AAI Bulletin
Making Our Voices Heard
Posted on Wednesday August 23, 2006
AAI members make their voices heard through the media
AAI members have been successful in contacting local and national media to express their opinions about the violence in the Middle East. Whether in an interview with reporters, letters to the editor or more expansive op-ed pieces, AAI members have made the case for more active, balanced U.S. engagement in the Middle East that more closely reflects American values.
In an opinion piece published in the Christian Science Monitor, AAI member Zaina Arafat noted that the support for Hezbollah has never been widespread among the Lebanese people. However, Israel’s military campaign has galvanized significant support for Hezbollah within Lebanon and in the Arab World, “leading this misperception to become the reality.”
“I am puzzled by the widespread misperception that Hezbollah has always represented the Lebanese majority,” Arafat wrote.
“As a Palestinian, an American, and a rational being, I can confidently say that the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories, which occurs in violation of numerous UN resolutions and is upheld through gross human rights abuses, is now, and has always been, the root cause of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
“At this point, my perspective may be especially jaded, and thus unfairly pessimistic,” she continued. “I sincerely hope so. Ignorance is bliss, but it is costly. Among those who are already aware of the realities of this conflict, yet choose to eschew them, feigned ignorance is simply inexcusable. I hope that the devastation that has struck Lebanon will eventually shatter the facade of ignorance upheld by those who clearly know better.”
To read Zaina’s complete opinion piece, click here.
In an op-ed for the Philadelphia Daily News, AAI member Marwan Kreidie pointed out why profiling of Arabs and Muslims is wrong and ineffective. “Searching primarily men of Arab heritage at airports would leave potential terrorists like Richard Reed, the shoe bomber, a non-Arab British national, or Jose Padilla more likely to board a plane without being searched,” Kreidie wrote in the daily. “Terrorists are a wily bunch. If they knew that resources were being focused to check only people of obvious Arabic heritage, wouldn’t they use fake documents with non-Arabic names and color their hair blonde?”
To read Marwan’s complete op-ed, click here.
Another AAI member, Ali ElHajj submitted an opinion piece that ran in the Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel. “Arabs must realize their resistance to Israel was most effective not when rockets rained on Israel, but when rocks defied Israeli tanks, thus highlighting the oppression of the Palestinian people,” ElHajj wrote in his op-ed, “Force not achieving ends for either side.” “That is, the more peaceful a posture Arabs have adopted, the more effective their resistance has been.”
“There is real oppression and poverty in the West Bank and Gaza, but no one can be expected to listen while suicide bombers and rockets kill Israeli civilians,” he added. “Arab resistance must be non-violent and it must focus on how Israelis and Arabs can live together. In short, Arabs cannot realistically seek a military objective and expect anything less than a military response.”
To read Ali’s complete opinion piece, click here.
Kudos to all for their efforts.
AAI encourages you to submit your opinions for publication in your local newspaper. For a guide on “How to write a letter to the editor” and a link to contact information for your local media, click here.
National Lobby Day activities continue
Building on the momentum built in organizing National Arab American Lobby Day, AAI members continue to plan and hold meetings with their Members of Congress. Among those responding to the AAI call to get politically involved were members Pam and Ali El Ahmadiyyah, who met with Democrat Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey in Marin County, California on August 18.
“We were a very large group of 15, nine of which were evacuees,” they reported. “It was a very uplifting meeting as Congresswoman Woolsey is a very intelligent, warm, humanistic and aware. She was very attentive to the children and encouraging.”
“Suad (one of the meeting participants) explained the human reactions to the (Israeli) bombings as she, her niece and her nephew went through the bombing of the bridge-overpass on the Beirut to Damascus highway. … No one was killed in Sofar but the children were traumatized as it was sudden, unexpected and frightening.”
Pam and Ali are scheduling another meeting with Rep. Woolsey to follow up. They are also developing a Marin County Chapter of the Arab American Caucus of the California Democratic Party.
If you have also met with your member of Congress please take a moment to tell us about it. Click here.
If you are interested in getting involved in the political party of your choice, e-mail vsmith@aaiusa.org.
AAI disappointed at comments by civil rights leader Andrew Young
The Arab American Institute (AAI) has expressed disappointment at the offensive comments made last week by civil rights leader Andrew Young about Arab American businessmen.
In an interview published in The Los Angeles Sentinel, Young said when asked about Wal-Mart role’s in displacing mom-and-pop stores: “Well, I think they should; they ran the ‘mom-and-pop’ stores out of my neighborhood. But you see those are the people who have been overcharging us—selling us stale bread, and bad meat and wilted vegetables. And they sold out and moved to Florida. I think they’ve ripped off our communities enough. First it was Jews, then it was Koreans and now its Arabs, very few black people own these stores.”
After the inappropriateness of his comments was made clear to Young, he apologized for his insensitive comments.
“It was surprising to hear such comments from someone like Mr. Young, given his lifelong commitment to fighting bigotry,” said AAI Executive Director Nidal Ibrahim “He deserves credit for acknowledging his mistake and disavowing those comments. There have been others, such as Sen. Chuck Schumer, who have made similar bigoted comments but have not had the courage to admit the inappropriateness of such statements.”
Arab Americans in Florida raise funds for Lebanon
Kudos to AAI activists across the country who have been working to raise funds for Lebanon. In Miami, several AAI members organized a benefit that raised more than $13,000 for the Lebanese Red Cross. AAI President’s Circle member Al Maloof, along with AAI National Policy Council members Elizabeth Ayoub and Ammal Elhaddad, worked under the auspices of the Network of Arab American Professionals (NAAP) in selling more than 400 tickets to the event.
ElHaddad, who heads up the NAAP chapter Miami, said she was pleasantly surprised by the Aug. 20 event, which drew a diverse crowd, including Black Caucus member Andrew Lewis as well as activists from Code Pink and other anti-war organizations. Also attending were Lebanon Evacuees from South Florida, local musicians and poets.
All proceeds of the event, which will be tallied by next week, will go to the Lebanese Red Cross. For a list of organizations doing humanitarian relief in Lebanon, and more information how you can help relief efforts in country visit this link.
Senators John Sununu and Russ Feingold to address AAI’s National Leadership conference
If you have not yet registered to attend AAI’s National Leadership Conference, time is quickly running out! U.S. Senators John Sununu (R-NH) and Russ Feingold (D-WI) are among the latest speakers confirmed to address the conference, to be held Sept. 10-12 in Washington, D.C.
“Healing the Nation: An Arab American Agenda for Security, Liberty and Peace” is a timely and informative program that features an interfaith commemoration of the fifth anniversary of September 11, 2001, eye witness accounts by Americans evacuated from Lebanon, a tribute to Arab Americans in Federal Government, and hands-on workshops to hone your political skills and effectiveness. Click here for full program.
Discount rates are still available for AAI members and students; separate tickets can be reserved for events on September 11. You can register here.
Arab Americans are not without a voice or a message for hope and change. Join us as we meet with elected officials, humanitarian agencies, political experts and others to transform our frustration and grief into action in time for the 2006 elections. Decisions about U.S. domestic and foreign policy have never been more important to our futures and those we love abroad.
A limited number of discount rooms at the Capital Hilton Hotel are available through the AAI; please contact Yasmeen Shaheen-McConnell at YShaheenMcConnell@aaiusa.org or (202) 429-9210, ext. 30 for details.
Can’t be in Washington that week but want to support the conference? We need sponsors and friends to help underwrite the many costs of this event not covered by the modest registration fees. Sponsor details are here.
