The Arab American News
Author's Posts
A day of service for the community
The National Arab American Service Day will take place on May 17th, 2008, kicking off at 10 a.m. at Lapeer Park in Dearborn. 250 volunteers are expected but more are always welcome. Volunteers can choose from three different service projects for the day including Family Fun Day at Lapeer Park, Warrendale Motor City Makeover, and...The myth of an Islamic state
The yearning for an Islamic state has been bloody and fruitless. This is a major theme of Tarek Fatahs heavily researched yet easily read book. He goes back to the origins of Islam to show the wrong-headedness of the notion. Mohammed, who developed the political system of Medina, did not try to replicate that model...When will Arab oil translate into political power?
Arab oil producers are awash in wealth. They have never been so rich. But the paradox is that, in spite of their great and growing wealth, their political weight in the world remains small, even derisory. They have not or at least not yet converted their wealth into political influence on a global scale. This is...Arab opinion of the U.S. declined in 2008
In 2008, Arab attitudes toward the U.S. remain at alarmingly low levels. Concern with U.S. policy is the reason. And because the U.S. role in the region is so critical, interest in the American elections is high across the Arab world. These are some of the findings of polling that Zogby International conducted separately for the...Conquering the land: Why one Israeli writer isn’t celebrating
As I write this, I can only guess how all the various media outlets will mark Israel's birthday. As much as I love nostalgia, the compulsive reading of the weekend papers and obsessive watching of old people singing on television I have no intention of taking part in the celebrations this time. Because I know the naked truth about...Refugees, peace activists mourn
As Israel celebrates 60 years of statehood, Palestinians worldwide mourn the loss of their homes and homeland. While one people Jews fleeing persecution in Europe gained a country, another people the land's indigenous Palestinians lost nearly everything they had. In 1948 hundreds of...A Turkish model for Arab politics?
WASHINGTON Many are watching closely legal developments in Turkey. A government prosecutor is seeking to ban for five years more than 70 members of the Justice & Development (AK) Party. The charge: contradicting the tenets of secularism guaranteed in Turkey's constitution. The outcome of this case, according to a...Lebanon’s Sunni bloc built militia, officials say
The Future Movement used a security firm to assemble a private force, officials say. But the fighters were no match for Hizbullah. BEIRUT For a year, the main Lebanese political faction backed by the U.S. built a Sunni Muslim militia here under the guise of private security companies, Lebanese security experts...NEWS FROM CANADA
Israeli ambassador fears Muslim immigrants On the occasion of Israel's 60th anniversary, Alan Baker, Israel's ambassador in Ottawa, expressed concern about the impact that the growing Muslim population in Canada would have on Canada's foreign policy. In spite of the strong pro-Israel stance of the current Conservative...New Israeli scholars face up to country’s origins
A former French ambassador reviews a wealth of texts documenting Israel's ugly history In the 1980s in Israel, a new generation of men and women who had not lived through the Holocaust or the creation of their country came of age intellectually and embarked on a remarkable period of change. This change...Siege hits Palestinians before they are born
GAZA CITY (IPS) The Israeli siege of Gaza that has restricted access to food, water and medicine is now beginning to hit unborn children and newborn babies. "Many babies are born suffering from anemia that they have inherited from their mothers," Dr. Salah Al-Rantisi, head of the women's health department at the Palestinian...Iran shifts attention to brokering peace in Iraq
Details from a secret meeting between top Iranian and Iraqi officials signal Iran's aim to 'stop arming' militias ISTANBUL and BAGHDAD Iran's role in helping broker a cease-fire in Baghdad's Sadr City may be the first sign that it is acting to fulfill recent promises to stop arming Iraq's militias and...The Israeli project has failed in Lebanon
Note: This is the third installment in Franklin Lamb's extraordinary series. The fourth installment will appear in the next issue. Dahiyeh Despite the media hype these days, many Middle East analysts as well as the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, chaired by former presidential candidate Joe Biden...Jewish activists arrested disrupting community celebrations for Israeli anniversary
Jewish activists draw attention to 60 years of forced exile and dispossession in Palestine San Francisco Twenty Jewish activists were arrested while demonstrating opposition to Israel's 60 year-old policy of dispossession and highlighting the often-silenced struggle of Palestinian refugees. For over...
Edwards endorses Barack Obama
May 16th, 20080 Hillary appears to be over, at least as president It was a weary and wistful Hillary Clinton who sat down with CNN's Wolf Blitzer and other network anchors for extended interviews on the day after her West Virginia victory. She knew that no matter what she said and how well she said it, it would not be......
Bush hails Israel on 60th anniversary visit
May 16th, 20080 On his second trip to Israel, President Bush will address the issue of settlement building and try to push for progress on a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. JERUSALEM President Bush landed here Wednesday to join the Jewish state in its 60th anniversary gala part of his drive to propel...
Transformation in Lebanon
May 16th, 20080 Events in Beirut and other parts of Lebanon continue to move erratically, with simultaneous gestures of political compromise and armed clashes that have left 46 dead in the past week. The consequences of what has happened in the past week may portend an extraordinary but constructive new development. If Lebanon shifts from...Annual Mother’s Day brunch honors Rehab Amer
DEARBORN The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) Greater Detroit Chapter celebrated exemplary mothers in the Arab American community during its Second Annual Mother's Day Brunch on Sunday, May 4, 2008, at the Bint Jebail Cultural Center here. The event hosted approximately 200 guests from different age groups and...Business treats customers like family
DEARBORN When it comes to corner auto repair shops, most places only care about one thing: their bottom line. But the problem with that philosophy is that sooner or later, customers find out, and most of the time, they don't come back. Luckily, Dabaja Tire Center on the corner of Greenfield and Warren in Dearborn is different.......
The first song in the soundtrack of my life
My heavy eyelids slip slowly downwards. As they continue to droop I take one final, albeit increasingly blurry, look at the comforting image of my childhood bedroom. Upon my lush peach-colored armchairs, I catch sight of my many beloved dolls, the dolls that never fail to entertain my little-girl fancies throughout the day. They appear...The five percent solution to America’s crises
US presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney DEARBORN β Green Party U.S. presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney is hoping to get support from five percent of voters in November, in an attempt to change the way the country's political system operates, she said Monday in an interview with The Arab American News. In an......
V-I-C-T-O-R-Y!
The Dearborn Stars soccer team was victorious over the Ford Lightning in the newly-revived teams first game since the 2000 season. The Michigan Premier Soccer League's Stars, which are sponsored by the Lebanese American Heritage Club, won 5-0 on the strength of their balanced scoring. The five goals were scored by five...Women’s Foundation honors ACC leader
NOVI The Michigan Women's Foundation (MWF) hosted its 19th Annual Women of Achievement and Courage Celebrations by honoring five dynamic women who have made significant contributions to arts, advocacy and activism. As the first and most experienced statewide organization that supports and invests in women and girls, MWF will use......