Ethnic cleansing of Palestinians or democratic Israel at work?
May 13th, 20110 It happened on the day after Independence Day, when Israel was immersed in praise of itself and its democracy almost ad nauseam, and on the eve of (virtually outlawed ) Nakba Day, when the Palestinian people mark the "catastrophe" — the anniversary of the creation of Israel. My colleague Akiva Eldar published what we have always known...ADC stands with the ‘Irvine 11’
Members of the 'Irvine 11' stand at a recent hearing. Each student faces up to six months in jail for protesting the speech of Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren peacefully.Washington, D.C. — The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) expresses support for the eleven students from the University of California (UC) Irvine and...Bin Laden death brings relief for all, lessons for American policy makers
The death of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan was a historic event for America, for American Muslims and for the world. American Muslims were the first community to thank President Obama for fulfilling his promise, bringing the leader of al-Qaeda to justice. In addition to the pain and...Obama is right to not release bin Laden photos
President Obama made a wise decision in choosing not to make public photos of bin Laden's body. His reasons are pragmatic and compelling. DNA tests and other evidence showed conclusively that the dead man was Osama bin Laden. Releasing the gruesome photos wouldn't satisfy the professional Obama...As a Holocaust survivor, AIPAC does not speak for me
At the end of one of my first journeys to the Israeli-occupied West Bank in 2004, I endured a shocking experience at Ben-Gurion Airport. I never imagined that Israeli security forces would abuse a 79-year-old Holocaust survivor, but they held me for five hours, and strip-searched and cavity-searched...Palestinian unity and the new Middle East
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's response to the Hamas-Fatah deal in Cairo was both swift and predictable. "The Palestinian Authority must choose either peace with Israel or peace with Hamas. There is no possibility for peace with both," he said, in a televised speech shortly after the...Will a Palestinian autumn follow an ‘Arab spring’?
With much of the Arab world experiencing uprisings in recent months, there has been one resounding question among Palestinians: why not us? It is a sad irony that the Palestinians, under Israeli occupation for nearly 44 years, watch from the sidelines as other Arabs shake off their repressive shackles by pouring into the streets...An open letter to Terry Jones
@font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 10pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; } Dear Pastor Terry Jones, This letter might come too late, but I still need to say...
Goldstone: An act of negligence
April 8th, 20110 @font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 10pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; } In the wake of a monumental victory in the human rights community to move the Goldstone Report out of the...
Learning all the wrong lessons in Jordan
April 1st, 20110 @font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 10pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; } King Abdullah's regime is cracking down on protesters who want reforms and, perhaps, a constitutional...Michigan’s “Arizona Bill” could be disastrous
@font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 10pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; } Michigan's version of the controversial "Arizona Immigration Law" has been introduced again recently...From a spy to a patriot: Muthanna al-Hanooti
@font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 10pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }Three years ago, when the Department of Justice announced Muthanna al-Hanooti's indictment, they alleged he was a spy for Iraq....King’s hearings a ‘disgraceful display’
Congressman Keith Ellison’s poignant testimony last week before the House Homeland Security Committee brought to mind Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan. Ellison, who broke down mid-way through his remarks, told the heroic story of Salman Hamdani, a New York City paramedic of Islamic faith who died in the tragedy of...People of Yemen: We need a change
We need a change in Yemen. People are fed up with the suffering of hardship and injustice they have to deal with every day in their own country. For many Yemeni citizens, it has become far easier to emigrate and live in other countries than staying in their own land. Being a citizen in Yemen is like a bird in a cage deprived from the...ASU should be commended for honoring Amer family
I recently read an article in The Arab American News (March 5-11, 2011) regarding the University of Michigan-Dearborn chapter of the Arab Student Union's (ASU) efforts to honor the Amer family, in whose name legislation was passed at the end of 2010 to help reform Michigan's foster care system. The Amer Act, or House Bill 4118, was......
Democratically elected Arab governments won’t follow Washington’s orders
U.S. President Barack Obama has still not fully grasped the essence of the revolutions underway in the Arab world. He genuinely seems to believe that the people rallying for democracy in the region are making a pro-Western, if not pro-Israeli, statement. "All the forces that we're seeing at work in Egypt are forces that naturally should...
Putting American Muslims on trial is detrimental to U.S.
March 12th, 20110 Dean of the U.S. House of Representatives, John D. Dingell (D-MI) testified at the Homeland Security hearing entitled "The Extent of Radicalization in the American Muslim Community and That Community's Response." His words bear repeating here. "I am pleased to have the opportunity to talk to you about the Muslim American community I......
A new era in the Arab world
The sheer brutality of the Libyan suppression of anti-government protests has exposed the fallacy of the post-colonial Arab dictatorships, which have relied on revolutionary slogans as their source of legitimacy. Lebanese and Arab students carry placards during a sit-in against Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and to express...Till September: The PA’s meaningless deadlines
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and his supporters in the Fatah party want us to believe that dramatic changes are underway in the occupied Palestinian territories.Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and his supporters in the Fatah party want us to believe that dramatic changes are underway in the occupied...How to challenge your property tax assessment
Metro Detroit, it’s that time of year — residents and business owners are receiving property tax notices of assessment and after four years of a battered real estate market, many suspect they're being overtaxed on inflated values or properties. If you own a home or business you will receive a “Notice of Assessment,"...The resurrection of pan-Arabism
The Egyptian revolution, itself influenced by the Tunisian uprising, has resurrected a new sense of pan-Arabism based on the struggle for social justice and freedom. The overwhelming support for the Egyptian revolutionaries across the Arab world reflects a sense of unity in the rejection of tyrannical, or at least authoritarian, leaders,......
From the Gulf to the ocean: The Middle East is changing
Now that the Egyptian people have finally wrestled their freedom from the hands of a very stubborn regime, accolades to the revolution are pouring in from all directions. Even those who initially sided with Hosni Mubarak's regime, or favored a neutral position, have now changed their tune. "Arabs celebrate from the Gulf to the ocean,"...Arabs celebrate the end of an era
After Tunisia and Egypt, it is time to celebrate. For decades, the Arabs have been on a course of misguided politics. It is high time to allow talent to lead, privilege to spread and freedom to shine. Millions of young people dream of a better future. Citizens are no longer scared to think, to ask pivotal questions and imagine the......
Protecting your assets, making your small business an LLC
In the first edition of my regular legal column in TAAN, I thought it would be valuable to explore a question that I get from local business owners on a regular basis: What is the advantage of forming your business as an LLC as opposed to a sole proprietorship? For many business owners, forming a new entity, and all of the necessary...Arab World’s moment of truth is coming
The massive social and political volcano that erupted in Tunisia with the death of Mohamed Bouazizi has burned the foundations of the oppressive Pharaohic establishment in Egypt for the last three weeks. So far, the protesters have won some unprecedented concessions. Their main demand is still the same: "Step down Mubarak, the......