USC cancels graduation speech by valedictorian who has supported Palestinians
April 19th, 20240 The University of Southern California canceled the graduation speech from this year's valedictorian, Asna Tabassum, a biomedical engineering major and first-generation American of South Asian descent. According to reports, the school said this decision was made due to security concerns because of warnings of a plan to disrupt the...
U.S. vetoes widely supported resolution backing full U.N. membership for Palestine
April 19th, 20240 NEW YORK – The United States vetoed a widely backed U.N. resolution Thursday that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for Palestine, a goal the Palestinians have long sought and Israel has worked to prevent. The vote in the 15-member Security Council was 12 in favor, the United States opposed and two...
More than 100 arrested in pro-Palestine protest on Columbia University’s campus
April 19th, 20240 NEW YORK — Police officers arrest more than 100 people following a pro-Palestine protest at Columbia University. According to law enforcement officials, protesters were arrested on a preliminary charge of criminal trespass. They'd camped on the lawn in efforts to stand as the "Gaza solidarity Encampment", according to reports. Mayor...
New York City to pay $17.5 million for forcing women to remove hijabs for mug shots
April 12th, 20240 NEW YORK CITY —The city agreed to pay $17.5 million to settle a lawsuit by two Muslim American women who said the police violated their rights after arresting them by forcing them to remove their hijabs before being photographed. The preliminary class action settlement covers men and women required to remove religious attire...
A shooting at an Eid event in West Philadelphia left three people injured
April 12th, 20240 PHILADELPHIA — At least three people were injured and hundreds fled the scene following a shooting at an Eid al-Fitr event in West Philadelphia. Police said about 1,000 people attended the celebration. The annual Eid al-fitr event took place in the Parkside neighborhood at the Clara Muhammad Square. The event came to an abrupt...
Muslim and Arab American leaders are “out of words” as they tire of the White House outreach on the war in Gaza
April 12th, 20240 WASHINGTON , D.C.— Osama Siblani was sipping his morning coffee at the office when his phone buzzed with a message from one of President Biden’s advisers. As publisher of The Arab American News in Dearborn, Michigan, Siblani serves as an occasional sounding board, and the White House wanted to know what he thought of Biden’s recent...
Hamas sticking to ceasefire conditions, including Israeli pull out of Gaza
April 7th, 20240 Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh said on Wednesday that his Palestinian Islamist movement at war with Israel was sticking to its conditions for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, including an Israeli military withdrawal. Israeli officials visited Egypt earlier this week in a renewed effort to secure a deal, but a Palestinian official close to...
U.S. looking at report that Israel used AI to identify bombing targets in Gaza
April 7th, 20240 The United States was looking into a media report that the Israeli military has been using artificial intelligence to help identify bombing targets in Gaza, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told CNN on Thursday. Kirby, in the CNN interview, said the U.S. had not verified the content of the media report published...
Palestinian doctor walked out of Biden meeting, underscoring tensions over war in Gaza
April 7th, 20240 WASHINGTON, D.C. – A private meeting between President Biden and Muslim community leaders at the White House underscored tensions between the two camps as the Israeli war on Gaza rages on. Palestinian American doctor walked out of Tuesday evening's closed-door session, which was part of the administration's scaled-back events to mark...
White House cancels Iftar dinner after Muslim American leaders decline invite
April 6th, 20240 WASHINGTON D.C. — The White House canceled an iftar dinner after Muslim American leaders declined the invite due to President Biden's support for Israeli war on Gaza. Due to the invitees' rejection, the White House held a smaller dinner with a meeting on administration policy. Wa'el Alzayat, leader of a Muslim Advocacy...
Washington employs a blatant double standard, which is both evident and hypocritical
March 30th, 20240 By Jamal I. Bittar After numerous unsuccessful efforts spanning five months during Israel's destructive conflict in Gaza, the United Nations Security Council finally approved a resolution on Monday, urging for an immediate ceasefire. The United States, previously the sole obstacle to such a decision, opted not to veto the resolution...
U of M faculty coalition calls out administration for treatment of Arabs and Muslims on campus
March 30th, 20240 ANN ARBOR – A growing coalition of University of Michigan faculty members has united to confront what they see as the university administration’s inadequacies in crisis response concerning the challenges faced by Palestinian, Arab and Muslim students and staff within the campus community. This collective action follows “biased”...
Next U.S. Census will have new boxes for “Middle Eastern or North African”, but falls short of capturing diversity
March 30th, 20240 WASHINGTON, D.C. – On the next U.S. Census and future federal government forms, the list of check boxes for a person's race and ethnicity is officially getting longer. The Biden administration has approved proposals for a new response option for "Middle Eastern or North African" and a "Hispanic or Latino" box that appears under a...
Large crowd attended bintjbeil.org’s second annual iftar dinner in Dearborn, honoring 10 women for their distinguished contributions
March 29th, 20240 DEARBORN — On the 21st anniversary of its founding last Thursday, the well known Lebanese social media site BintJbeil.org held its annual iftar dinner in the Summit Banquet Center. Officials with the organization estimated that close to 1,000 guests attended the dinner, including elected officials and community leaders. The event's...
U.S. Supreme Court’s unanimous vote allows CAIR’s challenge against No Fly List placement to proceed
March 22nd, 20240 WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Yonas Fikre’s challenge to his previous placement on the No Fly List can proceed, rejecting the government’s claim that his removal from the list rendered the lawsuit void. Fikre is an Arab and Muslim American initially from Sudan, who was tortured and......
Governor Newsom’s open letter to California’s Muslim and Arab American Communities
March 22nd, 20240 To California’s Muslim, Palestinian American and Arab American communities: California is a better place because of you—our Muslim, Palestinian American and Arab American neighbors and friends who contribute so much to our state’s sense of faith and belonging. From countless achievements in literature, civil rights, arts,...
U.S. puts pressure on Israel with Gaza ceasefire resolution as talks continue in Qatar
March 22nd, 20240 Israel's spy chief was due to travel to Qatar on Friday for ceasefire negotiations while the U.S. planned to put a resolution calling for an immediate truce in Gaza to a vote of the U.N. Security Council, intensifying pressure on its ally. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday in Cairo he believed talks mediated by the......
Protesters gather in Hollywood calling for permanent ceasefire outside of Academy Awards
March 15th, 20240 HOLLYWOOD — Protesters in Hollywood filled the streets the night of the Academy Awards, denouncing the United States' funding of the genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. The protest, near the Dolby Theatre, was organized by various organizations, including the U.S. Palestinian Community Network, Centro CSO, Black Lives Matter LA,...
Sure ways to spot a scammer
March 15th, 20240 By Jennifer Leach Scammers say and do things that can tell us they’re lying — and they’re not who they pretend to be. Of course, to hear or see those clues, we have to get past the panic scammers make us feel, thanks to the so-called emergencies they...
Immigrants drive U.S. economy
March 15th, 20240 The American economy is thriving, and immigration should get some of the credit. That’s the message from experts who highlight the critical role that immigrants are playing in the workforce. This may seem surprising when immigration is under attack and chaos at the border is a staple of political rhetoric. But immigrants are filling...
Dearborn native Fayrouz Saad appointed as an assistant to DHS Secretary Mayorkas
March 15th, 20240 WASHINGTON, D.C. – On February 25, Dearborn native Fayrouz Saad was appointed to serve as the assistant secretary, office of partnership and engagement, at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. In this role, Saad serves as the primary advisor for DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on external engagements and the impact of the......
ICE agents begin wearing body cameras in Detroit and four other cities
March 15th, 20240 WASHINGTON, D.C. – Starting Wednesday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in five U.S. cities started wearing body cameras as required by an executive order from President Biden. ICE agents in Detroit, Philadelphia, Washington, Buffalo and Baltimore are wearing the cameras in the first phase of deployment for the...
War on Gaza costing Starbucks in the Dearborn area big bucks
March 15th, 20240 DEARBORN – Starbucks cafés in the Dearborn area are witnessing an unprecedented decline in customers’ demand for the chain’s most famous products, just as they are elsewhere in the U.S and around the world. This decline comes in conjunction with continuing campaigns on social media platforms to boycott the company, which is......
Delegation from UNRWA visits Dearborn, meets with mayor and community leaders
March 15th, 20240 DEARBORN – Amid preparations by U.S. officials for a potentially indefinite suspension of funding to the principal U.N. agency supporting Palestinians due to Congressional opposition, the American Human Rights Council (AHRC-USA) welcomed a delegation from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) to...
Trump, Biden march toward rematch after dominating Super Tuesday contests
March 8th, 20240 President Biden and former President Trump swept to victory in statewide nominating contests across the country on Tuesday, setting up a historic rematch in November's general election despite low approval ratings for both candidates. Trump won the Republican votes in 14 of 15 states — including delegate-rich California and Texas......
