A Dearborn Christian speaking out for Muslims
October 16th, 20150 Dearborn is home to me and has been for quite some time now. I’ve lived here since I was 5-years-old. I love everything about this city. The convenience stores are never far away. The restaurants are great. The people are lively. But the one thing that bothers me is how often this city’s unique diversity is overlooked. Drive down...Russia establishing new realities in Syria; U.S. sends weapons, but to whom?
"Syria cannot be another Afghanistan to Russia for the simple reason that America cannot call the rebels freedom fighters like it did in 1980." With Syrian jets bombing rebels and extremists and Syrian and Iranian groups attacking them on the ground, Moscow seems determined to end the international efforts to topple the Syrian...A silver lining in the war on ISIS?
In the international war on ISIS, a hidden silver lining is emerging: serious self-criticism within Muslim society and growing convergence of opinion of world leaders on ISIS. Regrettably, these two recent developments are not serious enough to lead to the dismantling and degrading of ISIS. As radical Islamist terror spreads in...The third Intifada may be underway
"Palestinians eagerness for national liberation has reached a point where they are charging at occupation soldiers with knives and screwdrivers. This is not another round of unrest. The intifada may well be underway."Fifteen years after the Second Intifada, after right-wing Ariel Sharon, an Israeli politician whose hands were drenched...Blue collar neighborhoods need better community policing
The Southend has suffered an 81 percent increase in narcotic violations and a doubling of auto thefts from 2012 to 2014.Dearborn is home to one of the finest police forces in the country, no doubt about it. The Dearborn Police Department (DPD) has been recognized both nationally and by the state. However, a recent spike in...Putin: Friend or foe in Syria?
What Vladimir Putin is up to in Syria makes far more sense than what President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry appear to be up to in Syria. The Russians are flying transports bringing tanks and troops to an air base near the coastal city of Latakia to create a supply chain to provide a steady flow of weapons and munitions to...Pope Francis’ call for compassion should be heard
Pope Francis delivered a message of tolerance, compassion and giving during his visit to the United States last week. These ideals should be adopted by people of all faiths. Treating our fellow humans with respect and trying to understand their struggles— no matter where they come from— should be a universal ethical...An American pope with a challenge for America
"We, the people of this continent, are not fearful of foreigners, because most of us were once foreigners." - Pope FrancisI was privileged to have been in attendance at many of Pope Francis' Washington events this past week. What came through so very clearly is that Francis is an American pope with a profoundly American message.For two...Subduing al-Quds: Israel’s high-stake game in al-Aqsa
The State of Israel was established on the ruins of Palestine, based on a series of objectives that were initialed by letters from the Hebrew alphabet, the consequences of which continue to guide Israeli strategies to this day. The current violence against Palestinian worshippers at al-Aqsa Mosque in Occupied East Jerusalem is a...Fast, faster, fastest: Why the rush?
Socrates and Plato were not in a hurry. Neither was Aristotle nor Heraclitus. They took time to think deeply. As far back as twenty-four centuries ago, they offered insights and observations about the human condition, character, and personality that are as true today as they were then.Fast forward to our fast-paced society. Many people...Islamophobia in Sterling Heights demands condemnation and discussion
A predomenantly Chaldean protest against the proposed mosque in Streling Heights, Sept. 10The evening of September 10th in Sterling Heights, Michigan reflects the complex convergence of trauma and bigotry that affects Chaldean and Muslim communities in Southeast Michigan. The American Islamic Community Center (AICC), which...Reform Lebanon, but also protect it
A woman during a rally in front of the Lebanese consulate in Detroit The Lebanese people are finally seeing past their political allegiances and sectarian identities to stand up to the rotten political system that is victimizing all of them. We support the Lebanese struggle for reform against the ruling class and commend the "You Stink"...More in-depth reporting on air pollution in Michigan’s Wayne County could save lives
Southend resident Marya Aladwar has asthma and attends Salina Elementary School in Dearborn. Aladwar is holding up the inhaler she uses to treat her asthma. Air pollution from industrial sources can trigger asthma attacks.DETROIT — Air pollution from industrial sources in Wayne County— especially in the low income ZIP...Dearborn’s most dangerous intersection is flashing again
The intersection at Warren Avenue and Chase Road in Dearborn is less thrilling than a roller coaster but more dangerous than having dinner with wild bears. And it's flashing again. Starting at 10 p.m. the traffic light at Dearborn's most dangerous intersection starts flashing yellow on Warren and red on Chase. It basically turns...Immigration relief “DACA” is good for everybody
The third anniversary of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is bittersweet. On the one hand, DACA improved the lives of hundreds of thousands of undocumented people brought into the U.S. by their parents by protecting them from deportation. On the other hand, it is only a temporary measure that is deeply resented by a......
On voting … And not
The campaigning for next year’s elections is starting to draw more attention and with it comes a focus on voters and their mood. Which is all well and good, but it leaves out of the equation one large bloc of citizens: people who are eligible to vote, but don’t. Over the years, a fair number of people I’ve encountered have...Rise and fall of Arab revolutionary discourse
A protest at Tahrir Square during the Jan. 25 Egyptian Revolution in 2011.Strange how intellectual discussion concerning the so-called “Arab Spring” has almost entirely shifted in recent years - from one concerning freedom, justice, democracy and rights in general, into a political wrangle between various antagonist camps. The......
Politics sometimes shred the facts of immigration
Political rhetoric implies that unauthorized immigration, especially across the U.S. border with Mexico, is wildly out of control.Is that true?According to a July 24 immigration report by the Pew Research Center, the number of unauthorized immigrants in the United States is not up. It’s down.The peak, 12.2 million, was eight...The GOP: Reaping what it sowed
The 2016 Republican presidential contest has barely begun and it has already grown alternately tiresome and old or just downright scary. As a Democrat, I might be pleased, but as an American, I am deeply troubled. I just want it to end. A part of the GOP problem is the plague of too many candidates, 17 at last count, with many of them...Wealth and income gaps in America continue to grow
In October of last year, a 30-year-old Wells Fargo employee in Portland, Oregon made national headlines after sending a provocative email to Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf. In his email, which was also copied to approximately 200,000 of the company's employees, Tyrel Oates addresses the increasing income inequality in America...Local Arab Americans failed Palestinians, again
Thousands of Israelis took to the streets to protest the frightening racism that is turning deadly in the occupied Palestinian territories. The demonstrations came after militant Zionists burned down a Palestinian home in the West Bank, killing 18-month-old Ali Dawabsha and injuring his parents and 4-year-old brother. Israelis,......
Where the presidency is headed
Before the ins and outs of the 2016 presidential contest become a preoccupation for many of us, it seems a good time to step back and look at the office of the presidency for which so many candidates are vying. The presidency inherited by whoever wins next November will be substantially changed from the position his or her predecessors...The economic upshot of the Iran deal
For all the hot air in Washington this week from Republicans denouncing the historic deal the United States and five world powers reached with Iran, keep in mind that gasoline may soon fall back to $2 a gallon. That is just one of many economic benefits to America, Europe and the Middle East we can anticipate because the smart use of......
Mass surveillance is all about money and power
“We are under pressure from the Treasury to justify our budget; and commercial espionage is one way of making a direct contribution to the nation’s balance of payments” -Sir Colin McColl, former MI6 Chief. For years, public figures have condemned cyber espionage committed against the United States by intruders launching their...Thank you, Aimee
Schoelles.This week, the Dearborn Board of Education bid farewell to its president, Aimee Schoelles (formerly Aimee Blackburn). She resigned her position after nearly 15 years of service on the Board of Education and local community organizations, especially as an active member of the Arab American Political Action Committee......