Dearborn youth feed the hungry during Ramadan by turning leftover iftar meals into acts of compassion
March 28th, 20250 DEARBORN – During the holy month of Ramadan, a volunteer initiative in Dearborn has attracted national attention after the Associated Press published a report on a local youth-led organization that collects leftover food from Arab American iftar dinners and redistributes it nightly to the homeless in nearby Detroit. According to the...
$20,000 reward offered in road rage killing of 19-year-old Rawan Baseti
March 28th, 20250 DEARBORN – A month after the tragic death of 19-year-old Rawan Baseti in a fatal shooting that followed a road rage incident, Dearborn police — alongside the crime-fighting organization Crime Stoppers — announced a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of her killer. The announcement came during a press conference...
How authorities identified a suspect in last summer’s attempted jewelry store robbery in Dearborn
March 21st, 20250 CHICAGO – A report by WDIV-TV Local 4 has revealed details surrounding the arrest of one of the two men who attempted to rob a jewelry store in Dearborn on August 7, 2024. The report states that the suspects traveled from Illinois to Michigan to carry out the crime, only to return empty-handed after being repelled by the store's...
Federal judge transfers case of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil out of Louisiana to New Jersey court in positive legal turn
March 21st, 20250 On Wednesday, in a positive development in the case of the Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, one of the leading figures in the protest movement on U.S. college campuses against the Israeli war on Gaza, a federal judge ordered the case to be transferred to a court in New Jersey from Louisiana, the hardline state chosen by the Trump...
Secretary of State’s Office shuts down second Hamtramck driving school
March 21st, 20250 HAMTRAMCK – Last week, the Secretary of State's Office ordered the closure of Conant Driving School, located at 10323 Conant Street, marking the second such shutdown of a Hamtramck driving school this month. The immediate shutdown of Conant Driving School was due to record-keeping issues and the graduation of students without...
16-year-old seriously injured in fight between Arab American teenagers in Dearborn Wednesday, two suspects arrested
March 21st, 20250 DEARBORN – A brawl between two groups of Arab American teenagers at a gas station in East Dearborn Wednesday evening resulted in one teen sustaining serious injuries. He was transported to a local hospital, where he is now recovering as his condition stabilizes. According to a statement from Dearborn Police, a group of several...
Detroit to add 679 area code in November, marking end of 313-only dialing era
March 21st, 20250 DETROIT – Starting November 7, phone service providers in the Detroit area will begin issuing phone numbers with the new 679 area code, as the historic 313 area code nears exhaustion, according to a statement issued by the Michigan Public Service Commission (MSPC) on Monday. The agency announced that the 679 code will serve the same...
Official and community iftar dinners in the Dearborn area promote Islamic values and compassion during the holy month of Ramadan
March 21st, 20250 DEARBORN, DEARBORN HEIGHTS – During the blessed month of Ramadan, numerous official and community iftar dinners took place in the Dearborn area after a period of intermittent pause in such activities in recent years due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the repercussions of the Israeli wars on Gaza and Lebanon, which heavily...
Historic Dearborn Inn reopens after extensive renovation
March 19th, 20250 DEARBORN – After more than two years of extensive restoration, a reopening ceremony was held Wednesday for the historic Dearborn Inn hotel, designed by renowned architect Albert Kahn and built nearly a century ago by automotive pioneer Henry Ford. Mayor Abdullah Hammoud, Ford Motor Company CEO Bill Ford and a group of officials from...
ACCESS is asking for volunteers for care package assembly for shelters and refugees affected by Southwest Detroit flood
March 18th, 20250 DEARBORN — ACCESS (Arab Community Center for Economical and Social Services) is asking for volunteers for a care package assembly event Saturday, March 22, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the ACCESS headquarters, 2651 Saulino Court, Dearborn, MI 48120. These care packages will be for shelters, refugees and all those affected by the...
Trump nominates Dearborn Heights Mayor Bill Bazzi to be U.S. ambassador to Tunisia
March 15th, 20250 WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a move seen as a reward for his support during Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, President Trump announced on March 11, on his Truth Social platform, the nomination of Dearborn Heights Mayor Bill Bazzi as the United States ambassador to Tunisia. The appointment requires confirmation by the U.S. Senate. Bazzi,...
Trump nominates Hamtramck Mayor Amer Ghalib to be the U.S. ambassador to Kuwait
March 15th, 20251 WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Trump has nominated Amer Ghalib, the Yemeni American mayor of Hamtramck, to be the next U.S. ambassador to Kuwait, rewarding him for his support of Trump’s successful bid to return to the White House in the November 2024 presidential election. In an announcement on his Truth Social account on Friday,...
Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud hosts Iftar dinner uniting all walks of life
March 15th, 20252 DEARBORN — Mayor Abdullah Hammoud hosted an Iftar dinner on Wednesday, March 12 at Byblos Banquet Hall, bringing together some 700 people of different backgrounds for an evening of unity to celebrate an important part of the holy month of Ramadan. Community members, appointed and elected officials, esteemed individuals and members...
Dearborn Heights Council Chairman Mo Baydoun hosts fourth annual Iftar dinner with Fire Department
March 15th, 20250 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Dearborn Heights City Council Chairman and mayoral candidate Mo Baydoun hosted the fourth annual Iftar dinner with both the Dearborn Heights Fire Department and the Dearborn Heights Police Department. Baydoun told The Arab American News that this initiative started four years ago when he challenged Battalion Chief...
Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist joins Michigan’s 2026 Democratic gubernatorial race
March 15th, 20250 DETROIT – Targeting President Trump, whom he described as a "fire starter", Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II officially launched his campaign for the 2026 gubernatorial race Tuesday, aiming to become the first Black governor of the Great Lakes State. He seeks to succeed Governor Whitmer, who is term-limited and cannot run for a third......
James Craig joins crowded race to succeed Mike Duggan as Detroit mayor
March 15th, 20250 DETROIT – Former Detroit Police Chief James Craig has entered the increasingly crowded race for mayor of Michigan's largest city, positioning himself as a Republican aligned with President Trump, despite the nonpartisan nature of the election. Craig announced his candidacy on Wednesday, March 12, at Executive Cuts, a Black-owned...
Department of State takes action against Albaraka Driving School in Hamtramck
March 14th, 20250 LANSING – The Michigan Department of State (MDOS) suspended the operations of the Albaraka Driving School after the provider was found to be in violation of the Driver Education Provider and Instructor Act (DEPIA). Al Baraka is located at 11405 Conant Street in Hamtramck. An investigation by MDOS staff found the......
“Mina’s Ramadan Adventure” – A children’s book by three Dearborn students, now available on Amazon
March 7th, 20250 DEARBORN – On the eve of Ramadan, three students from Dearborn Public Schools celebrated the signing of their children's book about a young girl attempting to fast during the holy month. The book, titled Mina's Ramadan Adventure, is now available on Amazon. The project began last year as a school assignment by two Muslim American...
Iraqi American man’s heroic intervention thwarts armed robbery attempt in Ypsilanti
March 7th, 20250 YPSILANTI – With remarkable courage and composure, an Iraqi American man successfully thwarted an armed robbery attempt at a juice store in Ypsilanti on the evening of Friday, February 28. He managed to disarm the perpetrator and pin him to the ground before allowing him to leave, leading to his later...
Dearborn Public Schools providing free take-home meals for fasting students during Ramadan
March 7th, 20250 DEARBORN — Dearborn Public Schools is offering free Iftar meals to students during the holy month of Ramadan. Ramadan, a spiritual month when Muslims fast from dawn to dusk, is widely observed by the Dearborn community, including the substantial Muslim student population within the Dearborn Public Schools. In a video posted on...
Local Arabs and Muslims celebrate Ramadan: Religious events, iftar gatherings and a Ramadan village on weekends
March 7th, 20250 Despite the suspension of the “Suhoor Festival” and other nighttime events like “Ramadan Nights” in Dearborn due to the wars in Gaza and Lebanon and the holy month coinciding with harsh winter weather, Arab and Muslim communities in the Detroit area continue to organize various religious and social activities for Ramadan. These......
Michigan Jewish delegation visits Damascus, receives warm reception and tours synagogues
March 7th, 20250 Michigan Rabbi affirms that the new Syrian government seeks to embrace all sects in Syria Rabbi Asher Lopatin, director of community relations at the Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor, described his trip to Damascus, Syria, as part of a delegation of five American Jews as welcoming and acceptance by the Syrian people. The...
Governor Whitmer delivers seventh State of the State Address: A strong Michigan and the need for sustainable road solutions
February 28th, 20250 LANSING – Governor Whitmer delivered her seventh annual State of the State address at the Capitol in Lansing, addressing key successes and challenges in Michigan. She emphasized political division, economic uncertainty and her vision for the state's development in 2024. Despite battling a cold, Whitmer outlined plans for economic......
Michigan Democrats elect former State Senator Curtis Hertel, Jr. to lead the party in 2026 elections
February 28th, 20250 DETROIT – At its annual state convention last Saturday in downtown Detroit, the Michigan Democratic Party elected former State Senator Curtis Hertel Jr. as its new chair, positioning him to lead the party into the critical 2026 elections. These elections will include races for: Governor Attorney General Secretary of...
Dearborn mayoral race: GOP-backed Almudhegi steps in, another candidate disqualified over felony record
February 28th, 20250 DEARBORN – The race for the 2025 Dearborn mayoral election is taking shape as Yemeni American activist Nagi Almudhegi becomes the first potential challenger to incumbent Mayor Abdullah Hammoud. The election will also determine the city clerk and all seven City Council seats. Although the Dearborn mayoral position is nonpartisan,......
