CMEAA meeting at the Arab American National Museum, Jan. 28

DEARBORN — State government is seeking the help of the Commission on Middle Eastern American Affairs (CMEAA) to reach out to Arab American residents in Flint.

Michael Zimmer, director of the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), said Lansing is looking to provide information in Arabic to Flint residents who may not be fluent in English.

At a meeting for the commission in Dearborn on Thursday, Zimmer said documents to direct Flint residents to places where they can get help are being translated into four languages, including Arabic.

The documents also provide educational data about lead poisoning and directions on how and when to use the water.

The city’s tap water became contaminated after the state-appointed emergency manager temporarily switched its source from the Detroit system to the Flint River.

River water caused corrosion in the pipes, but the Michigan Department of Environmental Equality insisted that the water was safe to consume despite complaints of foul odor, unusual color and outbreaks of rashes.

Independent studies showed elevated lead levels in both the water and children’s blood.

“The governor is hyper-focused on Flint right now,” Zimmer said. “One of the things our department is doing is trying to reach every population in that community.”

The LARA director said there are about 100 Arab American individuals in Flint, according census data, about two thirds of whom do not speak English as a primary language.

Last week, Mona Sahouri, of the Flint-based Arab American Heritage Council, told The Arab American News she identified 42 Arab families in the city.

Gov. Snyder created CEMEAA last year to advise the state on issues related to Arab and Chaldean Americans.

Zimmer highlighted the governor’s plan to address the crisis. He said the state is first focused on remediation and ensuring clean water for residents; those efforts include distributing water filters to residents and installing new faucets in schools and other facilities. According to Zimmer, Lansing is also working on reviving Flint as a community. He added that the third step is developing a strategy to address infrastructure problems in all of Michigan’s major cities.

Despite the irreversible health damage that befell Flint residents, commissioner Fay Beydoun, executive director of the American Arab Chamber of Commerce, was particularly impressed with the strategy.

“That sounds a whole lot better than what we have been hearing on the news,” she told Zimmer.

In other business, the commission swore in Yemeni American activist Adel Mozip, who replaced State House candidate Paul Sophiea.

CMEAA came under sharp criticism for supporting Snyder’s decision to bring in new Syrian refugees to Michigan— a move that was denounced by most of the community’s civil rights organizations.

The commission discussed the process of releasing a statement. The current bylaws give Chairwoman Manal Saab the authority to speak on behalf of the commission.

Commissioner and Dearborn School Board trustee Mariam Bazzi suggested calling all members and giving them an adequate timeframe to weigh in on drafted statements.

Others recommended voting on CEMEAA’s releases via email, but the idea was rejected because it would violate the Open Meetings Act.

Commissioner Michael Romaya, of the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce, argued that the chairperson should have the power to make statements without consulting all members, especially since CEMEAA meetings are three months apart.

The bylaws were not changed.