Rebuild Michigan’s economy through opportunities for our skilled trades
Within Michigan's unemployment rate, which has been among the nation's highest for years, is another disturbing statistic: one-third of our construction industry is jobless. Bouchard: "Now more than ever, we need people to deepen their investment and commitment to this great state. Under my plan, they can do so without being...A view of Muslims in America
After the "Sweatshirt Scandal" at Edsel Ford led by 15 juniors at the high school, Debbie Schlussel, a well-known blogger/lawyer, had the audacity to categorize all Muslims as supporters of homicide bombings and plane hijackings. The sweatshirts featured a Class of 2011-themed design on the back with each digit in the number 11...Letters to the editor: Dearborn School Board meetings heat up over contract negotiations
Contract negotiations should not be in the press To the editor: It is unbelievable that a member of the Board of Education would discuss contract negotiations in the press. ("Weathering the storm at schools," by Aimee Blackburn, The Arab American News, December 12-18, 2009). The step increases Ms. Blackburn refers to have not been...
Dearborn students need us
January 16th, 20100 As the budget crisis in Dearborn schools deepens, as tempers flare and public debates intensify, we must remind ourselves how important it is to stop the bickering and the finger pointing and focus on working together as one city to find a viable solution to this crisis. After all, it is about our kids and our future. Dearborn schools...
New TSA guidelines are ethnic profiling at its worst
January 9th, 20100 The new Transportation Security Administration (TSA) directives will require citizens from 14 countries, all Arab or Muslim countries with the exception of Cuba, to go through enhanced security screening. Such screening can include full pat-downs, scans, delays, and anything associated with secondary screening - an extra search of the...Muslims misunderstood Swiss vote
To the editor: I would like to respond to the article by Ali Moossavi (Minaret ban indicates evolving fascism, 24 December). Mr. Moossavi has completely failed to understand the reasons for the Swiss vote in favor of a ban on the construction of minarets. A protestor carries a sign in Switzerland. The call for a referendum was...
Season’s Greetings
December 24th, 20090 As is our practice, we have combined the final two issues of the year to give our staff a much-needed break and to facilitate the observance of all the year-end holidays of 2009. We at The Arab American News wish all of our readers and advertisers a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. While 2009 was a special year for the...
Gaza must be rebuilt now
December 24th, 20090 It is generally recognized that the Middle East peace process is in the doldrums, almost moribund. Israeli settlement expansion within Palestine continues, and PLO leaders refuse to join in renewed peace talks without a settlement freeze, knowing that no Arab or Muslim nation will accept any comprehensive agreement while Israel retains...
Weathering the storm at schools
December 18th, 20090 During these times of economic crisis, when our state is scrambling to balance the generation of revenue against the spending required to maintain services needed for our citizens, it is not uncommon for the blame game to begin. Many rumors and accusations have been launched over the past few months. Fingers are being pointed from our...Iran sanctions are counterproductive
Following his vote against H.R. 2194 — Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act of 2009 — Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) released the following statement outlining his opposition: I strongly oppose the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act of 2009. This legislation obstructs the Obama administration's ongoing negotiations with...
The hypocrisy of al-demoqratia
December 12th, 20090 So this is how democracy works? In 2004, France banned headscarves and school principals chased after young "defiant" Muslim girls who continued to cover their heads in school. Now, following a national referendum, Switzerland has banned the construction of minarets, because minarets also somehow symbolize oppression. Thanks to the...
Best Buy’s commitment to diversity must be rewarded
December 5th, 20090 Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE: BBY) is a specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Canada, Mexico, and China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada it operates under both the Best Buy and Future Shop...
Don’t let Department of Energy subsidize illegal settlements
December 5th, 20090 The day before Thanksgiving, the U.S. Department of Energy announced that it is awarding Motorola Israel with $900,000 for a joint energy management system with SmartSynch Inc. This contract is intended to develop energy saving technologies, but amounts to subsidizing Israel's settlement industry. Aside from energy management...The war is a threat to our national security
(Editor's note: Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich made the following statement on the House floor regarding President Barack Obama's speech to the nation on Afghanistan. We couldn't say it any better, so here it is:) Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich "America is in the fight of its life and that fight is not in Afghanistan —...School budget cuts must be addressed
This is the time of year, when we typically talk about the academic achievement and success taking place in our school district, the time of year when we emphasize that every day, every school is deeply engaged in the mission of this district, the education of students. However, over the last several weeks one topic has been consuming......
Robertson: Islam not a religion
November 21st, 20090 The impact of unregulated religious propaganda on world peace, public diplomacy and ethical business practices is an issue which merits serious debate. Eccentric religious leaders are free to launch hate "missiles" across international borders. Media networks are free to spew provocative interfaith theology. However, self-appointed...Dare to speak out
Here we go again. From the White House to the Pentagon to most media outlets, the order of the day is how to delicately maneuver the thin line between reporting on the latest cold-blooded mass murder committed by a Muslim, U.S. Army Major Nidal Hasan, and avoiding fanning racial and religious hatred toward the millions of Arab and......
Ft. Hood killings act of an individual, not an entire community
Arab Americans and American Muslims fear a backlash anytime an individual of Arab or Muslim background commits a horrendous crime, like the one we saw last week in Fort Hood. A photo of a memorial service at Ft. Hood. Major Nidal Malik Hasan, an Arab and a Muslim, is alleged to have murdered 13 fellow military personnel...I am a proper Zionist Jew after all
Yes, I am a survivor, for I have managed to survive all the scary accounts of the Holocaust: the one about the soap, the one about the lamp shades, the one about the camps, the mass shooting, the one about the gas and the one about the death march. I just managed to survive them all. In spite of all these fear inflicting stories, that...Truth, human dignity and the Goldstone Report
Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) made the following statement on the House Floor about H. Res 867, condemning the Goldstone Report or the Report of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict. The resolution later passed. "Today we journey from Operation Cast Lead to Operation Cast Doubt. Almost as serious as...Read Goldstone’s report on Gaza
Editor's note: the following oped by Rep. Keith Ellison appeared in Politico.com the morning of the vote in Congress to dismiss the Goldstone report. Who is afraid of Richard Goldstone? No one should be. Not even the U.S. Congress — yet it is poised on Tuesday to condemn the United Nations Human Rights Council's Goldstone report on......
What’s in a name?
As parents, one of the first decisions we make is what to name the child that we have been entrusted with. This decision is never made lightly. Aimee Blackburn For some, a name is chosen for the old-world meaning, for others as a tribute to someone famous, and for many, names are handed down through the generations as a...A campaign for all
I would like to thank the community for supporting me throughout OUR campaign. Ali Sayed Your support, generosity, and commitment to this campaign was, without a doubt, something special and really humbled me as an individual. I emphasize the word "our" because this campaign was not about Ali Sayed running for city......
Lessons from election day
November 7th, 20090 As the dust settles from Tuesday's municipal election in Dearborn, I, like many who analyzed the detailed numbers, see good news and bad news. And from what I have heard since Tuesday, it is clear that the individual candidates and their supporters have their own views on what went well and what went bad. Tarek...
Our endorsements for 2009
November 3rd, 20090 The municipal elections being held Tuesday, November 3, provide an unprecedented opportunity for Arab Americans, particularly in Dearborn. While the election is important because it decides who will be making the decisions that affect our everyday lives — running the city, running the schools, protecting and maintaining neighborhoods......