Arab/Muslim Radio shows in Chicago and Dearborn link for simulcast broadcasts starting Friday Feb. 12

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                         Laila alhusinni

Feb. 2, 2009                                                                                        313-570-2206

                                                                                                            Ray Hanania

                                                                                                            312-933-9855

Arab/Muslim Radio talk show hosts combine broadcasts to link Arab, Muslim
and mainstream audiences in Dearborn, Chicago, Michigan, Illinois & Windsor Canada 

Chicago/Dearborn – Radio talk show hosts Laila alhusinni in Dearborn and Ray Hanania in Chicago announced they will be combine their weekday radio shows to create one simulcast every Friday to link audiences in both cities and regions.

alHusinni is the host of “Good Morning Michigan” which broadcasts Monday, Wednesday thru Friday on WNZK 690 AM Radio in Dearborn throughout Michigan from 8 to 9 am Eastern time.

Hanania is the host of “Mornings with Ray Hanania” which broadcasts Monday thru Thursday on WJJG 1530 AM Radio in Chicago and Northern Illinois from 8 until 9:30 am and Friday 7 until 9 am Central time.

Both Michigan and the Chicagoland region are homes to the country’s largest concentrations of American Arabs. The two live talk radio shows will merge their Friday programs to broadcast one show, called “Radio Baladi,” to connect Arab and Muslim American listeners in both regions.

“We are very excited about this networking to bring Arab and Muslim listeners in Dearborn and the Detroit region together with Arab and Muslim listeners in Chicagoland,” said alHusinni, a Syrian Muslim American whose program is broadcast in Arabic and English.

“This has never been done before and I am proud to be working with Laila alHusinni to not only connect Arab and Muslim Americans in the Midwest  but to also help educate Americans about our mutual interests, the Middle East and Arab and Muslim heritages,” said Hanania, a Christian Palestinian American and award winning journalist who writes for a dozen newspapers around the world.

The radio shows are also broadcast live on the Internet and will be podcast on iTunes and other podcast outlets each week.

The focus of the programs will be Arab, Muslim and Middle East issues, alHusinni said.  Listeners will be encouraged to call in to either the Dearborn studio at 248-557-3300 or the Chicago studio at 708-493-1530.

The simulcast is sponsored by advertisers including PalestineNote.com, the leading online web site on Arab and Muslim issues, Ziyad Brothers Importing and ZiyadRecipes.com, one of the nation’s largest distributors of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern foods, and H&R Block, the nation’s leading tax preparation company.

The first broadcast begins Friday Feb. 12, 2010 at 7 am in Chicago and 8 am in Dearborn.

Born in Damascus, Syria, alhusinni graduated from The University of Damascus and worked for a number of local Syrian newspapers from 1990-2000. Laila alhusinni immigrated to the United States in 2001 and launched her show, one of the nation’s largest radio broadcast shows to Arabs and Muslim. Hanania is a veteran, award winning journalist and columnist. His columns appear in newspapers across the United States and in the Middle East. he is a columnist for PalestineNote.com, Arabisto.com and the Jerusalem Post newspaper. Hanania is the winner of three SPJ Lisagor awards and was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New America Media and is the recipient of the 2009 M.T. Mehdi Courage in Journalism award.

For more information on alHusinni, Hanania or Radio Baladi, or to listen to the live broadcast on the Internet, visit their web site at www.RadioBaladi.com.  (Baladi is the Arabic word for “homeland.”)

“Good Morning Michigan”

U.S. Arab Radio Network

Mon, Wed - Fri, 8 - 9 am

Host: Laila alHusinni

2249 Gridley Park

Dearborn, MI, 48124

STUDIO: 248-557-3300

Tel: (313) 570-2206

Fax :( 313) 768-5104

lealhusinni@yahoo.com

“Mornings with Ray Hanania”

Urban Strategies Group

Mon - Fri, 8 - 9:30 am

Host: Ray Hanania

PO Box 2127

Orland Park, IL., 60462
STUDIO: 708-493-1530

708-575-9078 eFax

rayhanania@comcast.net

end

Major New Palestinian State and Institution Building Document Issued

Major New Palestinian State and Institution Building Document Issued


Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact Information: Hussein Ibish

January 26, 2010 - 12:00am

The Ministries of Finance and Planning and Administrative Development of the Palestinian National Authority (PA) have issued a major new document pertaining to the state and institution building program of the Thirteenth Palestinian Government that was adopted in August, 2009. The document, “Palestine: Moving Forward, Priority Interventions for 2010,” spells out priority interventions for the Palestinian government in the coming year, and includes cost estimates and funding status. Building on the August cabinet document, this detailed financial agenda will be an invaluable guide to what the Palestinian government seeks to accomplish in the coming months and how this can be supported financially, technically and politically by all those seeking to promote peace based on the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel.

Click below to download the documents

Palestine:

Moving Forward,

Priority Interventions for 2010 Palestine:

Ending the Occupation,

Establishing the State

HTML (ENGLISH)

PDF (ARABIC)

American Journalist Jared Malsin detained one week and deported

20 January 2010
For immediate release

For the first time in a week, journalist Jared Malsin was allowed to use his mobile phone on Wednesday morning to inform Ma'an that he was being placed onto an El Al flight to New York.

He sounded shaken and confused. He said he did not know why he was not being flown to Prague, where he was expected to be sent, saying only that flying there "would create problems." He said he was in an armored vehicle that was transporting him to the airport gate.

On Tuesday, Tel Aviv District Judge Kobi Vardi ordered that a hearing be scheduled to consider the Israeli Ministry of the Interior's decision to deport the journalist. Following the call, lawyer Castro Daoud went to the airport detention facility where Malsin has been kept for the past week to deliver the news.

At about 2:30 pm, Daoud left the detention center and filed a motion requesting that Jared be permitted to leave the country while the hearing and case proceed in his absence. As the Attorney General's Office insisted that Malsin not be permitted to attend his hearing, Daoud argued that it was no longer necessary to keep him confined to his cell in the detention center.

At about 4:30pm, staff from the US Embassy in Tel Aviv notified Malsin’s parents in the US state of New Hampshire that he would be on the next flight to Prague, even though Justice Vardi had not ruled on Daoud’s motion to let Malsin travel and still pursue the case.

At about 7:30pm, Daoud expressed shock after he received notification that a motion was signed by Malsin requesting his deportation challenge be annulled. Justice Vardi has closed the case on Malsin’s deportation order one week after it was filed.

Ma’an is deeply concerned that there was no lawyer present when Malsin apparently filed this independent motion, which was sent from the Ministry of the Interior and not his legal representative, who had just left. It is inexplicable that Malsin would knowingly drop the legal challenge after his first major success.

Without jumping to conclusions, Ma’an wants to be sure these events did not take place under duress, and is consequently concerned that Malsin’s lawyer and parents were prevented from reaching him during the 24 hours before the deportation to clarify what happened between 2:30 and 4:30pm on Tuesday afternoon.

See the following for more information:

On the reaction of international press associations:
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=254583
On Jared’s fight to overturn the deportation order:
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=254021
On the timeline of Jared’s detention and questioning:
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=254589

For further inquiries, please contact:

George Hale (English)
              +972(0)52.785-4907         +972(0)52.785-4907
Raed Othman (Arabic)
              +972(0)59.925-8705         +972(0)59.925-8705
Nasser Lahham (Hebrew)
              +972(0)59.925-8704         +972(0)59.925-8704

For the most updated version of this news release, click here:
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=253864

NAAJA protests detention of Bethlehem based Maan News Agency editor

The National Arab American Journalists Association, which is partnered with the Society of Professional Journalists and the Asian American Journalists Association, tonight issued a protest to the Government of Israel demanding the release of journalist Jared Malsin.

Malsin was detained and interrogated for more than 8 hours and continues to be in custody on charges of criticizing Israel in articles and columns published by the Ma’an News Agency based in Bethlehem, Palestine.

“Journalism freedoms are essential to Democracy and building of peace. Any action to censor or restrict or threaten or intimidate journalists for the sole ‘crime’ of expressing an opinion or covering stories frowned on by the occupation government is a violation not only of international law but a violation of Israel’s claim to be Democratic and fair,” said Ray Hanania, NAAJA coordinator based in Chicago.

“NAAJA is not only calling on Israel to immediately release Jaslin, but also urging Israeli journalists who claim to be objective and concerned about free speech, Democracy and the accuracy in reporting to also publicly protest the arrest.”

Hanania, a Chicago morning radio host and syndicated opinion columnist whose commentary appears in publications such as the Arab News, the Jerusalem Post and in many newspapers across the United States, said that NAAJA has issued formal letters to Israel’s embassy in Washington D.C., to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton,  and to Israel’s Ministry of Information in Jerusalem.

“When the government of Israel detains journalists on trumped up charges and on censorship, then Israel is basically admitting that they do abuse citizen rights, they do violate international law and they do not respect the fundamental basics that will one day usher in an era of peace,” Hanania said.

NAAJA calls on journalists around the world to speak out against this detention and demand Jared Malsin’s immediate release.

NAAJA has more than 250 members in the United States. The web page is www.NAAJA-US.com.

British officials to visit Gaza Strip, press conference

Invitation for Press Conference: 50 MPs/MEPs leave to Gaza

The European Campaign to End the Siege on Gaza (ECESG) will hold a press conference tomorrow Wednesday, in which it will announce the launch of a parliamentarian trip to Gaza that includes tens of MPs/MEPs from across Europe. The press conference will be conducted at 12 PM, at M ROOM Portcullis house in the British Parliament in london.

The delegation trip to Gaza is part of a series of actions carried out by ECESG and the Palestinian Return Center in the UK and Europe. For an entire week, actions and events for Palestinian victims will be carried in remembrance of the victims killed in the past 60 years especially Gaza.

Gerald Kaufmann, MP would be chairing the conference which will state the aim of the visit. Other participating MPs will speak as well.

The largest Parliamentarian Delegation from across Europe is preparing to leave to the besieged Gaza Strip within 2 days.  The delegation will aim at looking at the realty and the humanitarian conditions resulted in the Israeli war and a 4-year siege.

In press statement, The European Campaign to End the Siege on Gaza (ECESG) said it has finalized all needed arrangements and fully coordinated with the Egyptian Foreign Ministry concerning the visit of the MEPs and MPs delegation to Gaza via Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza."

ECESG pointed out that the delegation consists of 50 MPs/MEPs. The parliamentarians represent twelve European countries whom of which will be members of the European Parliament and former ministers. They will investigate and see the ramifications of last onslaught perpetrated against the Gaza civilians.

The delegation will meet with Egyptian officials and the Secretary General of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, to discuss the humanitarian condition in Gaza Strip, especially in light of the continued siege which Israel has been imposed for years.

The European Campaign to End the Siege on Gaza organized various Parliamentarian delegations that visited Gaza however this one is considered to be the largest delegation visiting Gaza.

 For more information:
The European Campaign to End the Siege on Gaza
info@freedomforpalestine.org
Contact: 00447908200559
               00447728021097

Palestine Memorial Week starts on Wednesday, 13th January

In commemoration of the victims of Gaza and also in remembrance of six decades of brutality against the Palestinians, The Palestinian Return Centre (PRC), Palestinian Forum in the UK, European Campaign to End Siege on Gaza, Islamic forum of Europe (IFE), Federation of Student Islamic Societies (FOSIS), Muslim Association of Britain (MAB), Islamic Human Rights Commission in Britain (IHRC), Russell Tribunal, Student Council Goldsmith University and Action Palestine will be holding a number of events between 13th to 19th of January 2010.

The key event within the week will be  on Wednesday, 13th January at Friends House, London Euston from 6:30 to 9:30. The initiative will  focus on the suffering endured by Palestinians  over the past 60 years especially during the recent war in Gaza war.
Jeremy Corbyn MP, Baroness Jenny Tonge and Lord Nazir Ahmad Ahmed will be part of the event where they will speak about the disaster in Gaza and Palestine.

Palestinian Ambassador in the UK, Manuel Hasasian and General Director of the Palestinian Return Centre (PRC), Majed Al-Zeer will also share their thoughts during the conference. Representatives of participating organizations will also take part and provide their support and solidarity for the Palestinian people .

Ken Loach, famous British Film Director who has many extensive and fascinating cinema productions like  Poor Cow, Family Life, Looking for Eric,  It's a Free World...,  Tickets  and many more, will join the speakers where he will express his view on the suffering of Palestinians.

A detailed presentation on the conditions in Gaza by Middle East Expert Peter Eyre will highlight the violations committed by Israel. Frank Barat, Russell Tribunal Palestine coordinator in London will speak about the many progressive steps taken towards prosecuting Israeli war criminals.

A  Palestinian survivor from Gaza, Rawad Hamad and Ewa Jasiewicz Free Gaza Coordinator who worked and lived in Gaza for some time will take part in the activities.
A Palestinian woman, Om Kamel, whose house was destroyed many times over in Occupied Jerusalem, is expected to be among the key speakers. A gallery on Gaza's recent conditions and the last onslaught will be placed in the venue.

PRC and the participating organizations placed a half page in the guardian Monday 11, Jan 2010. On Tuesday, 12 Jan 2010, another add will be placed in the independent. The ads include pictures and information about the dilemmas in the Gaza Strip and what happened last year.

Endorsed by, Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), Friends of Al Aqsa, Labour Friends Of Palestine and the Middle East (LFPME), Free Palestine Movement (FPM) and International Solidarity Movement (ISM).

The ad can be seen in the link below: http://www.prc.org.uk/newsite/en/centre-activities/94-lobbying-a-delegations/418-palestine-memorial-week-qhalf-page-in-thegurdianq  

Ray Hanania interviewed by satire web site criticizing fanatics

Here's the link to Ray Hanania's interview on the satire site taking on extremists and fanatics in the American Arab community at "KabobFest."

Click here to read story?

www.RadioChicagoland.com

Principles that should guide Palestinian and Israeli Peace

These are some principles I have fashioned that I hope will become the basis for establishment of Yalla Peace Parties throughout the world to promote peace between Palestinians and Israelis.

1-We can disagree about the past with passion and emotion and still come together for a great future together. We do not have to deny each other's narratives about the past, or challenge them, on order to agree on a mutual future of peace and compromise. This is the first step. Stop using the past as a bludgeon to attack the other side, while closing a blind eye to similar conduct among our own peoples.

2-We apply one principle of fairness, justice, morality to achieve compromise looking within ourselves to find and correct the fault. Israelis must be able to denounce the killing of Palestinians before they can denounce the killing of Israelis. Palestinians must be able to denounce the killing of Israelis before they can denounce the killings of Palestinians.

3-We resist the temptation to blame people for the actions of individuals, and resist the temptation to respond in anger and in kind. This is not about people but rather about politics and government policies that have gone wrong and feed on the suffering, tragedy and confusion of our peoples.

4-We set aside the old paradym of Israelis versus Palestinians and instead define our movement as moderates versus extremists. We use the M Word proudly and reject those who seek to deny it as a means of distracting eyes from their own extremist ways and views.

5-We embrace two-states, Israel and Palestine, and deal with the issues after we achieve a real peace and two states. We create two states on the basis of the bigger principle and later negotiate the final borders, the sharing of Jerusalem, compensation and resettlement of the Palestinian refugees, the dismantling of which specific settlements, the swap of land, etc. Create two states so that Israel and Palestine become equal partners at the negotiating table rather that seeking to achieve the unachievable through an imbalance with Israel as the subjugator and Palestine as the subjugated.

6-We strive to see the bigger picture and not get drawn in to the battle over the "pebble." We see that peace based on compromise is the answer to past violence and terrorism. We don't allow one disagreement to discourage us from seeking the bigger agreement of peace.

7-We resist the rhetoric of hatred. We stop stereotyping Israelis and Palestinians. We reject hate speech, denial of the suffering of others. Palestinians must stop enabling or advocating Holocaust revisionism or questioning the Holocaust. israelis must stop questioning the existence of Palestinians or the facts that they lost many homes and lands as civilians in the 1947-48 war.

8-We view criminal acts (violence, terrorism, all acts of physical injury) not as the consequences of a people but rather as the result of individual conduct. Terrorism and violence must be treated as criminal acts not an excuse to persecute or demonize any other people.

9-We do not allow violence and terrorism to derail compromise and recognize that the more successful we become in reaching peace based on compromise and two-states, the extremists will push harder until it is too late with more violence, and violence of the most despicable kind including suicide bombings and military massacres.

10-We view violence of the past in its context not as a means of defining the future. The massacres in the Gaza Strip are horrendous but the answer is not to respond with violence, but rather to build peace to prevent future events from re-occurring. The same with violence against Israelis. We treat them as horrific incidents, not blanket condemnation of an entire people.

11-We stop blaming others and begin to address the challenges among ourselves. Palestinians stop blaming Israelis and Israelis stop blaming Palestinians. Instead, Palestinians look into themselves and identify their errors, mistakes, misconduct and change them. Israelis look into themselves and identify their errors, mistakes, misconduct and change them.

12-We accept that Peace is the answer and that both sides have injured each other.

-- Ray Hanania

www.YallaPeace.com

Representativ es from 43 Countries to march to Israeli border

Media Advisory for                                For more information contact:
December 23rd, 2009                              Blair Fitzgibbon 202-503-6141
                                                                          Medea Benjamin (Cairo) 0189561919
                                                                          (Gaza) 0599501519

*Telephone Press Conference Call December 23rd, 11 AM EST USA*
REPRESENTATIVES FROM 43 COUNTRIES TO MARCH TO ISRAELI BORDER

One Year After Invasion Of Gaza 1,300 People to Participate in
March as Part of Global Effort to Lift Devastating Blockade

For TV/WEB Satellite Coordinates of Live Feed, email Blair@Fitzgibbonmedia.com

Pulitzer Prize winning author Alice Walker, former Italian Vice President of European Parliament Luisa Morgantini, French Senator Alima Boumediene–Thiery leading Syrian comedian Duraid Lahham, author and Filipino Parliament member Walden Bello, and 85-year-old Holocaust survivor Hedy Epstein

On December 31^st, over one thousand representatives from 43 nations around the globe will convene at the Gaza/Egypt border as part of the Gaza Freedom March. The event is in response to a growing global initiative, to lift the crippling blockade on Gaza in order to allow food, medicine and rebuilding supplies to enter the Palestinian territory. 

Amongst the 1,300 international delegates participating in the March are some prominent names, including Pulitzer Prize winning author Alice Walker, former Italian Vice President of European Parliament Luisa Morgantini, French Senator Alima Boumediene–Thiery leading Syrian comedian Duraid Lahham, author and Filipino Parliament member Walden Bello, and 85-year-old Holocaust survivor Hedy Epstein.

Organizers will hold a telephone news press conference call on December 23^rd at 11 AM EST to preview the March.  Satellite coordinates to stream live footage for the media will be provided the night before the crossing.

Call-In Number: 1 + 785-424-1051 – conference ID: “GAZA” – this is a US phone number – reporters can call in internationally.

The international delegates, including international diplomats, doctors, lawyers, students, religious leaders, war veterans, women’s groups, and members of the Jewish community, will enter Gaza via Egypt during the last week of December. In the morning December 31, they will join Palestinians in a non-violent march from Northern Gaza to the Erez/Israeli border. On the Israeli side of the Erez border will be a gathering of Palestinians and Jews who are also calling on the Israeli government to open the border.

WHO:  The call will be with the following organizers and activists: Gaza Freedom March Lead Organizer – Medea Benjamin, Pulitzer Prize winning author – Alice Walker, Former Vice President of European Parliament – Luisa Morgan Gini.

WHEN: December 23rd at 11 AM Eastern (USA).

For more information please visit www.gazafreedommarch.org
 

-30-

The US Census and American Arabs, a Satirical approach

The CENSUS: A satirical approach

Have you all filled out your census form yet?

I’m not filling it out. No. I won’t fill out the Census form because I want our name ARAB spelled out in black ink on the Census form … with all the other names … I pay my taxes … I am NOT writing the word ARAB on the form … the US Government should write it on the form for me …

They do that for everyone else.

The Census form has a long list of “recognized” ethnic and racial groups:

WHITE

They list Hispanics five different ways on the Census form:

HISPANIC, LATINO OR SPANISH ORIGIN … Mexican American … Chicano … What country does Chicano come from?

They list Black people three times on the Census form :

BLACK … AFRICAN AMERICAN … NEGRO

American Indian or Alaskan Native … they even give you a space to write in your “TRIBE”

There are all kinds of ASIANS …

Asian Indian … Japanese … Native Hawaiian … Chinese … Korean … Guamanian or Chamorro … Filipino … Vietnamese … Samoan

OR … “Other Asian” such as Laotian … Thai … Pakistani … and Cambodian.

And they even have

Pacific Islander … Fijian … Tongan.

I know why they don’t have ARAB written on the Census form … They have already printed 28 other ethnic and racial groups … and THERE’S NO MORE ROOM for us anywhere on the form …

-- Ray Hanania

www.YallaPeace.com

US Labor Secretary on Wage and Hour Division’s increased enforcement and outreach efforts

Statement by US Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis on

Wage and Hour Division’s increased enforcement and outreach efforts

WASHINGTON – ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement regarding the increased enforcement and outreach efforts of the department’s Wage and Hour Division: 

“There is no excuse for employers who disregard federal labor standards – especially those that are designed to protect the most vulnerable in the workplace.  The failure to comply with these basic labor standards means that workers are not receiving the money they have earned.  It is both an economic issue and a fairness issue. America’s workers should rest assured that protecting worker rights is a top priority at the Department of Labor.  To make good on that promise, I have hired an additional 250 new wage and hour investigators, a staff increase of more than one third, to ensure that we promptly respond to complaints and can undertake more targeted enforcement.

“In the past three months alone, the department has had several significant enforcement cases, including collecting nearly $2 million in back wages for more than 500 workers.

“In early 2010, the department will launch a national public awareness campaign titled “We Can Help” to inform workers about their rights. The department will work closely with advocacy groups and other stakeholders to ensure that the materials developed for the campaign reach the workers who need them.  We will not rest until the law is followed by every employer, and each worker is treated and compensated fairly.”

# # #

Middle East Leaders Forum Nov. 20, 2009

Middle East Leaders Forum 2009, "Challenges and Opportunities", generously sponsored by Qatar Airways, forum that will examine the profound challenges, dynamic opportunities and pressing issues associated with the current economic climate and unprecedented business opportunities in the Middle East. GoldenNetworking.com’s Middle East Leaders Forum 2009, "Challenges and Opportunities", will be the forum where businessmen, executives, entrepreneurs, investors, academics and professionals following the developments in the region will obtain crucial insights they can act upon immediately to take advantage of the incredible opportunities presented in the Arabian Gulf.
Middle East Leaders Forum 2009, "Challenges and Opportunities", will feature experienced executives, experts and practitioners from leading organizations:

• Mr. Mahmoud Salem, Managing Director, The Bank of New York Mellon
• Mr. Rushdi Siddiqui, Head of Islamic Finance, Thomson Reuters
• Mr. Ahmed Fattouh, Chief Executive Officer, Baron Group Holdings
• Mr. Mohannad Aama, Managing Director, Beam Capital Management, LLC
• Mr. Sharif Touray, Of Counsel, DLA Piper
• Mr. Omar Taha, Chief Executive Officer, The S&T Group
• Mr. Jim McCarthy, Chief Investment Officer, Strategic Capital Solutions, LLC
• Mr. George Assad, Director of International Affairs, Blackstar Group LLC
• Mr. Karim Babay, Private Investor
• Mr. Tarek Younes, Co-Founder and Managing Director of the Capitol Health Special Fund, L.P.
• Mr. Rafi-uddin Shikoh, Founder, Dinar Standard

GoldenNetworking.com's Middle East Leaders Forum 2009, "Challenges and Opportunities", will feature panels covering the most insightful, relevant and timely topics that top executives of financial firms, asset management and hedge funds, private equity and venture capital institutions, real estate investment trusts and any other company with a stake in the Middle East cannot afford to ignore:

• Evolution of Capital Markets in the Middle East
• Alternative Approaches for Private Equity Investing in the Gulf
• Tapping into the World’s Richest Sovereign Wealth Funds
• Retaining Talent and Focusing Teams in the Middle East

Arab American National Museum seeks artifacts of community and public service in US

STORIES, ARTIFACTS FROM ARAB AMERICAN PUBLIC SERVANTS SOUGHT FOR UPCOMING EXHIBITION

Dearborn, MI (November 17, 2009) – The Arab American National Museum is issuing a nationwide call for stories and artifacts for potential inclusion in its exhibition Arab Americans in Service to Our Country, set to open in February 2012.

This exhibition will allow the Museum to document and present to audiences the public service-oriented contributions of Arab Americans to our society. This timely exhibition serves the Museum’s mission to “document, preserve and educate the public about the history, life, culture and contributions of Arab Americans.”

Target Communities

This exhibition will reflect the experiences of Arab Americans regardless of time of immigration, religious affiliation, national origin or place of residency. We seek individual and organizational stories, artifacts and historical documents that reflect the Arab American experience through public service in the following areas: Peace Corps; AmeriCorps; City Year; Teach for America; all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces; U.S. diplomatic corps; and municipal police and fire departments. Collected artifacts and historical documents can be donated or loaned to the Museum.

Items Requested

The AANM is seeking items that represent the diversity of the Arab American experience, including representation from all states, all Arab American communities, and all of the aforementioned service areas. Potential items include: oral histories; medals, awards, and other honors; letters and documents; personal objects; uniforms or other clothing worn by servicepersons; or photographs and memorabilia collected during the period of service.

How to Submit Items for Consideration

Those who have artifacts to submit for potential inclusion in the exhibition should provide contact information and a brief description of the items to Suzy Mazloum, Curator of Collections, at 313.624.0229 or smazloum@accesscommunity.org. The Museum will then contact potential lenders directly for more information. Lenders will be credited for items selected for display in the exhibition.

************

The Arab American National Museum documents, preserves, celebrates and educates the public on the history, life, culture and contributions of Arab Americans. It serves as a resource to enhance knowledge and understanding about Arab Americans and their presence in this country. The Arab American National Museum is a project of ACCESS, a Dearborn, Michigan-based nonprofit human services and cultural organization. Learn more at www.arabamericanmuseum.org and www.accesscommunity.org.

The Arab American National Museum is a proud Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Read about the Affiliations program at http://affiliations.si.edu.

The Museum is located at 13624 Michigan Avenue, Dearborn, MI, 48126. Museum hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Closed Monday, Tuesday; Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Admission is $6 for adults; $3 for students, seniors and children 6-12; ages 5 and under, free. Call 313.582.2266 for further information.

###

***********************

Kim Silarski

Communications

313.624.0206 

Arab American Veterans Organization condemns killings at Fort Hood military base

STATEMENT ON FORT HOOD SHOOTINGS FROM ASSOCIATION OF PATRIOTIC ARAB AMERICANS IN THE MILITARY

At a time of deep sorrow in the midst of this horrific tragedy, our thoughts are first and foremost with the Fort Hood shooting victims and their families. One can only imagine the unspeakable pain and loss they are and will be dealing with in the weeks, months and years to come.

It is unfortunate that whatever demons possessed Nidal Hasan, that he chose to deal with his problems in this way.

In the aftermath of this terrible tragedy, it is more important than ever that we not make the same scapegoating and broad stroke mistakes that were evident in the aftermath of previous tragedies. The Association of Patriotic Arab Americans in Military urges the media, government officials and all of our fellow Americans to recognize that the actions of Hasan are those of a deranged gunman, and are in no way representative of the wider Arab American or American Muslim community.

In fact, thousands of Arab Americans and American Muslims serve honorably everyday in all four branches of the U.S. military and in the National Guard. Additionally, many of us have willingly stepped forward to fulfill our duty with our fellow soldiers in both Afghanistan, Iraq and other locations around the globe, including most of the member of APAAM. Indeed, many of us are today currently deployed in both countries, honorably serving each and every day.

The Association of Patriotic Arab Americans in Military (APAAM) was created shortly after September 11th, 2001, in an effort to organize current and former Arab- Americans in the military. There are approximately 3,500 Arab- Americans serving in our Armed Forces.  Based on the fact that there are no other formal organizations representing Arab- Americans in the military, APAAM has the distinction of being the first official organization for Arab- Americans in the Military.

For APAAM
Jamal S. Baadani
President & Founder, 1stSgt US Marine Reserves
Phone: 818-425-7389

Ray Hanania
APAAM Media Coordinator, and Vietnam Era Veteran
rayhanania@comcast.net
cell: 312-933-9855

Daley welcomes Etihad Airlines to Chicago

Daley welcomes Etihad (Itihad) Airlines CEO and Staff to Chicago

(Chicago, IL) James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ chief executive, and members of the airline’s senior management team have hosted a high level gala reception in Chicago to celebrate the launch of Etihad’s flights to the famed ‘windy city’.

The gala reception took place at Chicago’s Peninsula Hotel and was the culmination of a week of activities to promote the airline’s latest US destination. This included meetings with mayor of the city, Richard Daley, and James Albaugh, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, as well as prominent members of the Arab business community in the US.

Mr Hogan said: “Etihad Airways has received a very warm welcome in Chicago since we launched our flights last month and we are delighted build on our established relations with O’Hare airport and civic and trade officials in the city.”

Last week Mr Hogan was the key note speaker at a special luncheon in the hosted by AmCham Abu Dhabi.

During the speech, Mr Hogan discussed the growing relationship between Abu Dhabi and Chicago and explained how Etihad’s new service will bring significant economic benefits to America’s third largest city.

Etihad Airways began flights to the US city of Chicago at the beginning of September 2009. The initial three flights per week service will increase to six flights per week at the beginning of November and then move to a daily service at the beginning of 2010.

Chicago is the third largest US market for air travel to the Middle East and GCC, after New York and Washington DC, and the state of Illinois is home to one of the largest Arab-American communities in the US with an estimated population of more than 240,000 residents.

About Etihad Airways:

Etihad Airways is the national airline of the United Arab Emirates based in the UAE’s capital, Abu Dhabi. Currently Etihad offers flights to more than 50 destinations in the Middle East, Europe, North America, Africa, Asia and Australia. For further details: Etihad Airways Corporate Communications: Tel: + 971 (0) 2 511 1032 / 1036 or visit: www.etihadmediacentre.com

New Jersey Conference explores Muslim Empowerment Oct. 31

Salaam! Join industry leaders on October 31st at Rutgers State University in Piscataway, NJ for the 1st Annual American Muslim Conference!

It’s time to reach the American Muslim Market. $170 billion purchasing power - now that’s a nice chunk of change. For years, few advertisers in the United States have dared to reach out to Muslims. Either they did not see much potential for sales or they feared a political backlash. That is beginning to change. Consumer companies and advertising executives are focusing on ways to use the cultural aspects of the Muslim religion to help sell their products. Learn key considerations in strategically and successfully selling products and services to American Muslim Consumers.

SPEAKERS:

Honorable Governor Jon Corzine of New Jersey Paul Barrett (Assistant Managing Editor, BusinessWeek; Author, “American

Islam”)

Carla Power (Journalist, TIME Magazine)

Monem Salam (President and CEO, Saturna Brokerage Services) Ahmad Adam (President/CEO, Crescent Foods) Bob Burg (Co-Author of Wall Street Journal and BusinessWeek best seller, "The Go-Giver") Kamran Pasha (Hollywood Screenwriter and Director) Lubna Khalid (CEO, Real Cosmetics)

American Muslim Consumer Conference gives insight into the untapped American Muslim Market from leading marketing professionals and entrepreneurs. Registration includes lectures, copy of presentations and all meals (breakfast and lunch included).

To REGISTER, visit http://www.americanmuslimconsumer.com

New film on Taybeh Palestine

a film trailer on line about Taybeh Oktoberfest

It needs a minimum amount of votes to stay on line so thought to share it with you so you might view it, vote, share it with others if possible

http://wow.indie-fest.com/

It appears on the second page of the site as:

Palestine, Beer & Oktoberfest: Under Occupation

The filmmaker Lara Van Raay filmed this last Oktoberfest 2008 and I will try (don’t know how right now)  to use this film as a fundraiser to help finish the Taybeh Post Office since my husband started this public building but did not finish it so when I show it in the usa I will ask for a minimum donation of $500 written to the Taybeh Municipality specifically towards the Post Office building and hoping this will be David Khoury’s last month as mayor but it would be great to finish the post office project which has been in the works for three years.

The synopsis:

Meet the family that created Palestine’s first beer and see a side of Palestine where Jews, Muslims, and Christians all drink together in peace. A heart-warming story of success that touches on the politics of Jewish settlements, control of natural resources and the difficulties of doing business under occupation. Filmed at the Oktoberfest in the Christian town of Taybeh, on Palestine’s West Bank- this is a light, festive, and positive story from Palestine that you never get to see. (43 minutes)

Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize and that puts world's evil on notice

President Obama’s genuine desire for peace earns Nobel Peace Prize

By Ray Hanania

President Obama’s first call in coming to office was to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

He then made an epoch speech to the Arab and Muslim world to repair the damage caused by his rightwing and narrow-minded predecessor President George W. Bush.

Obama has pushed the Israelis to force them to accept peace based on returning Arab lands, even though the Israelis have surrounded the wagons and have allowed Israel’s most racist elected official, foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman to become their spokesman. In fact, Israel’s Lieberman is the new face of hate in the world.

He is shifting from the illegal American war and occupation in Iraq to the genuine fight against terrorism and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan.

And Obama has vowed to the American people that despite this country having wasted hundreds of billions on politically motivated wars driven by oil money greed, he will fight to make their own country a place where every American will be guaranteed the right to adequate healthcare, something most Americans now lack.

You don’t even need to read the announcement from the Nobel Committee explaining why they have given this year’s Peace Prize to President Barack Hussein Obama.

Obama is more than just a president seeking justice. His name has come to symbolize a movement of change. Change from a past driven by racist bigotry and hatred to a future of justice where the Rule of Law actually has relevance and justice is based on issues of principle and fairness, not on partisan political influence.

Israel is not just a “Jewish State” in Obama’s eyes, but a nation that must also abide by the Rule of Law. Hypocrisy has no place in Obama’s administration, which is why his words have placed special notice on Israel which has more nuclear weapons than any other power outside of the United States and Russia. And yet Israel refuses, like Iran, to abide by the International rules seeking to limit and monitor and inspect nuclear weapons.

Although Obama has not achieved any of his mighty goals, the fact that he has set them is what earns him the special honor. It takes a real courageous man in this world to stand up to the forces of hatred and bias to advocate for fairness for all.

Obama’s policies may or may not achieve their stated goals, but they have already changed the dynamics of one important region of the world in the Middle East.

The Nobel Peace Prize award will put a special pressure on Israel to stop pretending that it supports peace. It throws cold water on the face of Israel’s arrogant and reticent society that it cannot pretend to seek peace and embrace politics and politics of racism, apartheid, bigotry and war.

Israel cannot pretend to support peace and continue to occupy the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and continue to imprison 1.4 million civilians in the world’s largest and most oppressive prison system called the Gaza Strip.

Israel cannot claim the right of defense when it is in offense against justice, the Rule of Law and peace, and it cannot hide behind lies it perpetrated through the manipulation of a friendly international media to assert that Hamas started the Nov. 2008 war. In fact, everyone knows that Israel started that war for one reason, to exact punishment on Hamas before Obama could be sworn in as president.

For the first time in World History, the facts are clear and all of the crimes in this world have been placed together shoulder-to-shoulder. Israel’s phony claims of being the victim when it is in fact the aggressor and oppressor are exposed.

Barack Hussein Obama is what the late great President John F. Kennedy is said to have been but could never become. He is the light of hope that might open the door to a world that is genuinely at peace and where all men and women are created equally and where the concerns of the poor are as important as the concerns of the wealthy.

As an American and a Palestinian Arab Christian, I am proud of this year’s choice for the Nobel Peace Prize, and in a way I feel a special part in that award as if the peace prize has been awarded not to just one man, but to an entire world of people who have not completely given up on hope.

(Ray Hanania is an award winning columnist and Chicago radio talks how host. he can be reached at www.RadioChicagoland.com.)

Commerce Secretary Locke to meet with Arab/Muslim community in Dearborn Oct. 6

COMMERCE SECRETARY GARY LOCKE TO MEET WITH MUSLIM- AND ARAB-AMERICAN BUSINESS LEADERS TO DISCUSS JOB CREATION, INNOVATION AND THE ECONOMY

Dearborn Mayor John B. O'Reilly, Jr. to Join Conversation with Arab- and Muslim-American communities in Dearborn, Mich.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke will meet with members of the Muslim- and Arab-American business communities in Dearborn, Mich. tomorrow to discuss innovative ways to forge new business partnerships and grow and sustain business development in the region. Locke will also talk about the importance of the 2010 Census in ensuring representation and federal funding for the community.

In his June speech in Cairo, President Obama proposed a new beginning between the United States and the Muslim community, based upon “mutual interest and mutual respect.” The administration is specifically committed to pursing new partnerships with governments, citizens, community organizations, religious leaders, businesses and international organizations in the areas of education, economic development, science and technology and health. Locke’s meeting tomorrow is a direct outgrowth of that commitment.  

WHO:             Commerce Secretary Gary Locke

                        Dearborn Mayor John B. O'Reilly, Jr.

 
WHAT:           Meeting with Muslim- and Arab-American business leaders
 
WHEN:           4 p.m., Tues, Oct. 6, 2009
                        Press arrival time:  3:45 p.m.
 
WHERE:        Lebanese American Heritage Club

                       4337 Maple Street

                       Dearborn, MI 48126

Media Coverage:  This meeting is open press. To RSVP, please contact Charmion Kinder at 202-482-4883 or ckinder@doc.gov. For logistical information, contact the Department of Commerce Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships at 202-482-0699.
   

###

Chicago's disregard for American Arabs in part cause of losing 2016 Olympic Bid

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) voted Tuesday to reject Chicago's bid for the 2016 Olympics. The committee consisted of over 100 members, including 12 from Arab countries. Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley may have set the city up for a "fall" when he falsely boasted to the Ruler of Dubai during a visit there that his administration has been very considerate of American Arab needs. There are more than 230,000 Arabs living in Chicago, Daley said, or 7.6 percent of the population. But, the tragedy is that American Arabs in Chicago have no real representation on the city's 50-member city council, less than 1 percent of the city's 36,000 jobs, and are marginalized at almost every level of City Government.
Mayor Daley and AON Corporation Chairman Patrick Ryan must bear the brunt of the responsibility for losing the bid. The city has been besieged by ongoing scandals that have undermined public support for the Olympic Games.

Daley, who vowed that taxpayers would not be responsible for any losses incurred by the Olympics if held in Chicago, quietly planned to put taxpayers on the hook for any losses -- losses that could not be projected this far in advance of the games. Only weeks ago, after denying taxpayers would be responsible, Daley forced the rubber stamp Chicago City Council to approve a guarantee that in fact taxpayers would be on the hook for any financial losses, a requirement demanded by the IOC.


That and the bloated and wasteful spending of the Chicago 2016 Olympic Committee, soured most Chicagoans on the game bid. The majority of Chicagoans opposed the Olympic bid, not because they do not believe the Olympics could be beneficial, but because they just don't trust the corruption-plagued Chicago Machine that Daley heads. Daley and the 2016 Olympic Committee were dishonest in their approach in dealing with the public.

Worse, though, is the abuse American Arabs continue to take under Daley's leadership. Mayor Daley patronizes American Arabs, but does not support the American Arab community.

The fact is that if American Arabs represent 7.6 percent of the city's 3 million citizens, then American Arabs should have 7.6 percent of the city's jobs, 7.6 percent of the teaching jobs, 7.6 percent of the firemen positions and policemen positions which are all above and beyond the basic city employment. American Arabs should also have 7.6 percent of the city's multi-million dollar contract awards. And American Arabs organizations should be receiving 7.6 percent of the millions of dollars in contract grants awarded for ethnic and heritage pride programs.

The reality is that despite Daley exaggerating the truth in his meeting with the Ruler of Dubai and also Arab members of the IOC's board, the truth prevailed. Arabs hold less than 1 percent of the city's jobs, have only 2 to 4 out of thousands teaching positions, get only crumbs from the city's multi-million dollar grants programs for culture, ethnic and heritage pride, and we get no real respect.
The 2016 Olympic Committee met with American Arab leaders several times. At one meeting, I complained that we want to support the Olympics but that Daley and his administration takes our community for granted. The spokespeople on the 2016 Committee insisted they could do nothing about the shortcomings toward or community but said they would make the point loud and clear to the mayor.

They did not.

In fact, out of the more than 360 members of the Chicago 2016 Olympic Committee, only two are Arab.

Later, as a result of my columns, several more were added.

All American Arabs in Chicago and throughout the United States are asking is that we be treated equally, fairly and just like everyone else, every other ethnic group, every other racial group, every other religious.

But because of the politicized nature of the Arab-Israeli conflict, American Arabs are not treated fairly. We are patronized, ignored, left out and even oppressed.


Nothing says that more than the apparent abandonment of Chicago's bid by the Arab World IOC delegates and the delegates from Africa. They were our chance. But the greed and politically selfishness of some of the top leadership of the Chicago 2016 Olympic Committee failed to put the focus where it should be.

Chicago should have been portrayed as a city of fairness, equality and diversity.

Clearly, most of the IOC's delegates, including the Arab delegates, saw through the Chicago 2016 Olympic Committee's ruse!

-- Ray Hanania
http://www.radiochicagoland.com/