Emergency managers ballot denial sparks heated emotions, appeal
LANSING — A petition drive that received 40,000 more signatures than necessary in order to allow citizens to vote on whether to keep Michigan's controversial emergency managers in November was shot down on Thursday as the state's Board of State Canvassers reached a 2-2 deadlock.Despite more than 203,000 signatures in support of Public...
Hit-and-run leaves local woman in a coma
April 27th, 20120 Community searching for answers Achkar (left) is still fighting for her life at Oakwood Hospital’s intensive care unit; her friend Nancy Faraj (right) suffered bruises. DEARBORN HEIGHTS — A hit-and-run altercation that left one Dearborn Heights woman critically injured on Wednesday April 18 at an apartment complex on Garling Dr off...
Qana victims mourned at commemoration of twin massacres against Dearborn’s sister city
April 27th, 20120 Consul General of Lebanon to Detroit Houssam Diab speaks: “The only thing that will deter Israel is our perseverance in pointing out the truth about the war crimes committed and that are still being committed against our people,” Diab said. PHOTOS: Nafeh AbuNab/TAAN DEARBORN — Remembering even a single innocent murder...
Dearborn Police arrest two in donation box theft case
April 27th, 20120 DEARBORN — Dearborn Police caught the man spotted stealing an Al-Mabarrat charity donation box on camera from Al-Basha Subs of Dearborn Heights earlier this month. He was arrested at his home here last Saturday, where he confessed to stealing a total of five of the charity's donation boxes. Then Monday night the thievery...
Global Educational Excellence celebrates re-opening of two Detroit charter schools
April 27th, 20120 DETROIT — Global Educational Excellence (GEE) celebrated two grand re-openings on Tuesday for Detroit Charter schools White Academy and Edmonson Academy, bringing optimism to two schools whose futures were in limbo last year when they were about to be closed by the city as a result of students performing below the state level. GEE...H.Y.P.E. Athletics hosting grand opening events, unveilingstate-of-the-art center
The Center will have five indoor basketball/volleyball courts. Doors will open on April 29 with a ribbon cutting dinner on May 4. DEARBORN HEIGHTS — On Sunday, April 29, 2012 from noon-5 p.m. H.Y.P.E. (Helping Youth Progress & Excel) Athletics Community, a non-profit organization, will open their doors for the first time ever to...
UMass Boston Student Senate passes divestment resolution against Boeing, other companies
April 27th, 20120 Company's role in Israel's Operation Cast Lead against Gaza cited by officials BOSTON — The University of Massachusetts Boston Undergraduate Student Government unanimously passed a bill demanding that the UMass Foundation, the university’s investment fund, divest from Boeing and other companies profiting from war crimes...
Lebanese citizens urged to register for upcoming parliamentary elections
April 27th, 20120 The Embassy of Lebanon in the United States and the affiliated Consulates General in Detroit, Los Angeles and New York are calling again on the Lebanese citizens (holders of Lebanese citizenship) living in the U.S. to participate in the upcoming parliamentary elections to be held in the spring 2013 by registering at the closest...Islamic House of Wisdom hosts successful fundraising dinner
Imams, interfaith leaders and U.S. Rep. John Conyers (third from left, bottom row). DEARBORN HEIGHTS — The Semi-Annual Fundraising dinner at IHW was held Sunday, April 22 with the presence of Ayatollah Sheikh Abdul-Latif Berry, Imams, board members of local Islamic Organizations, interfaith clergy, Congressman John Conyers, Dr....New Detroit budget would slash 2,500 jobs, $250M in payroll
DETROIT — The city council will begin deliberating over a new budget proposal by Mayor Dave Bing next week that includes massive cuts to public employees, services and more.About 2,500 positions are expected to be cut in all city departments to the tune of about $250 million if it passes according to a report in the Detroit Free...
Donnell White embraces leadership role as Detroit NAACP prepares to celebrate 100 years
April 27th, 20120 DETROIT — The civil rights movement for Arab Americans is still a work in progress considering the tremendous new wave of challenges it has faced in the last ten-plus years, but activists and leaders have a blueprint to follow for getting things done in Detroit and across the nation in the NAACP. NAACP Executive Director Donnell...Hundreds attend first student dinner event at Byblos
Former Fordson principal Imad Fadlallah (C) poses with college and high school students after being awarded at the STAT dinner on April 13. PHOTO: Nafeh AbuNab/TAAN DEARBORN – The Fordson High School group Students Taking Action Today (STAT) held its first annual dinner at Byblos Banquet Hall on Friday, April 13 bringing...Dearborn Stars hold season kick-off event
DEARBORN – A season kick-off dinner for the Dearborn Stars soccer club was held on Wednesday, April 25 at Byblos Banquet Hall for the organization, which plays in the Michigan Premier Soccer League and various tournaments. The team's season will begin with the 2012 National Cup on Sunday, May 6 against Ann Arbor FC.The sponsor for...Occupy Detroit planning ‘May Day’ march, protests
DETROIT – The Occupy Detroit movement is planning a series of events for International Workers Day on Tuesday, May 1, including a march and rally from Clark Park to Grand Circus Park in the city. Many people across the U.S. will be taking off work and school that day in a general strike, a “day without the 99 percent.” The Students...City of Dearborn public budget hearing set for May 14
DEARBORN - The City Council is currently reviewing Mayor John B. O’Reilly, Jr.’s proposed Fiscal Year 2013 budget and has set 6 p.m. Monday, May 14 as the date for the public hearing. It will take place in the City Council Chambers at City Hall, 13615 Michigan Ave.The budget adoption meeting, also open to the public, is scheduled to......
‘Rejecting Islamophobia: A Community Stand Against Hate’ event to be held April 29
April 22nd, 20120 DEARBORN – In order to counter-act the “Jessica Mokdad Human Rights Conference” in Dearborn that many say is being used as a platform for anti-Muslim bigotry by conservative commentator Pamela Geller and others, an event titled “Rejecting Islamophobia: A Community Stand Against Hate” will be held on Sunday, April...
Tickets available now for Marcel Khalife performance on April 27
April 22nd, 20120 Marcel Khalife, the UNESCO World Artist for Peace, and a Middle Eastern music icon, will be in Detroit for a very special concert with Omaima El-Khalil and the Mayadin Music Ensemble sponsored by the Arab Student Union at Wayne State University. The event, titled "Fall of the Moon," will feature the work of the great......
Dearborn woman in critical condition after hit-and-run
DEARBORN - Three Dearborn women were reportedly involved in a hit-and-run that left one of them, 23-year-old Hanan Askar, critically injured on Thursday evening. Askar was taken to Oakwood hospital where she is currently in a coma. According to family members the incident occurred on Evergreen and Garling St. It is believed the...Arab Americans discuss troubling experiences at U.S.-Canada border
Dearborn resident Wissam Charafeddine knows the names of a few Customs Border Protection (CBP) officers at the U.S. Canada border because he’s been handcuffed and detained there so much. "I know the officers and their names," he said. During one trip he even directed a new CBP officer on how to take his fingerprints properly...Community meets with U.S. Assistant Attorney General over civil rights
DEARBORN – The BRIDGES program has been a major channel of communication for the Arab American, American Muslim and Chaldean communities with government and law enforcement agencies in expressing their concerns about post-9/11 challenges, but many of them have continued to linger and have even grown in complexity in recent...One year later: Workers march for lost wages, fair work conditions
LIVONIA — More than 200 supporters marched and rallied in front of the Mastronardi Produce plant here on Sunday demanding that the company negotiate fairly with workers over unpaid wages and unsafe working conditions. Workers during the protest. PHOTO: AIRThe march took place on the one-year anniversary of a class action lawsuit......
Prison issues addressed at interfaith meeting in Dearborn Heights
The interfaith meeting held at the Islamic House of Wisdom was headed by Imam Mohamed Ali Elahi.DEARBORN HEIGHTS— On Tuesday an interfaith meeting was held at the Islamic House of Wisdom in Dearborn Heights that included Imams of both Shi’a and Sunni congregations along with representatives from churches around the southeast...Former Dearborn resident claims discrimination from prison cell
Ibrahim Swedan was probably not aware that his conviction of 25 years in prison for selling and possessing drugs was going to be the beginning of his problems. Nine years after being sentenced, Swedan has reached out to The Arab American News as well as both civil rights and religious groups by writing letters from prison that claim he......
Henry Ford hospital wins national quality award
DETROIT — The city's Henry Ford Health System will receive the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, one of just four organizations in the country. Henry Ford Hospital and four others are operated in the system along with many others in southeast Michigan. The honor is given by the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program, a...ACLU Lawsuit charges illegal ICE detainment, assault of U.S. citizen
GRAND RAPIDS — The ACLU of Michigan and the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center filed a federal lawsuit Thursday on behalf of a U.S. citizen and his mother, a legal permanent resident, who were allegedly illegally handcuffed and assaulted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents last year even though they produced......