Federal agency releases report on how TSA can curb discriminatory practices at ports of entry
November 10th, 20220 DETROIT — A federal agency has released a report, after a 2020 request from U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-Michigan), on how the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) can eliminate the potential for discrimination in travel screenings. The report comes out of years of requests by Arab Americans and Muslim Americans to their...
Demonstrators in Washington, D.C. call on Egypt to #FreeAlaa
November 9th, 20220 By Laura Albast WASHINGTON, D.C. — Some 40 community members gathered at Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C. on Monday night. Holding candles and signs, they called for the Egyptian military regime to release Alaa Abd El-Fattah, a British-Egyptian writer and political prisoner. Abd El-Fattah entered the public eye during the 2011...
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...
Analysis: What’s at stake in the midterm elections
November 5th, 20220 Control of Congress is at stake in Tuesday's midterm elections, along with President Biden’s agenda for the two years remaining in his term. Republicans stand a strong chance of taking control of the U.S. House of Representatives, while Democrats retain a slim hope of keeping a majority in the Senate. Republican control of either...
Trump considering launching fresh White House bid after midterm elections
November 3rd, 20220 Former President Trump is considering launching a third bid for the White House this month and is speed-dialing confidantes to hash out possible scenarios as he looks to benefit from expected Republican wins in Tuesday's midterms, three Trump advisers said. "I think like a moth to a flame, Trump will run in 2024," one senior adviser...
Israel, Lebanon finalize maritime demarcation deal without mutual recognition; Hezbollah mobilization to end
October 28th, 20220 BEIRUT — Lebanese and Israeli leaders finalized a U.S.-brokered maritime demarcation deal on Thursday, bringing a measure of accommodation between the enemy states as they eye offshore energy exploration. Leaders from Lebanon, Israel and the U.S. have all hailed the deal as "historic" but the possibility of a wider diplomatic...
Salman Rushdie lives, but loses use of eye and hand
October 27th, 20220 Salman Rushdie’s agent says the author has lost sight in one eye and the use of a hand as he recovers from an attack from a man who rushed the stage at an August literary event in western New York, according to a published report. Literary agent Andrew Wylie told the Spanish language newspaper El Pais in an article published...
“Historic agreement” struck between Lebanon, Israel in maritime dispute
October 12th, 20220 BEIRUT — Negotiators in recent talks between Lebanon and Israel over a maritime border dispute said this week a "historic" deal had been struck between the two countries. “Lebanon has obtained its full rights, and all of its remarks have been taken into account,” said Lebanon’s Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab, who submitted the...
Cultural tradition and elder care in Detroit’s Arab American community
October 7th, 20221 By Lucas Resetar, special to The Arab American News and New Michigan Media In the year 2000, 11-year-old Marwan Mikhael left Iraq with his father. After crossing into Jordan and enduring a difficult and dangerous journey, he ended up at a small refugee camp in Bulgaria. “There was no food and little water,” Mikhael said. “I...
Biden overhauls U.S. policy on marijuana, pardons prior federal offenses
October 7th, 20220 WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Biden took steps to overhaul U.S. policy on marijuana on Thursday by pardoning thousands of people with federal offenses for simple marijuana possession and initiating a review of how the drug is classified. Biden said thousands of people with prior federal convictions could be denied employment, housing...
Biden administration guts most of public charge rule, but immigrants still fearful
October 7th, 20220 — This article, by Sunita Sohrabji for Ethnic Media Service, has been edited for style Last week, the Biden administration gutted the signature Trump-era policy known as public charge, which effectively imposed a wealth tax on people seeking to gain permanent residency in the U.S. The new rule will go into effect on Dec. 23. It...
National poll dives into demographics of American Muslims, Islamophobia, political attitudes, more
September 18th, 20220 A new, extensive national poll shines light on American Muslims' attitudes and perspectives on major issues, in the context of the broader faith landscape in the country. The American Muslim Poll 2022: A Politics and Pandemic Status Report was released late last month by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU), which...
Anaheim finally recognizes “Little Arabia” after decades of advocacy
September 15th, 20220 ANAHEIM, CA — After years of lobbying by advocates, Anaheim finally designated its Arab American enclave as "Little Arabia" on Tuesday. In a statement, Anaheim's spokeswoman told CNN the city plans to follow up the designation with in-depth research. "The Little Arabia designation recognizes an area of our city we've always...
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...
Investigating the victim: On Abbas’ “holocaust” and the depravity of Israeli Hasbara
September 4th, 20220 “There was no Massacre in Jenin” was the title of a Haaretz editorial on April 19, 2002, one week after Israel ended its deadly onslaught on the besieged Palestinian refugee camp in the northern West Bank. The unwarranted conclusion by Haaretz, other Israeli media and, ultimately, numerous Western outlets was not the outcome of a......
U.S. will never allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon, Biden tells Israel’s Lapid
September 3rd, 20220 WASHINGTON, D.C. - President Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid on Wednesday the U.S. will never allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon, the White House said, as Tehran seeks stronger guarantees from Washington for the revival of a nuclear deal with world powers. Israel opposes a return to the 2015 deal, which imposed curbs on...
Federal agencies see guidance on data collection for MENA communities
August 26th, 20220 The federal office in charge of creating and overseeing the government’s population data collection practices is now providing guidance to agencies on how to collect data on the Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) community using a separate ancestry question. Those working for proper recognition of the MENA community as its own......
Victims’ families, local community reject sectarian label in New Mexico murders
August 25th, 20220 ALBUQUERQUE, NM — In the case of four murdered Muslim men in Albuquerque, Muhammad Syed, an Afghan refugee, has now been charged with the murder of three of the victims. New Mexico prosecutors used cell phone evidence to link Syed, 51, to the Aug. 5 murder of truck business owner Naeem Hussain. Police previously charged Syed with...
Superbugs are getting stronger. Our defenses are getting weaker
August 24th, 20220 – David Thomas, MS, is vice president of industry research at the Biotechnology Innovation Organization. Emily Wheeler is director of infectious disease policy at the Biotechnology Innovation Organization. A version of this piece originally ran in MedPage Today. Drug-resistant infections pose a growing threat to public health....
ADC appoints Abed Ayoub as national executive director
August 24th, 20220 WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Wednesday, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) announced the appointment of Abed Ayoub to serve as ADC national executive director. The ADC is a long-running organization, involved in advocacy in broad-ranging incidents of discrimination against the Arab American and Muslim communities of the...
The problem of being insured while Arab, Chaldean or Muslim
August 20th, 20220 The problems of racial and religious animus are unfortunately ongoing challenges for Michiganders with ancestry from the Middle East or who adhere to the Islamic faith. These challenges exist despite the density of Arab and Chaldean Americans and American Muslims who reside in Southeastern Michigan. Although issues such as hate crimes......
The average Michigander would give up four years of their life to keep eating fast food, survey reveals
August 19th, 20220 - This article was contributed by DrugGenius, a website dedicated to providing medically reviewed information about prescription drugs, health conditions, nutrition, supplements and more. It has been edited for style. Live fried, die young? There are many behaviors and habits many of us developed and continue, despite studies...
Stabbing attack on Salman Rushdie was “preplanned,” prosecutor says; judge denies bail
August 13th, 20220 NEW YORK — The man accused in the stabbing attack on Salman Rushdie pleaded not guilty Saturday to attempted murder and assault charges in what a prosecutor called a "preplanned" crime, as the renowned author of The Satanic Verses remained hospitalized with serious injuries. A judge refused to grant bail Thursday to Hadi Matar, 24......
If you’re planning to travel to the U.S. with food items from overseas, read this
August 13th, 20220 United States border officials have a message for travelers who bring food items from overseas: Violations will cost you. In the past year alone, U.S. border officials have fined passengers for bringing a wide range of undeclared food items in their luggage, including balut eggs, pork bologna and turkey ham. Border officials...
Omar wins close House primary against Democratic centrist opponent in Minnesota
August 12th, 20220 MINNEAPOLIS – Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, a member of the progressive Squad, eked out a closer-than-expected Democratic primary victory Tuesday against a centrist challenger who questioned the incumbent’s support for the “defund the police” movement. Omar, who represents Minneapolis and is one of the progressives' leading voices......
