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...U.S. elections fuel tension of Arab-Israeli conflict
America’s short sighted foreign policy on the Palestine question plays well in the current presidential elections. The Arab-Israeli conflict is an attractive medium for pandering to campaign donors and to voters. As a result, the presidential primaries add fuel to the tension between the two sides. With jaws dropped...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...Why BDS Cannot Lose: A Moral Threshold to Combat Racism in Israel
While racism is a part of life that's practiced, observed and reported on in many parts of the world, institutionalized racism through calculated governmental measures is only practiced — at least, openly — in a few countries around the world: Burma is one of them. However, no country is as adamant and open about its racially...How most aid to the Palestinians ends up in Israel’s coffers
A Palestinian man on the rubble of a home after it was demolished by Israeli army in the West Bank, Feb. 23Diplomats may have a reputation for greyness, obfuscation, even hypocrisy, but few have found themselves compared to a serial killer, let alone one who devours human flesh. That honor befell Laars Faaborg-Andersen, the European...
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 vs. Apple is really about Snowden
The fight between Apple and the FBI has been framed as an epic battle between big tech and big government. Apple, says the Obama Administration, is siding with “its business model and public brand marketing strategy” ahead of public safety. That’s not it, says Apple CEO Tim Cook. He says his company is “a staunch...
Why Muslim Americans should vote for Bernie Sanders
February 29th, 20160 Bernie Sanders addresses supporters during a campaign rally in Rochester, Minnesota, Feb. 27. Photo: ReutersIn the 2016 presidential campaign, Islamophobia is both a campaign strategy and a wedge issue, making this a critical moment for Muslim American voters. A recent study indicates that 76 percent of Muslim Americans intend to...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...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......