What lies ahead in Congress
Given all the words and images devoted to the midterm elections over the past few weeks, you’d think the results had told us something vital about the future of the country. In reality, they were just a curtain-raiser. It’s the next few weeks and months that really matter.The big question, as the old Congress reconvenes and prepares...American justice failed Michael Brown
More than three months after Darren Wilson executed Michael Brown in broad daylight in Ferguson, the grand jury’s decision is in. No state prosecution, no justice from the state’s court system, for his crime. Wilson will never be tried, let alone convicted. But in the real justice system, this is not the end for Wilson — it’s...Letters against the Islamic Center lack credibility
Last month, anonymous letters attacking the leadership of the Islamic Center of America were mailed to Dearborn households. The letters contain unsubstantiated accusations of corruption, adultery and lack of religiosity against the spiritual leader of the ICA, Imam Hassan Qazwini, and the chairperson of its board, Ron Amen. Upon...Talk of a third intifada: Only Palestinians can decide
When a journalist tries to do a historian’s job, the outcome can be quite interesting. Using history as a side note in a brief news report or political analysis often does more harm than good. Now imagine if that journalist was not dependable to begin with, even more than it being “interesting”, the outcome runs the risk of...Changing how Michigan votes for president might render your vote meaningless
Voters beware—your vote for the president and the vice president – may become meaningless if the Legislature adopts a proposed bill that would change how Electoral College votes are allocated.The League of Women Voters of Dearborn – Dearborn Heights urges you to contact your legislator, opposing HB 5974, which would change the way...The age of TV clowns: Arab media on the brink
Tawfiq Okasha.As I was finalizing my research for this article, I found myself browsing through a heap of hilarious videos by mostly Egyptian TV show hosts Tawfiq Okasha and Amr Adeeb.In one of his numerous videos on YouTube, Okasha, the star and host of the Cairo-based privately funded al-Faraeen channel, tries to explain the...The new Fourth Estate
Because of its power to influence public affairs, the press has long been known as “the Fourth Estate.” But I think the media may have been displaced. These days, it’s lobbyists who seem to carry the most clout in Washington.Here’s a case in point. When Congress closed at the beginning of August for its end-of-summer recess, it...Odeh’s conviction a racist attack on Arab Americans
Palestinian activist Rasmea Odeh was found guilty of unlawful procurement of citizenship on Monday. Her trial was a farce orchestrated by a biased judge and the charges against her had nothing to do with the rule of law. Prosecuting Odeh was a slap in the face to the Arab American community and anybody who stands for Palestinian...Lessons learned this election: Vote based on qualifications, not ethnicity
While Tuesday's election results brought bad news for Democrats both across the state and nationwide, they brought a mixed bag for the Arab community in Dearborn and Dearborn Heights. The resounding victory of Mariam Bazzi who came in first in a field of 11 candidates for the Dearborn School Board, with a total of 9,038 votes,...In tight elections: Your vote tips the scale
With Michigan split almost evenly between Republicans and Democrats, undecided voters will be the key to winning the upcoming elections on Nov. 4. Hence, the Arab American community, which is traditionally non-partisan, could tip the scale and prove to be a decisive factor in the state's politics.In this midterm election, crucial races...Our endorsements for the Nov. 4 elections
October 31st, 20140 Schauer is the better choice for governorAlthough our newspaper traditionally adopts AAPAC's endorsements, this race was subjected to a vote by our editorial board, most of whom favored the Democratic challenger, Mark Schauer. We believe that both candidates have the interests of Michigan's at heart, albeit their approach to...AAPAC dinner was a success that should be continued by voting on Nov. 4
On Wednesday night, Michigan's top political leaders showed their appreciation for the local Arab American community by attending and speaking at the 17th annual dinner of the Arab American Political Action Committee (AAPAC). U.S. congressional leaders, national, state and local candidates, mayors, judges and activists from all around...Gitmo force-feeding manual reveals gruesome practices
Last week the U.S. government submitted to the District Court in Washington, D.C., the most recent standard operating procedures (SOPs) for force-feeding in the Guantánamo Bay detention facility. What remains of the documents, after redactions, is a shameful exercise in doublespeak that attempts to disguise what is really happening in...Some Chaldeans’ misconceptions about Muslims cannot be ignored
October 17th, 20140 Imam Sayyad Hassan Al Qazwini of Dearborn's Islamic Center of America shakes hands with Chaldean Bishop Ibrahim N. Ibrahim as Chaldean Patriarch Louis Sako stands in the center.Being Chaldean and working as a reporter in Dearborn covering metro Detroit’s Arab and Muslim communities is not easy. It never has been. Over the years I...Political engagement is crucial this election season
This election season, statewide candidates have given special attention to the Arab American community. Gov. Rick Snyder visited the Arab American National Museum and spoke at several apolitical events hosted by community organizations, including the Arab American and Chaldean Council and ACCESS. His opponent, Mark Schauer, has held......
Attention next attorney general: More justice wanted
Secret laws, secret courts, secret evidence, secret dragnet snooping, too big to fail, too big to jail… the Department of Justice (DOJ) has not been fully living up to its name.As Attorney General Eric Holder prepares to step down, it is time to look forward and ask what his replacement must bring to the table for our country. The...Bill Maher is a bigot
When HBO comedian Bill Maher brought professional anti-theist commentator Sam Harris to bash Islam on his show last weekend, there was no Muslim on the show to make the case for Islam. But actor and director Ben Affleck came to the defense of Muslims, not because of any connection he has to the religion, but because he saw the racism...Nolan Finley, Benjamin Netanyahu are of the same evil
On Sunday, the Detroit News published an article by Editorial Page Editor Nolan Finley titled, "Hamas, ISIS are of the same evil."Finley, whose hatred for Palestinians is no secret, hits a new low with this article. He bases his column on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent speech at the UN General Assembly. In his column,...What if ‘Islamic State’ Didn’t Exist?
What if the so-called "Islamic State" (IS) didn’t exist? In order to answer this question, one has to liberate the argument from its geopolitical and ideological confines. Flexible language Many in the media (Western, Arab, etc) use the reference “Islamist” to brand any movement at all whether it be political,......
Yemen should not slip into civil war
October 3rd, 20140 In 1985, the late publisher of the Lebanese daily Annahar wrote a book titled "A War of Others." The book’s premise was that the then-ongoing Lebanese civil war was a proxy conflict fought by regional and international powers through Lebanese factions and militias. Today, we are witnessing multiple wars of others unfolding...In Memoriam: Mustapha Al-Abed Hammoud : The loss of an extraordinary man
Hammoud, who hailed from the Lebanese village of Tebnine, never surrendered easily. He was an extraordinary man who lived a full life and excelled in every aspect and at all levels. Hammoud, the oldest son of a southern farmer, as he used to proudly describe his father, reached for the stars. He was fearless and stood head-to-head......
Local community should stand with Rasmea Odeh
Palestinian American activist Rasmea Odeh was tortured and sexually abused in Israeli prisons 45 years ago. Now, the U.S. government wants to punish her for what she has endured. The Department of Justice is replicating the State Department's policies of persecuting and prosecuting the Palestinian victims in favor of Israeli...The U.S. intervention in Syria is not credible
The United States and its allies started a military campaign against "Islamic State" (Daesh) in Syria this week. President Obama vowed to build a coalition to "eventually destroy" the terrorist group.However, the United States did not bother to seek the United Nations' approval for the military operation.On the first night of U.S.......