Fast, faster, fastest: Why the rush?
Socrates and Plato were not in a hurry. Neither was Aristotle nor Heraclitus. They took time to think deeply. As far back as twenty-four centuries ago, they offered insights and observations about the human condition, character, and personality that are as true today as they were then.Fast forward to our fast-paced society. Many people...Islamophobia in Sterling Heights demands condemnation and discussion
A predomenantly Chaldean protest against the proposed mosque in Streling Heights, Sept. 10The evening of September 10th in Sterling Heights, Michigan reflects the complex convergence of trauma and bigotry that affects Chaldean and Muslim communities in Southeast Michigan. The American Islamic Community Center (AICC), which...
An open letter to the Chaldean community: Dialogue is needed
September 11th, 20150 Arab-Chaldean relations have reached a critical point. Repeated attempts by some Chaldeans to attack, smear and ridicule Arab and Muslim Americans can no longer be tolerated. This rising bigotry should be addressed with reason and dialogue within and between both communities. Members of the Chaldean community took turns trying to...Sterling Heights desecrated the Constitution; we must act
On Sept. 10, the Sterling Heights Planning Commission rejected the proposed mosque on 15 Mile Road. As explained in a previous editorial, zoning and residential concerns against the mosque were thinly veiled lies that failed to hide the rampant Islamophobia expressed by bigots who opposed the house of worship. We have to organize...Reform Lebanon, but also protect it
A woman during a rally in front of the Lebanese consulate in Detroit The Lebanese people are finally seeing past their political allegiances and sectarian identities to stand up to the rotten political system that is victimizing all of them. We support the Lebanese struggle for reform against the ruling class and commend the "You Stink"...Celebrating 31 years in a painful world
The Arab American News staff during our 30th anniversary celebrationThe Arab American News was established 31 years ago, on Sept. 7, 1984. Since then, it has grown from an idea to become a destination for tens of thousands of readers, journalists and politicians seeking the news of Arab America.The newspaper has matched the growth and...We should be grateful for our Constitution
Concerning your editorial of Aug. 27, about the proposed Mosque in Sterling Heights: There is a teachable lesson that we can all learn from… and that is; sometimes it takes the newer citizens— those who are the most grateful for our Bill of Rights, those who vividly remember the oppression they are fleeing— to remind us what a...
Syria’s refugees: Poetry doesn’t help; action needed
September 4th, 20150 Aylan KurdiThe photo of Aylan Kurdi, the Syrian child who drowned and washed on the shores of Turkey, has inspired volumes of poetry and sympathy. But words and tears will not help the people of Syria. Actions are needed by all governments— including ours— which considers itself the leading force in the free world. Aylan, 3,...More in-depth reporting on air pollution in Michigan’s Wayne County could save lives
Southend resident Marya Aladwar has asthma and attends Salina Elementary School in Dearborn. Aladwar is holding up the inhaler she uses to treat her asthma. Air pollution from industrial sources can trigger asthma attacks.DETROIT — Air pollution from industrial sources in Wayne County— especially in the low income ZIP...Dearborn’s most dangerous intersection is flashing again
The intersection at Warren Avenue and Chase Road in Dearborn is less thrilling than a roller coaster but more dangerous than having dinner with wild bears. And it's flashing again. Starting at 10 p.m. the traffic light at Dearborn's most dangerous intersection starts flashing yellow on Warren and red on Chase. It basically turns...Israel’s thug at the UN
The appointment by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu of one of his most hawkish and outspoken rivals as Israel’s new ambassador to the United Nations has prompted widespread consternation. As one Israeli analyst noted last week, Danny Danon’s appointment amounts to a “cruel joke” on the international community. The new...
Opposing mosques is un-American
August 28th, 20150 The Chaldean resident who said all Muslims are killersIt was a parade of bigotry. Resident after resident piled insults on Islam and Muslims to voice opposition to the building of a mosque in Sterling Heights. And the one speaker who reminded the crowd at the city council meeting last week of the First and 14th Amendments was booed by...Immigration relief “DACA” is good for everybody
The third anniversary of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is bittersweet. On the one hand, DACA improved the lives of hundreds of thousands of undocumented people brought into the U.S. by their parents by protecting them from deportation. On the other hand, it is only a temporary measure that is deeply resented by a...On voting … And not
The campaigning for next year’s elections is starting to draw more attention and with it comes a focus on voters and their mood. Which is all well and good, but it leaves out of the equation one large bloc of citizens: people who are eligible to vote, but don’t. Over the years, a fair number of people I’ve encountered have...We should be better neighbors
Children playing at night in a Dearborn street.Dearborn has a rich, diverse culture— a hybrid of the Middle East and the Midwest that can manifest itself in tasty food, welcoming faces and exuberant atmospheres. But not all is great. Our enthusiasm and liveliness are turning into chaos. Our tendency to be loud and stay up late......
Rise and fall of Arab revolutionary discourse
A protest at Tahrir Square during the Jan. 25 Egyptian Revolution in 2011.Strange how intellectual discussion concerning the so-called “Arab Spring” has almost entirely shifted in recent years - from one concerning freedom, justice, democracy and rights in general, into a political wrangle between various antagonist camps. The...Crestwood superintendent owes Arabs explanation on discrimination findings
More than two years have passed since the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission made findings that the Crestwood School District (CSD) discriminated against Arab Americans in hiring and recruitment. Last year, the CSD reached a settlement agreement with the civil rights division of the Department of Justice to improve......
Politics sometimes shred the facts of immigration
Political rhetoric implies that unauthorized immigration, especially across the U.S. border with Mexico, is wildly out of control.Is that true?According to a July 24 immigration report by the Pew Research Center, the number of unauthorized immigrants in the United States is not up. It’s down.The peak, 12.2 million, was eight...The GOP: Reaping what it sowed
The 2016 Republican presidential contest has barely begun and it has already grown alternately tiresome and old or just downright scary. As a Democrat, I might be pleased, but as an American, I am deeply troubled. I just want it to end. A part of the GOP problem is the plague of too many candidates, 17 at last count, with many of them...
There is nothing to surveil in Dearborn
August 7th, 20150 Reports about an FBI-owned plane that was surveilling Dearborn over the weekend are alarming. The bureau has denied that it was targeting the Arab community and added that it is not aware of any threats in Metro Detroit. However, there is a growing irrational and unfounded fear of Dearborn being a hub for extremism. The city of 95,000...Wealth and income gaps in America continue to grow
In October of last year, a 30-year-old Wells Fargo employee in Portland, Oregon made national headlines after sending a provocative email to Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf. In his email, which was also copied to approximately 200,000 of the company's employees, Tyrel Oates addresses the increasing income inequality in America......
Local Arab Americans failed Palestinians, again
Thousands of Israelis took to the streets to protest the frightening racism that is turning deadly in the occupied Palestinian territories. The demonstrations came after militant Zionists burned down a Palestinian home in the West Bank, killing 18-month-old Ali Dawabsha and injuring his parents and 4-year-old brother. Israelis,...Greater cooperation needed between police and businesses in Detroit
Excessive ticketing of gas stations and liquor stores owners continues to be a problem in Detroit. Once again, business owners are receiving multiple tickets for not having the proper licenses, missing invoices and other suspected violations. Sometimes the owners get several tickets for the same offense while in the processes of......
Anti-Gulf bigotry is inexcusable
Intra-Arab bigotry is a known matter. The Lebanese don't like Iraqis. The Iraqis think they are better than Yemenis. Yemenis think all Lebanese are condescending bigots. The clash of national identities is a tragedy in our community, especially since anti-Arab xenophobia does not differentiate in its hatred for us. Moreover, because...
I was barred from entering my homeland
July 29th, 20150 I waited more than seven hours and endured six different interrogations; and this is the conversation (from memory) that barred me from entering my homeland on the grounds that I was uncooperative. It was with an extremely unpleasant woman in uniform, red hair and massive amounts of makeup (for some reason, that's relevant). Keep......