Dearborn Arabs should invest in the city’s bright future
May 13th, 20160 Dearborn's future has never looked brighter. Ford Motor Company will be pouring $1.2 billion in investments into the city over the next decade. The new Ford campus will have positive ripple effects in Dearborn's economy that will trickle down to all residents and small business owners. Arab Americans, who have played a vibrant role in...Congratulations to Dearborn Heights on the “yes” vote
Community activists celebrating the voteFewer than 90 votes made the difference between modern facilities and the decaying infrastructure at Crestwood Schools. Dearborn Heights voters passed a $35 million millage for the school on Tuesday, with the Arab community playing a leading role in its success.Crestwood Schools are in dire need...
Answers needed from the Dearborn Police Department
April 29th, 20160 Police recruits with city officials - Photo: City of DearbornAs journalists, our responsibility is not to fix the government, but to point out the areas that need repairs. We can't patch the potholes in the streets. However, we can raise concerns about decaying roads.When we point to an issue and those in charge ignore it, the voices we...Washington and Riyadh: Time to divorce
Obama with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir in Riyadh, April 21There is a place where the rulers execute people by beheading publicly, silence dissent with deadly force, oppress woman, promote sectarianism and apply extremist interpretations of Islamic teachings in schools. We are not talking about the ISIS-ruled regions in Iraq in...
Vote Yes: Crestwood Schools bond is a worthy investment
April 22nd, 20160 Arab Americans have expanded their presence in Dearborn Heights over the past two decades, they have also enriched the city's culture and revived its economy. The city is another anchor for the community in Michigan. Dearborn Heights' wellbeing matters to Arab Americans. The deteriorating state of the Crestwood School District's...
Thank you, Bernie
April 15th, 20160 Sanders during the debate in New YorkWhen The Arab American News endorsed Bernie Sanders, we wrote, "Arab Americans need to stand for principles. In Sanders, we have a principled politician who is showing strength and courage in his campaign."On Thursday night, Sanders once again demonstrated a rare attribute in politicians — ethical...A message to our community: Condolences and commitments
My sincere condolences to the family and friends of Jamal Dabaja, the young man we lost on April 7. My deepest sympathy goes to his parents, siblings and friends. It is personally painful to me when our community members die prematurely to preventable issues— gun violence, drug abuse, depression, suicide or...Michigan Democratic superdelegates should back Sanders
Bernie Sanders Michigan victory last month was historic. Pollsters wrote him off by 20 points. And virtually every establishment Democrat in the state backed Hillary Clinton, including all of the Michigan's Democratic representatives in Washington — two senators and five representatives. While the voters rendered public opinion...AIPAC letter against Palestinian statehood harms peace
If you ask members of Congress about their ideas to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, they would almost unanimously suggest the two-state solution.While Israel is a UN recognized state with a viable economy, strong military and standing government, the missing part of the two-state solution is Palestine.However, more than 350...
Exposing the truth is our responsibility
April 1st, 20160 A surveillance image of the Hamido restuarant, where a brawl erupted on March 21.A horrified woman dining at the Hamido restaurant in Dearborn shielded her young daughter as a brawl erupted on the evening of March 21. And yet, when The Arab American News posted the surveillance footage on its Facebook page earlier this week, many...
The AIPAC show was a bigoted farce
March 25th, 20160 Hillary Clinton speaking at AIPAC, March 21.Establishment politicians from both parties may disagree on many issues, but the one topic that traditional Republicans and Democrats seem to unanimously agree on is supporting Israel unconditionally at the expense of Palestinians' human rights and America's interests. Presidential...Thank you for your support
Two men tried to break into The Arab American News office in the early hours of Friday, March 11, while the staff was inside. We thank the local media, community members and responding police officers for the overwhelming support and attention that we received after the incident.It is too soon to speculate about the motives of the...The Arab vote proved powerful; turnout should be higher
Michigan's Arab and Muslim communities made history last week by voting for the right candidate in the Democratic primaries. In most east Dearborn precincts, which have a high concentration of Arab voters, Senator Bernie Sanders beat former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton 2-1. Sanders also won in Dearborn Heights, home to a large...
Our women deserve better
March 11th, 20160 Protesters at an event called Release Our Girls during International Women's Day, Cairo, March 8March 8 was International Women's Day. On this occasion, we extend our gratitude to Arab women for their resilience and sacrifices around the world.In the Arab American community, we are blessed to have strong female leaders in almost every...
We endorse Bernie Sanders
March 4th, 20160 Presidents serve for four years, but this presidential election will likely shape the future of the United States for generations to come. Your vote on Tuesday, March 8, will help draw Washington's policies on critical issues for the near and remote future — a Supreme Court nomination; the United States’ role in the Middle East;......
Which Republican candidate deserves your vote?
The nation is facing challenges of historic proportions — global warming, the rise of ISIS, the struggling middle class and the flawed healthcare system, to name a few. It is disheartening to see politicians vying for the highest office in the land arguing about the way they sweat on camera and the size of their opponents' hands....FBI double-standard in dealing with threats is alarming
Sarah Beebe's threat to DearbornSarah Beebe explicitly threatened Dearborn for having a large Muslim population, but she has not been charged with ethnic intimidation or terrorism, yet. She apologized and the authorities called it a day.Other threats against the community have gone unaddressed, despite being brought to the authorities'......
Transparency in Dearborn shouldn’t be so difficult
February 26th, 20160 This week, Dearborn Mayor Jack O'Reilly announced that he cancelled his annual State of the City address, ahead of the snowstorm that impacted the city on Wednesday. It was yet another move that has contributed to what many feel is lack of transparency in Dearborn over the last several months. What many disgruntled residents don't...Black History Month: An opportunity to strengthen ties that bind us
As we approach the end of Black History Month, we reaffirm our appreciation of the African American experience. African Americans have driven the evolution of civil rights in this nation, edging the United States closer to its promise of freedom and justice for all. They paved the way for fellow people of color and other ethnic groups...
We are not anti-Chaldean
February 12th, 20160 Bishop Francis KalabatWhen The Arab American News opposed the invasion of Iraq, some community members accused us of being anti-Shi'a and pro-Saddam. About a decade later, this charge resurfaced when we called for rethinking the Ashura procession. Meanwhile, others claim we are a Shi'a paper for supporting the resistance in Lebanon,...The cases of Abu-Rayyan and Hamdan: Words matter
This should be a reminder to all Arab and Muslim Americans that what each member of the community does or says can affect and reflect on all of us.Whether or not Khalil Abu-Rayyan meant what he said when he told an FBI informant he wanted to "shoot up" a church in Detroit, the comments, which expressed criminal intentions, are......
Drug addiction: Denial prevents the cure
This community has a problem. And the first step toward solving it is to acknowledge it. Prescription drug addiction is at an alarming level. But as it is with many taboo subjects in this community, the stigma is preventing Arab Americans from facing the dangerous reality. Addiction is a disease. There is no shame in seeking...Read before you comment; think before you speak
The missing man's story, as it appeared on issue #1564It was madness. Members of our own community unfairly attacked, threatened and bashed The Arab American News over the weekend. After one of our reporters wrote a story about a missing local man, the family responded by falsely accusing the newspaper of smearing their son's......
We need to reject racism and embrace solidarity
January 22nd, 20160 Dearborn Police Chief Ronald Hadad carries a sign featuring a quote by MLK at a march in Dearborn, Jan. 18 - The Arab American News."Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." – Martin Luther King Jr. On Martin Luther King Day this past Monday, many Arab Americans filled social media feeds with quotes and pictures of Dr....Thank you, Mr. President … but actions matter more
President Obama launched a strongly worded defense of the Muslim community against bigotry and ignorance at his final State of the Union address. We appreciate the commander-in- chief's support. His words come at a critical time for our nation and community. Muslim and Arab Americans have become proverbial punching bags for......
