(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — It’s no surprise Lebanese fathers are not always the ‘smartest’ when it comes to smartphones.
But no matter how many doctorate degrees you earn, your Lebanese father, according to him, is always smarter than both you and your smartphone.
Watch below:
[youtube url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTM2YE0Z3Ts” width=”500″ height=”300″]
(TYRE, LEBANON) — A 24-year-old Lebanese woman, Aya Hamad, gave birth to premature quintuplets at the Jabal Amel hospital in the Tyre suburb of Daabal.
The three girls and two boys – Ali, Hassan, Fatima, Zainab and Zahra – are in good health as they were born prematurely at the 30th week of pregnancy.
The quintuplets weighed between 1 kg and 1.3 kg and were in “stable, good condition,” the director of the hospital, Dr. Kamel Yassin told Beirut-based newspaper, The Daily Star.
Hamad’s doctor, Riad Ghareeb, told the Lebanese National News Agency that “she was infertile and had been undergoing treatment for the past two years.” He said the pregnancy happened “in a natural way.”
Hamad and her husband Hussein Fawwaz, who already have a 2-year-old son, urged the government to help them raise their six children amid the difficult social and economic situation.
(LONDON, ENGLAND) — A Lebanese man with down syndrome who has lived in London for the past 17 years is facing deportation since the recent death of his parents.
Wadih Chourey, 44, came to London after seeking refuge from abuse in Beirut, where he was reportedly victimized and encouraged to commit crimes by Beirut-based gangs.
His parents brought him to Twickenham, southwest London in 1997 to escape abuse, where he has since lived. Chourey’s parents reportedly applied for leave to remain in the UK, but the application was refused and his family lodged an appeal.
After their death, Chourey moved into his brother’s home, Camil, 52, who said Chourey would not be able to care for himself in Lebanon. Chourey cannot work, but helps Camil and his other brother Joseph in their bakery, Joseph’s Patisserie.
The Home Office, the government department responsible for immigration, said Chourey did not meet the requirements for remaining in the UK.
“All applications are considered on their individual merits and in line with the immigration rules. Mr. Chourey failed to meet the necessary requirements. The decision to refuse his application has been backed up by the courts,” said an unidentified spokesperson.
Vince Cable, the business secretary of the Home Office and MP for Twickenham, said the decision to pursue the case was “inhumane.”
“There are large numbers of cases of abuse of the immigration rule and I think the public expects the government and the Home Office to get to grips with them,” he told the BBC. “But not cases like this. It’s a terrible waste of their resources and it’s fundamentally inhumane, and I think it illustrates how the immigration system often fails.”
Cable went on to call the actions “disgraceful.”
“This is a man who cannot cook for himself, who cannot operate a washing machine or use a computer,” he added.
Colin Marsh, chairman of the local residents’ association, said the family are “very much part of our community” and that Camil and Joseph are “respected” and “admired” for their care for Wadih.
More than 70,000 people have since signed an online petition calling on home secretary Theresa May to block the attempted deportation.
(WASHINGTON, DC) — Eight Lebanese-American candidates campaigned for federal and statewide races in the 2014 midterm election, on Nov. 4, 2014.
In California, incumbent Congressman Darrell Issa retained his position as a U.S. representative in District 49, defeating Democratic challenger Dave Peiser.
In West Virigina, incumbent Congressman Nick Rahall, who has held his position as U.S. representative for 38 years, was defeated by Even Jenkins.
In Louisiana, incumbent Congressman Charles Boustany held on to his position as U.S. representative from District 3, defeating challenger Russell Richard by a 67% margin.
In Texas, David Alameel challenged incumbent U.S. Senator John Cornyn, but fell short of victory by a 27% margin.
In Oregon, Monica Wehby challenged incumbent U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, but fell short of victory by an 18% margin.
In Florida, Former Governor Charles Crist challenged incumbent Governor Rick Scott, but was defeated by only a 1% margin.
In South Carolina, Vincent Shaheen challenged incumbent Governor Nikki Haley, but was defeated by a 15% margin.
In Michigan, incumbent Justice David Viviano retained his seat on the Michigan Supreme Court, defeating Circuit Court Judge Deborah Thomas by a 33% margin.
CA, U.S. Congress District 49 – 100.00% reporting
Darrell Issa – 60.72%, 77,885 votes
Dave Peiser – 39.28%, 50,393 votes
WV, U.S. Congress District 3 – 100% reporting
Evan Jenkins – 55.33%, 77,170 votes
Nick Rahall – 44.67%, 62,309 votes
LA, U.S. Congress District 3 – 100.00% reporting
Charles Boustany – 78.67%, 185,835 votes
Russell Richard – 11.99%, 28,330 votes
TX, U.S. Senate – 100.00% reporting
John Cornyn – 61.57%, 2,855,068 votes
David Alameel – 34.38%, 1,594,252 votes
OR, U.S. Senate – 94.20% reporting
Jeff Merkley – 55.79%, 744,516 votes
Monica Wehby – 37.33%, 498,191 votes
FL, Governor – 100.00% reporting
Rick Scott – 48.16%, 2,861,390 votes
Charles Crist – 47.05%, 2,795,263 votes
SC, Governor – 100.00% reporting
Nikki Haley – 55.96%, 689,319 votes
Vincent Sheheen – 41.42%, 510,230 votes
David Viviano – 62%, 1,509,875 votes
Deborah Thomas – 29%, 701,698 votes
(WARREN, MI) — St. Sharbel Maronite Catholic Church in Warren, Mich. announced a surprise decision last week by the parish advisory council to sell the church and its properties at a community meeting, indicating it will relocate to a new church northwest of Warren.
The meeting, which was held on Oct. 30 at the Tamer Hall, invited both regular and inactive parishioners, and affluent members of the Lebanese community to announce the decision.
“We have received a significant offer and it’s moving forward,” said Paul Fayad, chairman of the board of St. Sharbel.
According to an open letter sent to parishioners on Nov. 6, Fayad said Life Application Ministries — the church next door — and St. Sharbel have mutually agreed on a sale of $3,180,000. There is currently $600,000 in the church bank account, according to Fayad.
“After four days of negotiations, they signed a final purchase agreement on Friday, October 24, 2014,” Fayad wrote in the letter. “Bishop (Elias) Zaidan agreed with and signed the purchase agreement which was then submitted to Life Application Ministries.”
The open letter says the offer will be finalized by the end of the year, and Life Application Ministries will move in by the end of May.
A temporary location “within a few miles” will house weekend liturgies until a new church is built, according to Fayad.
The church is set to move out in May but will “keep all of the Stained Glass Windows, religious items, donated items and personal furniture.”
Fayad says a building committee will be formed to begin discussing potential property locations and construction planning.
“The area of focus is from 16 mile to 23 mile and from west of Hayes to east of Van Dyke,” he said. “We will be working with an architect and other professionals on the design of the new church and supporting buildings.”
Fayad said he welcomes emails from parishioners who may have questions or concerns.
“We’ll review (emails) and take your suggestions seriously,” he said.
A former parishioner, who prefers not to be identified, said he was disappointed with the announcement. He says the church should have checked with its congregation before signing any agreement.
“It is common business practice for an organization to check with its people before making a big decision,” he said. “It is especially important when this organization gets financial support from the people.”
Bishop Zaidan is reportedly ‘eager’ by this new decision and says he would “love to see more churches open in the future,” despite declining numbers of active Maronite parishioners.
Sources say St. Maron in Detroit would close its doors “in a heartbeat, if a seller comes forward.”
To view the open letter to parishioners, click here.
(PARIS, FRANCE) — France and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement on Tuesday for Paris to provide the Lebanese army with $3 billion worth of French weapons and military equipment paid for by Riyadh, the French foreign minister said.
The deal, which was first announced in December, aims to boost Lebanon’s military strength as it struggles to contain violence on the Syrian border. The Lebanese army has few resources to deal with the instability on its border and has been seeking funding from other countries.
“I welcome the signing of the contract to assist the Lebanese army,” French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said in a statement. “This agreement, financed by a Saudi donation, will strengthen the Lebanese army, which is the guarantor of the unity and stability of Lebanon.”
According to Lebanon’s National News Agency, Saudi Finance Minister Ibrahim al-Assad and Edouard Guillaud, the head of the ODAS organization set up by France for the export of defense equipment, signed the final agreement.
The French defense ministry says they will outline details of the contract in the coming days.
There was no immediate comment from Saudi Arabia or Lebanon. But the Lebanese military said Monday that army commander Gen. Jean Kahwaji was traveling to attend the signing ceremony.
The deal supposedly includes “land, air, and naval equipment,” according to French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, when he spoke to parliament on October 8 to outline the deal.
Since announcing the deal in December, Riyadh’s regional rival, Iran, has also said it is ready to provide aid to the Lebanese army. Many Lebanese view these offers as part of a competition for influence over their tiny country, which is split by sectarian divides.
The Lebanese army is generally seen as a unifying force in Lebanon, and draws its ranks from all of the country’s sects, but it has struggled to contain the escalating violence since the outbreak of the Syrian conflict.
Saudi Arabia, which has already provided $1 billion in military aid to the Lebanese army, has recently taken part in U.S.-led air strikes against Islamic State militants in Syria.
(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — The United States Agency for International Development donated $3.5 million to a Beirut school and two universities, the U.S. Embassy said in a statement Friday.
The Lebanese American University Medical Center – Rizk Hospital will receive $1.3 million, the American University of Beirut (AUB) will receive $1.7 million, and the American Community School (ACS) will receive $500,000, according to the statement.
The announcement was made during a visit to Lebanon by Katherine Crawford, director of the aid agency’s American Schools and Hospitals Abroad program. This was the first visit of a senior “American Schools and Hospitals Abroad” (ASHA) official to Lebanon in 50 years.
“These initiatives enable Lebanon to remain at the forefront of scientific progress and continue its tradition of excellence in education,” she said in a statement.
The grant to LAU’s hospital will include “lifesaving supplies,” and go towards enhancing the trauma care facility and training medical staff, the statement added.
At AUB, $1.7 million in ASHA funding will help launch new advanced programs of study in applied science and rehabilitate a medical laboratory at the Medical Center.
At the American Community School, the half million dollar donation will purchase equipment and materials for new high school science labs.
ASHA has provided $297 million dollars to its Lebanese partners over the last 40 years.
(NASHVILLE, TN) — Maronite Bishop Gregory Mansour of Brooklyn told students at Belmont University students about the need for all Christians to respond to persecution with “profound defiance.”
Pointing out that this was markedly different from vengeful retaliation or submissive inaction, Bishop Mansour said: “Jesus was not a passive victim. Christians are not just asked to be nice people and doormats.”
He told the Belmont students that they are called to stand in solidarity with the persecuted Christians in the Middle East, and to join forces with other Christians, Jews and Muslims of goodwill to raise a voice against “the worst injustice you can imagine,” that is currently happening at the hands of Islamic State militants.
Bishop Mansour spoke at Belmont as part of the Nashville university’s “Chapel Speakers” series co-sponsored by the College of Theology and Christian Ministry.
“We try to bring in speakers from across the denomination spectrum,” said Todd Lake, vice president for spiritual development at Belmont. “We are a multidenominational Christian university,” said Lake, noting that about 15 percent of the student body is Catholic.
When Lake approached Nashville Bishop David Choby about his recommendation for someone who could speak on the plight of persecuted Christians in the Middle East, he suggested Bishop Mansour.
In addition to leading the Eparchy of St Maron of Brooklyn, Bishop Mansour is also a leader of Christian Arab and Middle Eastern Churches Together, based in Lebanon, where he was ordained a bishop in 2004. He did his graduate work at The Catholic University of America in Washington, Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and at the University of California-Los Angeles in the Near Eastern languages and cultures program with an emphasis on Islamic studies.
The Maronite Catholic Church is one of the largest Eastern Catholic churches in the world, with more than 3.3 million members. Bishop Mansour’s eparchy includes Maronite churches in 13 states in the eastern United States and the District of Columbia. There are currently no Maronite churches in Tennessee.
Bishop Mansour visited Syrian refugee camps in Lebanon, his ancestral homeland, over the summer, and saw firsthand the suffering of Christians and other minorities who have been violently forced from their homes.
Witnessing the refugees’ plight was difficult, but visiting the region “made me proud to be a Christian,” Bishop Mansour said, noting the hospitals, schools, and centers for the poor and disabled that Catholic groups continue to operate in the midst of the chaos.
Even though “Christians in the Middle East are under persecution from every side,” he said, they “are the salt and light.”
During his talk, Bishop Mansour noted the historical divisions among Christians, even within the Catholic Church, but said that “amazing unity is happening today.”
Eastern Catholic patriarchs from around the world recently visited Iraq to show their solidarity with the persecuted Iraqis. Additionally, Bishop Mansour was part of a major In Defense of Christians summit in Washington in September that brought together nearly a thousand Christian leaders, politicians and laypeople to launch a massive effort on behalf of the minority communities of the Middle East.
In remarks at the summit and at Belmont, Bishop Mansour championed the art of nonviolent resistance, which he said worked for the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi and St John Paul II. This requires “much prayer, much fasting, much building of solidarity,” he said.
“Peace is possible, but it takes a lot of hard work.”
Catholic News Service
(DEARBORN HEIGHTS, MI) — A Lebanese-American family woke up in the middle of the night to a fire outside their home in Dearborn Heights, Michigan on Sunday.
The American and Lebanese flag were both lit when the homeowner looked outside his window just before 2 am.
“I heard some noise in the kitchen and I thought it was my daughter coming home from work,” he told FOX 2 News in Detroit. “I got up and here’s a man standing in my kitchen with a piece of wood with fire on top of it.”
The homeowner, who wants to stay anonymous, said this is the second time this happened in the past two weeks.
He describes the suspect as a man with a thin build about 5 feet 11 inches tall. The suspect was wearing a black hoodie and a black ski mask covering the face. The homeowner chased the suspect outside, but the suspect hopped the fence, he said.
“I’m going to put back the American flag and the Lebanese flag. That’s my house I can put whatever I want in there,” he said.
WATCH the FOX 2 News Report:
Please try entering https://graph.facebook.com/640596466061018/photos?fields=source,link,name,images,album&limit=1000 into your URL bar and seeing if the page loads.
(TROY, MI) — The Lebanese American Chamber of Commerce recognized 10 women during the Autumn President’s Power Lunch “A Salute to Women in Leadership” event at Maggiano’s Little Italy in Troy, Michigan on Friday.
FBI Community Outreach Specialist Bushra Alawie, Wellness Expert Julie Booksh, Attorney Sabrina Cronin, WXYZ-TV Medical Expert Dr. Victoria Dooley, Judge Vonda Evans, Radio Personality Shelley Irwin, Businesswoman Jennifer Deeb Kluge, Eastern Michigan University President Dr. Susan Martin, Author Yasmeen Suri, and Consul General of Macedonia Elena Zarkovska spoke about their professions and life as successful women during a panel hosted by PR agent Josephine Dries.
See photos below:
Facebook API came back with a faulty result. You may be accessing an album you do not have permissions to access.Send this to friend