The Arab American News
Author's Posts
The Arab American News publisher, FOX News’ O’Reilly debate over termination of NYPD Muslim surveillance program
April 25th, 20140 DETROIT — On Monday, Osama Siblani, publisher of The Arab American News, made an appearance on FOX News’ “The O’Reilly Factor” to discuss the end of the New York Police Department’s Muslim surveillance program. The show is hosted by Bill O’Reilly, a popular American television host and political commentator....Location of Dearborn polling station for Iraqi Parliamentary Elections changed, times extended
DEARBORN — Iraqi Americans in southeast Michigan and states across the country are gearing up to vote in Iraq’s 2014 parliamentary elections this weekend. The elections will take place April 30 in Iraq. In Michigan, Iraqis will cast their votes Sunday, April 27 and Monday, April 28 at two different polling stations.The Dearborn...
Palestinian rivals sign agreement for unity government, Israel suspends peace talks
April 25th, 20140 GAZA CITY — A meeting of Palestinian leaders in Gaza has reached a milestone reconciliation pact that will see rival Palestinian groups form a national consensus government in five weeks, after seven years of operating under separate administrations.Under the agreement announced on Wednesday, April 23, rival groups Fatah, Hamas and...Turkey’s Erdogan offers condolences for 1915 Armenia killings
ANKARA — Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan offered what the government said were unprecedented condolences on Wednesday, April 22, to the grandchildren of Armenians killed in World War I by Ottoman soldiers.In a statement issued on the eve of the 99th anniversary of the deeply contested deaths, Erdogan unexpectedly described the...Bridgegate’ scandal threatens next World Trade Center tower
NEW YORK — The "Bridgegate" scandal that rocked New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's administration earlier this year is threatening a deal that would allow developer Larry Silverstein to finish building the next World Trade Center skyscraper.Silverstein needs a guarantee from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to secure a...
Arab American chef Denise Hazime discusses growing business, first cookbook
April 23rd, 20140 DEARBORN - It’s been eight years since Denise Hazime moved to California and turned her cooking hobby into a thriving internet-based business that now draws thousands of daily visitors to her website. On www.dedemed.com, traditional Mediterranean recipes are adjusted to her taste and given a modern-day presentation through...
Local Muslims, scholars weigh in on shaking hands with the opposite sex
April 18th, 20141 DEARBORN—Many Muslim women who wear the hijab will tell you they have experienced that awkward moment. A man will reach out his hand to greet her in a professional setting, and she will have to make an impulsive decision on whether she should reciprocate the gesture.For Muslims living in the U.S., greeting the opposite sex by shaking...
Civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson condemns attack on Steven Utash
April 18th, 20140 DETROIT—Civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson this week condemned the attacks on Steven Utash, the Clinton Township man who was severely beaten by a mob of people April 2 after he accidently hit a child with his car and stopped to help the 10-year-old. Jackson this week said the attacks were driven by "hatred,"...
Dearborn-based health program targets obesity prevention in Arab youth
April 18th, 20140 DEARBORN — Oakland University’s School of Nursing has been awarded $72,921 from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation in support of its Improving Health Behaviors in Arab American Youth project. The initiative launches this month in Dearborn, the city with the highest concentration of Arab Americans in the United...
Detroit police, fire retirees reach pension deal
April 18th, 20140 DETROIT — Detroit reached its first deal with a retired workers group on Tuesday over pension and healthcare benefits and was close to a deal with its two pension funds, giving a major boost to the city's plan to exit bankruptcy in October.Momentum for the city's plan to adjust its $18 billion debt burden was building after Detroit...
Feds demand $10.2 million and car from indicted doctor
April 18th, 20140 OAKLAND TOWNSHIP — The federal government this week asked Dr. Farid Fata for $10.2 million, and it also demanded that the indicted physician handover his 2011 Acura RDX Turbo SUV, along with several properties he owns. Last year, Fata, 48, was charged with misdiagnosing and mistreating patients, fraudulently billing millions of...Severstal, train station discussed at city council meeting
DEARBORN—This week's city council meeting highlighted several items that are poised to impact the city's future, including details on the move into the new Dearborn Administrative Center and the upcoming Intermodal Passenger Rail Facility Project.The rail facility project, which was supposed to be completed in August 2013, has faced...NEI unveils challenge awarding $500,000 to small businesses
DETROIT — New Economy Initiative (NEI), a special project of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan (CFSEM), announced this week the launch of NEIdeas: Rewarding Ideas for Business Growth, a two-tiered challenge awarding $500,000 to existing small businesses in Detroit, Hamtramck and Highland Park. The announcement was...Arab and Muslim groups condemn attack on Kansas Jewish Community Center
MICHIGAN—The American Muslim community in metro Detroit condemned the attacks that left three dead at two Jewish facilities in Overland Park, Kansas on Sunday, April 13. The Islamic House of Wisdom in Dearborn Heights offered its condolences to the communities impacted by the shootings, along with the families and friends of...Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano to announce re-election campaign
Ficano.DETROIT—On Monday, April 21 Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano will announce plans to run for reelection at the IBEW Local 58 located at 1358 Abbott in Detroit. The event kicks off at 5 p.m. In an email, Ficano told supporters he was inviting them to join him in continuing the momentum of moving the county......
Attorney Ali Hammoud elected AAPAC president
April 18th, 20140 DEARBORN—Attorney Ali Hammoud was elected as the new president of the Arab American Political Action Committee (AAPAC) on Friday, April, 11. Hammoud succeeds Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Mariam Bazzi, who was elected the group's treasurer.The recent internal elections reshuffled the executive positions in the organization....Muslim ‘Happy’ YouTube video goes viral, spawns negative reactions
Pharrell's "Happy" is currently the number one song in the country. Its video - featuring a bunch of happy people dancing and clapping in different locations around LA - is really easy to copy, so there are loads of tributes and parodies on YouTube.This week, a Muslim version of the music video has become a big viral hit....
NYPD ends Muslim surveillance program
April 18th, 20140 NYPD spokesman Stephen Davis confirmed that detectives assigned to the unit had been transferred to other duties within the department's Intelligence Division.An ongoing review of the division by new Police Commissioner William Bratton found that the same information collected by the unit could be better collected through direct...Dutch girl arrested after tweeting terror threat to American Airlines
NEW YORK — A 14-year-old Dutch girl who threatened a terrorist attack in a tweet to American Airlines was arrested in Rotterdam on Monday — but that didn't stop a copycat from tweeting a similar threat to another airline.A Twitter user named "Sarah" wrote on Twitter over the weekend that she was a member of Al Qaeda and that she......
Utah woman charged for killing six infants
UTAH — A judge set bail at $6 million on Monday for a Utah woman suspected of killing six infants after giving birth to them, then stuffing their bodies into cardboard boxes which were found at a house where she used to live.Police said Megan Huntsman, 39, admitted under questioning that she strangled or suffocated the babies...Asian Americans challenge Philadelphia’s refusal to provide language access to voters
PHILADELPHIA — On Wednesday, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) filed a complaint against the Philadelphia City Commissioners for refusing to provide language assistance to Asian American voters, in violation of the Philadelphia Fair Practices Ordinance (FPO).Jerry Vattamala, Staff Attorney in AALDEF's......
U.S. court deportations fall 43 percent over five years
WASHINGTON — Deportations through U.S. immigration courts have fallen 43 percent in the past five years as the federal government brought fewer cases before those courts, according to Justice Department data analyzed by the New York Times on Wednesday.The figures come as President Barack Obama and House Republicans clashed openly...Are Chaldeans Arabs too? I hope so!
Amer Zahr.Before I moved to Ann Arbor in 1995, I had never met a Chaldean. Ok, in truth, I had never heard of a Chaldean. But as a freshman at the University of Michigan, and in no small part due to my curiosity and blind (and sometimes misguided) love for my fellow Arabs, I came to meet many Chaldeans, and some have......