Original news, features, opinions from Chicago to Jerusalem
A Detroit jury found Rasmea (Rasmieh) Odeh, 67, guilty of lying on her U.S. immigration forms after more than a year of harassment and persecution by the pro-Israel lobby. The judge in the case refused to allow Odeh to address issues of Israel’s abuse of Palestinian civilians and narrowed the trial to only the issue of…
Chicago painter leaves mark in United Arab Emirates American artist Anastasia Mak is known for her bright expressionist paintings of world destinations, including Rome, Istanbul, Paris, and her home Chicago. Thanks to collaboration between Al Qasimi Foundation and the U.S. Mission in the United Arab Emirates, she can now add UAE-inspired works to her portfolio,…
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Obama names prominent Middle East diplomat Rob Malley as the Special Assistant to Middle East, North African and Gulf Region. The appointment was immediately attacked by pro-Israel extremist groups led by the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA), a group with a history of racist anti-Arab bashing that represents the interests of a foreign country, Israel. (Updated)…
“The explanation for America’s impotent and morally bankrupt policy is the political clout of the Israel lobby. Barack Obama knows that if he were to side with the Palestinians in Gaza or criticize Israel’s actions in any way, he would face a firestorm of criticism from the lobby and his chances of getting Congressional approval…
Read More “SHUT DOWN AIPAC: The Israeli Drain on US Tax Dollars” »
Nadia Hilou, a lone Arab-Israeli Christian voice for families and children, was vilified and attacked by extremists in the Arab community in the Middle East and in the United States because she dared to work for peace from inside the system. Hilou was the first Arab Christian woman to serve in the Knesset and as…
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Using postage stamps, the Arab World can protest in a non-violent manner against the murder of civilians, including Americans by Israel’s settlers and military. They can Stamp Out Violence and Stamp Out Extremism. By Ray Hanania The failure of the Arab world to engage in strategic communications and effective public relations has made all Arabs an…
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Rahm Emanuel has been Chicago’s most anti-Arab mayor, for no real reason. On Tuesday, February 24, many American Arab voters and activists celebrated Emanuel’s failure to win the 50 percent of the votes he needed to win re-election and that he has been forced into a run-off against pro-Arab Cook County Commissioner Jesus “Chuy” Garcia. It’s the first time in Chicago…
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The racist nature of the extremist pro-Israel movement against BDS is widely known, but to be supported by pro-Israel professors and university administrators is an obnoxious escalation in fomenting hate crimes against Muslims. These pro-Israel activists are responsible for the rising Islamophobia and racist hate spreading across America that has resulted in the murder of innocent…
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You can better appreciate the bias of the mainstream American news media when you look closely at the issue of Israel, Iran and Nuclear weapons. No country has been more violent than Israel and yet Israel wants you to look closely at Iran. And while Israel wants the world to closely scrutinize Iran’s nuclear ambitions,…
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A look back at the Oscars and the Academy Awards night from 1978 when Palestine and Israel clashed on stage for the first time. Here’s one of several columns I published over the years reflecting on that moment, this one published in 2006. By Ray Hanania A very special Oscars Night BY RAY HANANIA (Originally…
President Obama has begun a debate on the issue of terrorism and Islam asking Americans to recognize that just because the terrorists claim they represent Islam doesn’t make it so. Why give the terrorists what they want? Defeat terrorism by being educated and understanding the facts, as complex as they may be. We are a smart…
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Racism and stereotypes can be used to denigrate and destroy people in America, but they can also have a positive value to help Americans, who are consumed with issues of race and stereotypes, to better understand the targets of hatred. Television sitcoms can become a means of educating not hating By Ray Hanania For years…
By Ray Hanania Civil rights activists from around the country are targeting a convention being held by RE/MAX Realty in Las Vegas beginning March 2 to protest their ongoing support of illegal Jewish-only settlements in occupied Palestine that discriminate against Christians and Muslims. The annual convention will bring RE/MAX representatives from around the world to…
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By Ray Hanania Rania Abouzeid was named as the recipient of the prestigious George Polk Awards in Journalism for 2014 in the category of Foreign Reporting for her feature published by Politico.com on the rise of ISIS, “The Jihad Next Door: The Syrian Roots of Iraq’s Civil War.” Rania Abouzeid grew up in Australia and is the…
By Ray Hanania Talk of the Town Radio for Friday Feb. 13, 2015 features a discussion on the Chapel Hill shootings, the murder of American peace activists Kayla Mueller and the celebration of her killing by Israelis and American Jewish activists, and also remembering the killing by Israel of another American, Rachel Corrie. Guests include Alexandra…
Read More “Radio Podcast: Alexandra Halaby on Chapel Hill, Kayla Mueller and more” »
By Ray Hanania One of my first journalism reports was written in 1976 when I was asked by the City of Chicago to cover a meeting between Morocco’s Washington D.C. Ambassador and Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley. The meeting was at City Hall and was intended to commemorate the longstanding friendship between the Arab country of Morocco and the…
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By Ray Hanania A full-length documentary on the challenges facing peace between Palestinians and Israelis, “A People without a Land” was named as the winner of the “Best Documentary Category” at the 2015 Pasadena International Film Festival. The documentary is produced by the husband and wife team of Eliyahu and Pennie Ungar-Sargon and explores the issue of the…
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By Ray Hanania Arab and Muslim callers to The Arab Daily News radio show on US Arab Radio broadcast in Detroit (690 AM) and Washington DC (700 AM) said that the slaughter of three Arab Muslims on Tuesday is clearly a hate crime. The callers and guests who joined me, Chicago radio host Rush Darwish,…
Read More “Arabs, Muslims describe Chapel Hill shootings as hate crime” »