Has Turkey overplayed its hand in Syria?
Turkey is back in the game in Syria. Turkish tanks and special forces last week joined anti-Assad rebels to capture the border town of Jarabulus from ISIS. It was the first significant Turkish ground operation in Syria since the beginning of the war in 2011. The immediate target was ISIS, but a more important Turkish objective is to...
At 32, we remain young and strong
September 1st, 20160 The Arab American News was established 32 years ago. Osama Siblani founded the newspaper on Sept. 7, 1984, following the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon and after he witnessed the American mainstream media's atrocious pro-Israeli bias. Over the past three decades plus, the newspaper has evolved, but its core mission and founding...Does Muslim Always Mean Islamic?
What is Muslim versus what is Islamic concerns the question of normative Islam. Due to the difficulty of discerning Islam from its political developments, some have thrown in the towel and declared, "Islam is as Islam does." It is easy to see why some observers draw that conclusion: Islam – through its twin sources of Quran...
France’s ‘burkini’ ban: Hypocrisy and racism
August 26th, 20161 A protest against France's burkini ban, outside the French Embassy in London (Reuters)If you are a man in France, you can wear a wetsuit that covers your head and entire body. But a Muslim woman who chooses to wear a hijab at the beach will be ticketed and ordered to shed some clothing.The hysteria and hypocrisy surrounding French...Israel’s War on NGOs takes a worrying turn
You deserve to see your loved ones suffer and die. But, maybe, you would be hurt before them," was part of a threatening message received by a staff member at Al-Mezan, a Gaza-based human rights group. The photo attached to the email was of the exterior of the activist's home. The gist of the message: "We are coming for...The Obama Doctrine is ravaging the Middle East
Everyone seems to have a theory on how to obliterate ISIS. However, two points are rarely raised: one, concerning the origins of the group and the second, on whether there are genuine intentions to defeat it, in the first place. We must boldly address the first to unravel the enigma behind the rise and growth of Daesh – otherwise,...
Sectarianism is a dangerous game
August 19th, 20160 A protest after the murder of an imam and his assistant in New York - Photo by ReutersArab American immigrants have crossed thousands of miles, leaving behind family histories that stretch back generations, in search of opportunities, peace and freedom here. The land that had supported them for thousands of years became infested by...
Clinton should not take your vote for granted
August 12th, 20160 In politics, as in life, when people take you for granted, they tend to mistreat you. Politicians must earn our votes and support. Hillary Clinton should not assume that she has the backing of Arab Americans, simply because her opponent is Donald Trump. Border and airport harassment, the bloated No Fly and Terrorist Watch lists, mass...How factionalism in Palestine is killing prospects for freedom
Palestinian demonstrators in Ramallah calling for political unity, 2015 - Photo by AFP.As Palestinians in the Occupied Territories begin preparations for local elections, which are scheduled for October, division and factionalism are rearing their ugly heads. Palestinian political platforms and social media are abuzz with...How soon we forget
Aimee Schoelles, former Dearborn School Board presidentWatching from a distance, it’s quite disheartening the things that have been said over the past few months in Dearborn. An organization and a man are being viciously attacked for asking legitimate questions during a highly contested election. Instead of answering these...
A victory with the taste of defeat
August 5th, 20160 Bazzi and Dabaja campaign volunteers at Dearborn High - Photo by The AANewsThe Aug. 2 primaries in Dearborn painted two opposing political pictures for the Arab American community. The first was bright and encouraging — Abdullah Hammoud, a 25-year-old Arab American Muslim, won the Democratic primary for state rep., defeating five...Courts reaffirm the right to vote against Jim Crow approach
Last week, a panel of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously rebuked the North Carolina legislature for acting with "discriminatory intent" in passing restrictions on the right to vote that "target African Americans with almost surgical precision." The decision came as we approach the 51st anniversary of the Voting...By attacking Captain Khan’s family, Trump sinks to new low
In 2004, Army Captain Humayun Khan was in the middle of a tour of duty in Iraq. While his unit was guarding the gates of their base, Captain Khan noticed a suspicious vehicle approaching their checkpoint. He immediately took control of the situation and ordered his fellow servicemembers to stay back. Captain Khan, however, moved...Next steps for Arab – Black solidarity
A mural featuring Trayvon Martin in Detroit.Since the tragic and senseless death of Trayvon Martin, we've participated in many events designed to bring together the Detroit area's Arab American and African American communities for the common goal of understanding and coalition building. These meetings occur on the backdrop of...
By attacking Captain Khan’s family, Trump sinks to new low
August 4th, 20160 Captain Khan's parents speaking at the DNCIn 2004, Army Captain Humayun Khan was in the middle of a tour of duty in Iraq. While his unit was guarding the gates of their base, Captain Khan noticed a suspicious vehicle approaching their checkpoint. He immediately took control of the situation and ordered his fellow servicemembers to......
Defeat recklessness and obscenity: VOTE ON AUG. 2
July 29th, 20160 This election season has been marred by vulgarity, insults and incivility. But the negativity should not discourage you from casting your vote on Aug. 2. It is important that Arab Americans vote in each and every election to demonstrate the community's political agenda and safeguard its interests. Additionally, county races, a...Farewell to Yarmouk: A Palestinian Refugee’s Journey from Izmir to Greece
The refugee camp of Yarmouk was ever present in his being, pulling him in and out of an abyss of persistent fears that urged him to never return. But what was this refugee without Yarmouk, his first haven, his last earth? How could any other spot in this unwelcoming universe ever be a 'home' when he had learned that only Palestine,......
Our endorsements
July 22nd, 20160 This election season has been marred by negative campaigning and "dark" turns. But that should not discourage you from participating in the Aug. 2 primaries. Voters will decide on several judicial, legislative and county races. Although it is only a primary, the election will likely determine who will represent Dearborn in the State...
9/11: 28 Pages Later
July 21st, 20160 In December of 2002, Congress released its report on the "Joint Inquiry into Intelligence Community Activities Before and After the Terrorist Attacks of September 11, 2001." Part of that report, anyway: 28 pages remained classified until July 15, 2016, when they were finally presented to the public with significant redactions. Why the...Where the election stands
The next few weeks in politics are a little like the All-Star break in baseball. With the Republican and Democratic national conventions upon us, it's a good time to step back and assess this year's election. Which carries bad news for both parties. The Republicans face a steep electoral challenge. If Hillary Clinton carries Florida...
Keep it civil
July 15th, 20160 In democratic societies, elections cause ideological divisions. Candidates and their supporters disagree on the issues. But the differences should remain within the realm of ideas without turning personal. Unfortunately, this election season at the level stage has been unlike any other. Presidential candidates have reverted to......
America’s Chilcot Report: Bush Administration should be investigated for Iraq invasion
July 8th, 20160 "Whether George W. Bush was the worst president in American history will be long debated, but his decision to invade Iraq is easily the worst foreign policy decision ever made by an American president," writes biographer Jean Edward Smith in a scathing verdict on the Bush presidency. Yet, Bush and his administration officials have not...
The numbers in Obama’s drone death report don’t add up
July 7th, 20160 More than three years after President Obama pledged to be transparent about the United States' lethal drone program, his administration has finally come forward with an accounting of the numbers of civilian deaths that resulted from drone strikes between Jan. 20, 2009 and Dec. 31, 2015. But the numbers only cover airstrikes......
Leave Sayed Qazwini alone
July 1st, 20160 Bint Jebail Cultural Center after it was vandalized with anti-Qazwini graffiti last yearThe local Arab American community is suffering enough attacks and divisions on all levels. When the Islamic Center of America controversy started last year, it took the community by storm.Unfortunately, some members of the community want the storm to...
What Clinton should learn from Brexit
July 1st, 20160 President Obama, Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton.BREXIT — the stunning British vote to leave the European Union — is a clear and dramatic rebuke of the country's political and economic elites. A majority voted to leave, even though the heads of the United Kingdom's two major parties, more than a thousand corporate and bank......
