American Arabs and Muslims are among the most generous people in America when it comes to raising funds to help the needy. That might explain why their charity donation collections are being targeted at local stores in the Dearborn, Michigan region
By Ray Hanania
Saj Cafe & Bakery, Dearborn Heights, Robbery video April 2015
I recently saw a video posted on a popular Facebook Page, Dearborn Area Community Members, hosted by Greater Detroit attorney and activist Majed Moughni.
A recent post shows a video of a thief stealing the collection box for a local charity from a store in Dearborn called Saj Cafe & Bakery, 25857 Ford Rd., in Dearborn Heights. The robbery took place this past week.
Click here to view the Facebook video.
Yasin Ahmad, who posted the video, wrote, “Stealing donation money, there has to be a solution to this!! They seem to know what they are doing, picking the right time when business is winding down to make their hit. Anyone with suggestions to change the way donations are collected or anything that can help with this epidemic!”
One suggestion was to replace the counter-top cans and boxes for the monetary collections by placing them inside the counters with an opening at the top. But that would be a lot of work.
With today’s economy, many people are desperate for money to make ends meet and support their families. They better way, of course, would be to go to the dozens of social service organizations in the American Arab and Muslim community to get assistance. But obviously, some are too proud to admit they are having problems. But stealing?
If anyone recognizes the thief, please contact Saj Cafe & Bakery in Dearborn Heights at 313-277-8877.
Ray Hanania is an award winning political and humor columnist who analyzes American and Middle East politics, and life in general. He is an author of several books.
Hanania covered Chicago Politics and Chicago City Hall from 1976 through 1992 at the Daily Southtown and the Chicago Sun-Times. He began writing in 1975 publishing The Middle Eastern Voice newspaper in Chicago (1975-1977). He later published “The National Arab American Times” newspaper (2004-2007).
Hanania writes weekly columns on Middle East and American Arab issues as Special US Correspondent for the Arab News ArabNews.com, at TheArabDailyNews.com, and at SuburbanChicagoland.com. He has published weekly columns in the Jerusalem Post newspaper, YNetNews.com, Newsday, the Orlando Sentinel, Houston Chronical, and Arlington Heights Daily Herald.
Hanania is the recipient of four (4) Chicago Headline Club “Peter Lisagor Awards” for Column writing. In November 2006, he was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New American Media. In 2009, Hanania received the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award for Writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. He is the recipient of the MT Mehdi Courage in Journalism Award. He was honored for his writing skills with two (2) Chicago Stick-o-Type awards from the Chicago Newspaper Guild. In 1990, Hanania was nominated by the Chicago Sun-Times editors for a Pulitzer Prize for his four-part series on the Palestinian Intifada.
His writings have also been honored by two national Awards from ADC for his writing, and from the National Arab American Journalists Association.
Hanania is the US Special Correspondent for the Arab News Newspaper, covering Middle East and Arab American issues. He writes for the Southwest News newspaper group writing on mainstream American issues.
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