Preparing students for a career in tech
February 1st, 20220 By Michael Mitchell Software has become an essential part of our everyday lives. From smartphones to washing machines, computer applications are here to stay and we must prepare the next generation to be adept in tech. With the tech business booming, many students are looking to get a head start on their careers in the field....
Addressing the stigma surrounding mental health and illness in the Arab community
January 30th, 20221 — Sara Nasser is a licensed clinical/community mental health counselor and art therapist. It appears the only time we ever really hear about mental health issues in our community is when something unfortunate has happened. So, naturally, the subject becomes a topic of fear to some. Oftentimes, mental illness is hard to recognize or...
U.S. doesn’t care for China’s Muslims: Boycotting the Olympics is about global competition
January 28th, 20220 The diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games may go down in history as the official start of the cold war between the U.S., a handful of its allies and China. The American strategy, however, of using boycotts to pressure Beijing in the name of “human rights”, may prove costly in the future. On December...
MLK Day and the legacy of spying on activists
January 17th, 20220 MLK Day, since being signed into law as a national holiday by President Reagan, has come to symbolize a moment of national reflection on the state of race relations in America. Although Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the end of his life was a staunch champion against militarism and economic exploitation, seminal moments such as his...
No Visa waiver for Israel until Arab American rights are protected
January 12th, 20220 Last week the Jerusalem Post ran a story under the headline “Palestinian Americans to be allowed to land at Ben Gurion Airport.” Israeli officials are now saying that instead of only permitting Palestinian Americans to cross over the Allenby Bridge from Jordan, they will allow them to fly into Israel’s airport and proceed from...
Coming this 2022: Refugees, democracy and human rights
January 12th, 20220 Although 2021 is now behind us, there are many issues that will linger for a while, or much longer, and will certainly dominate much of the news in 2022 as well. These are but a few of the issues. NATO-Russian brinkmanship Exasperated with NATO expansion and growing ambitions in the Black Sea region, Moscow has decided to challenge...
New books by American Muslims: Muslims have stories to tell; are Americans ready to listen?
January 11th, 20220 — This article was contributed by Joseph Richard Preville to The Arab American News. It has been edited for style. Al Qaeda’s terrorist attack on America on September 11, 2001 was horrific, but what came next was far worse. The U.S. responded by unleashing a 20-year campaign of surveillance and harassment against its own Muslim...
A year on, the ideological insurrection against our democracy continues
January 8th, 20220 — This article by Abdul El-Sayed originally appeared in the newsletter The Incision. It has been edited for style. Subscribe to The Incision here: incision.substack.com When I told my parents that I was going to run for governor of Michigan, I could see through the windows of their eyes the emotions battling in their minds....
“Previously unknown massacres”: Why is Israel allowed to own Palestinian history?
December 26th, 20210 Haaretz’s investigative report – "Classified Docs Reveal Massacres of Palestinians in ’48 – and What Israeli Leaders Knew" – is a must-read. It should be particularly read by any person who considers himself a "Zionist" and also by people who, for whatever reason, support Israel, anywhere in the world. “In the village of...Belgium is on the right track, but Europe has failed Palestine
The Belgian government’s decision on Nov. 25 to label products made in illegal Israeli Jewish settlements is welcome, although it will ultimately prove ineffectual. Belgium has historically shown solidarity with Palestine if compared to other European countries, for example, Britain, Germany and France. From the cancellation of...
Hamtramck needs funding assistance to remove antiquated lead service lines
December 1st, 20210 By Kathy Angerer Hamtramck is a very unique community. The 2020 Census revealed that our population is among the fastest-growing in Michigan. We are the most diverse city in Michigan, with a wide range of cultures from all around the world represented among our people. 41.4 percent of our population was born outside the United States;...
We need a new way to measure COVID
November 25th, 20210 — This article by Abdul El-Sayed originally appeared in the newsletter The Incision. It has been edited for style. Subscribe to The Incision here: incision.substack.com Throughout the pandemic, Europe has been a harbinger of what’s coming next on this side of the pond. And across Europe, COVID cases are climbing. In the U.K.,...
We do exist: Why the Palestinian voice should take center stage
November 24th, 20210 At a recent New York event, the president of the Foreign Press Association, Ian Williams, declared, before an approving audience, that it is time “to reclaim the narrative on Palestine.” This phrase — “reclaiming the narrative” — is relatively new to the Palestinian discourse. Years ago, the concept, let alone its...
What’s really on trial in Kenosha and Glynn County?
November 19th, 20211 — This article by Abdul El-Sayed originally appeared in the newsletter The Incision. It has been edited for style. Subscribe to The Incision here: incision.substack.com Last week, Kyle Rittenhouse pulled a Brett Kavanaugh and ugly cried on the witness stand in a desperate plea for sympathy. His made-for-Twitter hysterics were...
A long journey to a “historic” election
November 5th, 20210 This week, headlines regarding Tuesday’s election across local, national and international media included some version of the word "historic." Not surprising when one takes into consideration that three Arab American candidates in some of the state’s densest cities enjoyed landslide victories for mayoral races: Amer Ghalib in......
Just how does Biden differ from Trump on Palestine?
October 31st, 20210 When Joe Biden was declared the winner in the U.S. elections last November, expectations in Ramallah were high. A Biden administration, compared to the brazenly pro-Israel Trump administration, would surely be much fairer to Palestinians, was the conventional wisdom at the time. Hence, unsurprisingly, Palestinian Authority President...
Let us make history on November 2
October 30th, 20211 Elections are always important. That is why, in every election since its inception, The Arab American News has encouraged the Arab American community to be involved in the decision-making process and to show up to vote and run for public offices. This local election is no different in terms of importance, but it is also unique in the......
Why we chose not to endorse either candidate for Hamtramck mayor
October 30th, 20210 Endorsing candidates for important offices is a major responsibility for local organizations and newspapers. For an ethnic newspaper, the voice of the community we advocate for has to be taken into consideration, as should the issues that affect it the most. But decisions on endorsements cannot simply come about with a superficial...
Dearborn, beware of rumors, haters and dividers in this election season
October 23rd, 20210 As much as we all hope and work for better outcomes, it seems as though Dearborn cannot have an election season without anonymous and false attacks and rumors. For the last few days, some individuals have been circulating on social media and through chats what they claim is a statement (in Arabic and English) issued by “Arab...
What Michigan’s Yemeni community can teach Democrats
October 22nd, 20210 — This article by Abdul El-Sayed originally appeared in the newsletter The Incision. It has been edited for style. Subscribe to The Incision here: incision.substack.com About a month after my 2018 Michigan gubernatorial campaign ended, I sat among Yemeni American community leaders in the enclave of South Dearborn. With large,...
Colin Powell, not a hero
October 22nd, 20210 — Iqbal Jassat is an acclaimed writer, analyst and commentator and one of the founding members of Media Review Network. This article, edited for style, also appears in the Palestine Chronicle Will Colin Powell be remembered as America’s hero or as a war criminal? Since his death a few days ago, there appears to be a rush to......
Concerns regarding surveillance in Dearborn Schools
October 21st, 20210 The recent Dearborn City Council approval for the police department’s access of live video feed inside public schools may have the unintended consequence of exposing students to varying levels of harm. Hence, we have serious concerns that the current policy of allowing Dearborn Police real-time monitoring of students should be...
The cultural genocide in Palestine: On Sally Rooney’s decision to Boycott Israel
October 20th, 20210 The pro-Israel crowd on social media was quick to pounce on award-winning Irish novelist Sally Rooney as soon as she declared that she had “chosen not to sell… translation rights of her best-selling novel, Beautiful World, Where Are You to an Israeli-based publishing house.” Expectedly, the accusations centered on the standard......
Dearborn Arab American community in danger of losing representation in Lansing
October 16th, 20210 — Amer Zahr is a comedian, writer, speaker and adjunct professor at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law I have been closely following the Michigan redistricting process as it pertains to Dearborn and the State House. I presented once in front of the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (MICRC) on Sept. 7...
In redistricting, minority communities have a chance to demand fair representation and resources
October 16th, 20210 – Dr. Hayg Oshagan is a professor at Wayne State University, co-chair of the Detroit City Council Immigration Task Force and the director of New Michigan Media We are entering the final phase of the redistricting process in Michigan. As you know, Michigan voters passed a law in 2018 that redistricting in our state would be done by......
