Cal-Berkeley rallies around divestment vote; other colleges continue BDS movement against Israeli companies
The struggle to help the besieged Palestinian territory of Gaza has been challenging to say the least, but many have become encouraged by the growing Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement that is gaining steam on college campuses across the country. ASUC Senator Minji Kim abstained from the April 15 vote to override the...Troika knew Gitmo detainees innocent
George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld covered up that hundreds of innocent men were sent to the Guantánamo Bay prison camp because they feared that releasing them would harm the push for war in Iraq and the broader war on terror, according to a new document obtained by The Times (of London). Lawrence WilkersonThe...ASUC Senate tables vote on vetoed divestment bill
Following a nearly nine-hour discussion that began at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday evening and lasted into Thursday morning, Associated Students University of California (ASUC) senators at Berkeley have yet to reach a decision on whether to uphold or override President Will Smelko's March 24 veto of a controversial bill urging the student...Hate group using Qur’an as toilet paper
WASHINGTON — The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) this week called on American Muslims and other people of conscience to urge Republican leaders to insist that Rep. Sue Myrick (R-NC) withdraw her support for an anti-Islam hate group after one of its Florida representatives was exposed bragging in a YouTube video that...Racism, hate activity linked to mental health problems in victims
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — For the first time, researchers have connected mental health issues in Arab Americans and American Muslims with reported bias and discrimination following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The researchers say their study is the first representative, population-based investigation of the health and psychological impacts...New strategy removes terrorism lens on Muslims
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama's advisers plan to remove terms such as "Islamic radicalism" from a document outlining national security strategy and will use the new version to emphasize that the U.S. does not view Muslim nations through the lens of terrorism, counterterrorism officials say.The change would be a significant...U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to keynote Civil Rights Luncheon at ADC’s convention
WASHINGTON — The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) has announced that US Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr., will deliver the keynote remarks at the Annual Civil Rights Luncheon during ADC's 30th Anniversary National Convention. The Luncheon will take place on Friday June 4, 2010, from 12:30 PM - 2:00 PM...ADC cautiously welcomes revised TSA policy
WASHINGTON — The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) has cautiously welcomed the decision by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to reverse a prior security policy based on national origin or racial profiling. Prior directives targeted individuals, including U.S. citizens, traveling from Muslim majority or...
Gas station owner gets $50 million jury verdict in epic battle against Shell Oil
April 4th, 20100 It's not too often an attorney from a tiny firm battles a company like Shell Oil on behalf of a single plaintiff and walks away with a $50 million jury verdict. This looks like a gas station, but note no pumps. Atallah had to rent his defunct station to Smog Busters, which tests to ensure cars meet California emission control...Obama pushes speedy Iran sanctions
The U.S. president has pressed for tougher U.N. sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program to be passed in a matter of weeks. Barack Obama, in a joint press conference with Nicolas Sarkozy, his visiting French counterpart, said it was time to get moving on the sanctions after prolonged negotiations with China, Russia, Germany...Cal-Berkeley students pass divestment, fight veto
While progress in bringing freedom and peace to Palestine has been painfully slow, the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement continues to gain supporters both in the U.S. and abroad. Economic pressure from campuses and other organizations helped bring about the end of the former apartheid state in South Africa and many...
How will Health Care Reform affect the economy?
March 27th, 20100 (CSM) – President Obama's victory on the new health care bill could provide a modest boost to the U.S. job market starting this year. President Barack Obama signs the healthcare legislation during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House alongside 11 year-old Marcelas Owens in Washington, March 23, 2010. Owens lost his...Lengthy talks fail to resolve U.S.-Israeli tensions
WASHINGTON (AP) — A last-ditch effort to heal the deep dispute between two longtime allies failed when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the United States' main Mideast envoy were unable to resolve a rift over new Israeli housing in east Jerusalem. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (R) is greeted by Lee...
Census to count Arabs as white, despite write-in campaign
March 27th, 20100 The Census Bureau says it doesn't matter if Arab Americans write their race in on their Census questionnaire. Even if they check the "other" box and write in "Arab," as many community groups advocate, the Census will still count them as racially white. "Anyone from Europe, North Africa or the Middle East as white," said Roberto...EEOC decides Almontaser rights violated
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has found that the New York City Department of Education in 2007 discriminated against Debbie Almontaser, who was forced to resign from her position as principal of an Arabic-language public school in Brooklyn. Debbie Almontaser, former head of Khalil Gibran International Academy,......
U.S. Department of Justice asked to regulate AIPAC as a foreign agent of the Israeli government
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Justice has been formally asked to begin regulating the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) as the foreign agent of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A 392 page legal filing presented by a four person delegation of the Institute for Research: Middle Eastern Policy in a two hour...Arabs organize to get counted in Census: “There is nothing ‘other’ about us.”
SAN FRANCISCO — A coalition of Arab American cultural organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area have launched a grassroots organizing campaign designed to send a clear message to Washington: that they, along with every other Arab in America, are in fact Arab, and not white. A custom designed T-Shirt to support the organizing......
Senate debates indefinite detentions
NEW YORK (IPS) — Civil liberties advocates and U.S. constitutional law scholars lost no time in condemning proposed legislation introduced in the Senate Thursday that would hand the government the power to indefinitely detain terrorism suspects without charge and to conduct trials through military commissions only. Typical was the...YOUR MONEY – How to challenge your property tax assessment
DEARBORN — It’s that time of year again. Local residents and business owners are receiving property tax notices of assessment. After three years of a battered real estate market, many suspect that they are being overtaxed on inflated property values. If you own a home or business you will receive a letter in the mail called a...Admiral Mullen: Foreign policy is too dominated by the military
The Pentagon's top officer said the military cannot continue to do the bulk of the heavy lifting overseas, and it's time for the State Department and other agencies to step up. Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Wednesday evening that there...Harvard Fellow calls for genocidal measure to curb Palestinian births
A fellow at Harvard University's Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Martin Kramer, has called for "the West" to take measures to curb the births of Palestinians, a proposal that appears to meet the international legal definition of a call for genocide. Martin Kramer, fellow at Harvard University's Weatherhead Center......
Arab American finishes second in Texas primary race for governor
Going into the 2010 Democratic primary election in the state of Texas, few people thought Farouk Shami had a chance to compete for the party's nomination. Palestinian native Farouk Shami made his mark as a hair care products mogul before entering the Democratic race for Texas...Debate over military action against Iran gains steam
WASHINGTON (IPS) — While the ongoing U.S. military "surge" in Afghanistan continues to capture the headlines, Iran's nuclear program — and how best to deal with it — is rapidly emerging here as this year's biggest foreign policy challenge. Although the administration of President Barack Obama remains hopeful that a combination......
Ask an Arab!
February 27th, 20100 NPR features comedians Maysoon Zayid and Dean Obeidallah as they open up and answer questions from passers-by about magic carpets and plural marriage.Check out the full story with video here. ...Spring is around the corner, so keep healthy the remainder of winter
In many areas of the country, the snow and wintry conditions will linger into spring. And yes, the risk of contracting colds, especially those "change-of-season" colds, will arise. When cold weather hits, you prepare your house by checking the furnace and making sure your car has the proper fluids. "Winterization" applies to your car,......
