The Nakba Day triumph: How the U.N. Is correcting a historical wrong
December 18th, 20220 The next Nakba Day will be officially commemorated by the United Nations General Assembly on May 15, 2023. The decision by the world’s largest democratic institution is significant, if not a game changer. For nearly 75 years, the Palestinian Nakba, the "Catastrophe" wrought by the ethnic cleansing of Palestine by Zionist militias in...
Addressing health disparities in Michigan with an uncommon approach to care
December 10th, 20220 By Robert MacArthur, MD Healthcare disparities are preventable differences in healthcare status, access and quality experienced by many consumers due to a variety of factors, including race, ethnicity, income, gender, neighborhood, language and education. For example, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human...
Hosting its first ever World Cup — MENA countries show up, in the stands, on the pitch
December 10th, 20220 By Marc Serber, football analyst The first-ever FIFA World Cup held in the MENA (Middle East/North African) region has brought a real opportunity to showcase football pedigree on the field and introduce the world to its fan culture in the stands and outside of Qatar’s eight stadiums. While the host nation bowed out in...
On “hate” and love at the World Cup: Palestine is more than an Arab cause
December 10th, 20220 We were mistaken to think that Palestine represents the central issue for all Arabs. Such language suggests that Palestine is an external subject, to be compared to other collective struggles that consume most Arabs, everywhere. The ongoing celebration of Palestine and the Palestinian flag at the Qatar World Cup 2022 by millions of...
Why the decision of the FBI to investigate Abu Akleh’s murder is unprecedented
November 26th, 20220 The recent decision by the United States Department of Justice to open an investigation into the killing, last May, of Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh is not a game-changer, but important and worthy of reflection, nonetheless. Based on the long trajectory of U.S. military and political support of Israel, and...
“Nothing works”: Europe must stop blaming others for its own crises
November 12th, 20220 The European Union’s Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell is not particularly perceived by the EU’s political elite or mainstream media as a right-wing ideologue or warmonger. But seen through a different, non-Western prism, it is hard not to mistake him for one. Borrell’s recent comments that “Europe is a garden” and that...
Michigan voters hand Democrats historic victory, deal a blow to the MAGA movement
November 11th, 20220 The midterm elections shocked most observers and political experts throughout the nation. While Republicans gained a few seats in the Congress, and may perhaps still win the majority there, nothing like the widely predicted "Red Wave" came to fruition. The Senate is still up for grabs, and Democrats scored a number of major victories...
Brazil’s politics mirror our own
November 9th, 20220 By Lee H. Hamilton Watching Brazil’s presidential election from the U.S. has been like looking into a funhouse mirror. The image looks a lot like us, for better or for worse. According to official results, challenger Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva ousted the incumbent, Jair Bolsonaro, and will take office Jan. 1. But the margin was...
Michigan Election Day guide and endorsements: Who deserves our vote
November 5th, 20220 Michigan's midterm election is on Tuesday, Nov. 8, and among the races at stake are for governor, secretary of state and attorney general. There are also three ballot proposals that could change the state's constitution, all 13 seats in the U.S. Congress and all the State House and Senate seats. The midterm elections will likely...
From ally to enemy: Australia hammers final nail in U.S. “Deal of the Century”
October 31st, 20220 U.S. President Donald Trump’s so-called "Deal of the Century" was meant to represent a finality of sorts, an event reminiscent of Francis Fukuyama’s premature declaration of the ‘End of History’ and the uncontested supremacy of western capitalism. In effect, it was a declaration that ‘we’ – the U.S., Israel and a few allies...
Has the honeymoon ended?
October 28th, 20222 - Muzammil Ahmed serves on the boards of Emgage MI, CAIR MI and is the former chair of the Michigan Muslim Community Council. The opinions expressed are his own. When the Muslim community and the progressive forces came together after 9/11, it was a marriage of convenience. Arabs and Muslims needed to be loved and the Progressives...
Retired military officials say GOP secretary of state candidate threat to national security
October 26th, 20221 The following op-ed was submitted by James Pocock, major general, U.S. Army, retired; Thomas N. Edmonds, brigadier general, U.S. Air Force, retired; Axel A. Johnson, III, brigadier general, U.S. Army, retired; Mark A. Montjar, brigadier general, U.S. Army, retired; Donald Schenk, brigadier general, U.S. Amy, retired and Valerie...
Difficult months ahead: Why Israel is afraid of the Lions’ Den
October 24th, 20220 This headline in the Israeli newspaper the Jerusalem Post only tells part of the story: “The Lions’ Den, Other Palestinian Groups are Endless Headache for Israel, PA.” It is true that both the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority are equally worried about the prospect of a widespread armed revolt in the occupied West...
Our endorsements for Nov. 8: Don’t let bigotry and misinformation divide our community
October 21st, 20220 The November election is around the corner, and because of ongoing and unprecedented attacks on civil liberties and democracy itself, we cannot emphasize its importance enough. We know these elections will not occur in a vacuum. Recently, the nation turned its attention to our community once more; but sadly, this time it wasn’t due...
Strangers behind the trees: On the death of Rayan Suliman and his fear of monsters
October 16th, 20220 Children of my Gaza refugee camp were rarely afraid of monsters, but of Israeli soldiers. This is all that we talked about before going to bed. Unlike imaginary monsters in the closet or under the bed, Israeli soldiers are real, and they could show up any minute — at the door, on the roof or, as was often the case, right in the middle......
Dearborn must embrace diversity, inclusion and freedom of expression
October 14th, 20225 By now, just about in everyone in Dearborn is aware of the book banning saga in the Dearborn Public Schools. A number of concerned citizens and parents have voiced their objections to the presence of certain books in school libraries, namely books that explore LGBTQ+ themes and lifestyles. Undoubtedly, parents should have a say in the...
Dearborn educators stand up for safe and welcoming schools
October 13th, 20220 DEARBORN – American Federation of Teachers local unions who are active in the Dearborn community released the following statement prior to the Dearborn Board of Education meeting on Thursday, October 13, at Stout Middle School. Dearborn educators are committed to providing a quality education to every single student and ensuring our......
Hamtramck schools: Esports is more than a video game club
October 13th, 20220 Will Kim is the Hamtramck High School science teacher and Esports coach. This article has been edited for style. At Hamtramck Public Schools (HPS), we encourage our students to play video games. In the fall of 2019, we launched the first HPS Esports program in district history to give students what they were asking for: A safe way...
Homeless crisis: Mental health agencies provides support
October 11th, 20220 Homelessness is a growing concern in the U.S., with many people struggling to get by in almost every community. While it's not a new problem, the number of people experiencing homelessness has increased significantly over the past couple of years. According to an organization called End Homelessness, homeless numbers grew by 2 percent...
Hidden motives: Why Lapid is not serious about a Palestinian state
October 8th, 20220 Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid threw a wrench into the works when he declared from the United Nations General Assembly podium, “An agreement with the Palestinians, based on two states for two peoples, is the right thing for Israel’s security, for Israel’s economy and for the future of our children.” The statement took many...
Resilient Neighborhoods: Delray earth upheaval incident raises concerns for Southwest Detroit neighborhood
October 3rd, 20220 By David Sands Authorities were baffled by a geological incident that caused the ground itself to buckle in Detroit's Delray neighborhood last fall. On the night of Sept. 11, 2021, the intersection of Dearborn and West Fort Street experienced a shifting of the ground that left a roughly eight-foot-high mound of earth. The upheaval......
From Exodus to Marvel: A brief history of Hollywood’s justification of Israeli war crimes
October 3rd, 20220 The introduction of an Israeli Mossad agent as the latest Marvel movie character crosses the line, even by Hollywood's poor moral standards. However, the Israeli superhero, Sabra, must be understood within the rational progression of the Israelification of Hollywood, a phenomenon that is surprisingly new. Sabra is a relatively old...
“Avenging Sabra and Shatila”: On Israeli massacres and Palestinian resistance
September 14th, 20220 September 16 marks the 40th anniversary of the Sabra and Shatila massacre, the killing of around 3,000 Palestinians at the hands of Lebanon’s Phalangist militias operating under the command of the Israeli army. Four decades have passed, yet no measure of justice has been received by the survivors of the massacre. Many of them have......
38 years of being the loudest, clearest and the bravest voice for our community
September 11th, 20220 As we quietly marked the 38th anniversary of our establishment on Wednesday, September 7, 2022, we can’t help but reflect on the challenges we’ve faced, the advancement we’ve achieved and the issues we’ve reported on and overcome together as a community. Running a media publication has always been difficult, challenging and...
The road to fascism: How the war in Ukraine is changing Europe
September 11th, 20222 As soon as I landed in Rome, I discovered that I was no longer able to access any Russian media whatsoever. Unfortunately, threats by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that Europe should sever all links with “Russia’s propaganda machine” were taken seriously by the Italian government. As a journalist, having......
