Newly-formed Yemeni American Chamber of Commerce holds first annual dinner
August 22nd, 20140 More than 200 people attended the Yemeni American Chamber of Commerce's first annual dinner. Members of the group are pictured here with 19th District Court Judge, Mark Somers; Wayne County Executive, Robert Ficano; Paul Abbate, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Detroit Division; Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon;...
Edsel Ford improves in state rankings, but ‘cultural clash’ issue lingers
August 22nd, 20140 DEARBORN – The Michigan Department of Education last week released its annual rankings of public schools based off of academic proficiency, participation, attendance and graduation rates. The state classifies each school as either a reward, focus or priority school, based on its findings. The news was both good and bad for...Ferguson highlights failed U.S. policy and the racial housing gap
On the surface, the unrest in Ferguson, Mo. was about local police using deadly force on an unarmed young man. But on a deeper level, it reflected the increasing poverty and economic decline that affects ethnic communities all over America.Despite rosy reports in the media about the end of the national foreclosure crisis and the...
Activist addresses community issues at IHW meeting, Imams condemn James Foley murder
August 22nd, 20140 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Community activists held a "brainstorming" meeting at The Islamic House of Wisdom on Wednesday to discuss the challenges that the Arab and Muslim American communities are facing. The attendees tackled the rise of Islamophobia and lack of community involvement as major issues facing local Arabs and...
Arab Americans moving out-of-state for graduate school
August 15th, 20140 DEARBORN – A recent trend has started to emerge in the Arab American community. One that is usually associated more with Western civilization.Moving out-of-state for graduate school.It is typical in mainstream culture, but not in the Arab culture.More and more students are moving out of their homes, to different states, in order to...CAIR-MI to files lawsuit against watch list, U.S. attorney defends Dearborn
DETROIT — The Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI) filed a lawsuit on Thursday on behalf of several Muslims who are challenging their placement on the government's Terrorist Screening Database, "without due process." The lawsuit was announced at the Theodore Levin Federal Courthouse in Detroit,...
Marrying for Green Card, then leaving their partner behind
August 15th, 20140 DEARBORN — After five years of marriage, Marwa received her divorce papers on the same day her husband obtained his Green Card. Marwa, who chose not to reveal her real name, is a U.S. citizen. “He used me. He just married me for my U.S. papers,” she said. Like a number of other Arab American women, Marwa identifies...
Resident files lawsuit against Dearborn Heights City Council over clerk’s decision to rescind his resignation
August 15th, 20140 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — City resident Robert Hadous is taking legal action against the Dearborn Heights City Council following clerk Walter J. Prusiewicz’s decision to rescind his resignation shortly after submitting it. Hadous is requesting that the Wayne County Circuit Court grant an immediate order to show cause as to why the...
Emergency declared after disastrous floods, 40 percent of property in Dearborn damaged
August 15th, 20140 DEARBORN – On Monday, cars' windshield wipers could barely keep up with the rain. Streets turned into swamps. And submarines were more useful than cars in getting under bridges. It was the rainiest day in almost a century.Major roads, including the Southfield Freeway, I-94, I-75 and I-696, were blocked by stretches of water that cars...
Muslim scholars denounce Islamic State, Israel at press conference
August 15th, 20140 WARREN – At a press conference held on Wednesday, Aug. 13, The Imams Council of the Michigan Muslim Community Council (MMCC) condemned the continuing atrocities committed against religious minorities across Iraq and Syria by the Islamic State. The imams also denounced the Israeli assault on Gaza during the conference, which was...
Jimmy Carter to speak at Islamic convention in Detroit
August 15th, 20140 DETROIT — Former President Jimmy Carter will be the keynote speaker at the 51st Islamic Society of North America Annual Convention in Detroit on Saturday, Aug. 30.The convention, which is usually held in Washington DC or Chicago, draws 15,000 to 20,000 people every year, according to ISNA Secretary General Hazem Bata. It is one of...
Judge in Rasmea Odeh’s case recuses himself
August 15th, 20140 DETROIT — The judge overseeing the trial of Palestinian American activist Rasmea Odeh recused himself from the case on Wednesday, Aug. 12, in a move that was hailed as a victory by her defense committee.Odeh was indicted for allegedly lying on her U.S. citizenship application about a conviction in an Israeli military court decades...
Dearborn outlaws new hookah establishments for six months in regulation attempt
August 15th, 20140 DEARBORN – Following an intense debate, the city council passed a six month moratorium this week banning any new smoking facilities from opening, in an attempt to put a cap on the influx of hookah lounges that have been operating illegally and dominating the business districts.The Arab American News first reported last month that the...
Starbucks publicly denies supporting Israel, but debate rages on
August 15th, 20140 The Starbucks in Dearborn, located on Michigan Ave., is often frequented by Arab Americans. DEARBORN – In a surprise move last week, Starbucks and its CEO Howard Schultz issued a public statement denying that the coffee chain "provides financial support to Israel", calling such claims "false rumors." The...
Tensions mount at city council meeting over ‘Boycott Israel’ proposal
August 15th, 20140 DEARBORN – This week’s city council meeting ended on a tense note after several activists asked the city to consider passing a "Boycott Israel" resolution, which ignited a near confrontation with an Israeli supporter who was holding what appeared to be a gun and displaying the Israeli flag. The Israeli supporter took the podium at......
United Airlines to cut jobs at Detroit Metro Airport
DETROIT — United Airlines will lay off more than 100 workers this October at Detroit Metro Airport. The positions that will be mainly affected are service representatives and ramp service workers. Jobs will be transferred to an outside vendor, the name of which is still unknown. The new vendor will most likely offer a...
Miko Peled, the general’s son, to keynote a fundraising dinner for Gaza
August 15th, 20140 Travelling all the time, making appearances in Europe, Africa, Australia, Malaysia, returning to West Bank to participate in demonstrations against Israel, getting arrested, standing in Israel and saying: ”Zionism must go, Israel is an Apartheid regime”, Miko Peled, author of “The General’s Son”, is...10-year-old shoots father after dispute between parents
DETROIT — A physical argument between parents led to their 10-year-old son shooting his father on Monday, Aug. 11 at 3:30 a.m. The child saw his mother being assaulted by the father. To stop the altercation the 10-year-old pulled the gun on his 33-year-old father, shooting him in the back. Police question how the gun was easily...
DOJ reaches settlement with Crestwood School District to improve services for bilingual students
August 14th, 20140 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — The civil rights division of the Department of Justice (DOJ), working closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, reached a comprehensive settlement agreement with the Crestwood School District in Dearborn Heights to improve educational services for students who are English......
Judge in Rasmea Odeh’s case recuses himself
DETROIT - The judge overseeing the trial of Palestinian American activist Rasmea Odeh recused himself from the case today.Odeh was indicted for allegedly lying on her U.S. citizenship application about a conviction in an Israeli military court decades ago. Her defense lawyers had asked U.S. District Judge Paul Borman to step down...
Leaked federal government report alleges Dearborn has the second highest number of terrorists in nation
August 8th, 20140 DEARBORN — Dearborn has the second highest number of "known or suspected terrorists" in the country, according to government classified documents published by The Intercept, an online news outlet that covers national security.However, 40 percent of people nationwide on the Terrorist Screening Database, which is a watch list of......
IVF Michigan looks to restore hope for couples struggling with infertility
August 8th, 20140 DEARBORN – IVF Michigan has officially begun its next chapter of expansion with the grand opening of its new state-of-the-art facility in Bloomfield Hills. Currently operating five offices, IVF Michigan is the state's leading infertility clinic and has brought joy to thousands of couples who were struggling with...
Detroiters rally for Iraq, promote unity
August 8th, 20140 Muslim-Americans rally for unity in Iraq, and condemn ISIS alongside Iraqi Christians.DETROIT — “I always wanted to go back and visit my hometown where everyone came from, but I can’t even go back,” said Evan Kajy, a Chaldean American. “A piece of me is now lost. It will always be gone forever. When I think about the fact that......
