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...Animal Shelter drops Dearborn like a bad habit
As a dog owner and fellow supporter, I was pleased to learn last year that the Dearborn Animal Shelter is constructing a brand new facility capable of helping many more animals. Anyone who has visited the old shelter can easily see the benefits of a new one. Not only is this new project good for the animals and the workers, it also...The “meta-issues” behind the Sanders-Clinton contest
The Democratic presidential primary race is shaping up to be a fascinating contest between the voters' views of two distinct political personalities. Some find this state of affairs confounding, believing that the election should have been a "slam-dunk" for Hillary Clinton—the former First Lady, twice elected Senator from New York,...Saudi Arabia and Turkey destined to lose in Syria
Residents make repairs after an airstrike on the rebel held al-Fardous neighbourhood of Aleppo, Feb. 18The battle of Aleppo is upon us and the game is about to be over. Syria is at a historic crossroads. The Turkish-Saudi camp is nervous and angry at its inability to change the balance of power that was tilted by the Russian...How Antonin Scalia’s death reshapes the 2016 election
The U.S. Supreme Court is supposed to be the solution to gridlock. But as the death of Associate Justice Antonin Scalia makes painfully apparent, gridlock is now overtaking the court. When the political system threatens to break down in gridlock — as it did during the recount following the 2000 presidential election — the Supreme...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,...Clinton and the Democratic establishment: Interests and binding ties
Chris Mathews interviewing Hillary ClintonAfter what can only be described as an absolute disaster of an electoral showing in the New Hampshire primary, Hillary Clinton's hopes of becoming the Democratic nominee in 2016 increasingly hinge on her support from the Democratic establishment. The establishment, which is connected to Clinton...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...Hunger striking Palestinians: When starvation is a weapon
Protesters demonstrating in support of Palestinian prisoners, at the al-Aroub Palestinian refugee camp By Friday, Jan. 29, Palestinian journalist Mohammed al-Qeq had spent 66 days on hunger strike in Israeli jails. Just before he fell into his third coma, a day earlier, he sent a public message through his lawyers, the gist of which...What the decade-long siege has done to Gaza
A Palestinian boy sits on a couch next to houses damaged during the 2014 warWhenever Mariam Aljamal's children hear the sound of thunder at night, they wet their beds. Their reaction is almost instinctive and is shared by a large number of children throughout the Gaza Strip. Mariam's three children – Jamal, Lina and Sarah -...Homage to #Jan25
A Tahrir Square protest in 2011Five years ago, the people of Egypt took to the streets, to rebel against oppression, economic injustice, police brutality and military rule. The aesthetics of it all appeared romantic, organic, powerful and liberating-- enthused women and men facing Mubarak's camel-riding-thugs with tweets and...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...Hillary Clinton: Least fit of all
Even considering that no one is fit to be president — in that no one should be able to command a state, which rules by threatening and committing violence against innocents — Hillary Clinton is especially unfit. No one who has done what she has done as a government official should be rewarded with power. Many......
Defined by Nakba and exile: the complex reality of ‘home’ for Palestinians
Palestinian children in Al-zaitoun neighbourhood, Gaza.When ISIS militias swept into Mosel, Iraq, in June 2014, Ibrahim Mahmoud plotted his flight, along with his whole family, which included 11 children. Once upon a time, Ibrahim was himself a child escaping another violent campaign carried out by equally angry militias. In his...
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.......
British rules on “regrettable” Saudi atrocities
People search for survivors under the rubble of houses destroyed by an air strike near Sanaa Airport.Only six of our British military chaps, it seems, are helping the Sunni Saudis kill Shia Yemenis. And they’re not actually in Yemen, merely helping to choose the targets – which have so far included hospitals, markets, a wedding...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...White privilege: An American reality
A man dressed as a Continental soldier at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge near Burns, OR, Jan. 10.The term privilege is defined as a special right, advantage or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group of people. The takeover of a government building in Burns, Oregon on Jan. 2, led by Ammon Bundy is...Palestine after Abbas: The future of a people at Stake
Mahmoud AbbasAlthough intended to inspire his Fatah Party followers, a televised speech by Mahmoud Abbas on the 51st anniversary of the group's launch highlighted, instead, the unprecedented crisis that continues to wreak havoc on the Palestinian people. Not only did Abbas sound defensive and lacking in any serious or new......
African Americans have a right to protest, too
Kevin Matthews' mother speaks at a protest in front of the Dearborn Police Department. Photo: Ryan Garza, Detroit Free Press "Black Lives Matter" has hit home. The case of Kevin Matthews, the 36-year-old man shot to death by a Dearborn police officer on Dec. 23, has started a much-needed debate in our city. Police claim that Matthews...Law Enforcement is not the problem
In December, a group gathered outside Dearborn Police headquarters to protest and vilify law enforcement. Despite a lack of facts, protesters quickly called for strict disciplinary measures for the Dearborn Police officer who fatally shot a 35-year-old Black man on Dec.23. Is it me or does anyone else find this alarming?There are......
Saudi madness is threatening global peace
January 8th, 20160 Protesters in front of Saudi Arabia embassy in New Delhi, Jan. 4. Photo: ReutersWhen the Saudi government decided to execute revered Shi'a cleric Nimr al-Nimr, they knew the decision would further inflame the raging sectarian tensions in the region. And that was the point. The oppressive monarchy is losing on all fronts. Pitting...Israeli gift to Obama highlights hypocrisy of U.S. policy
Palestinian protester stands in front of a section of the Israeli apartheid wall in Bethlehem, the West Bank, Dec. 18.Democratic and Republican presidential candidates seem to disagree on everything, except supporting Israel. All mainstream U.S. politicians are also in agreement that the two-state "solution" is the only path to ending......