Severstal’s $8M should be used to benefit South End residents
Of all the pressing issues Dearborn residents are concerned about, the renovation of a new city hall certainly isn't one.The drastic decline in housing values since the 2008 recession considerably affected the city's greatest source of income. As property values went down, major cuts were made to public safety, and the number of...Homage to #UMDivest
After the Central Student Government at the University of Michigan voted against a resolution to set up a committee to investigate international corporations that do business with the Israeli military in order to divest from them, there was a sense of both disappointment and pride among the students.UMDivest, a group of students who...Disney, bringing back those oppressive Arabs!
Amer Zahr.This week, ABC Family picked up a pilot episode of “Alice in Arabia.” ABC Family belongs to the family of networks under the umbrella of the Walt Disney Company. The networks encapsulates the show for us:Alice in Arabia is a high-stakes drama about a rebellious teenage girl who, after tragedy befalls her...
Hamdan’s arrest: Disagreeing with the law is not an excuse to break it
March 21st, 20140 The recent arrest of Mohamad Hamdan, 22, by the FBI on charges of terrorism should serve as a stark reminder for the Arab and Muslim communities that regardless of where we stand politically, we have to be mindful and observant of the United States' laws. Mr. Hamdan is accused of providing material support to Hizbullah after he...Palestine unites us, let’s not forget its cause
Arabs are divided, drifting in disagreement over Syria, Bahrain, Iraq, Egypt, Yemen, Libya, Lebanon and the Gulf. Sectarianism, ideology and politics have turned us against each other. But as divisive conflicts in the Middle East dominate our headlines, little attention has been given to the cause that unites us all: Palestine.The...
People on the ‘No Fly List’ have a right to due process
March 14th, 20140 As spring break and summer approach, many people in the community will be looking to vacation or travel overseas. But some of them might not be able to board an airplane with dignity or even get on one at all, depending on what FBI list they are on.Community members on the No Fly List will be confronted by Homeland Security agents at...Obama should act unilaterally to reduce deportations
Obama has been on the defensive on the issue of deportations lately, being called the "Deporter-in-Chief" by Janet Murguía. The criticism from the immigrant rights community has been quiet for a long time as they tried to press Congress, which seems completely unable to address the issue in the House. Now, pressure on the president is...
Arab Americans! Join the rainbow!
March 7th, 20140 Zahr.We Arab Americans are in the midst of a civil rights movement. Profiling and discrimination are rampant. We are victims of debasement in the media on a daily basis. While we can find similarities between our struggle and the struggles of other minority groups, our situation is a bit more distinctive.While the...State of Fordson High School
On behalf of all educators at Fordson High School, thank you for allowing us to educate your children and for your support through the good times and difficult times. The state of Fordson High School is good and only getting better! Fordson has always stood by the ideal that all students in the Dearborn Public schools are our...Arab business owners in Detroit bear responsibilities
Most gas stations, convenience stores, and grocery stores in Detroit are owned by Arab Americans. As the 2010 United States Census tells us, Detroit’s population is almost 83 percent African American, higher than any other major American city. There is no doubt that Arab American entrepreneurs have contributed to the economy of...Dumping the A-word and moving on
Arab and Muslim Americans have launched something, and this time, it’s actually good. What I’m talking about is a new social media campaign to end the use of the word “abed.” The movement hopes to finally convince Arab Americans that using “abed” (or its plural form “abeed”) is just plain wrong.The literal...Confronting mental illness could save lives
In the past month, the Arab American community has witnessed the suicides of two young, promising individuals. On January 21, Asil Srour Makki took her own life, and on February 7, Shady Bazzi killed himself. Both were residents of Dearborn. Both committed suicide in their own home. And both used guns.It has been...A selective view of ‘democracy’
A familiar conventional wisdom about how the last two U.S. administrations have approached democratization abroad has come up repeatedly in connection with crises in several foreign countries. George W. Bush is seen as the president who tried to promote democracy actively and proactively, even using military force in the effort, while...Big media again pumps for Mideast wars
Journalistically, there’s a problem with this passage from Monday’s New York Times: “Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon of Israel … castigated Iran as being dedicated to a nuclear weapon and acting to deceive, and he repeated Israel’s warning that it would not allow Iran to get a nuclear weapon.” Can you tell what the flaw is?If...U.S. talks of “dismantlement” threaten Iran Deal
Iran’s pushback against statements by Secretary of State John Kerry and the White House that Tehran must “dismantle” some of its nuclear program, and the resulting political uproar over it, indicates that tough U.S. rhetoric may be adding new obstacles to the search for a comprehensive nuclear agreement.Iranian Foreign Minister......
In praise of self-delusions: The State of the Union, Obama-style
There is no question that President Barrack Obama is a gifted orator. He rose to fame as the junior senator from Illinois, and was propelled to the White House, at least partly because of his skills as a speaker. In his five years as president, he has often used that skill when addressing the public.Yet his pretty words delivered in a...2014: The best year to become a citizen
Every year, millions of immigrants celebrate the New Year with their own traditions. For our family, it is a ham, kielbasa, horseradish, stuffed cabbage, sauerkraut and pierogis, which are a traditional Polish dishes. And each year, like billions of people around the world, we look forward to the new year with a list of hopes, dreams and......
Congress must not cede its war power to Israel
The American people should know that pending right now in Congress is a bipartisan bill that would virtually commit the United States to go to war against Iran if Israel attacks the Islamic Republic. “The bill outsources any decision about resort to military action to the government of Israel,” Columbia University Iran expert Gary...How Saudi-Israeli tandem goads Obama
One of the most influential Saudi Arabian princes, Turki al-Faisal — the former Saudi intelligence chief who clearly reflects the Saudi royal government’s view — recently criticized President Barack Obama for weakness in the Middle East. The Israeli government is similarly disenchanted with Obama’s regional performance.Prince...
Thirty years of commitment to chasing and reporting the truth
December 27th, 20130 Another year in the history of our community has passed. The past twelve months were filled with success, headache and heartbreak. Our community witnessed the election of qualified individuals to office, withstood the emergence of controversies and attacks, and endured the loss of some beloved members.As the Arab American News seals its...Sanctions against Iran harm innocent people, peace
What are President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry up to with Iran? First they boasted of a historic interim agreement with Iran regarding its civilian nuclear program — an agreement which demonstrates that the Islamic Republic won’t be making nuclear weapons — something it has shown no inclination to do anyway. Then......
Academic boycott of Israel should open dialogue
On Dec. 15, the members of the American Studies Association (ASA) voted 66% in favor of endorsing the ASA National Council resolution to boycott Israeli academic institutions in protest of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.The council applied standards predicated on evidence of institutional discrimination and made a gesture of...The deadly pawns of Saudi Arabia
Donors in Saudi Arabia have notoriously played a pivotal role in creating and maintaining Sunni jihadist groups over the past 30 years. But, for all the supposed determination of the United States and its allies since 9/11 to fight “the war on terror,” they have showed astonishing restraint when it comes to pressuring Saudi Arabia......
Impossible dialogue
Chances are dim that elections will be held in Yemen next February. Yet without elections, the push for reforms and change that were inspired by the Yemeni revolution would become devoid of any real value. Yemenis might find themselves back on the street, repeating the original demands that echoed in the country’s many impoverished...The plot thickens: Gaza is flooded with sewage and conspiracies
The latest punishment of Gaza may seem like another familiar plot to humiliate the strip to the satisfaction of Israel, Mahmoud Abbas’s Palestinian Authority, and the military-controlled Egyptian government. But something far more sinister is brewing.This time, the collective punishment of Gaza arrives in the form of raw sewage that is......