Skip to content
  • Subscribe
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
  • Email
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment
  • Features
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe to Ray’s Columns
Suburban Chicagoland

Suburban Chicagoland

Original News, Features & Opinion on local and regional news you won't find anywhere else

  • About
    • About
    • Advertise
    • Our Writers
      • Ray Hanania
      • Bill Lipinski
      • Biography: Aaron Hanania
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Policy
    • Reach Out
  • Sections
    • Events
    • Opinion
    • News
    • Features
    • Seniors
    • Comic Strip
  • Library
    • “MIdnight Flight” Online Book
      • Midnight Flight Book Overview
      • Midnight Flight Introduction
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 1
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 2
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 3
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 4
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 5
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 6
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 7
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 8
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 9
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 10
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 11
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 12
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 13
    • Villages, Cities & Towns
    • Federal Office Holders
    • County Officials
    • Legislators
  • Subscribe to Ray’s Columns
  • Comment
  • Podcast
    • Ray Hanania on Politics
    • Two Guys on Politics
    • Hanania on Tiktok
  • News Wire
  • Archive 2004-2013
  • Toggle search form
  • Cook County Treasurer Maria Papas
    Your Mortgage Company May Pay Your Taxes — But You Still Need to Watch Blogger
  • Image from Jeffery M. Leving
    Father Wins Custody After Son’s Disappearance and STD Diagnosis Chicago
  • On Wednesday, October 15th, Cook County Commissioners and the Office of Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle celebrated Hispanic and Latine Heritage Month in the lobby of the Cook County Building.   
    Commissioner Frank Aguilar and Cook County officials celebrate Hispanic and Latino Heritage Month Chicago
  • Illinois Senator Michael Hastings addressing the Orland Township Democratic Organization Wednesday Oct. 12, 2022
    Senator Michael Hastings reacts to Illinois’ State Farm lawsuit accident
  • Bradley Nadeau Chicago Wolves
    Chicago Wolves spotlight: Bigger, stronger Nadeau set for encore Chicago
  • 10-11-25 Cook County Commissioner Frank Aguilar joined Clerk of the Circuit Court Mariyana Spyropoulos and local elected officials at a Second Chance Summit
    Commissioner Frank J. Aguilar Joins Clerk of the Circuit Court Mariyana Spyropoulos at Expungement Event Cook County
  • Illinois State Capitol Building. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
    Illinois Conservation Foundation Announces 2025 Illinois Outdoor Hall of Fame Inductees Environment
  • Illinois State Senator Michael Hastings. Photo courtesy of the Illinois State Senate
    Hastings announces $250,000 state grant for cancer treatment technology at Franciscan Health Olympia Fields Health
  • Wed October 15 2025 CLE Social Jeffery M. Leving
    Leving Matrimonial Law Seminar: Client Relationships and Family Law Case Law Updates  Arthur Kallow
  • Mohammed Faheem The Lightning Strike Radio Show small
    The Politicization of the Nobel Peace Prize — and Trump’s Fury Over Losing Again Blogger
  • Father and two daughters Jeffery M Leving
    Father’s Fight to Protect his Abused and Badly Beaten Daughters Dads' Rights
  • Illinois Senator Michael Hastings addressing the Orland Township Democratic Organization Wednesday Oct. 12, 2022
    Hastings announces $75,000 grant for Olympia Fields Bicentennial Park renovations Illinois Legislature
  • Alleged Member of Chicago Street Gang Charged With Soliciting the Murder of Senior Law Enforcement Official Involved in “Operation Midway Blitz” Crime
  • IIEC Logo
    The Energy Omnibus Bill will increase rates over the rest of this decade as Illinois families and businesses toil under higher utility costs Business
  • Thaddeus Kosciuszko, Polish hero of the American Revolution. After arriving in America in 1776, Kosciuszko joined the Continental Army. As a skilled engineer, he made significant contributions to the war by designing fortifications for several strategic places such as Philadelphia, West Point, and Saratoga. Kosciuszko later returned to Poland to lead his native military in a 1794 uprising. In Detroit, Courtesy of WIkipedia
    Cook County Treasurer Pappas showcases Polish photographer’s first-ever American exhibit and honors Polish American Heritage Month in Chicago Cook County
Cook County Commissioner Sean Morrison takes the lead in introducing a Proclamation honoring Arab American Heritage Month in April. Arab Americans are Christian and Muslims and Morrison praised the community for their many contributions to making America great. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania

April proclaimed Arab American Heritage month by Cook County Board

Posted on March 24, 2019March 24, 2019 By Ray Hanania No Comments on April proclaimed Arab American Heritage month by Cook County Board
SHARE THIS STORY
            
 
  

April proclaimed Arab American Heritage month by Cook County Board

Cook County Commissioner Sean Morrison introduces a proclamation honoring April as Arab American Heritage Month at the board meeting March 20, 2019, in coordination with the passage of a State of Illinois Law designating April as Arab American Heritage month.

The Cook County Board on Wednesday, March 20, 2019, unanimously approved a proclamation urging residents to learn more about the Southwest Side’s growing Arab American population during the month of April.

The Illinois Legislature approved a new law on Dec. 14, 2019 that was introduced by Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan, and co-sponsored by State Senator Steve Landek and State Rep. Michael Zalewski. Click here to view the new Illinois Law.

The legislation replaces November which previously was designated by Chicago and Cook County as Arab Heritage Month but was gutted by outgoing Mayor Rahm Emanuel following his election in 2011. The Madigan Law designating April as Arab American Heritage month puts it in sync with at least 8 other American states that have approved similar resolutions including Arizona, Maryland, Texas, Georgia, Michigan, California, Virginia and the District of Columbia. The Washington D.C. website ArabAmerica.comis coordinating the national effort to increase the number of states that recognize April as National Arab American Heritage month.

Cook County Board President Pro Temper Deborah Sims, (4th from left) poses with representatives of Arab American organizations in Illinois at the board meeting March 20, 2019. From left are Tasneem Abuzir and Mazen Barakat, editor and publisher of Hyatt Magazine, writer and author Ray Hanania, Sims, activist Sam Odeh, County Commissioner Sean Morrison, and Our Lady of Lebanon Pastor Pierre El-Khoury. Photo courtesy of the Cook County Board.
Cook County Board President Pro Temper Deborah Sims, (4th from left) poses with representatives of Arab American organizations in Illinois at the board meeting March 20, 2019. From left are Tasneem Abuzir and Mazen Barakat, editor and publisher of Hyatt Magazine, writer and author Ray Hanania, Sims, activist Sam Odeh, County Commissioner Sean Morrison, and Our Lady of Lebanon Pastor Pierre El-Khoury. Photo courtesy of the Cook County Board.

Morrison said he was “proud” to sponsor the proclamation during the meeting of the Cook County Board on Wednesday, March 20, 2019.

“I am very proud that my Cook County District has the largest concentration of Arab Americans in Illinois. Arab Americans are a very diverse but also a cohesive group. They originate from 22 different Middle East and North African countries including from Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt and Syria,” he said.

“They are Christian and Muslim. They are authors, doctors, lawyers, engineers, journalists, police officers, firefighters, business entrepreneurs, and public servants in various positions of local, regional and state government. They are also Veterans who have served and are serving in our nation’s military defending our country.”

Cook County Commissioner Deborah Sims, who served as the President Pro Tempore of the meeting, said she was also proud to support the resolution.

“Cook County is a very diverse region and we are very proud of all the people including Arab Americans,” said Sims, who invited several Arab Americans who attended the meeting to come to the podium to address the board and the audience.

Dr. Mazen Barakat, the publisher of the Hyatt Magazine (Hyatt is the Arabic word for “life), was joined by the magazine’s editor Tasneem Abuzir, and thanked the board for “showing respect” to the Arab community.

Cook County Commissioner Sean Morrison takes the lead in introducing a Proclamation honoring Arab American Heritage Month in April. Arab Americans are Christian and Muslims and Morrison praised the community for their many contributions to making America great. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania
Cook County Commissioner Sean Morrison takes the lead in introducing a Proclamation honoring Arab American Heritage Month in April. Arab Americans are Christian and Muslims and Morrison praised the community for their many contributions to making America great. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania

“Our magazine works to represent the entire Middle Eastern community and to build bridges with other communities as well,” Barakat said. “The Chicagoland area is a melting pot and has people from almost every ethnic group. We are very grateful for you for approving this proclamation.”

Sam Odeh, who served as economic director for the Chicago Sister City’s program and appointed by former Mayor Richard M. Daley.

“We thank you as Cook County residents and we thank you as Arab Americans and we appreciate all that you do for us,” Odeh said.

Father Pierre El Khoury, the pastor of Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Catholic Church based in Lombard, Illinois, praised the county board members for recognizing the diversity of Cook County.

“I want to thank you all for this resolution recognizing our Arabic heritage,” Father El Khoury said.

“I am a priest for Our Lady of Lebanon in Lombard and there is no one day in our church that is not a mosaic of all people, Arab and American. We are all here to serve each other. I am looking forward to live this heritage everyday and work together for peace for our society.”

Southwest News Newspaper Group columnist Ray Hanania, whose parents originate from Jerusalem and Bethlehem, provided an overview of the history of Arab settlement in Illinois that began during the 19th Century.

“Arab Americans served during the Civil War, for the North, World War I, World War II, the Vietnam War, the Korean War and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Hanania said.

“My father George and Uncle Moses both enlisted in the military in the week after the attack on Pearl Harbor and served through the end of the war. My dad was with the 5th Army in the O.S.S. and his brother wanted to serve in the 5th Army too. But the recruiters decided to assign him to the Navy where he served on a battleship in the north Atlantic because, the recruiter joked, ‘Maybe you can help part the seas.’ We are proud of our heritage but even more proud of being Americans.”

The proclamation was approved by the entire Cook County Board membership including Commissioner Jeff Tobolski, John Daley, Larry Suffredin, Toni Preckwinkle, Peter Silvestri, Bridget Gainer, Donna Miller and Brandon Johnson.

Other Arab American groups supporting the proclamation who could not be at the Cook CountyBoard meeting include: Samir Khalil, executive director of the Arab American Democratic Club; and, Mansour Tadros, publisher of The Future News Online Newspaper; and

Arab American community leaders have created two websites to showcase the community’s heritage at ArabAmericanHeritage.comand Arab American military service at ArabWarVeterans.com.

Beautiful official resolution introduced by Cook County Commissioner Sean Morrison recognizing April as Arab American Heritage Month in conjunction with the new state law passed in December 2018.
Beautiful official resolution introduced by Cook County Commissioner Sean Morrison recognizing April as Arab American Heritage Month in conjunction with the new state law passed in December 2018.

newswire info
  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Ray Hanania
Ray Hanania
Ray Hanania is an award-winning columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.  

His award winning columns can be found at www.HANANIA.COM Subscribe FREE today

Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.

Email Ray Hanania at [email protected].

Follow RayHanania at Twitter
Ray Hanania
Latest posts by Ray Hanania (see all)
  • Your Mortgage Company May Pay Your Taxes — But You Still Need to Watch - October 17, 2025
  • Father Wins Custody After Son’s Disappearance and STD Diagnosis - October 17, 2025
  • Commissioner Frank Aguilar and Cook County officials celebrate Hispanic and Latino Heritage Month - October 16, 2025
NPV: 44
  • Tweet

SHARE THIS STORY
            
 
  
 
 
 
           
Features, Government, Illinois Legislature, News, Religion Tags:April Arab Heritage Month, Arab culture, Arab History, Cook County Board of Commissioners, Deborah Sims, Illinois, proclamation, Sean Morrison, Suburban Chicagoland, Toni Preckwinkle

Post navigation

Previous Post: PSE says it’s time for a change
Next Post: First-Place Wolves roll in San Antonio

Related Posts

  • J.B. Pritzker receives endorsement from UFCW. Pritzker's Facebook Page
    Pritzker announces schedule for inauguration, and new appointments Government
  • Chicago Wolves courtesy of the Chicago Wolves
    Potluralski’s Hat Trick treats Chicago Wolves to 5th straight win Chicago
  • Lt. Cmdr. Emil Marcinskas, a 2003 Westmont High School graduate, joined the Navy 10 years ago. Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Amanda Rae Moreno
    Westmont native serves as a member of U.S. Navy’s “Silent Service” Cook County
  • About two dozen immigrants who were sworn in as citizens this year returned to Cicero Town Hall Tuesday, June 12, 2018 to thank officials of the Town of Cicero for providing the guidance and education to help become U.S. citizens. Photo courtesy of the Town of Cicero and Gerardo Lopez.
    Cicero Citizenship program helps 270 immigrants become citizens Editors Pick
  • SimSim Middle Eastern App brings authentic, delicious recipes at your fingertips, and walks you through creating them with ease and great taste using Ziyad recipes as a resource. Downloadable from any App store
    Ziyad Brand partners with SimSim to offer authentic Middle Eastern Recipes through App Business
  • Ray Hanania
    Biased news media reinforces Trump’s popularity Baby Boomers

More Related Articles

Chicago Wolves versus San Diego Gulls Western Conference schedule Wolves win first game in hockey’s Western Conference Finals Entertainment
(Left to right) Andrew German students and bronze medal winners Nathan Fortino and Claire Carney, Taryn Mondragon, silver medalist Hayden Cortez, and another bronze medal winner Meadow Nussbaum. School District 230 T-Bolts score tops on National German Exam Education
Frank J. Aguilar, nominated to succeed Jeffrey Tobolski who resigned last month as Cook County representing the 16th District. Mexican American activist and former state legislator Frank Aguilar named to succeed Tobolski Chicago
Presidential candidates have no idea what Americans need Blogger
Jean Metzler with her daughter, Michelle. The two arrived at Orland Township to donate 146 crocheted winter hats for children in need as part of Orland Township’s 2021 Holiday Program. (Alexandria Shipyor | Orland Township) Orland Township’s Holiday Program: Highlighting Donor Kindness Features
Orland Board meeting on Homeless. Photo courtesy of Steve Neuhaus How Pekau is trying to hide his many failings Blogger

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Login with your Social ID
  • OPINION
  • Cook County Treasurer Maria Papas
    Your Mortgage Company May Pay Your Taxes — But You Still Need to Watch
    October 17, 2025
  • Mohammed Faheem The Lightning Strike Radio Show small
    The Politicization of the Nobel Peace Prize — and Trump’s Fury Over Losing Again
    October 11, 2025
  • 06-04-25 Two Guys on Politics Background Zoom LOGO with images
    Video Podcast: Trump Kimmel Kirk Great American Divide Illegal Aliens polling and Illegal Aliens and ICE
    September 20, 2025
  • Illinois House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch speaking at a West Side affordable housing dedication
    Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, one of the best candidates to become Illinois Governor
    September 7, 2025
  • Cook County Treasurer Maria Papas
    What You’re Missing on Your Property Tax Bill
    September 5, 2025
Subscribe to Ray Hanania's column graphic

Enter Your Email to Subscribe to Ray Hanania’s Columns

  • The-Kings-Pawn-Book-300-x-300.png

Mohammed Faheem The Lightning Strike Radio

  • NEWS
  • Image from Jeffery M. Leving
    Father Wins Custody After Son’s Disappearance and STD Diagnosis
    October 17, 2025
  • On Wednesday, October 15th, Cook County Commissioners and the Office of Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle celebrated Hispanic and Latine Heritage Month in the lobby of the Cook County Building.   
    Commissioner Frank Aguilar and Cook County officials celebrate Hispanic and Latino Heritage Month
    October 16, 2025
  • Illinois Senator Michael Hastings addressing the Orland Township Democratic Organization Wednesday Oct. 12, 2022
    Senator Michael Hastings reacts to Illinois’ State Farm lawsuit
    October 15, 2025
  • Bradley Nadeau Chicago Wolves
    Chicago Wolves spotlight: Bigger, stronger Nadeau set for encore
    October 15, 2025
  • 10-11-25 Cook County Commissioner Frank Aguilar joined Clerk of the Circuit Court Mariyana Spyropoulos and local elected officials at a Second Chance Summit
    Commissioner Frank J. Aguilar Joins Clerk of the Circuit Court Mariyana Spyropoulos at Expungement Event
    October 14, 2025
John Kass Columns

Order the book PoweR PR; Ethnic Activists Guide to Strategic Communications

YOUTUBE VIDEOS

CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE TO RAY HANANIA'S YOUTUBE VIDEOS


Click here to view the video on YouTube or use the widget below.

Follow Ray Hanania at
Twitter
Facebook
TitkTok
BlueSky
RayHanania Columns

Creative Commons License
All works on this website is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Do not edit original work. Give credit to the original source.

Categories

Copyright © 2022 Suburban Chicagoland & Urban Strategies Group

Powered by PressBook Premium theme