US Arab Radio successfully celebrates 10 year anniversary
Detroit, Michigan & Washington D.C., Sept 3rd, 2015 — US Arab Radio celebrated its 10 year anniversary Friday, attracting more than 350 civic, faith and community leaders, journalists, government officials and supporters at the Wayne Tree Manor in Wayne, Michigan.
Master of ceremony and editor of Yamichigan.com Khalil Hachem began the program with thanking sponsors and supporters for making the event possible and gave an introduction about US Arab Radio and its accomplishments and its founder Laila Alhusini, who started US Arab Radio in 2005.
Journalist Adel Mozip gave a multi-media presentation about US Arab Radio and its programming and hosts. Programs include correspondence, Swa al Hawa, local news and information, Radio Baladi and Good Morning Michigan.
US Arab Radio, which started with a humble ambition in 2005 has transformed into a main source of news and information in the Middle Easter-American communities in the United States and across the world. US Arab Radio today reaches millions of listeners in eight states on the AM dial and across the world via the internet.
It recently added a new program, correspondence, which is aired from around the world and noted by journalist Mohamed Abdulzaher, who also hosts another popular US Arab Radio program, Economics Today
Other decorated hosts include Dr. Atef Abdel Gawad, Ray Hanania and Samer Liwaa Alamana. Please see credentials at the bottom.
It was Alhusini’s dream for an effective radio network and her fervor to serve the community that fostered US Arab Radio. Alhusini, a Syrian born journalist and western educated, worked for several media outlets before launching the radio. She has won a host of awards, local, national and international and was named a goodwill ambassador in Media & Women’s Rights on behalf of the Multipurpose Inter Parliamentary Union of the Middle East Region (2014). She thanked , Colleagues , supporters and sponsors and discussed current and future plans of the radio.
Keynote speaker and a host of one of the US Arab Radio program Dr. Sahar Khamis talked about the importance of having an indigenous, alternative Arab-American media platform, which would represents the authentic culture, tradition, worldview, and the different interests of the vastly expanding, and increasingly diverse, immigrant Arab communities in the U.S. and Canada.
Dr. Khamis said that the platform is needed because of the current challenges facing these communities, such as mainstream media misrepresentation and stereotyping of Arabs and Muslims, Islamophobia, and incidents of violence and aggression against Arabs and Muslims. This is why it is crucial to support a pioneering initiative, such as “U.S. Arab Radio,” in every possible way, she said.
Houssam Abedl Al Kader, an Egyptian journalist, media consultant and editor-in-chief of amwague.com newspaper, shared via the MC, a wonderful study about the challenges facing Arab media in the west and across the Middle East.
He concluded that second generation Arab Americans are getting positive information about America from mainstream western media, but they are also learning distorted and negative views about their parents’ land of origins from the same media. There are four million Arab Americans in the United States, but no effective ethnic media to represent them. He called on Arab and Arab American journalists and communities to work together to create such effective media.
Other speakers briefly shared their experiences of working with US Arab Radio and discussed the role the radio has played in serving the community.
Educator and Writer Georgia Cost discussed the value of telling stories and US Arab Radio programing to mitigate cultural differences and bringing communities together.
Chief executive officer of the Arab American Women’s Business Council Renee Ahee discussed the contributions of US Arab Radio over the past 10 years to empower women in the community.
Arab American Anti Discrimination Committee executive director Fatena Abedraboo talked about the civil rights challenges the community is facing and the effective role media can play in advancing the fight against racism and bigotry. She praised Alhusini and US Arab Radio in keeping the community informed and rallying support for important causes.
Noor Ghali, an intern at US Arab Radio, discussed her experience at the radio and urged participants to support Alhusini, as she continues providing a journalism training outlets for youth in the community.
Hachem conduced that US Arab Radio began with a hope of serving the community and it was the pebble in the pond of communications that started in 2005, and it will continue to ripple. The station is strong, and it plans to continue providing necessary news coverage, training programs for youth, better representation of the Arab-American communities, effective cultural awareness and promoting positive images of America in the Middle East and of the Middle East in the United States.
The evening concluded with music a wonderful dinner prepared by the Wayne Tree Manor chef and workers.
After dinner, US Arab Radio presented 13 prizes for the Ramadan competition, including a diamond ring from NJ Diamonds, a fancy dress from Betsy’s Bridal and smart TV from Sling TV.
US Arab Radio thanks all of its supporters and sponsors for making the event possible, especially Muhammad Nawass, owner of Wayne Tree Manor located at 35100,Van Born Rd, Wayne, MI 48184, where the event was held, Hassan Hammed for covering the event ,and Illusions Signs and Graphics for their services. It also thanks all of the journalists who attended the event.
Programs Hosts:
Laila Alhusini is an award-winning American journalist of Syrian decent, who immigrated to the United States in 2001. She received a bachelor’s in English Literature in 1989 and has more than 15 years of experience in print and broadcast journalism. She also worked as a freelance translator for Business Reporting, Zawya, a Thomson Reuters Company. In 2007, Mrs. Alhusini founded the Voice of Arabs from America, a radio program which broadcasts in Arabic and English. Through this initiative, she communicates with a vast audience base in the United States and Canada, and presents a variety of daily political, economic and social programs. As the host of three U.S. Arab Radio programs, Mrs. Alhusini continues to interview national and international leaders in politics, business, academia, seeking to unify Arab and American communities and their diverse audiences. Laila has been nominated to receive many important awards including… being the recipient of the YMCA Western Wayne County Women of Achievement Award in Communication/Arts (2011). She was formally recognized by the American Arab Women’s Community Network for playing an important role in the community and within the field of Media and Communication (2012). Mrs. Alhusini was also nominated as Goodwill Ambassador for TMIPU in Media & Women’s Rights on behalf of the Multipurpose Inter Parliamentary Union of the Middle East Region (2014).
Dr. Atef Abdel Gawad is a long-time, Washington D.C.-based; Middle East broadcast journalist and newspaper columnist. He is the host of numerous live shows on Middle Eastern TV networks, and covers the Washington D.C. area for Egypt’s Channel One as well as its satellite network.
Mohamed Abdulzaher is a media professional with extensive experience in print, online and broadcast journalism at the regional and international level. Currently pursuing a PhD in Journalism and Mass Communication, Mohamed has over 16 years of experience as a bilingual journalist, as an English and Arabic radio producer and trainer with the BBC World Service, the United Nations and the Financial Times Group.. Mohamed also hosts “Economy Today” on U.S. Arab Radio once a month.
Dr. Sahar Khamis :, Associate Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Maryland, and an expert on Arab and Muslim media, talked about the importance of having indigenous, alternative Arab-American media platforms, which represent the authentic culture, traditions, worldviews, and interests of the vastly expanding, and increasingly diverse, immigrant Arab communities in the U.S. and Canada, especially with the current challenges facing these communities, such as mainstream media misrepresentations and stereotyping of Arabs and Muslims, Islamophobia, and incidents of violence and aggression against Arabs and Muslims, which is why it is crucial to support a pioneering initiative, such as “U.S. Arab Radio,” in every possible way. She also talked about valuing her own experience, as a radio host with “U.S. Arab Radio” for the last two years.
Ray Hanania is an award winning Palestinian American writer. Ray covered Chicago City Hall from 1976 until 1992 for the Daily Southtown and the Chicago Sun-Times. Ray launched his own political consulting firm Urban Strategies Group in 1992. Mr. Hanania provides analysis of Chicagoland, Illinois as well as national issues for the Southwest News – Herald Newspaper syndicate and analysis of Middle East issues for the The Arab Daily News. Ray has managed the election campaigns of more than 60 candidates for public office from Chicago aldermen and Cook County Commissioner to statewide and congressional offices.
Khalil E. Hachem is a thorough and effective communicator, with more than 17 years of journalism experience at three major American newspapers. Khalil is an award-winning writer, with a proven ability to engage readers and turn complex topics into approachable, relevant and compelling content. Khalil is the founder and executive editor of bizmagazine.org, the fastest growing digital network in the Middle Eastern community, focusing on online, social media and mobile technology.
Adel Mozip is a software developer based in Detroit, Michigan. Adel is the designer of the Yemeni American News and an information technology consultant. Adel co-manages Sheba4Tech, a tech start up and writes occasionally for news outlets. He is very active in his community specializing in education and sports. Adel also reports for US Arab Radio every Monday on major sports events.
Samer Liwaa Alamana is a TV news anchor based in Dubai, UAE. Alamana earned his bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication from the University of Damascus.
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Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.
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