Original news, features, opinions from Chicago to Jerusalem
Akram Baker remembered, worked at Orient House in Jerusalem with the late Faisal Husseini Obituary, 1966 – 2025 By Hady Amr Akram Ahmad Baker, 58, my longtime friend and colleague, passed away on December 11, following a valiant battle with disease. Akram was born in Norfolk, Virginia in 1966 to Palestinian-American parents from Bir Nabalah,…
Losing Michigan’s Senator Carl Levin By Imad Hamad On July 29, former US Senator Carl Levin, the longest serving member of US Senate in Michigan history, died. His death follows the death of another giant of Michigan and American politics, Congressman John Dingell. The death of Senator Carl Levin, just like Dingell’s death, were personal…
Coronavirus claims life of AHRC board member Rep. Isaac Robinson AHRC Deeply Mourns the Death of Rep. Isaac Robinson. Robinson died Sunday March 29, 2020 The American Human Rights Council (AHRC-USA) expresses its profound grievance and sadness for the tragic loss of State Rep. Isaac Robinson. Mr. Robinson died on Sunday, March 29, 2020 at age…
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Community mourns passing of Mansour Tadros Leaders of the Arab American community mourned the death of Mansour Tadros who published one of the midwest’s most popular bi-lingual Arab American newspapers, The Future News. Tadros died on Saturday, March 28, 2020, as a result of a suspected coronavirus infection. Tadros was released from the hospital on…
Eileen Zogby, wife of AAI founder Jim Zogby, passes Eileen Zogby, an activist and the wife of Arab American Institute founder James Zogby, died this week. Mrsl Zogby was involved with the AAI, and also with the Palestine Human Rights Campaign along with Save Lebanon. Arab Americans around the country are offering their condolences on…
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Chicago Activist Community mourns death of Richard (Dick) Reilly Longtime Palestine Solidarity Activist Richard Reilly died on February 11, 2020 following a long career of championing the rights of Palestinians. Reilly is being mourned by the Palestine community across the United State, in Palestine and among Chicago activists who knew him well Palestine solidarity activist…
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John Conyers Champion of Arab, Muslim rights dies By Ray Hanania John Conyers, the former Michigan Congressman who founded the Black caucus and was a clarion voice in defense of Arab and Muslim civil rights, died Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019. John Conyers was a member of the U.S. Congress from Michigan. He was born…
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Veteran Detroit region Congressman John Dingell passes America’s longest-serving Congressman John David Dingell Jr. died on Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019. Dingell,who was succeeded by his wife Debbie Dingell in the 12th Congressional District, was born on July 8, 1926. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from December 13, 1955, until…
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Chicagoland Arab, Muslim community mourn passing of Miriam Zayed Local activist fought for the rights of Arabs and Muslims in the Chicagoland area and also for the rights of all in mainstream American politics. Miriam Zayed was among one of the first two Arab Americans in Chicagoland to run for public elective office in the…
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Longtime Lebanese American activist Jackie Haddad passes Jackie Haddad worked behind-the-scenes on behalf of the influential Lebanese and Arab American communities to raise funds for the needy, helped to lead and organize the annual conferences of the Midwest Federation of American Syrian & Lebanese Clubs, and was active in her local community in Elmhurst where…
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Peace activists mourn passing of Uri Avnery Uri Avnery was an Israeli who fought for peace and justice, defending the rights of Jews and non-Jews in Israel, in the occupied territories and who advocated for a peaceful, just settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in his writings. Avnery died early on Monday August 20, 2018 after…
Arab community mourns passing of Salameh Zanayed An icon of the Arab American community died on May 13, 2018. Salameh Zanayed was a pillar and pioneer for achievement in Arab activism, Arab media and in empowering Arab Americans in regional government in Chicago and Illinois. He was adept at diplomacy in juggling the many rival…
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Arab broadcast pioneer Don Bustany dies Donald S. “Don” Bustany passed away on Tuesday, April 23, 2018, in Santa Barbara, California. Bustany, a pioneer in the Arab-American community and a longtime support of ADC, was born in Detroit, Michigan, on August 10, 1928. He is survived by his stepdaughter Kristen.was born in Detroit to Lebanese-American…
Obit: Illinois legislator George Shadid, 1929 – 2018 Lebanese American legislator based in Peoria, Illinois dies, February 3, 2018. George P. Shadid ( born on May 15, 1929) died on Saturday February 3, 2018 according to friends and family. Shadid, 88, was a pioneer in American and Illinois politics, the inspiration of the growing and…
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Obit: American Arab journalism, history titan Joseph Haiek dies Joseph Haiek was a journalism and history titan in the American Arab community who spent his life documenting the story of the Arab community in this country. It was a huge task considering that many of the pages were blank and that so few Arabs in…
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American Arabs mourn passing of author Jack Shaheen A former consultant on Middle East Affairs for CBS Network News, Jack G. Shaheen was an accomplished professor of Mass Communications at Southern Illinois University who helped shatter stereotypes against Arabs, Muslims and other ethnic groups by exposing the biases of Hollywood and the American media. By…
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A tribute to my friend David J. Steiner Many people do not know someone like David Steiner, who spent much of his life as an activist for peace. A Jew, Steiner reached out to Palestinians and Arabs to build bonds that would help overcome the divide that angrily keeps the two peoples apart Published in the…
Skimming through the Obits and life The obituary section of the old more informed newspaper era was an obsession with my father back in the 1950s and 1960s. Today, the newspapers are anorexic but the Obit section is still growing strong. And, I understand why my father paid attention to it so much now that I…