The Arab American News
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54 members of Congress tell Obama: Lift Gaza seige
Last week, 54 members of the House of Representatives, led by Congressman Keith Ellison of Minnesota and Congressman Jim McDermott from Washington state, signed a letter to President Obama asking his administration to lift the blockade on Gaza. In the letter, the Representatives said "the unabated suffering of Gazan civilians highlights...One year on: We should have known
As the first year of the Obama presidency comes to a close, it's worth noting an article that appeared in the progressive news website, AlterNet, on Dec. 24, by Clancy Sigal, that sums up the mood of progressives: "My personal breaking point, after months of jaw-dropping astonishment at Obama's betrayals, was his refusal almost alone of...Christian, Jewish, Muslim mothers the same
Editor's note: Dr. Nurit Peled-Elhanan is the mother of Smadar Elhanan, 13 years old when killed by a suicide bomber in Jerusalem in September 1997. Below is Nurit's speech made on International Women's Day in Strasbourg (2009) . Mohammed, 3, is comforted by his mother during his uncle's funeral in...
Exhibition shows 1,000 years of Muslim science
February 1st, 20100 LONDON — The debt owed by European scholars to their Muslim counterparts on everything from water pumps and blood circulation to engineering and map-making was unveiled in a London exhibition on Jan. 21. The organizers of "1001 Inventions: Discover the Muslim Heritage in Our World," hope to illuminate 1,000 years of neglected...Local groups send relief to Haiti
As the need for relief persists in Haiti, the Southfield-based Life for Relief and Development charity continues to provide assistance to the victims of the devastated country. Life for Relief and Development workers prepare supplies for Haitian earthquake victims.The group partnered with the Dubai-based Mohammed Bin Rashid...Scott betrays ignorance of Israeli-Palestinian conflict
State Sen. Martha Scott last week defended her 2009 trip to Israel, saying she met with Palestinian lawyers during her stay there to "hear both sides of the story." State Sen. Martha Scott with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a trip to Jerusalem sponsored by an AIPAC-affiliated group.Scott met with right-wing...
Group leaders meet with attorney general
February 1st, 20100 WASHINGTON — Executives of the Arab American Institute (AAI), American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), and the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), met with Attorney General Eric Holder on Monday to discuss issues of concern to the Arab American and Muslim communities. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder speaks to a...Community, officials gather to honor newly elected judge
GROSSE POINTE WOODS — A third-generation Arab American who comes from a family of lawyers was sworn in as a Grosse Pointe Woods municipal court judge on Wednesday. He was elected to the part-time judicial post last November. Grosse Pointe Woods Municipal Court Judge Ted Metry, elected last November, takes a ceremonial oath on...Bring’n the funk
DEARBORN — Despite the popularity of fashion magazines and TV shows, good style can be hard to attain, especially when high department store prices for accessories are factored in. But a new boutique in Detroit on the border of Dearborn named Funkalooza aims to change that by offering customers a chance to find the perfect...Ethiopian plane crashes off Lebanon
A local memorial service for victims of the Ethiopian airliner crash in Lebanon will be held on Sunday, Jan. 31, 4 p.m. at the Islamic Center of America, 19500 Ford Road in Dearborn –313.663.1222. BEIRUT — Rescuers continued their search Thursday for the victims and black boxes of an Ethiopian airliner that crashed off the...Arabs, Muslims answer Haiti’s call
While their contributions haven't been spotlighted much in the mainstream media, Arabs and Muslims around the world have quietly coordinated numerous efforts to help the country of Haiti in response to the devastating earthquake that hit on January 12. Four-year-old Haitian boy Pierre-Stephane drinks some water as he...Israel crushes local dissent, attacks global criticism
RAMALLAH (IPS) — Israel is lashing out at international criticism and attempting to crush local dissent in what appears to be growing sensitivity to reproach of its policies. A Palestinian patient undergoes dialysis treatment at the kidney department of Shifa hospital in Gaza City January 19, 2010. One year after Israel's...Turkey going its own way
WASHINGTON — The recent diplomatic crisis between Turkey and Israel has raised questions about the future of relations between the two closest allies of the United States in the region and the direction of the markedly independent foreign policy agenda that Turkey has pursued in recent years. Turkish honor guard soldiers hold...Why German public schools now teach Islam
Dinslaken-Lohberg, Germany – When Lamya Kaddor started teaching at the Gluecklauf School in this mining town, where most children are of Turkish origin, she didn't expect her "Islamic Studies in German" class to focus on everyday life. Mosque in Duisburg But it has, says Ms. Kaddor, a Muslim whose parents are Syrian. Her...U.S. names Bagram prisoners, withholds details
NEW YORK — After years of stonewalling, the U.S. Defense Department has released the names of people imprisoned at the notorious Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan Made available in response to an American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit, the list contains......
Control of terrorism is most effective at the grassroots
The Christmas day terrorist has shaken the confidence of the public in airline safety and aroused worldwide attention. As of January 4, air passengers originating from or passing through terror-suspect countries will be subjected to special measures of security checks. The new security rules will cause anger in the Muslim world. Of...‘Know your rights’ forum planned
Several organizations led by the Muslim Student Association at the University of Michigan-Dearborn are scheduled to hold a "Know Your Rights" forum on Jan. 28, 4 p.m on campus in the CASL building. Speakers are to discuss what rights a person has when stopped, questioned, arrested or searched by law enforcement. Fears and concerns...Budget cuts cause massive layoffs
DEARBORN — Students will have to stay home from school on Jan. 29 and Feb. 1 to allow teachers and administrators at Dearborn Public Schools to reorganize classes after the district implements massive mid-year cuts. The district has laid off over 140 teachers in order to balance a budget strained by $12-million cuts imposed by the...
American prejudice against Muslims, Islam higher than bias against other major faiths
January 23rd, 20100 NEW YORK (AP) – Americans are more than twice as likely to express prejudice against Muslims than they are against Christians, Jews or Buddhists, a new survey found. Nearly two-thirds of Americans say they have little or no knowledge of Islam. Still, a majority dislike the faith. The analysis, for release Thursday, is from......
ICE responds to requests, grants Hamtramck family man more time before deportation
January 23rd, 20100 Anees Sous had his bags packed on Tuesday afternoon, in preparation for a Wednesday flight to Jordan that would have fulfilled a deportation order from immigration officials. He began saying goodbye to his friends, but still held out hope for a last-minute reprieve. Anees Sous, facing deportation proceedings after living in the...Runaway Ohio girl to remain separated from Muslim parents
Rifqa Bary COLUMBUS, Ohio — A runaway teenage girl from Ohio who converted from Islam to Christianity has reached a court settlement that allows her to remain free of her Muslim parents. The agreement Tuesday says that 17-year-old Rifqa Bary will stay in a foster home under state custody in Columbus until she turns 18 in......
Negotiating is a process of give and take
January 23rd, 20100 The Dearborn Federation of Teachers Local 681 (DFT) is the union that represents the teaching staff in the Dearborn Public Schools (DPS). It is important to understand that to be a member of the DFT, and a teacher employed by DPS, a person must possess a Bachelor's degree from an accredited university and pass a state certification...He said, she said…
During the last few months we have heard a lot of "he said, she said" types of comments in the local papers, blog sites, and at Board of Education meetings. I thought that perhaps searching for a different type of "he said, she said" comment might help us navigate the difficult change that we face in the weeks ahead. Personally, I could......