AAPAC endorses local candidates
July 26th, 20080 DEARBORN — The Arab American Political Action Committee voted on Tuesday to make endorsements for the upcoming August 5 primary elections. The group's endorsement committee held interviews on July 12 and 15 with candidates for various local offices who had submitted written requests for AAPAC's support. After the committee reported...Candidate for treasurer touts change
July 26th, 20080 Wayne County Commissioner and candidate for county Treasurer Phil Cavanagh For the incumbent Wayne County Prosecutor, Sheriff, Clerk and Register of Deeds, there's little comptetion this election. But the primary race for county Treasurer is heated, as residents sweat over record numbers of property foreclosures and scary...LebFest promises good times for all
July 26th, 20080 BIRMINGHAM — The second annual Lebfest will descend upon Birmingham, Michigan for a two-day celebration of Lebanese culture. Running from noon-10 p.m. on Friday, August 1 and 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday, August 2, the festival is expecting big things with its impressive lineup of attractions. Both food and entertainment will be...Obama opens local campaign office
July 26th, 20080 DETROIT — Barack Obama's presidential campaign held its grand opening of their Michigan Headquarters on Wednesday at the offices of the The Detroit Federation of Teachers, 2875 West Grand Boulevard. Hundreds of supporters gathered to sign up as volunteers as elected officials expressed their support as campaign workers distributed...Hamtramck activist running for state post
July 26th, 20080 Abdul Algazali A Yemeni American Hamtramck City Councilman, who has worked on several issues in that city making national headlines, is running for state congress. Abdul Algazali hopes to represent residents of Hamtramck, Highland Park and parts of Detroit, which make up the 5th district, in Michigan's state House of...New Detroit receives grant to improve multicultural leadership
Southfield — Comcast, as part of its ongoing community service and outreach efforts, has announced its donation of a New Detroit, Inc. grant in the amount of $15,000 from The Comcast Foundation. The grant supports the Multicultural Leadership Series, which highlights the histories, cultures and socioeconomic issues of communities of...Ford employees get help to complete their degrees
Southfield — Lawrence Technological University is waiving fees and offering new payment schedules to Ford employees who no longer receive educational assistance from the company. This spring Ford Motor Company notified employees that it is suspending the tuition assistance program and the salaried dependent scholarship program –...Book looks at jihad and modernity
Noorani's book hits many of the commonly-made points. The extremism among some Muslims as a consequence of the creation of Israel and the ongoing depredations of Israel against the Palestinians. The primacy of the greater jihad over the lesser. The scriptural limitations on the lesser jihad (war), limitations which relate...Arab and Chaldean festival celebrates 37th year
July 26th, 20080 DETROIT — While rain on Saturday caused the attendance to drop a little bit, the spirit of the 2008 Arab and Chaldean Festival was not compromised at Hart Plaza in downtown Detroit this past Saturday and Sunday. From food to the gallery of art and artifacts to concerts and other performances, crowds of many different nationalities...$10 million suit against McDonald’s
July 26th, 20080 DEARBORN — Two Muslim women from Detroit are jointly suing fast-food giant McDonald's for $10 million for alleged acts of discrimination against them in the hiring process involving their rights to wear a hijab at work. The suit, filed on their behalf by Dearborn lawyer and chairman of the Michigan Advisory Board for the...Al-Arian’s win at bond hearing moves him closer to end
July 26th, 20080 Professor Dr. Sami Al-Arian has spent more than five years in prison as the government pursued and lost a case against him. They claim he supported terrorism but could not convict him during a lengthy trial. A later plea agreement gave the government an admission of Al-Arian's guilt on one charge, in exchange for his...Wojtowicz seeks ninth term, touts experience
July 18th, 20080 Wayne County Treasurer Raymond WojtowiczIn his eighth term and fighting for a ninth, Wayne County Treasurer Raymond Wojtowicz is touting his 32 years of experience on the job as the Aug. 5 Democratic primary approaches. The 79 year-old former mayor of Hamtramck spoke with The Arab American News this week about his...New profiling guidelines may cause concern
July 18th, 20080 DEARBORN — With the prospect of the U.S. Department of Justice passing new guidelines for targeting suspects based partly on ethnicity looming, Arab community leaders are concerned about the possibility of unfair treatment. The possible guidelines would allegedly give the FBI the ability to "investigate Americans without any...Local picnic hosted by Muslim students served up unity and cooperation
July 18th, 20080 DEARBORN — On Saturday, July 12, three student organizations hosted a picnic to demonstrate Muslim unity and cooperation. Hosted by the Thaqalayn Muslim Association of the University of Michigan - Dearborn, the Muslim Student Association of University of Michigan - Dearborn and the Muslim Student Association of Wayne State...Greenfield Manor offers lap of luxury
July 18th, 20080 DEARBORN — When it comes to different kinds of weddings at Greenfield Manor, Nina Bazzy has seen them all. Bazzy, the director of operations for the banquet hall on Greenfield Road in Dearborn, helps plan a different one for just about every day of the week. "We see so many different types of weddings here," said Bazzy. "I think......
AAPAC conducts interviews for primary election, will issue endorsements July 22
July 18th, 20080 Abdul Algazali (R), a Hamtramck city councilman and candidate for state congress, being interviewed by endorsement committee members of the Arab American Political Action Committee Nabih Ayad, Samir Olabi, Abed Hammoud (Inset, R), Don Unis and Hoda Berry on Tuesday. The committee interviewed several local political candidates and...Arab and Chaldean festival this weekend at Hart Plaza
July 18th, 20080 One of the largest Arab and Chaldean American cultural event in North America will celebrate its 37th year at Hart Plaza in downtown Detroit on Saturday and Sunday. Featuring a variety of Arab and Chaldean foods, an ethnic cultural gallery, an entertainment program featuring well-known dancers and singers, and a children's fair on......
DeBakey dead at 99
July 18th, 20080 Dr. Michael DeBakey, a pioneering heart surgeon acknowledged as the father of modern cardiovascular surgery, died at age 99 on July 11 of natural causes at The Methodist Hospital in Houston. DeBakey performed more than 60,000 heart surgeries and authored more than 1,000 medical reports, papers, chapters and books on medicine and...Flawed argument on Muslim condition
In this book, Razack argues that Muslims are being "evicted" from Western law and politics. We are given the myth, she says, of the dangerous Muslim man, the imperiled Muslim woman, and the civilized European. The myth includes the idea that the Muslim is benighted and pre-civilized and the European enlightened and...Serious allegations against local judge
July 18th, 20080 DEARBORN – 19th District Court Judge Richard Wygonik has come under fire for allegedly making several disparaging comments about Arab Americans during a conversation with Dearborn Heights Councilman Tom Berry on July 10. 19th District Court Judge Richard Wygonik Berry circulated details of the conversation in an email and...Palestinian village sues Canadian builders
The West Bank Palestinian village of Bili'n has filed suit in Quebec Superior Court for $2 million against two Montreal firms, Green Park International and Green Mount International, for building and selling homes on Bili'n land which was seized and joined to an Israeli settlement. Lawyers for Bili'n claim that the activities of......
July 11th, 20080 DEARBORN Homecoming is near, time for Dearborn families, relatives and neighbors to come together and enjoy an annual hometown tradition. The 29th annual Homecoming will take place at the Ford Field Park in Dearborn on the weekend of August 1-3. A majority of the activities take place from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. Headlining...
City Councilman George Darany named 2008 Outstanding Rotarian of the Year
July 11th, 20080 DEARBORN — City Councilman and Dearborn Rotarian George Darany was recently presented with Dearborn Rotary Club's "2008 Outstanding Rotarian of the Year" award in recognition of his nearly 30 years of community service. Presenting the award at a recent Rotary meeting was Bob Ziolkowski, the Club's 2008-2009 president-elect, who......
Ottawa man’s family farm bulldozed by Israelis
Monzer Zimmo is an Ottawa Muslim who is deeply involved in interfaith activities. The following is an e-mail from him which has just been forwarded to me, though it was written in April. He explained that the destruction of farms in that area took place after a clash between Palestinian fighters and Israeli...Holy Land lost
The very words "The Holy Land" evoke powerful images. But the pictures that come to mind are rapidly disappearing from the landscape. The occupation of the West Bank, once a military and political reality that dominated the lives of Palestinians, has become concretized: with massive housing projects connected by ribbons of......