Triumph of the immigrant American spirit: Meb Keflezighi and the Boston Marathon
Meb Keflezighi.Boston responded on Monday, April 21, with its vigorous spirit of community and transcendence to the cowardly terrorism that marred the Boston Marathon in 2013, coming out in record numbers for the 2014 event. The fastest man in the competition is being touted as the first American male to win since 1983. But of course...Are Chaldeans Arabs too? I hope so!
Amer Zahr.Before I moved to Ann Arbor in 1995, I had never met a Chaldean. Ok, in truth, I had never heard of a Chaldean. But as a freshman at the University of Michigan, and in no small part due to my curiosity and blind (and sometimes misguided) love for my fellow Arabs, I came to meet many Chaldeans, and some have...Easter and America’s hope
They are holding on to the instilled American dream they saw in grandpa or even mom and dad. It's about the attainable dream of living securely with a job, a house, a car and trips to the grocery store. Don't forget a trip to the doctor when necessary. Many Americans can remember people in their family retiring at 55 - 65 years old....The Fort Hood shooting should be analyzed within the larger context of U.S. militarism
On April 2, U.S. Army Specialist and Iraq war veteran Ivan Lopez opened fire at Fort Hood military base in Texas, killing four people - including himself - and injuring 16.According to Fort Hood commander General Mark A Milley, Lopez had "behavioral and mental health issues". He was under evaluation for post-traumatic stress disorder...Disney, bringing back those oppressive Arabs!
Amer Zahr.This week, ABC Family picked up a pilot episode of “Alice in Arabia.” ABC Family belongs to the family of networks under the umbrella of the Walt Disney Company. The networks encapsulates the show for us:Alice in Arabia is a high-stakes drama about a rebellious teenage girl who, after tragedy befalls her...Obama should act unilaterally to reduce deportations
Obama has been on the defensive on the issue of deportations lately, being called the "Deporter-in-Chief" by Janet Murguía. The criticism from the immigrant rights community has been quiet for a long time as they tried to press Congress, which seems completely unable to address the issue in the House. Now, pressure on the president is...Arab Americans! Join the rainbow!
March 7th, 20140 Zahr.We Arab Americans are in the midst of a civil rights movement. Profiling and discrimination are rampant. We are victims of debasement in the media on a daily basis. While we can find similarities between our struggle and the struggles of other minority groups, our situation is a bit more distinctive.While the...State of Fordson High School
On behalf of all educators at Fordson High School, thank you for allowing us to educate your children and for your support through the good times and difficult times. The state of Fordson High School is good and only getting better! Fordson has always stood by the ideal that all students in the Dearborn Public schools are our...A selective view of ‘democracy’
A familiar conventional wisdom about how the last two U.S. administrations have approached democratization abroad has come up repeatedly in connection with crises in several foreign countries. George W. Bush is seen as the president who tried to promote democracy actively and proactively, even using military force in the effort, while...Big media again pumps for Mideast wars
Journalistically, there’s a problem with this passage from Monday’s New York Times: “Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon of Israel … castigated Iran as being dedicated to a nuclear weapon and acting to deceive, and he repeated Israel’s warning that it would not allow Iran to get a nuclear weapon.” Can you tell what the flaw is?If...U.S. talks of “dismantlement” threaten Iran Deal
Iran’s pushback against statements by Secretary of State John Kerry and the White House that Tehran must “dismantle” some of its nuclear program, and the resulting political uproar over it, indicates that tough U.S. rhetoric may be adding new obstacles to the search for a comprehensive nuclear agreement.Iranian Foreign Minister...In praise of self-delusions: The State of the Union, Obama-style
There is no question that President Barrack Obama is a gifted orator. He rose to fame as the junior senator from Illinois, and was propelled to the White House, at least partly because of his skills as a speaker. In his five years as president, he has often used that skill when addressing the public.Yet his pretty words delivered in a...2014: The best year to become a citizen
Every year, millions of immigrants celebrate the New Year with their own traditions. For our family, it is a ham, kielbasa, horseradish, stuffed cabbage, sauerkraut and pierogis, which are a traditional Polish dishes. And each year, like billions of people around the world, we look forward to the new year with a list of hopes, dreams and...Congress must not cede its war power to Israel
The American people should know that pending right now in Congress is a bipartisan bill that would virtually commit the United States to go to war against Iran if Israel attacks the Islamic Republic. “The bill outsources any decision about resort to military action to the government of Israel,” Columbia University Iran expert Gary...How Saudi-Israeli tandem goads Obama
One of the most influential Saudi Arabian princes, Turki al-Faisal — the former Saudi intelligence chief who clearly reflects the Saudi royal government’s view — recently criticized President Barack Obama for weakness in the Middle East. The Israeli government is similarly disenchanted with Obama’s regional performance.Prince......
Thirty years of commitment to chasing and reporting the truth
December 27th, 20130 Another year in the history of our community has passed. The past twelve months were filled with success, headache and heartbreak. Our community witnessed the election of qualified individuals to office, withstood the emergence of controversies and attacks, and endured the loss of some beloved members.As the Arab American News seals its...Sanctions against Iran harm innocent people, peace
What are President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry up to with Iran? First they boasted of a historic interim agreement with Iran regarding its civilian nuclear program — an agreement which demonstrates that the Islamic Republic won’t be making nuclear weapons — something it has shown no inclination to do anyway. Then...Academic boycott of Israel should open dialogue
On Dec. 15, the members of the American Studies Association (ASA) voted 66% in favor of endorsing the ASA National Council resolution to boycott Israeli academic institutions in protest of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.The council applied standards predicated on evidence of institutional discrimination and made a gesture of...The deadly pawns of Saudi Arabia
Donors in Saudi Arabia have notoriously played a pivotal role in creating and maintaining Sunni jihadist groups over the past 30 years. But, for all the supposed determination of the United States and its allies since 9/11 to fight “the war on terror,” they have showed astonishing restraint when it comes to pressuring Saudi Arabia......
Impossible dialogue
Chances are dim that elections will be held in Yemen next February. Yet without elections, the push for reforms and change that were inspired by the Yemeni revolution would become devoid of any real value. Yemenis might find themselves back on the street, repeating the original demands that echoed in the country’s many impoverished...The plot thickens: Gaza is flooded with sewage and conspiracies
The latest punishment of Gaza may seem like another familiar plot to humiliate the strip to the satisfaction of Israel, Mahmoud Abbas’s Palestinian Authority, and the military-controlled Egyptian government. But something far more sinister is brewing.This time, the collective punishment of Gaza arrives in the form of raw sewage that is......
Attack against pilgrims calls for renewed intrafaith cooperation
News that Michigan Muslims were attacked at Hajj recently, due to sectarianism, increases the need for American Muslim leaders and activists to cultivate a spirit of constructive engagement among the followers of Islam, especially in America.I personally know some of the Shia Muslims who were reportedly beaten, choked, threatened with...The sectarian war at hand: Redrawing the Middle East again
The warm waters of the Gulf look quiet from where I am sitting, but such tranquility hardly reflects the conflicts this region continues to generate. The euphoria of the so-called Arab Spring is long gone, but what remains is a region that is rich with resources and burdened with easily manipulated history that is in a state of reckless......