On Syrian refugees: We cannot lose our values to fear
November 19th, 20150 "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door."In the wake of the recent attacks in France, Lebanon and other places around the world, our nation has understandably become more...Top 10 reasons governors are wrong to exclude Syrian refugees
A young man carries a child as refugees arrive on a boat on the Greek island of Lesbos, Nov. 7. Photo: ReutersMore than half of U.S. governors have announced their opposition to their states taking in Syrian refugees after the Paris attacks. Although they can bother refugees, they can’t actually dictate to people who are here legally...Washington’s latest deal: Little cause for celebration
You can understand why President Obama and congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle sought to cast their end-of-October budget deal in the best possible light. They avoided a potentially catastrophic national default. They reduced the possibility of a government shutdown. And they raised the debt ceiling until March, 2017,...Pity the democracy: Media and the election
Sit back and enjoy the ride. U.S. media run our proud American democracy. It’s in their interests to keep Donald Trump in the forefront, then shift to Ben Carson, maybe move to Carly Fiorina—just for a day– with interludes into the cozy nest of Democratic contenders. We are being toyed with by our news outlets — print, radio...Labeling victims of terror benefits ISIS
Terrorism has no religion and knows no mercy. It should be condemned without the slightest rationalization or justification. When two suicide bombers detonated their explosive belts in the crowds in the southern Beirut suburb of Borj el-Barajne, they did not discriminate between Muslims or Christians, Shi'a or Sunnis or atheists...We’re all on the same team
"Our Olympic teams look like a little United Nations. Despite our differences, we are all one people."I cringed when Dr. Ben Carson said he wouldn't want a Muslim President. And again when Hillary Clinton claimed her biggest enemies are the Republicans. It doesn't get much more polarizing than that. The politicians...“Collateral damage” victims deserve justice
On Oct. 4, Zareena Grewal published a disturbing account of a recent U.S.-led coalition bombing in Iraq in an op-ed for the New York Times. Although the target was aimed at an ISIS weapons storage facility, the strike hit two civilian homes, killing her husband's cousin, a university professor and his young son. Others...
Sterling Heights’ silent majority defeats bigots
November 6th, 20150 Sterling Heights residents, gathered against the mosque, Sept. 10 - Archive"The Muslim religion is not a religion; it's a cult. It's a political," said Sterling Heights City Council candidate Moira Smith at an election forum last month. Her husband, Paul Smith, who was running for mayor, advocated for denying mosques on technicalities...Confronting the obvious truth: Palestinian Authority vs. the People
"The PA has morphed to become a security arm that served as a first line of defense for the Israeli army."Saeb Erekat is an enigmatic character. Despite minimal popularity among Palestinians, he is omnipresent, appears regularly on television and speaks with the moral authority of an accomplished leader whose legacy is rife with...Homeowners must pay taxes, but government should make it simpler
A petitioner addressing Dearborn City CouncilOwning a home is a part of realizing the "American Dream." It is an immense responsibility and a great opportunity. The security a home provides and prosperity it symbolizes come at a cost. Homeowners must make their mortgage payments, maintain their properties and pay their taxes.Residents...
You should vote on Tuesday
October 29th, 20150 Dave Abdallah is a trusted community leader who can improve Dearborn HeightsArab Americans are growing in numbers and business power across Metro Detroit. Although many local Arabs are first-generation immigrants, our roots run deep here. Michigan is our home. To fortify our presence and safeguard our interests, we should engage in...No property taxes? No problem
Did you know City Council hears cases allowing tax delinquent landlords to redeem properties lost to foreclosure? Like you, a faithful taxpayer of Dearborn, I don't want to see my neighborhood ruined. Here's the story. The city began buying up foreclosed homes from Wayne County in an effort to reduce the number of...A tale of two cities in one “Islamic capital”
Armed anti-Muslim protesters at Dearborn's Centennial LibraryI pass three stoplights on my way to work. The streets have crosswalks and people drive on the roads. There’s a McDonald’s, Burger King and a BP gas station in my city. You can buy groceries, get your car fixed or watch a movie at the theater. There’s a bowling...The internet mocks Netanyahu with viral hashtag
The hashtag #BibiHistoryLessons went viral with memes depicting Palestinians as responsible for numerous tragediesIsraeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu has become the subject of international criticism and mockery after claiming that the Palestinian Mufti of Jerusalem is responsible for the Holocaust, saying that Hitler had wanted to...
Netanyahu hates Palestinians more than he cares for Jews
October 21st, 20150 Netanyahu with John Hagee, who claims God sent Hitler to "hunt" JewsIsraeli PR to the world is based on factual inaccuracies and fabrications — Palestine was a vacant land before 1948; Palestinians want to throw Jews into the sea; Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East; God gave Israel the right to colonize the West......
A Dearborn Christian speaking out for Muslims
October 16th, 20150 Dearborn is home to me and has been for quite some time now. I’ve lived here since I was 5-years-old. I love everything about this city. The convenience stores are never far away. The restaurants are great. The people are lively. But the one thing that bothers me is how often this city’s unique diversity is overlooked. Drive down...Russia establishing new realities in Syria; U.S. sends weapons, but to whom?
"Syria cannot be another Afghanistan to Russia for the simple reason that America cannot call the rebels freedom fighters like it did in 1980." With Syrian jets bombing rebels and extremists and Syrian and Iranian groups attacking them on the ground, Moscow seems determined to end the international efforts to topple the Syrian...Palestinians are struggling, alone
"Palestinians are alone, fighting with rocks, knives and screwdrivers against one of the most well-equipped armies in the world. "The world was shocked by the footage of Israeli settlers taunting a 13-year-old Palestinian boy who was shot by occupation forces in the West Bank. "Die you son of a whore," a Jewish settler told the...A silver lining in the war on ISIS?
In the international war on ISIS, a hidden silver lining is emerging: serious self-criticism within Muslim society and growing convergence of opinion of world leaders on ISIS. Regrettably, these two recent developments are not serious enough to lead to the dismantling and degrading of ISIS. As radical Islamist terror spreads in......
The third Intifada may be underway
"Palestinians eagerness for national liberation has reached a point where they are charging at occupation soldiers with knives and screwdrivers. This is not another round of unrest. The intifada may well be underway."Fifteen years after the Second Intifada, after right-wing Ariel Sharon, an Israeli politician whose hands were drenched...Blue collar neighborhoods need better community policing
The Southend has suffered an 81 percent increase in narcotic violations and a doubling of auto thefts from 2012 to 2014.Dearborn is home to one of the finest police forces in the country, no doubt about it. The Dearborn Police Department (DPD) has been recognized both nationally and by the state. However, a recent spike in......
We are Americans, like you
October 9th, 20150 If you put lipstick on a pig, it's still a pig. And if you put satire on xenophobia, it's still xenophobia. The O'Reilly Factor's segment on Dearborn, which was supposed to be comedic, was racist, bigoted and dangerous. Jesse Watters, Bill O'Reilly's correspondent who was sent to Dearborn, tried to ridicule his Arab...Putin: Friend or foe in Syria?
What Vladimir Putin is up to in Syria makes far more sense than what President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry appear to be up to in Syria. The Russians are flying transports bringing tanks and troops to an air base near the coastal city of Latakia to create a supply chain to provide a steady flow of weapons and munitions to......
