Category: POLITICS

Federal incentives fuel closer ICE partnerships with police agencies

Local law enforcement agreements with ICE not yet impacting operations in Michigan By Douglas P. Marsh Originally published at MichiganAdvance.com /2026/01/08/federal-incentives-fuel-closer-ice-partnerships-with-michigan-police-agencies/ The fatal shooting of a Minneapolis woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer on Wednesday—after the agent fired through the window of her car—has renewed national scrutiny of ICE’s expanding role and the growing ...

Introducing a Journey Through the Foundations of Universal Human Values: Article 5: Sexual Freedom — A Conservative Case for Liberty With Guardrails

Everyone has the right of freedom of choice and expression in their sexual orientation, and the only limitation of law should be related to securing the consent of adults within the sexual relationship and preventing rationally considerable harm related to it. Let me start where many of my friends in Livonia start: with a healthy ...

Introducing a Journey Through the Foundations of Universal Human Values: Article 4 Freedom of Religion: Defending not only the dignity of the believer—but the humanity of the doubter

.FridayMusings is pleased to provide our readers with Article 4 – Freedom of Religion from the Universal Declaration of Human Values by Wissam Charafeddine, a Livonia author and lecturer. This article is particularly important with its discussion of defending the dignity of the believer–but the humanity of the doubter.Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience ...

Introducing a Journey Through the Foundations of Universal Human Values: Article 3 – Freedom of Expression and Assembly

“Every human being has the right for freedom of expression without transgression on the rights of others.   Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.”From the Universal Declaration of Human Values by Wissam Charafeddine These freedoms have deep historical roots. From Enlightenment thinkers like John Locke and Voltaire to the American ...

Article 2 – The Principle of Equality

From the Universal Declaration of Human Values by Wissam CharafeddineThroughout history, humanity’s understanding of equality has been shaped by both struggle and revelation. While ancient societies often accepted hierarchy as natural, the idea that all human beings are equal began to take root during the Axial Age, around 800–200 BCE, when spiritual and philosophical traditions ...

A Marriage of Conscience: Imam Talib Sanjari’s Bold Ruling

In Dearborn’s living rooms and lecture halls, a quiet revolution is underway: Imam Talib Sanjari—a classically trained Iraqi cleric who settled among us—has argued that a Muslim woman may marry a non-Muslim man when justice, dignity, and today’s plural civic realities are honored. His stance challenges a centuries-long consensus, ignites serious debate, and calls us back to a Qur’anic ethic rooted in reason and public good. This essay maps the terrain—what Sanjari actually says, what mainstream institutions still hold, how law and lived life have shifted, and why Dearborn’s conversation matters for human rights and Green values. [1]

Stopping Genocide … Briefing by Dr. Jill Stein

Join GPAX and the Arab & Muslim American Green Party Caucus with Dr. Jill Stein, Mark Elbourno, Wissam Charafeddine, Haig Hovaness, and Madelyn Hoffman to turn outrage into organized aid and political pressure. Watch on Youtube.com/@dearbornblog  9.23.2025 • 7 PM ET  gpax.gpus.org • lifelineforpalestine.com #StopGenocide #CeasefireNow #GPAX #GreenParty #Palestine #HumanRights #EndTheBlockade https://www.youtube.com/live/RLWkwI93P70?si=J4o5dlPD5-I3cEMW

أسامة السبلاني: أربعون عاماً من العطاء

أمسية حوارية للمركز العربي الأميركي للثقافة والفنون في المشهد العربي-الأميركي، أسماء قليلة صارت جزءاً من ذاكرة مدينة ديربورن وميشيغن الأوسع. أحد هذه الأسماء هو الإعلامي أسامة السبلاني؛ صوتٌ صاغ على مدى عقودٍ سرديةً مهنيةً صلبة عن قضايا الجالية وحقوقها وتمثيلها وكرامتها في الفضاء العام. تكريمه ليس مجرّد التفاتة احتفالية، بل وقفة مراجعة مع مسيرة صحفية ...

Muslim Women in Politics Esp 2: Micho Assi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aJgY9mjN14 The Arab American Center for Culture and Arts is honored to invite you to a powerful and timely virtual discussion titled: What is the state of Muslim Americans in public service today? What are the challenges, and how do we overcome them? Join us as we explore the current landscape of Muslim American engagement ...

Muslim Women in Politics Esp 2: Micho Assi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aJgY9mjN14 The Arab American Center for Culture and Arts is honored to invite you to a powerful and timely virtual discussion titled: What is the state of Muslim Americans in public service today? What are the challenges, and how do we overcome them? Join us as we explore the current landscape of Muslim American engagement ...

Muslim Women in Politics Esp 1: Farah Khan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8nYY_xaAFI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8nYY_xaAFI 📢 The Arab American Center is honored to invite you to follow its new program in English: Muslim Women in Political Work 🌟 The first episode will feature political activist Farah Khan, candidate for City Council in Farmington Hills. 🗓️ Date: Monday, September 1, 2025⏰ Time: 6:00 PM Detroit time 📍 Watch on ...

The Zone of Interest, at the Beach

People enjoy the beach in Tel Aviv, August 9, 2025.A strip of sea and sand; a few miles south, a strip of siege and sand. The same Mediterranean light touches both. Only one side may enter the water. “Zone of interest” (after Jonathan Glazer’s film) names a moral geography: a private Eden maintained beside a ...

The Green Surge in Dearborn: How 2024 Broke the Two-Party Script

Excerpt: It wasn’t a blip. Dearborn delivered one of the nation’s most visible Green breakthroughs in 2024: 18% for Jill Stein at the top of the ticket, 15% straight-ticket Green, and robust showings down-ballot. Here’s what changed—and what could make it stick. The Headline Numbers In Dearborn’s presidential tally, Jill Stein (Green) recorded 7,697 votes (18.37%)—one of her strongest ...

Parents need to take their kids to Townhalls not McDonalds

Tonight’s special: democracy. Take your kids to a town hall—teach them to ask questions, not just place orders. #TownhallsNotMcDonalds #CivicParenting #RaiseCitizens #DearbornBlog

Basecamp & the Future of Activist Organization: A Live Discussion with Esmée Silverman

This Tuesday, Dearborn Blog invites you to a special live discussion with one of the nation’s most dynamic young activists: Esmée Silverman.

AXON FUSUS DEPLOYMENT IN DEARBORN … Community Stuck Between Trust and Trauma

In the heart of Arab America, where chants of “Free Palestine” have echoed for months, the City of Dearborn has approved a $723,101 real-time surveillance platform known as Axon Fusus. Officially endorsed by the city council in a unanimous vote, the initiative has sparked both enthusiasm for public safety and deep concern over privacy and political contradiction.

Michigan Ballot Initiative Pushes for Ranked Choice Voting: A Path Toward a More Representative Democracy

Dearborn, MI — A new grassroots initiative is underway across Michigan to transform the way we vote — and it might be the most important election reform effort in a generation. The Rank MI Vote campaign is leading a ballot initiative to enact Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) for Michigan’s major elections, including presidential primaries, statewide ...

War criminals with Peace Prizes?Netanyahu nominates Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize

https://youtu.be/lltJaV79it8?si=O5vrzlz1PDEMGjAm 🕊️ War criminals with Peace Prizes?Netanyahu nominates Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize — while Gaza burns, mercenaries kill the hungry, and history repeats.This isn’t irony.It’s tradition.#NobelPeacePrize #GenocideInGaza #Trump2024 #Netanyahu #GazaGenocide #WarCriminals #Palestine #StopTheWar #HumanRights #DarkHistory #ExposeTheTruth #TikTokNews #SatireWithTruth

Introducing a Journey Through the Foundations of Universal Human Values: Article 1: Freedom

Written and shared with Musings readers by Livonia resident and author Wissam CharafeddineAs an Arab American activist, author, and educator dedicated to the values of human dignity, justice, and enlightenment, I have long been fascinated by the evolution of human rights across civilizations. Our modern understanding of freedom, equality, and human dignity did not arise ...

Over 600 days of GENOCIDE: Action Is Our Only Option

Urgent Updates On The Genocide In Gaza You Are Invited Dear Wissam Please join this important webinar on the Genocide in Gaza Sunday June, 1st at 12 PM EST Register to attend here. https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_aUUzycRDSwaem750Nc6iFg Over 600 Days into the Genocide in Gaza – Action is Our Only Option To End The Genocide In Palestine. The ...

The Border and the Bars: A True American Nightmare

A dynamic Arab American Activist, Author, Entrepreneur, Educator, and Engineer. With a Master’s in Software Engineering, bridges the worlds of technology, education, and community leadership. A founder of numerous nonprofit initiatives and a dedicated scholar of Islamic Studies, Arab identity, and history, Wissam brings deep insight and bold ideas to every space he enters. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zy7qu15xVc ...

Manifesto of Elias Rodriguez

Manifesto of Elias Rodriguez, who killed two employees of the Israeli Embassy.  If you think this will upset you, please do not read it. ========================ExplicationMay 20, 2025Halintar is a word that means something like thunder or lightning. In the wake of an act people look for a text to fix its meaning, so here's an ...

Gaza Walks by B Nimri Aziz

“Walking, Waiting, Wondering, Walking Again – On Orders” April 21, 2025 by B Nimri Aziz “Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk”is thetitle of a soon-to-be-released film featuring photojournalist Fatima Hassouna, the most recent of more than 208 assassinated Gazan journalists. With no prior knowledge of this film’s content, I knew it must emanate ...

When the Lesser Evil Becomes the Greatest Betrayal: Why I Cannot Vote for a “Less Bloody” Killer— By Wissam Charafeddine

“If someone must be killed, let it be the one whose death causes the least harm.”This is how the logic of the “lesser evil” simplifies moral dilemmas in times of crisis.But what if all options are evil?What if this logic becomes a tool to normalize genocide and political corruption? One of the most famous philosophical ...

Run for City Council: An Invitation from Dearborn Greens

Dear community leaders, changemakers, and advocates for justice, The Dearborn Greens are calling on bold, principled individuals like you to step forward and run for City Council in Dearborn and Dearborn Heights. At a time when many political parties have failed to represent our values, the Green Party remains unwavering in its commitment to peace, ...

New Inductee to Dearborn Blog Hall of Hero’s: Ibtihal Aboussad

We are proud to announce the latest addition to the Dearborn Blog Hall of Heroes—Ibtihal Aboussad. This recognition comes in light of her brave and powerful actions during a recent protest at Microsoft’s 50th anniversary celebration, where she made headlines for her passionate stand against the company’s involvement in military contracts with Israel.A Heroic Protest ...

Free Films About Palestine: Share the Stories with the World

Salam friends In light of the current events in Palestine, a large number of filmmakers have made their films about Palestine available online for free. In this post, we share with you links to films you can view and share to get our message out to the world: A collection of documentaries published by Al ...

Arab & Muslim American Green Party Caucus launches

Arab & Muslim American Green Party Caucus launches Join the movement:Linktr.ee/dearborngreens In Arabic: https://youtu.be/vhvoQ9VQmQI?si=qOQnQw4Nd32u_OcC In English: https://youtu.be/IjVX0v129cY?si=UjOriafmKb-Lt2ik

Dearborn Greens Post Election Gathering

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUKm2fFhiEg https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/dearbornblog/episodes/Dearborn-Greens-Post-Election-Gathering-e2uoa88

No Votes For Genocide Rally

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o11E_lURxhU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ah9APwjmyfY https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/dearbornblog/episodes/Dearborn-Blog-Films-Present-Dearborn-Voting-Jill-Stein-2024-e2uo81o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwP4jd03ipo https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/dearbornblog/episodes/No-Votes-For-Genocide-Rally-Part-1-e2uo8db https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/dearbornblog/episodes/No-Votes-For-Genocide-Rally-Part-2-e2uo8lg

Hands Off the Middle east Rally August 5, 2024

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqqg6WRuR8Q https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/dearbornblog/episodes/Hands-Off-the-Middle-east-Rally-August-5--2024-e2uo7mf

الصراع العربي الإسرائيلي حلقة 26: الصراع العربي الإسرائيلي، إلى أين؟

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7epZ-rGRQdM https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dearbornblog/episodes/23-e2lr6ta https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/dearbornblog/episodes/26-e2uo7h6

Gaza Relief Dinner – Doctors Against Genocide – Dearborn May 18 2024

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BczaSTsvfks https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/dearbornblog/episodes/Gaza-Relief-Dinner---Doctors-Against-Genocide---Dearborn-May-18-2024-e2uo776

ILAN PAPPE IN DEARBORN: Gaza in Context: Past, Present, and Future

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gikX6i_OuLU https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/dearbornblog/episodes/ILAN-PAPPE-IN-DEARBORN-Gaza-in-Context-Past--Present--and-Future-e2uo6u8

A Federal Worker Speaks Out: The Reality Behind Public Service

Dr. Stockton wrote: One of my memorable students wrote these thoughts about being a federal worker. She gave me permission to share it. My Perspective as a Federal Worker Over the last two weeks, nearly every day, the two million of us in the federal government have received email after email from the Administration degrading ...

My Top 10 Reads for 2024

This year, Wissam Charafeddine explored a diverse range of books that broadened his understanding of history, humanity, and innovation. Here are his top 10 picks for 2024, complete with a synopsis of each book, its author, a memorable quote, and resources for readers. 1. War Against the People by Jeff Halper Synopsis of the Book: ...

Luigi’s Manifesto

Exclusive: Luigi's ManifestoRead the manifesto the media refused to publishKen KlippensteinDec 10, 2024 I’ve obtained a copy of suspected killer Luigi Mangione’s manifesto — the real one, not the forgery circulating online. Major media outlets are also in possession of the document but have refused to publish it and not even articulated a reason why. ...

The Fruits of the Breaking of the Duopoly by Wissam Charafeddine

https://www.instagram.com/p/DCjySRcOD6_/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== The Fruits of Breaking the Duopoly The United States has long been dominated by a two-party political system, often referred to as the duopoly. This system, spearheaded by Democrats and Republicans, has stifled alternative voices, narrowed the scope of political discourse, and prioritized party interests over the will of the people. Breaking free from ...

UM Faculty Senate (and faculty) Censure Regents for stifling faculty and student dissent

From Dr.  Ron Stockton's Facebook post: Approved by 71% of faculty. About time, In My Not-Very-Humble Opinion. (sorry I don't have the actual wording) Faculty pushes to censure University of Michigan regents over speech, protest policies Updated: Nov. 08, 2024 By Samuel Dodge | sdodge@mlive.com Update: All motions passed by at least 71% on Thursday, ...

Our House in South Lebanon is Gone by Farah Bazzi

I wake up every morning with one intention: to make today the best last day of my life. It’s how I start each day. I breathe in…inhale… and tell myself, today will be different. Today, I’ll embrace the beauty of existence without any interruptions. Every day, I pour my heart into simply being. I tell ...

We Will Win

*Never underestimate the power of this movement.* This revolution is driven by *women* and the *young generation,* and we are here to change history. We will not be silenced. Our time has come, and our power is undeniable. We are standing up for *justice,* for *freedom,* and for the lives of our families in *Palestine* ...

New Inductee to Dearborn Blog Hall of Hero’s: Robert Saleh

Robert Saleh: A Heroic Stand for Lebanon In the high-stakes world of professional football, coaches are often hailed as heroes for their strategic brilliance, leadership on the field, or ability to inspire a team. But sometimes, true heroism lies beyond the game itself. Such is the case with Robert Saleh, the head coach of the ...

Dearborn Rallies Against Lebanon Genocide 9-25-2024

https://www.instagram.com/p/DAY_dXjRN8Z/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== https://www.instagram.com/p/DAY_PM0Rkkm/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

History of Arab Israeli Conflict 25:Opposing Zionism from Jewish & Progressive perspective

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61KEqifv4us https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dearbornblog/episodes/History-of-Arab-Israeli-Conflict-25Opposing-Zionism-from-Jewish--Progressive-perspective-e2m2djq

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Wissam Charafeddine Commentary on NY Times Video: Here’s How Biden Loses Michigan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o82BEaWKbio https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dearbornblog/episodes/Wissam-Charafeddine-Commentary-on-NY-Times-Video-Heres-How-Biden-Loses-Michigan-e2m25vb

History of Arab Israeli Conflict 24: Christian Youth in Palestine Resilience & threats

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYcKn_aOt-o https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dearbornblog/episodes/History-of-Arab-Israeli-Conflict-24-Christian-Youth-in-Palestine-Resilience--threats-e2lr7li

تاريخ الصراع العربي الإسرائيلي 23: مواقف أحزاب الخضر في العالم من الحرب على غزة

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ln4AoBdVdYc https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dearbornblog/episodes/23-e2lr6ta