The Arab American News
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Credit Card Fair Fee Act unfair to consumers
Americans hold nearly $1 trillion in credit-card debt, according to data just released by the Federal Reserve. Now Congress wants to make that burden even heavier. Some misguided lawmakers are pushing legislation that would saddle consumers with fees that retailers don't want to pay. Under the deceptively named "Credit Card Fair Fee...Vertical ID makes underage drinking harder
Five years ago, Michigan began to approach the problem of underage drinking in a different way — vertically rather than horizontally. A law went into effect on July 1, 2003, requiring the issuance of vertical (portrait) style driver's licenses or personal identification cards to individuals under the age of 21. As a result...
Vertical ID: Straight-up success
July 11th, 20080 LANSING — Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land and other safety advocates are applauding the success of Michigan's vertical driver's license and ID card program, now in its fifth year. The Vertical Identification Program, implemented in July 2003, helps to prevent minors from purchasing alcohol, tobacco and other age-restricted...The problem with Iran
This week David De Batto posted an article on rense.com called "An Iran Attack Scenario — A Catastrophe." With his extensive background in intelligence, military service and on the ground service in Iraq, DeBatto makes a compelling case for a colossal global mess. Some might say that he deliberately cobbled together the worst case...The alternative to an Israeli attack on Iran
Is war between Israel and Iran inevitable? To listen to Iran's radical President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, or Israel's Iranian-born transportation minister Shaul Mofaz, or even recent reports that Israel carried out a major military training mission over the Mediterranean to rehearse an attack on Iran, you might be left with that...Jordan wants to go nuclear
Israel has the bomb. Iran wants nuclear energy for power, allegedly, though it is sitting on a sea of oil. Syria is trying to join the club. Now Jordan wants in. Just for peaceful purposes, for electricity and desalination of water, according to Khalid Touqan, chairman of the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission, though...Sewage in water threatens Gazans
GAZA CITY (IPS) — Gaza is being forced to pump 77 tons of untreated or partially treated sewage out to sea daily due to the Israeli blockade of the coastal territory. The fear is that some of this is creeping back into drinking water. "The health of Gaza's 1.5 million people is at risk," Mahmoud Daher, from the U.N. World Health...Does Iran have Bush over a barrel?
WASHINGTON (IPS) — If U.S. President George W. Bush wants to boost Republican chances of holding on to the White House and keeping Democratic gains in Congress to a minimum in the November elections, he might consider taking an attack on Iran before the end of his administration "off the table." Of course, that's probably the last...Hawks belie Iran’s “existential threat” to Israel
WASHINGTON (IPS) — New arguments by analysts close to Israeli thinking in favor of U.S. strikes against Iran cite evidence of Iranian military weakness in relation to the U.S. and Israel and even raise doubts that Iran is rushing to obtain such weapons at all. The new arguments contradict Israel's official argument that it faces...U.S. forces to hand over hard-won Anbar Province?
FALLUJAH — This is a city literally rising from the ashes. While reminders of two major U.S. assaults here in April and November 2004 are inescapable, signs of rebirth are plenty. Men in jumpsuits busily work on construction sites, sewers are being installed, and a hospital is nearly completed. Now, the U.S. military is poised to...Muslim Brotherhood stronger after party election
CAIRO (IPS) — Recent internal elections within the Muslim Brotherhood opposition movement were trumpeted in the local press as a victory for the group's "conservative" faction over its "reformist" rivals. But according to independent commentators and a Brotherhood spokesman, media claims of a split within the movement's ranks are...Arab American comedy matures
Arab American comedy is still going strong. And it's not just about post-9/11 anymore. Mizna Arab American Comedy Festival co-producers Mike Mosallam, R, Sonny Mandouh and short film director Mike Eshaq observe as locals audition for roles in theatrical sketches to be performed at the festival in August. Young people...Poll backs greater U.N. role in Mideast peace
WASHINGTON (IPS) — A majority of global publics say their governments should "not take either side" in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, instead supporting a call for the United Nations to play a greater role in regional peace, according to a new international poll of 18 countries released here Tuesday. World publics gave low...Is Doha unraveling in Lebanon?
BEIRUT — Unresolved disputes and sectarian rancor have bubbled to the surface in Lebanon this week, jeopardizing the brief respite provided by the Doha agreement to end the 18-month political crisis. Having filled a six-month presidential void by the election of Michel Suleiman on 25 May, the country may be on the brink of yet...Big trouble for Big Three automakers
America's automobile industry may be facing the biggest turnaround challenge in its history, a problem punctuated Tuesday as the carmakers released monthly sales results. Times were tough enough in Detroit before gasoline hit $4 per gallon, but in the past two months the outlook has taken a turn for the worse. Shares of......
Resolutions amount to declaration of war
July 5th, 20080 Non-binding resolutions in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate to demand that President Bush impose "stringent inspection requirements" on trade with Iran — language that leaves the door open for a military blockade — will likely come to a vote this week or next, according to sources close to Congressional leadership. The...
Group rallys against sweatshop labor
July 5th, 20080 More than 40 people gathered on the Michigan State Capitol's south lawn in Lansing on Tuesday, July 1, to rally against the state's purchasing of employee uniforms through companies that use sweatshop labor practices. The rally, attended by members of various social and religious groups as well as students, coincided with the...
Comcast opens first ever bi-cultural office
July 5th, 20080 DEARBORN — Local dignitaries officially dedicated the first-ever Arabic-English customer service center in the United States at Comcast's new office at 5070 Schaefer Road in Dearborn. Dozens of guests crammed into the new center for Arabic food and speeches that emphasized the importance of the new center's commitment to the Arab...
NAYA symposium tackles community concerns
July 5th, 20080 DEARBORN — The National Association of Yemeni Americans held a two-day community symposium in Dearborn on June 28 and 29, bringing together community organizations, government officials and academics. The group hosted panel discussions on health and social services, youth and second-generation integration into American culture,......
Hizbullah affirms prisoner swap
July 5th, 20080 BEIRUT — Hassan Nasrallah, the secretary-general of Hizbullah, has announced his group's agreement to a prisoner exchange deal with Israel. In a televised speech on Wednesday, the Hizbullah leader said he expected the swap to take place in one to two weeks. He said that the exchange should include the release of Samir Kantar, a...
Second annual Muslim Unity Picnic draws huge crowd
July 5th, 20080 DEARBORN — Picnic-goers didn't let rain stop them from having fun at a massive celebration of community at Ford Field Park in west Dearborn on June 29. Lead organizer of the second annual Muslim Unity Picnic, Mohamed Beydoun, said the group never considered packing up and going home in the face of initial bad weather. "The show......
The madness of attacking Iran
DUBAI — History, language and culture might separate Iran from the rest of the Middle East. But physically and geographically, the Arab world and Iran are very close – closer than they might like to think. When the last big temblor hit the Islamic republic, flattening the ancient city of Bam and killing 26,000 people in December...
Jerusalem Archbishop visits Detroit area
July 5th, 20080 An outspoken, high-ranking Orthodox Church figure from Jerusalem, known for speaking out in defense of Palestinians and for Christian-Muslim unity, visited Detroit area homes, religious institutions and Arab American organizations last week. Archbishop Theodosios Atallah Hanna of the Jerusalem Patriarchate addressed crowds at St.......
