Government goes into hiding
When Amnesty International and the British Civil Liberties Association filed a complaint with the independent Military Police Complaints Commission about the transfer of Afghan prisoners and their possible abuse, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said that There is no refusal to cooperate with the investigation. But Peter...Democracy is future of Middle East
Not many people know about the appeal that Akbar Ganji and Abdel Karim Sourouj hold for millions of Iranians who are eager to see change in their political system. Not many know that Syrians call the human rights dissident Riad al Turk "their Nelson Mandela." It is not well known that the Moroccan Fatima Mernissi and the Lebanese...CORRECTION
In last week's edition of The Arab American News we reported on Canadian Marc Kielburger, founder of Save the Children, and his latest cause regarding Third World men being tricked into driving trucks from Kuwait into Iraq under dangerous conditions. Kielburger is founder of "Free the Children" not "Save the Children." We apologize...Dearborn schools tie for top spot in tennis tournament
Dearborn High, Dearborn Divine Child come out on top, Fordson, Edsel Ford trail DEARBORN In a tennis event that used to include only Dearborn schools, it was fitting that two of them were able to tie for first place. Dearborn High and Dearborn Divine Child tied for the championship in this past Saturday's Press &...
New Wal-Mart spurs opposition
April 11th, 20080 DEARBORN It's a concern that enters the minds of citizens every time a new Wal-Mart comes to town: What's going to happen to the small businesses in the area? With the recent opening of the Wal-Mart in Dearborn, one local group is hosting a meeting for concerned citizens, government officials and business owners. The group,...Film shows Arab Americans as they are
A poignant film captures the beauty of the Arab culture through its moving storyline and engaging characters, while examining immigration issues that many are being faced with today. "The Visitor," an honest, touching film set in New York City, centers on the character of Walter Vale, played by Richard Jenkins. Walter is a...Progressive Israeli journalist speaks at UM
ANN ARBOR Many see the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as being about land, religion or just hatred. For veteran Israeli journalist Amira Hass it is about both Israeli domination and masculinity. The obsession with militarization, she argued in front of nearly 200 audience members here this week, is also symbolic of "male...Dearborn to show off at Big Open House
DEARBORN The City of Dearborn, along with its marketing campaign, WelcomeHomeDearborn.com, will promote great features of the community to potential home buyers through activities at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center (The Center) on Sunday, April 27. Dearborn's activities are in conjunction with The Big Open House, a...Council approves plans for Ward site
Dearborn City Council voted 4-2 on Tuesday to approve a redevelopment plan for the old Montgomery Ward site at Michigan Avenue and Schaefer Road, giving the go-ahead for a $70 million project to replace the historic building with a major medical complex. Retail/office space and a 95-unit senior living facility will also be...Sixth Annual Great Lakes PeaceJam conference scheduled
Kalamazoo Great Lakes PeaceJam this year will welcome 2003 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Shirin Ebadi of Iran, to the 6th Annual Great Lakes PeaceJam Youth Conference on April 19 & 20, 2008 at Western Michigan University (WMU). Ebadi won the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts for democracy and human rights, especially for the...Awada named president of ACCESS Board
Dearborn The Board of Directors of the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS) accepted the resignation of recently elected Board President Fawwaz T. Ulaby during its April 5 meeting in Dearborn. The Board has named its vice president, Andrea Awada, as its new president. Awada, a resident of Dearborn...New Chairman of Associated Food & Petroleum Dealers
Farmington Hills The Associated Food and Petroleum Dealers, Inc. (AFPD) recently elected Chris Zebari, of Canton, Michigan, as its Chairman of the Board of Directors. Zebari has worked in the industry for 30 years in a variety of roles, starting out in his family's Michigan grocery stores: Wagon Train Market in Detroit, Country...Community honors environmentalists
DEARBORN The Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS) honored individuals who exhibited an exemplary commitment to the environment at its 5th annual Environmental Leadership Celebration here on Wednesday, April 9, 2008, at the Bint Jebail Cultural Center in Dearborn. International environmental and community...Oakland University panel discusses Mideast
Rochester The Lebanese Club of Oakland University hosted a panel discussion in the university's Fireside Lounge Wednesday, covering a number of issues relating to the Middle East and the Muslim world. Debates were held on topics including women in the Arab world, the Israel-Palestine conflict, and America's "War...Imam detained, may be deported
AUSTIN Members of Austin's religious community are rallying around a Muslim cleric who is being detained in West Texas and may be deported to Pakistan. Imam Safdar Razi, who led a Northwest Austin mosque for six years before taking a job in Dearborn, Mich., in 2006, was arrested on immigration charges at his home in Plano on......
Children’s area of Henry Ford Centennial Library being remodeled
DEARBORN The children's area of the Henry Ford Centennial Library (HFCL) will undergo extensive remodeling and updating in April. As a result, the children's area of the library and the mezzanine level of the library are scheduled to be closed from Friday, April 11 through Wednesday, April 30. During the period of closure of...Canadian pro-peace Jews organize
Naomi KleinJournalist and author Naomi Klein gave the keynote address at a meeting in Toronto over the last weekend of March of more than 100 Jews from across Canada dedicated to promoting a just peace in Israel/Palestine. She told those assembled that Israel has two main industries, tourism and security. It is trying,...Ellison speaks out on need for unity
DETROIT U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., the country's first Muslim congressman, appeared in Detroit on April 6 at an anniversary event for a local civil rights group, where he spoke about uniting advocates of different causes to fight together in an unfavorable political atmosphere. Ellison keynoted the 27th anniversary...Driving Skills for Life emphasizes safety
DEARBORN Students here participated in the Ford Motor Company Fund's "Driving Skills for Life" program this week, an ongoing initiative designed to reduce teen car crashes and fatalities. Students from Fordson, Edsel Ford, and Dearborn High School competed to create public service announcements (PSA) that effectively conveyed......
Edsel Ford tackles diversity challenges
Dearborn Former Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer paid a visit to Edsel Ford High School students March 26 during a student leadership conference that Principal Hassane Jaafar said was put together in part to address issues of diversity and division at the school. He said the event was the first of a series of interactive efforts to...USCIS updates projected naturalization case processing and name check times
WASHINGTON U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that it will finish more than one million naturalization cases during fiscal year 2008 far exceeding the number of cases completed last year. This update comes following a thorough analysis of the work completed during the last six months. ......
Community Foundation supports ACC refugee outreach
Detroit The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan has awarded a grant of $150,000 over two years to the Arab American and Chaldean Council (ACC), a non profit organization, for support for refugee acculturation outreach services. ACC's Community and Family Strengthening and Integration Project will target the Metro Detroit...Detroit gas station owner charged in rival’s slaying is shot to death
DETROIT According to The Detroit News, police are investigating the killing this week of a gas station owner who was charged last year with killing a rival gas station owner during a price war. "Hassan Masbouth, 52, was shot to death outside his home in the 1600 block of Infantry on the city's southwest side at about noon. He......