The Arab American News
Author's Posts
Woman suspended for skirt length
Halima Muse, a Muslim woman working as a screener at Toronto International Airport, was suspended from her job because she wore a skirt longer than the regulation skirt provided by Garda, her employer. Garda requested direction from the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA), with whom it has the contract, but CATSA...
UDM Theatre Company explores domestic fears
November 24th, 20070 The University of Detroit Mercy (UDM) Theatre Company continues to explore issues of social justice with the upcoming production of Yussef El Guindi's chilling black comedy "Back of the Throat," November 16 – December 2 at Marygrove College Theatre. "Back of the Throat" is the tale of an apparently friendly visit by two...Film, play showcase Arab issues
DETROIT — Local audiences will have a rare opportunity to view "Detroit Unleaded," a new and notable short film by Lebanese-born filmmaker Rola Nashef. The fictional film is set in an inner city gas station and provides a unique perspective into the lives of young Arab Americans who operate the business and interact with...The untold story of HAMAS
When the Holy Land Foundation was acquitted of funneling money to terrorist organizations, it was not only a victory against Washington's and Tel Aviv's efforts to stifle any kind of support to the Palestinians, but also a reality check. Specifically, it highlighted a fact known to most, that groups like HAMAS don't get their funding...More couples’ therapy in Annapolis
Here we go again with another meaningless "couples' therapy" session with no concrete goals or meaningful substance. Palestine is the spouse who wants to discuss tangible issues. Israel appears to be the spouse who doesn't really want to be there but wants to say, "Hey, I showed up. Isn't that proof enough that I want...Averting violence is everyone’s job
A crime wave has hit the Arab American community with sudden force, leaving us to wonder where it came from and how we can stop it. The recent shootings that resulted in the tragic deaths of local two Arab Americans have emplaced a dark cloud over the heads of everyone in the community. The first occurrence, a senseless shooting...Iowa caucuses up for Democratic grabs
When news broke this week that a major poll put Sen. Barack Obama four points ahead of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in Iowa, the political world stopped and took notice. Here was confirmation that the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses, the first nominating contest in the 2008 presidential elections, are indeed up for grabs — and that the clear...Demolition decimating Palestinian village
RAMALLAH (IPS) — Al Walajeh village was once a quiet but busy place. Just four kilometers from Bethlehem and 8.5 km from Jerusalem, its rolling hills filled with fruit trees, natural forests, and blooming vegetation made it a prime farming location. Easy access to large and consistent markets led its inhabitants to relative economic...Iraq spending bill stalls in Senate
Former Iraqi commander says bring the troops home The Senate remains deeply divided over whether to give President Bush all the money he wants — without limitations — for continuing the war in Iraq, as two opposing war funding measures failed to pass Friday morning. Republicans had the first crack at the latest war funding bill, as...Likudniks work to undermine Annapolis
WASHINGTON (IPS) — Despite near-universal skepticism about the prospects for launching a serious, new Middle East peace process at next week's Israeli-Palestinian summit in Annapolis, a familiar clutch of neo-conservative hawks close to the Likud Party leader, former Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, isn't taking any chances....
Divided Lebanon has no president
November 24th, 20070 Country unable to elect a president, vote delayed for another week Beirut — Lebanese President Emile Lahoud on Friday handed over the task of securing law and order in Lebanon to the country's army commander until a political consensus is reached and a new president is elected, after efforts to again chose his...Imams filing airline suit claim victory
WASHINGTON — The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) welcomed a ruling this week by a federal judge in Minnesota that rejected almost all of the arguments made by U.S. Airways and the Metropolitan Airports Commission in the case of six imams, or Islamic religious leaders, removed from a flight last year in Minneapolis, then...Suspect in rapes arrested
DEARBORN — A Dearborn Heights man was arrested Monday and arraigned Wednesday in 19th District Court on multiple charges related to the home invasion/rape of a West Dearborn mother on Sept. 5. Kenneth Gunther, 26, is also suspected of a second rape of a mother in Dearborn Heights that occurred Oct. 19, police said. Kenneth GuntherIn...Local doctor provides holistic healthcare
DEARBORN — Michigan is behind the rest of the country when it comes to alternative medicine, according to local acupuncturist Mostafa Belkhalfia. The state implemented laws regulating acupuncture just last year, becoming the 41st state to do so. Belkhalfia came to Dearborn from California after the laws passed, looking to offer a new...Public invited to Dearborn events
Christmas benefit party on Dec. 13 will raise funds for Dearborn Firefighters Burn Drive DEARBORN — The Dearborn Firefighters Burn Drive, a local charity organization created by members of the Dearborn Fire Department, is holding a Christmas benefit party on Thursday, Dec. 13, from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. The charity fundraiser will be held......
Hands off Iran or forget my tax money
I will not pay my income tax if we go to war with Iran. I realize this is a desperate and perhaps futile gesture. But an attack on Iran — which appears increasingly likely before the coming presidential election — will unleash a regional conflict of catastrophic proportions. This war, and especially Iranian retaliatory strikes on...Democrats face uphill battle in rolling back spy powers
The renewed Congressional debate over changes to the rules that govern the government's ability to wiretap and spy has set up a major confrontation between the White House and Congress and an internal battle between Democrats in the Senate. In August, Congress rushed through a temporary expansion of spying powers before they left for...
UN: Israel’s siege of Gaza breeds extremism and human suffering
November 23rd, 20070 Jerusalem — A senior United Nations official has issued an unprecedented appeal to British MPs to use their influence to try to alleviate the impact of "indiscriminate" and "illegal" Israeli sanctions in Gaza which display "profound inhumanity" and are "serving the agenda of extremists."In one of the strongest attacks on recent Israeli...Peace with justice banquet scheduled
DETROIT — The Central United Methodist Church of Detroit will hold its annual Justice and Peace Banquet here on Dec. 2 at 6 p.m. at the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center. The church is looking for sponsors to assist it in meeting the needs of many — seniors living on fixed incomes, the homeless who rely on the......
Top GOP contender alienates Arab Americans
November 21st, 20070 The leading Republican candidate for President, Rudy Giuliani, is not trying to win any friends in the Arab American community. He is ramping up "war on terror" rhetoric aggressively, opposing Palestinian independence and allying with some of the most stringent neo-cons, some of whom were discredited for their role in promoting the...Tight border security disaster
On November 11, the emergency call came in to Lacolle, Quebec. The local volunteer fire department was desperately needed to assist in putting out a fire across the border in nearby Rouses Point, New York. The six firemen from Lacolle piled into their fire engine and raced for the border, siren sounding and lights......
Ashcroft’s lawyer: Arar belongs to al-Qaeda
During a U.S. Court of Appeals hearing on November 9, Maher Arar's lawyer David Cole, from the Center for Constitutional Rights, sought to re-start a suit to recover damages for Arar's extraordinary rendition to Syria, where he was tortured. A lawyer for former Attorney General John Ashcroft charged that Arar had "unequivocal...Dealing Syria out of rogue statehood
For decades Syria has played the role of a bad student at school, its leaders thinking that if you don't cause trouble, no one will pay attention to you. The Syrian regime meddled in Iraq, nurtured Palestinian militants opposed to peace with Israel and dominated its smaller neighbor, Lebanon. Syria's gambits in a tough part of the world......