Award-winning Arab American film ‘Amreeka’ in theaters
September 19th, 20090 A National Geographic film, "Amreeka," is a thoroughly authentic portrayal of the immigrant experience. Nisreen Faour as Muna in "Amreeka," from National Geographic Entertainment. It shows the joys and difficulties of leaving one's homeland for a new place, and makes room for both drama and comedy. Cherien Dabis, the film's...Bouchard picks Land as gubernatorial running mate
Mike Bouchard, Republican candidate for governor, this week announced his selection of Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land as his lieutenant governor running mate, citing her successful record of improving services for Michigan residents while cutting costs. Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land "Terri Lynn Land's...State civil rights office urges school district to conduct cultural training in wake of assault
The Michigan Department of Civil Rights issued a statement this week calling on the Ann Arbor school district to step up its conflict resolution and cultural competency programs following an assault lsst week in which a Muslim student was allegedly called racial and ethnic slurs. The statement from Kelvin Scott, the director of the...Dearborn, Dearborn Heights mayors hold separate Ramadan dinners
DEARBORN — In an event that coincided with an official iftar gathering at the State Department in Washington hosted by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Mayor Jack O'Reilly hosted his own dinner celebrating Ramadan at Byblos Banquet Hall Tuesday. Dearborn Mayor Jack O'Reilly addresses a crowd after iftar Tuesday at Byblos...
Ann Arbor student viciously attacked
September 12th, 20090 Council on American Islamic Relations-Michigan Executive Director Dawud Walid speaks to reporters in Ann Arbor about the alleged assault. PHOTO: Nick Meyer/TAAN ANN ARBOR — A16-year-old Arab American girl was returning from her first day of high school when she was attacked by multiple assailants Tuesday, according to...
Reflecting on 25 years of The Arab American News
September 12th, 20090 Local and national media figures comment on The Arab American News' silver anniversary: "Knowing the difficulties faced by all newspapers, especially what in my industry is called the ethnic media, it is with great appreciation that we have viewed the considerable success of The Arab American News. I do not know if readers quite...Why not sanctions on Israel?
In Israel, a country stolen from the Palestinians, fanatics control the government. One of the fanatics is the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. Last week Netanyahu called for "crippling sanctions" against Iran. The kind of blockade that Netanyahu wants qualifies as an act of war. Israel has long threatened to attack Iran on its...WITH VIDEO: First recall efforts against state Rep. Rashida Tlaib dismissed by commission
DETROIT — The Wayne County Election Commission voted unanimously Thursday to reject the language of three recall petitions filed against state Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who represents southwest Detroit. A crowd of supporters of state Rep. Rashida Tlaib cram into a small hearing room Thursday at the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center...
CIA director, community leaders to meet
September 11th, 20090 DEARBORN — Leon Panetta, director of the Central Intelligence Agency, is scheduled to meet with local Arab and Muslim community leaders during a Sept. 16 visit to Dearborn. Leon Panetta, director of the CIA The CIA has implemented a sweeping outreach and recruitment campaign in Arab American communities over the last...Prevention best deterrant to property crime wave
DEARBORN —Thieves are known for their unpredictable behavior, but what happened roughly three weeks ago on a beautiful Dearborn afternoon in mid-August was about as surprising as it gets. A woman in her mid-50s had begun walking home from a produce market with two bags of groceries near Wyoming and Warren in Dearborn when a van...Feeding the hungry during Ramadan
DETROIT — Several area mosques, with the help of the Muslim Center in Detroit and charitable group Islamic Relief, will serve and distribute hot meals, food boxes and clothing on Sept. 12 in observance of Ramadan. Free health screenings will also be provided, according to a release from the Council on American-Islamic Relations —...Judge rules in favor of airline
DETROIT — A U.S. District Judge on Sept. 3 ruled in favor of American Airlines in a lawsuit filed by five local Arab American men who claimed their ethnicity caused a flight from San Diego to Chicago to be canceled in 2007. Taher Alwatan, one of five local Arab Americans whose presence on an airplane caused a flight to be...Dearborn-based charity to host annual iftar fundraiser
DEARBORN — Thanks to the generosity of many humble, benevolent community members, thousands of orphans of war-torn Lebanon have been assured adequate housing and educational services, facilitating an opportunity to reach their full human potential. The cause is one many in the Dearborn area are intensely passionate about. Al Mabarrat...Chiropractor urges holistic approach to health
DEARBORN — Adding to what is becoming an impressive medical district in Dearborn, the new Genex Physical Therapy office just north of Michigan Avenue on Schaefer Road will open on Monday, September 14. Doctors Kallil Kazan (left) and Naim Khanafer are both seasoned chiropractors who look forward to serving Dearborn residents...
Audacity of hope falters: Settlement freeze no longer required?
September 5th, 20090 The U.S. has decided to be "flexible" regarding its once touted call for a total Israeli freeze on the expansion of its occupied territories' settlements, all illegal under international law. An Israeli soldier pushes away a foreign activist who arrived to protest the demolition of a man-made reservoir on a Palestinian farm near......
Israel threatens Lebanon and Obama
Suddenly they were all over the place, arriving not as singles but in battalions. Many, like Maryland's 5th District Rep Steny Hoyer, had been to Israel nearly a dozen times; career stalwarts once more showing fealty to Israel's brutal occupation of Palestine while lamely telling their constituents that they were on a legitimate "fact...
Support needed for Iraqi child’s surgeries
September 5th, 20090 The old military phrase "going beyond the call of duty" means different things to different people, and oftentimes, it isn't rewarded with a medal or a ribbon. Twelve-year-old Mohammed was brought to Michigan from Iraq by a U.S. military officer for reconstructive surgery. He's undergone four procedures and is in need of three......
DSO to give free concerts in Dearborn, Detroit, Oakland County
New Music Director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra Leonard Slatkin. DETROIT — The Detroit Symphony Orchestra has scheduled a series of free concerts in Dearborn, Detroit and Beverly Hills between Sept. 14 and 18. The "DSO in Your Community" performance in Dearborn is set for 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 15 in the Michael A. Guido...Creative entrepreneurship keeps businesses going
Sam Bazzi, at 24, has been a business owner for over 10 years. Sam Bazzi, L, and Mike Chammout That's right. He was 14 years old when he started his own valet service. Before he was able to drive, he was booking gigs, hiring valets and catching rides to events from his employees. Bazzi said he saw others making money...Protest against Starbucks draws bypasser support
Protestors demonstrated against apartheid outside Cobblestone Farm in Ann Arbor on Wednesday, Sept. 2 during a meeting between Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz and employees. The group believes Schultz contributes large sums of money to support occupation in Israel. Photo courtesy of Blaine Coleman The city of Ann Arbor has long...Grocery store tax incentive has potential to create jobs, boost sales
LANSING – The Michigan Departments of Agriculture (MDA) and Treasury this week released information on Public Act 231, a new tool geared to support grocery store development and give citizens better access to fresh food through tax incentives. Under Public Act 231, certain retail food establishments that expand, improve or open in......
Lebanese give to needy communities
For the past four years, the Future Movement USA's Michigan group in Dearborn has held a traditional iftar during Ramadan, and it was always a hit. But this year, in light of current economic troubles, the group decided to spend their money differently. Future Movement Michigan volunteers pack boxes full of essential food items...Eliminating the rallying cry of extremists
All Islamic groups are allied with al Qaeda, right? That has certainly been the wisdom accepted by so many in the post 9/11 years. And though I am an American Palestinian Christian, it is assumed that I am Muslim and therefore a Hamas supporter. This was made clear to me by a Detroit-area talk show host earlier this year when he......
Boycott targets ugly side of beauty industry
As the dust settled on the destroyed homes, schools and lives in the aftermath of Israel's assault on Gaza earlier this year, mainstream human rights groups from Amnesty International to Physicians for Human Rights/Israel issued reports condemning Israel's attack and alleging that the Israeli government and the Israeli Defense Forces had...Woman sues judge over hijab incident
Raneen Albaghdady, left seated, and the Council of American-Islamic Relations-Michigan have filed a federal lawsuit against Wayne County Third. PHOTO: Nick Meyer/TAAN A Muslim woman from Dearborn Heights who originally went to court for a simple name change filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday against Wayne County Circuit Judge......
