogue”
DETROIT — The W.K. Kellogg Foundation has awarded Detroit Public TV with a $250,000 grant that will be used to help dismantle negative stereotypes and misconceptions surrounding Arab Americans. The announcement was made last week.The grant was given to the station in order for it expand on its 13 part series, “Arab-American...Study: Star Academy ranked in Michigan’s highest tier; Universal Academy also scores highly
In a July 2012 published study by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, over 684 Michigan high schools were examined and ranked according to their average academic performance on two key standardized tests, the ACT and Michigan Merit Examination. Among all schools, Star International Academy was honored with the highest rank and......
Upcoming St. Sharbel Church Festival to benefit child abuse victims
WARREN — A three-day festival will offer a rich sampling of Lebanese traditions including authentic Lebanese food made from the finest Michigan produce and ingredients. The festival features entertainment by popular American and Lebanese performers and disc jockeys providing an energetic venue for music and dance. Visitors...Western Union Ramadan 2012 campaign supports United Nations World Food Program
Consumers can play online game ‘Light the Lantern’ to help give up to 240,000 meals to children in needENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU), a leader in global payments, recently announced its support of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) as part of the company’s Ramadan 2012 Campaign. The Campaign......
Detroit Public Schools celebrates diversity during 1st Annual Taste of DPS Multicultural Expo
DETROIT — Students, parents and residents from across the district are invited to attend the first annual “Taste of DPS” Multicultural Expo where attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the various cultures of DPS students including Middle Eastern, Bangladeshi, Hmong, African, African-American and Hispanic.The expo will...
Local Pastor: Church Vandalized in an Intentional and Hateful Manner
August 13th, 20120 DEARBORN-Windows outside the front of Mother of the Savior Church here were recently broken. The church’s pastor Father Rani Abdulmasih condemned the incident saying the church was vandalized in an intentional and hateful manner. “As a Christian Arab and Middle Eastern congregation we...Conservative hawks push for deeper Syrian role
Invalid reasons for getting more deeply involved in the Syrian civil war continue to be heard. One of the latest is in a front-page article in the Washington Post, which declares that America “increasingly is being viewed with suspicion and resentment for its failure to offer little more than verbal encouragement to the...
Medrar iftar raises over $100,000 for deprived Ethiopians
August 10th, 20120 NAACP President Rev. Anthony serves as keynote speaker, urges aid to Africa Keynote speaker Rev. Dr. Wendell Anthony addressing guests at Medrar iftar last week on Saturday at the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn. PHOTO: Nafeh AbuNabDEARBORN — This past Saturday the Medrar Foundation raised over $100,000 during its first......
Local mosque fights Islamophobia with interfaith dialogue during Ramadan
DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Last Saturday the Islamic House of Wisdom (IHW) in Dearborn Heights hosted an Interfaith Iftar Dinner that brought out a variety of guests including the mayor of Dearborn Heights, civil rights groups, local church leaders and congregation members, as well as imams from local mosques who joined in solidarity to...Local man allegedly harrassed in Detroit neighborhood for being Arab American
Now Shoaib is facing what appears to be ethnic intimidation again. He says he is harassed by his neighbors everyday with profanity and racial slurs, but matters became too difficult to ignore recently when the vehicle parked outside his home was vandalized. In November 2006 Egyptian American Shafik Shoaib was physically attacked in his......
Three certified ESL teachers hired to work in Crestwood School District
According to sources, three new certified ESL teachers who speak Arabic fluently were hired to work in the Crestwood School District and assist bilingual students. The changes reported by members of the community take place after the U.S. Department of Justice launched an investigation into the district seeking evidence of reports...Dearborn Heights residents complain of multiple power outages during iftar hours
DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Residents in Dearborn Heights have been complaining of random power outages occurring in the last ten days in the neighborhood between Gulley Rd. and Beech Daily, south of Ford Rd. Muslim households have found the outages to be an inconvenience during the month of Ramadan. The first of the series of power......
