Tuesday March 26, 2013
Sam Jammal: Rep. Cardenas’ New Chief of Staff
By Jennine Vari
Last week, Arab American and Latino lawyer Sam Jammal was hired as chief of staff to California Congressman Tony Cardenas (D-29). Read More »
Wednesday April 03, 2013
Osama Siblani, founder of the Michigan-based Arab American News, will be inducted into the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame on April 20th at its annual banquet. Arab American News is the largest weekly Arab American publication in the country, with a circulation of roughly 35,000. Read More »
Tuesday March 26, 2013
By Jennine Vari
Last week, Arab American and Latino lawyer Sam Jammal was hired as chief of staff to California Congressman Tony Cardenas (D-29). Read More »
Monday March 25, 2013
In the Detroit Metro Times this week, staff members emphatically embraced the idea of Tlaib running for mayor. Read More »
Monday March 18, 2013
We’ve written a number of times about the lack of transparency around the administration’s drone policy and its constitutional implications. As the administration continues to face scrutiny for its use of drones abroad, state legislators are introducing legislation to combat the use of drone surveillance domestically. More than twenty state, including New Jersey , have considered creating laws that would limit or ban the use of unmanned aerial systems, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Read More »
Friday March 15, 2013
By Jennine Vari
This past November, Salamey was elected as a 19th District Court Judge, becoming the first Arab American judge in Dearborn. Read More »
Friday March 15, 2013
Michelle Kalil turned her fascination with the Supreme Court and judiciary into a career in criminal law, and this past November she was elected as Duval County Judge. Read More »
Wednesday March 13, 2013
By Jennine Vari
One of the most recent ad campaigns in NYC to take on Geller’s hate speech is “Talk Back to Hate,” a grassroots campaign started by Akiva Freidlin. Read More »
Friday March 01, 2013
By Jennine Vari
The former state representative ran on a platform calling for stricter gun laws, an issue that resonated with a community ravaged by gun violence. Read More »
Wednesday February 27, 2013
Today, the Supreme Court hears arguments on one of the most important legislative initiatives from the Civil Rights era: the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The VRA ensures that all eligible American citizens are able to vote, unimpeded by processes or regulations— from literacy tests and English-only ballots, to moving polling places and redistricting— that could effectively disenfranchise ethnic minorities. Read More »
Friday February 15, 2013
By Jade Zoghbi
The video depicts Tammi Rossman-Benjamin, a UC Santa Cruz lecturer, who made outrageous accusations and comments towards the MSA and Palestinian groups Read More »
Tuesday February 12, 2013
There is a problem with the way federal law enforcement tracks hate crimes aimed at the Arab American community: they don’t. In the past ten years, there have been more than 800 incidents involving “violence, threats, vandalism, and arson against persons perceived to be Muslim or to be of Arab, Middle Eastern, or South Asian origin.” Federal charges have been brought in only a handful of cases, with only 45 convictions as of March 29, 2011. Read More »
Thursday January 31, 2013
Zead Ramadan comes from humble origins, but now the successful Arab American community leader and café owner from Upper Manhattan is making a run for the City Council to represent the 7th district. Ramadan and other candidates are seeking to replace the term-limited Robert Jackson who has served since 2002. If he wins, Ramadan will be the first Arab American to occupy a seat on New York’s City Council, and Ramadan is proud of that possibility. Despite having to stave off the inevitable attacks on his ethnicity and faith from Islamophobic and anti-Arab fringe groups, Ramadan actively wears his ethnicity on his sleeve, and the numerous news reports written about Ramadan reflect that. Read More »
Tuesday January 22, 2013
By Jennine Vari
Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus urged governors and state legislators to consider Electoral College reform, by allocating electoral votes by congressional district as opposed to the winner-take-all system. Read More »
Monday January 07, 2013
Arab Americans aren’t the only ones celebrating the appointment of Johnny Khamis as the first-ever Arab American City Council member representing the 10th district of the city of San Jose, California. Khamis’s swearing-in ceremony, which was led yesterday by San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed, received prominent attention from the local San Jose news site, MercuryNews.com which lauded the newly-elected Republican for, among other things, helping San Jose to reach yet “another milestone in the growing diversity of the Bay Area's largest city.” Read More »
Friday December 14, 2012
On its last day in session, the Michigan Legislature will not be voting on an “anti-Sharia” law. While it is troubling that we continue to deal with these initiatives (spearheaded by David Yerushalmi, co-founder of the American Freedom Law Center and “the man behind the anti-Sharia movement”), it is good news that the bill didn't make it to the floor. Read More »
Monday December 10, 2012
By Jennine Vari
Patriots and Peacemakers exhibit highlights Arab Americans of different nationalities and religions who have served in the military, Peace Corps, and Diplomatic Service. Read More »
Thursday November 15, 2012
Former City Council Member Amir Omar is racking up endorsements in his bid for Mayor of Richardson, Texas. In a recent vote, the city’s electorate moved to change the previous system of selecting a Mayor by way of the City Council. The city will now directly elect its leader by popular vote. Although he was aware that the move would eliminate his seat on the City Council, Omar was a strong proponent for the switch, saying in an email to supporters that “this is a positive change for our City. Read More »
Thursday November 08, 2012
In California, Johnny Khamis narrowly won a seat on the San Jose City Council over Robert Braunstein. The Michigan State University Board of Trustees election was another close race, but on Wednesday afternoon the final results showed Arab American Brian Mosallam in second place, claiming a seat on the board. Read More »
Saturday November 03, 2012
There are only three days left before the election on Tuesday, but there are still ample opportunities to have an impact. Make no mistake, every vote counts. And because this election is so close, Arab Americans can and will make a difference in it. But remember, the Presidential election is not the only contest this year. There are plenty of other races you can also have an impact on. Read More »
Monday October 22, 2012
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation in Detroit last week has produced a strong backlash after immigration officials detained two undocumented immigrants in front of their children’s schools. Jorge Hernandez and Hector Orozco Villa were followed by ICE agents as they drove their children to class, and were detained blocks from the school buildings. Read More »