Magistrate Elhasan named to 20th District Court
Zenna Faraj ElhasanDEABORN HEIGHTS — Zenna Faraj Elhasan, a partner of the firm Allen Brothers, Attorneys & Counselors, PLLC, has been appointed Magistrate and Probation Director of the 20th District Court in Dearborn Heights. Elhasan was appointed by the court to the position and confirmed by the Dearborn Heights City...Abercrombie & Fitch found guilty of religious discrimination over hijab
TULSA, OKLA. — The popular clothing company Abercrombie & Fitch was found to have committed religious discrimination earlier this month after they refused to hire a Muslim teen who was wearing hijab (head scarf) when she interviewed at their store in the city. Samantha Elauf was turned down in June 2008 because of her scarf...Mayor Bing outlines short-term strategy for Detroit Works Project
DETROIT — Mayor Dave Bing released information about the Detroit Works neighborhood revitalization project Wednesday at the Odd Fellows Great Room here. He said a short term intervention strategy will be implemented in the next 14 days as part of the project using data and input from the community to guide decisions about where to...American Arab Chamber leads delegation of business leaders to D.C.
WASHINGTON – The American Arab Chamber of Commerce led a group of Arab American business owners to the nation's capital on Wednesday, July 27 to discuss economic development and investment opportunities in the Middle East and North Africa. The delegation was led by Executive Director Fay Beydoun and Chairman Ahmad Chebbani. The...Gov. Snyder signs tenure changes into law
LANSING — Michigan Governor Rick Snyder signed a new law making it easier for school districts to get rid of teachers in classrooms where scores are low. He has said in the past that the system was outdated in using seniority to determine which teachers should be laid off first or if they should be transferred to other...Borders officially closes, more than 10,000 to be laid off
ANN ARBOR – The bookstore chain Borders has thrown in the towel after attempting to find a buyer interested in keeping the chain in business. The Michigan-based company declared bankruptcy earlier this year.It will now sell itself to Hilco and Gordon Brothers, a company that liquidates businesses. About 10,700 people will lose their...Average household incomes in Michigan dropping
LANSING — Over the past decade, the average income for Michigan households dropped by more than $9,000 according tot he U.S. Census Bureau. In 2009, the average household income was $45,255 but the 2000 income level was $54,651 when adjusted for inflation. Only Hawaii has seen a bigger loss in income in that time. Some...Michigan’s unemployment rate continues to rise
LANSING — Michigan's unemployment rate has risen higher to 10.5% for the month of June, with a total of 8,000 more unemployed people compared to the month of May. This marks the fourth consecutive month in a row where the unemployment rate has risen.In total, 496,000 people are left unemployed and looking for jobs in the state. Job...DOJ expresses interest to help CAIR-MI probe decision on Islamic School
SOUTHFIELD – The U.S. Department of Justice has expressed interest in helping the Council on American-Islamic Relations-Michigan to investigate whether local planning officials in that state are violating the religious rights of Muslims by denying a permit to build a school on property they purchased.On June 16, the Michigan Islamic...Arab American Museum receives $150,000 grant for traveling exhibit initiative
DEARBORN – Five Michigan museums including the Arab American National Museum will receive more than a half million dollars in federal money total through the Museums for America grant program.The announcement was made by the office of U.S. Sen. Carl Levin (D-Detroit) on Tuesday. The AANM will get $150,000, the maximum amount and...ACLU’s Elmir continues the fight for civil liberties in Detroit
DETROIT — Rana Elmir began her career in the field of journalism with the hopes of telling the important stories that the media had ignored, particularly surrounding her own community. But after graduating from Wayne State University, her career took a different path than she had imagined. "I was reporting on things like...Director uses art to educate about his culture
There is no doubt that the majority of the world is unaware of who the Assyrian people are or where they come from. But Detroit director Andre Anton has dedicated his career to educating the world about his culture and the fact that Assyrians are still very much alive and active. He created Lamassu Productions to help enlighten the world...
Snyder: It’s time to embrace immigrants
July 23rd, 20110 DETROIT — Speaking at the conference, Immigration and Michigan's Economic Future, Gov. Rick Snyder said in addition to cultural diversity, immigrants bring jobs to America. "Make no mistake about it, they are job creators, and we should be embracing that," he added. New Michigan Media members pose with Governor Rick Snyder...
Community mourns Hassan Zeidan
July 23rd, 20110 Community vows not to forget Zeidan, lessons learned as mourning continues DEARBORN – Just over a week since the shooting death of 23-year-old Hassan Zeidan rocked the local Arab American community, mourners have continued to cope in their own ways while support for Zeidan's family has continued to pour out from all...Jewish activists launch campaign supporting divestment from Israel
DEARBORN — Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) held a protest on Tuesday evening in Dearborn outside of the Veolia Environmental Services plant on Schaefer Rd against TIAA-CREF, for investing in companies that profit from Israeli occupation in the West Bank. Jewish Voice for Peace protesting in Dearborn outside of the Veolia plant on Schaefer......
Dearborn kicks off “master plan” initiative, seeks resident ideas
DEARBORN – Residents have the chance to play city planner this summer as part of a new "master plan" initiative designed to create a vision for the city's future.On Tuesday, July 19, the kick-off meeting for all residents was held at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center during which about 40 residents took surveys, held...Awaited One Foundation event brings 2000 to Hemlock Park
DEARBORN — Last Sunday, July 17, members of the community came together at Hemlock Park in Dearborn, Michigan to celebrate the birthday of Imam Mahdi, who Shi'a Muslims consider to be the Awaited Savior along with Jesus.The event was attended by 2000 people according to its organizers and included a diverse range of people from......
Dearborn’s Saad makes the leap to Major League Soccer
July 23rd, 20110 KANSAS CITY – Soony Saad, the 18-year-old former University of Michigan forward from Dearborn who led the NCAA in scoring last fall with 19 goals, was acquired by Sporting Kansas City of the professional Major League Soccer organization early this month after the team won a lottery for the rights to sign him. Saad had...Dearborn Heights man receives murder charge over 2004 killing
DETROIT – Oussama Talal Othman, age 35, was arraigned on Tuesday of last week on a charge of first-degree murder over the killing of a 43-year-old woman in the city in 2004. Othman faces life in prison without parole if convicted. He is accused of killing Margaret Sheppard Webb of Dearborn according to Wayne County prosecutors....EnvisionTEC machines improve lives on a global level
EnvisionTEC CEO Al Siblani (right) is seen speaking to a associate at the company's location in Ferndale, Michigan while holding a product produced by a EnvisionTEC printer, similar to the machine both are standing in front of. The company has 13 different types of machines.A product created by a EnvisionTEC printer is pictured here....Muslim woman sues Abercrombie & Fitch over headscarf
Hani Khan took her case to the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, who then determined that the company had discriminately fired her. CALIFORNIA — Hani Khan, 20, from the San Francisco Bay Area, has filed a lawsuit against Abercrombie & Fitch after the company had fired her for refusing to remove her head scarf......
Prejudice still spewing over Farmington school sale to Islamic Cultural Association
FARMINGTON — “It was just really a shock. And it was hurtful to feel that hate. I never felt that living in this country,” Muslim American Reem Shukairy says while speaking about the controversy surrounding the sale of Eagle Elementary to the Islamic Cultural Association (ICA). The ICA made a $1.1 million offer to purchase the...
Basketball game killing shocks Dearborn Arab community
July 16th, 20110 DEARBORN – A year after an 18-year-old man was stabbed to death outside of an ice skating rink on the same date, tragedy struck the community again on Wednesday, July 13 as another young man was shot multiple times and killed. The incident happened after a pick-up basketball game near Riverside Academy West on the city's east side......
ACLU suing CIA for documents on Michigan professor, anti-war activist
DETROIT — The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Michigan filed a lawsuit on Wednesday, July 13 demanding that the federal government turn over any documents it has relating to University of Michigan Professor Juan Cole, a vocal critic of the Iraq War and the Bush administration who writes for the popular blog Informed...New study: Women drivers more accident-prone than men
ANN ARBOR – A new study from the University of Michigan of 6.5 million car crashes found that a disproportionate number of accidents happen when both drivers are women. The study showed that female-to-female accidents accounted for 20.5% percent of all crashes, a number that was higher than expected considering that most drivers......