19 Facts About Ray Hanania

Ray Hanania was born on April 17,1953 and is an American journalist, editor, public relations expert, reporter, and stand-up comedian of Palestinian descent.

Ray Hanania founded his own public relations firm, called Urban Strategies Group.

Ray Hanania was raised Lutheran and later became an Orthodox Christian.

Ray Hanania himself served with the US Air Force during the Vietnam War and in the Illinois Air National Guard.

From 1977 to 1985 Ray Hanania reported for the Daily Southtown, and from 1985 to 1992 for the Chicago Sun-Times.

Ray Hanania was forced to resign from the Sun-Times in the wake of complaints that he was acting as a behind-the-scenes adviser to Treasurer Miriam Santos, the city's top Hispanic officeholder.

Ray Hanania ran unsuccessfully as a Democratic candidate for the Illinois House of Representatives, 38th District, in 1992.

In 1992 Ray Hanania founded his own public relations firm, Urban Strategies Group, doing media consulting for political, government and private clients including the Town of Cicero.

Ray Hanania is the host of Radio Baladi which broadcasts monthlyevery 2nd Friday morning in Detroit.

Hanania later became host of "The Ray Hanania Show" on WNZK AM 690 Radio in Detroit and simulcast on WDMV AM 700 Radio in Washington, DC, on the US Arab Radio Network.

Ray Hanania's internationally syndicated column was distributed by Creators Syndicate from 2002 to 2005, and 2010 until 2016.

Currently, Ray Hanania is the US Special Correspondent for The Arab News Newspaper and writes news, features an Op-Ed column every week for the Arab News in Saudi Arabia.

However, Ray Hanania has committed himself to non-violence, embraces peaceful negotiations and maintains consistently on his web site:.

Ray Hanania launched a stand-up comedy career in 2001 to advance his belief that humor can calm the animosity between Jews and Arabs, promoting peace through moderation.

Ray Hanania was featured in a front-page story in The Wall Street Journal and other newspapers.

In May 2002, the owner of Zanies Comedy Club in Chicago invited Ray Hanania to perform comedy and enrolled him in comedy classes to hone his stage skills.

Ray Hanania was called at home as he was leaving for the theater and told not to show up, even though the show had been pre-sold a month before.

Ray Hanania was the national coordinator of the former National American Arab Journalists Association, which coordinates and networks American Arab and Muslim Journalists in the United States, and is a partner affiliate of the Union of Arab American Journalists in Detroit.

Ray Hanania has two children: one daughter from his prior marriage who is Catholic, and one son from his current marriage who is Jewish.