Dearborn mayor proudly Arab but vows to represent everyone

Ray Show – Abdullah Hammoud on running to be the best
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Ray Show – Abdullah Hammoud on running on the concept of change
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Updated 04 August 2022
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Dearborn mayor proudly Arab but vows to represent everyone

  • Diversity of his administration key to equitable change, says Abdullah Hammoud
  • Budget deficit, low taxes, better services are city’s challenges

CHICAGO: Dearborn’s Mayor Abdullah Hammoud said Wednesday he is proud to be the city’s first Arab and Muslim chief executive but one of his priorities is to ensure everyone, regardless of race or religion, enjoys the same level of access and service.

A former member of the Michigan State House, Hammoud, 31, was elected on Nov. 2, 2021, and declared a “new era in Dearborn,” which has a large Arab and Muslim population.

Ranked as the sixth largest city in Michigan with more than 112,000 residents, Dearborn is 89 percent White, 4 percent Black, 2 percent Asian and has a smaller Hispanic population. Arabs, Hammoud said, are lumped into the “White” category because they are excluded from the Census count.

Hammoud said that his administration is focused on “change” and “accessibility” for everyone regardless of their racial, ethnic or religious background, noting Dearborn is the “capital of immigration.”

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“I never ran to be the first. I ran to be the best. And that’s what I am trying to demonstrate. Regardless of the direction in which an individual prays. What matters is the direction in which they lead. And that is really what we want to uplift and highlight. And being the first is cool. Sure. I am not going to take away from the cool factor of it. Hopefully, what it does is to demonstrate to individuals from marginalized communities, traditionally communities of color, that hey you too can do this without changing your identity or trying to wash away who you are,” Hammoud told Arab News during an appearance on The Ray Hanania Radio Show broadcast in Detroit, Washington D.C. and in Chicago.

“But what is most important is not in fact being the first. What is most important is demonstrating that you can do as good a job as every one of your predecessors so that you are not the last. So that the next time that somebody with a different sounding name, who sounds a little bit different, looks a little bit different, maybe got a longer beard than others tries to run for office; or maybe has a hijab on their head; the people don’t look and say oh they can’t do the job because no one has ever done it who looks like them. In fact they can say hey that guy Abdullah did it. Maybe this person can too.”

He said one of his first actions was to build a municipal administration that was “diverse.” Although he named an Arab American, Zaineb Hussein, as his chief of staff immediately after being sworn in as mayor in January, many of his appointments have been non-Arab.

Hammoud said his policies are driven by the Arab tradition of “wasta,” which in English is often translated into “nepotism” and “personal connection.” He explained he uses “wasta” to put every Dearborn citizen in that category “to connect” and be involved in the city’s government.

“Accessibility again is key. And regardless of one’s ethnicity, I might be Arab and Muslim, but I am also reaching out to my non-Arab counterparts. I am reaching out to my non-Arab Muslim, my non-Arab Christian counterparts,” Hammoud said.

“And that is the beauty of Dearborn where this (is a) culturally diverse, demographically diverse and ethnically diverse community, and I am hoping that everybody feels like — you know in Arabic we have this term called ‘wasta’ which means ‘to connect.’ And prior to coming in everybody said if you don’t have a ‘wasta’ you can’t get anything done in the city. What I am trying to get people to feel is that with this administration, all residents have a ‘wasta.’ You are all connected. You are all able to walk in to be treated equitably and fairly, and whatever you need to get done, as long as it is within our confines. Our motto is how can we get to ‘yes.’ We don’t want to tell people ‘no’ because that has been the standard. How can we get to ‘yes’ working with residents?”

Hammoud said one of his challenges since becoming mayor is to overcome a significant budget deficit, and ensure municipal services continue without cutbacks or having to raise taxes.

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“We ran on the concepts of change. But when we came in, because I have felt that as a lifelong resident, the city has stagnated to some degree. And coming in and opening up the financial books you realize that we have really struggled much more than I had anticipated,” Hammoud said.

“So I walked in inheriting a $28 million deficit, $22 million was structural, meaning ongoing year to year. And, it was very challenging (the) first six months to put forth a budget that reflected our priorities and our values as a city, but also ensured that we uplifted not only our residents but our employees and our retirees. I think we were successful in moving something that represented our values forward. But the work is only beginning. It is easy to pass a budget. That was the work of a legislator. It’s easy to vote up or down on a budget. What is difficult is to actually execute and build out the programming in that budget so that the outcome is reflective of its intentions.”

Hammoud said he is “trying to do more with less” because the city lost so much of its operating revenues. Taxes have gone down 16 or 17 percent, he said, and he has made a commitment to balance the city budget without levying new taxes on the voters and to work within the existing tax revenue collections.

“What we are also trying to do is sustain the level of services that we offer, though. So, what we have actually been able to do is challenge the way things have always been done, and improve the service quality that we have delivered as a city at a lower cost. And that is something to be very proud of,” Hammoud said.

“And now what we are looking at is expanding programming and investing in amenities that we currently have but we have not … improved in three, four or five decades. And so, we are prepared to hopefully make some announcements in the coming months about some investments that are coming. But to your point, it has been seven months and we are trying to pace ourselves. One of the caveats to being the first is that the expectation and the bar is higher. So that means the work that we are doing is at a much quicker pace than maybe some of our predecessors were used to but hopefully (we can) deliver to the expectations of our residents.”

Helping to provide for the neediest in the city, he said, can strengthen the community.

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“Any administration should be reflective of the community that it serves, and we were able to accomplish that. As it pertains to what I have been able to bring, I think, more so than being Arab American but as somebody who grew up in a working poor family, I think it is that perspective of those who grew up in a marginalized part of the city. It is one of the things that influenced for example our decision to make pools free for children 13 and under,” Hammoud said.

“Because as somebody growing up, one of five siblings, my parents couldn’t afford to send me to the pool. And so we thought waiving the fee for children means that they have access to amenities and maybe have a better experience throughout their summer in their childhood. So I think it is that perspective, it’s that ability to empathize based on my life experiences which has been pretty great.”

He said safety was a major concern but that the biggest problem was motorists who were speeding, but that oftentimes police in the past focused more on issues associated with profiling than with actual hazardous driving patterns.

“We shifted our focus to solely focus on things impacting immediate public health or what we call hazardous moving violations. So we have seen a 700 percent uptick in citations issued on speeding and reckless driving,” Hammoud explained.

“So one, we are seeing a decrease in speeding and reckless driving in the city. But the second direct and indirect outcome of this is that there was a racial disparity present in the last decade. Nearly 60 percent of all citations issued were issued to Black and African American drivers, although the region is only 22 percent Black. And under this model, not only are we improving the safety in our neighborhoods based on what residents want, but we also have seen a significant plummet in that disproportionate effect that was present based on the data and that is also something that we’re proud of.”

The Ray Hanania Show is broadcast live every Wednesday at 5 p.m. Eastern EST on WNZK AM 690 radio in Greater Detroit including parts of Ohio, and WDMV AM 700 radio in Washington D.C. including parts of Virginia and Maryland. The show is rebroadcast on Thursdays at 7 a.m. in Detroit on WNZK AM 690 and in Chicago at 12 noon on WNWI AM 1080.

You can listen to the radio show’s podcast by visiting ArabNews.com/rayradioshow.


Shipping on Rhine river in Germany back to normal after rain raises water level

Updated 52 min 37 sec ago
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Shipping on Rhine river in Germany back to normal after rain raises water level

  • Dry weather and a heatwave in June and July meant the river became too shallow for vessels to sail
  • Rain in past days means the last northern river sections where shipping was hindered by shallow water

HAMBURG: Repeated rain in past days has raised water levels on all of the river Rhine in Germany to normal levels allowing cargo vessels to sail with full loads, commodity traders said on Tuesday.

Dry weather and a heatwave in June and July meant the river became too shallow for vessels to sail fully loaded. Ship operators imposed surcharges on freight rates to compensate for vessels sailing partly empty, increasing costs for cargo owners.

Rain in past days means the last northern river sections where shipping was hindered by shallow water, including around Duisburg and Cologne, have been raised to levels allowing full loads.

Rain had raised other sections of the river, including the chokepoint at Kaub, to normal levels over the weekend.

The impact of the heatwave had been stronger than expected as fields were especially dry which drain into smaller streams and rivers feeding into the Rhine.

The Rhine is an important shipping route for commodities such as grains, minerals, ores, chemicals, coal and oil products, including heating oil.

German companies faced supply bottlenecks and production problems in summer 2022 after a drought led to unusually low water levels on the river.


Unrest in Angolan capital after 4 killed in fuel hike protests

Updated 29 July 2025
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Unrest in Angolan capital after 4 killed in fuel hike protests

  • Gunfire could be heard in central Luanda’s Cazenga area, where people were seen taking food and other items from shops
  • Police reported “a few isolated incidents of disorder” early Tuesday and said people involved “were repelled and continue to be repelled“

LUANDA: Shots rang out as Angola’s capital was gripped by a second day of looting Tuesday, after at least four people were killed and scores arrested when violence erupted during a strike against a fuel price hike.

Transport in Luanda remained suspended and shops closed after massive looting on Monday, the first day of the taxi drivers’ strike to condemn the July 1 price rise, which had already led to several protests.

Gunfire could be heard in central Luanda’s Cazenga area, where people were seen taking food and other items from shops, an AFP reporter said.

Images shared on social media showed clashes in the Rocha Pinto suburb near the airport and security forces deploying to a street where burning rubbish bins barricaded a road in the Prenda area.

The government’s decision to raise heavily subsidised fuel prices from 300 to 400 kwanzas ($0.33 to $0.43) a liter in July has caused anger in Angola, one of Africa’s top oil producers where many people live in poverty.

“We are tired ... they must announce something for things to change ... for us to live in better conditions,” a protester told Angola’s TV Nzinga.

“Why do you make us suffer like this? How will we feed our children? The prices have to go down,” a woman said, addressing President Joao Lourenco.

Police reported “a few isolated incidents of disorder” early Tuesday and said people involved “were repelled and continue to be repelled.”

“We currently report four deaths,” Deputy Commissioner Mateus Rodrigues told reporters in a briefing about Monday’s violence. He did not specify how they occurred.

Police rounded up 400 people overnight for suspected involvement in the unrest after arresting 100 on Monday, he said.

About 45 shops were vandalized, while 25 private vehicles and 20 public buses were damaged, he said. Banks were also targeted.

“We continue to stress that our forces are on the streets, equipped with the necessary resources based on the threat level, responding where order has been restored to maintain it, and intervening where there are still disturbances to reestablish public order and peace,” he said.

AFP photographs on Monday showed people running off with items looted from shops, while images posted on social media showed large crowds of protesters and, separately, police pushing back groups of people.

Local media reports said security forces had used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse crowds.

A journalist in the city of Huambo, around 600 kilometers (370 miles) from Luanda, said there had also been looting and rioting there.

The New Alliance of Taxi Drivers Association (ANATA) distanced itself from Monday’s violence but said the three-day strike would continue.

It “has become clear that the voice of the taxi drivers reflects the outcry of the Angolan people,” the association said in a statement Tuesday.

Around 2,000 people demonstrated against the fuel hike on Saturday, with protests also held the previous two weekends.

Human Rights Watch said police had used excessive force in the July 12 protest, including firing tear gas and rubber bullets.

In a joint statement on Monday, civil society groups condemned the July 19 arrest of one of the organizers of the protests, Osvaldo Sergio Correia Caholo.

He was a “victim of the oppression in Angola, where freedoms and fundamental guarantees are constantly being trampled upon,” they said.

The protests were a “direct consequence” of the government’s failure to address unemployment, high living costs and a decline in public services, the Uyele civic group said.

It is “urgent to understand that we are facing a serious symptom: the social exhaustion of a youth with no alternatives,” it said in a statement.

Lourenco’s MPLA party has ruled Angola, which has a population of around 33 million, since its independence from Portugal in 1975.


Poland says 32 people detained and suspected of coordinating with Russia for sabotage

Updated 29 July 2025
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Poland says 32 people detained and suspected of coordinating with Russia for sabotage

  • One person has been convicted, while the others are in custody awaiting trial,
  • The group includes a Pole, Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians

WARSAW: Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Tuesday said authorities have detained 32 people suspected of coordinating with Russia to engage in acts of sabotage, according to Polish news agency PAP.

One person has been convicted, while the others are in custody awaiting trial, PAP reported.

The group includes a Pole, Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians, PAP reported, as well as a 27-year-old Colombian man who is accused of two arson attacks in Poland last year at Russia’s behest.

The Polish Internal Security Agency in a statement Tuesday said he faces up to 10 years to life in prison in connection with the arson attacks on two construction warehouses in May 2024.


The suspect allegedly received his instructions, including how to make a Molotov cocktail to start the fires, from someone associated with Russian intelligence, the agency said.

Other details about the suspects or the alleged sabotage were not immediately available.


Pakistan’s crackdown on black market dollar trade pushes deals online

Updated 29 July 2025
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Pakistan’s crackdown on black market dollar trade pushes deals online

  • Pakistan’s crackdown on black market dollar trading has strengthened the rupee, but traders say under-the-counter deals have swiftly shifted to smartphones and home deliveries instead

KARACHI: Pakistan’s crackdown on black market dollar trading has strengthened the rupee, but traders say under-the-counter deals have swiftly shifted to smartphones and home deliveries instead.
Many unlicensed exchange shops have been shut since July 22, when the military spy agency summoned representatives of the sector to explain the US dollar’s rising cost in the open market. Soon after, raids were carried out by the Federal Investigation Agency, which tackles financial crime and smuggling.
Since the crackdown began, the rupee has rebounded from a sharp fall against the dollar earlier in July. In the open market, it firmed from 288.6 per dollar on July 19 to about 286 in recent sessions.
But traders and bankers say the trade continues, suggesting the crackdown’s effects could be short-lived.
The black market operates outside official channels and includes unlicensed dealers, personal networks, and digital peer-to-peer exchanges, with customers seeking to skip tax declarations, avoid burdensome paperwork and bypass limits on official currency purchases.
In Peshawar, a city near the Afghan border long known for black market currency deals, many shops in the historic Chowk Yadgar district remain shuttered, though some traders were still operating discreetly in back-alley booths.
“The trade didn’t stop. It just moved,” said Ahmad, a dealer whose family has been in the business for generations. “Now it’s on WhatsApp. If you know someone, the dollars come to your house.”
“The big players have shifted to safer locations and kept going,” said another trader, Gul. Both traders asked not to give their full names.
Even retail buyers are bypassing the formal foreign exchange market. Hassan, a manager at a multinational firm in Karachi, said stricter documentation drove him to an informal forex chat.
“Everyone there is a buyer or seller. No middleman, no commission. Sometimes it’s physical cash, sometimes bank transfers, sometimes crypto,” he said.
STRICTER FX DISCIPLINE
On Monday, Pakistan’s central bank called in bank treasury heads to address pressure on the rupee. Two bankers said they were told to stop buying dollars from exchange companies at above-official rates on the grounds it was skewing the market.
Banks were asked to rely on their own inflows from exports and remittances, but both sources have slowed. Exporters are delaying bringing money home, betting the rupee will weaken. Remittances are also tapering off as banks reduce incentives once offered to attract overseas inflows.
Authorities also pressed banks to keep the gap between the interbank rate and the open market rate narrow, a condition of Pakistan’s $7 billion IMF deal meant to discourage speculation.
“These meetings have been happening for years, but this one was more pointed,” one banker said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The central bank is expected to cut rates on Wednesday, easing inflation but risking pressure on the rupee.​


Indonesia to cut Middle East oil imports to meet Trump’s tariff deal

Updated 29 July 2025
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Indonesia to cut Middle East oil imports to meet Trump’s tariff deal

  • Saudi Arabia is among Indonesia’s top oil suppliers
  • US to impose 19% import tariff under new deal

JAKARTA: Indonesia will reduce oil and gas imports from Middle Eastern and Asian countries, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia said, as Jakarta moves to implement its $15 billion energy deal with the US under the latest tariff agreement.

Indonesia is among three Southeast Asian countries that have struck deals with Washington so far, following negotiations with US President Donald Trump to lower tariff rates.

Jakarta has agreed to increase its imports from the US by more than $22 billion — including energy products — under the framework trade deal, while US tariffs on Indonesian imports would be set at 19 percent.

“We have agreed to buy $15 billion worth of gasoline, crude oil and LPG (liquefied petroleum gas), which we will do in steps by considering its economic viability. The prices must be competitive, and now we’re designing a framework for it,” Lahadalia told reporters in Jakarta on Monday.

“We will reduce (imports) from other countries (in) the Middle East and Asia.”

Southeast Asia’s biggest economy’s oil imports were valued at about $36 billion last year.

While the US is among Indonesia’s top oil suppliers, Washington still ranks behind Singapore, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia.

The US deal, which is expected to be finalized in the coming weeks, allows Indonesia to avoid the higher tariff rate of 32 percent threatened earlier by the Trump administration.

“We know that 32 percent (tariff rate) means no trade, which basically means a trade embargo, and that means around 1 million workers in labor-intensive sectors can be impacted,” Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said in a statement.

“What the government is doing through this cooperation with the US is to keep the internal and external balance so that we can maintain our trade balance, keep our economic momentum and ensure job creation.”

The US is Indonesia’s second-largest market after China, with exports valued at over $26 billion in 2024, according to Indonesia’s statistics agency.

Indonesia has consistently posted trade surpluses with the US in the past decade, including $16.8 billion last year.

Under the tariff agreement, Jakarta agreed to drop its tariff on nearly all American imports to zero and scrap all non-tariff barriers facing American firms, while also committing to purchase $4.5 billion worth of agricultural products from the US, including soybeans, wheat and cotton, as well as Boeing aircraft valued at $3.2 billion.