Monday March 18, 2013
We’ve written a number of times about the lack of transparency around the administration’s drone policy and its constitutional implications. As the administration continues to face scrutiny for its use of drones abroad, state legislators are introducing legislation to combat the use of drone surveillance domestically. More than twenty state, including New Jersey , have considered creating laws that would limit or ban the use of unmanned aerial systems, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Read More »
Wednesday February 27, 2013
Today, the Supreme Court hears arguments on one of the most important legislative initiatives from the Civil Rights era: the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The VRA ensures that all eligible American citizens are able to vote, unimpeded by processes or regulations— from literacy tests and English-only ballots, to moving polling places and redistricting— that could effectively disenfranchise ethnic minorities. Read More »
Tuesday February 12, 2013
There is a problem with the way federal law enforcement tracks hate crimes aimed at the Arab American community: they don’t. In the past ten years, there have been more than 800 incidents involving “violence, threats, vandalism, and arson against persons perceived to be Muslim or to be of Arab, Middle Eastern, or South Asian origin.” Federal charges have been brought in only a handful of cases, with only 45 convictions as of March 29, 2011. Read More »
Saturday November 03, 2012
There are only three days left before the election on Tuesday, but there are still ample opportunities to have an impact. Make no mistake, every vote counts. And because this election is so close, Arab Americans can and will make a difference in it. But remember, the Presidential election is not the only contest this year. There are plenty of other races you can also have an impact on. Read More »
Wednesday October 10, 2012
A Texas- based group, True the Vote, plans to mobilize millions of poll watchers around the country. But some fear that its real intention is to intimidate minority voters. Their fears were confirmed last month when True the Vote’s national election coordinator told poll watchers that their aim should be to make for voters feel “like [you’re] driving and seeing the police following you.” Read More »
Monday October 08, 2012
As we head into the 2012 elections, it is important for the community to know that our voice counts and that we can make a difference this election. In a number of ways, we already have. The Arab American community has worked tirelessly in many states throughout the nation to register new voters and become more integrated into the political process. Today, not only are Arab Americans voting in record numbers, they are helping to influence the outcome of races like never before. Read More »
Wednesday September 26, 2012
The New Jersey ACLU has released a free iPhone app that allows citizens to record their interactions with police. “Police Tape,” which runs off the iOS operating system on iPhones and iPads, disappears from the screen once it starts recording. Read More »
Tuesday September 18, 2012
The Arab American Institute (AAI) and the National Network for Arab American Communities (NNAAC) have adopted a logo for National Voter Registration Day on September 25. The Logo, designed by Nabil Ahmed Khatri, a high school student from Queens, New York with his own graphic design business, will be worn by thousands of Arab American volunteers across a number of states participating in efforts to register voters for the upcoming November elections. Read More »
Thursday September 13, 2012
The House of Representatives voted yesterday to extend the Federal Intelligence Surveillance Act through 2017. Civil liberties advocates have long criticized FISA, which authorizes warrantless monitoring of electronic communications – from phone calls to emails – of foreigners as well as U.S. citizens. Read More »
Friday August 24, 2012
The race to represent New Jersey’s 9th District will be getting even more attention soon. In June, Rep. Bill Pascrell won a tough primary against Rep. Steven Rothman. He did it with no small amount of support from the Arab American community, resulting in some detractors trying to make the race a referendum on Arab-Israeli relations. As a result, the primary got a lot of attention. Read More »
Monday July 30, 2012
The 2012 elections are heating up, and AAI has been working to keep you informed of key election developments in your state and nationwide. Now, we need your help to ensure that the Arab American community has a voice in the lead up to November. Read More »
Monday July 09, 2012
By Johara Hall
Sherine El-Abd, an Egyptian born American citizen who immigrated to the United States in 1965, has become an influential Arab American in her community. Read More »
Tuesday July 03, 2012
Protecting the voting rights of disadvantaged and minority Americans has been a challenge in the United States since its first elections, and despite widespread laws to prevent racism and discrimination at the polls, the problem of voter suppression persists today. Read More »
Tuesday July 03, 2012
In New Jersey’s newly-drawn ninth congressional district, something interesting is happening. Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, Bill Pascrell’s Republican opponent for the district’s congressional seat, is trying to court the Arab American vote. Over the weekend, Boteach called up AAI Board of Governors member Sherine El-Abd, who also serves as Chairwoman of the New Jersey Arab American Republican Caucus, and asked her to accompany him during his weekend walk-through of South Paterson. Read More »
Sunday June 24, 2012
Earlier this month, we wrote about a democratic primary in North Jersey between Bill Pascrell and Steve Rothman, in which we noted a new standard for Arab American engagement in the political process. Jim Zogby said Pascrell’s victory was evidence of an Arab American political "coming of age," showing that the community could come out in support of a candidate, get out the vote and help get them elected. That is precisely what the community did in New Jersey's 9th district for Bill Pascrell, and it is exactly why efforts have been mounted to vilify Arab American voters in New Jersey and beyond. Read More »
Friday June 08, 2012
In response to the troubling revelations of racial, ethnic, and religious profiling by the NYPD, a leading national legal advocacy group has made a powerful and impactful response. Muslim Advocates, representing a diverse group of American Muslims, has filed suit against the New York Police Department alleging unconstitutional and discriminatory behavior in its surveillance of Arab American and American Muslim communities. Read More »
Wednesday June 06, 2012
Arab Americans came out in large numbers for yesterday’s Democratic primary between veteran Congressmen Bill Pascrell and Steve Rothman. The newly redrawn 9th District of New Jersey pitted the two candidates against each other, with Arab Americans rallying in support of Bill Pascrell. For years Pascrell has courted and made friends of the Arab American community, and in this highly contentious election was paid back in the form of high Arab American voter turnout in his favor. Read More »
Tuesday June 05, 2012
Sometime between the beginning and end of their busy schedules today, residents of New Jersey's newly-drawn 9th congressional district will cast their ballots for one of two candidates in the Democratic primary. Arab Americans in the district, including residents of Clifton, Paterson and Passaic counties, will do their civic duty as well. Many of them, however, are unaware of an attempt to question the motives for their political participation in the primary. Arab Americans in NJ-9 are mobilizing for this election and are throwing overwhelming support behind Bill Pascrell, a candidate they’ve known and respected for years. Read More »
Monday May 14, 2012
In an amendment to an appropriations bill being considered last week, Rep. Rush Holt’s (D-NJ) [pictured left] attempted to strip federal funding from police departments that use ethnic or religious profiling, as the NYPD has done against American Muslims and Arab Americans in and around New York City. Read More »
Thursday May 10, 2012
Rep. Holt has also introduced H.RES 651, a resolution which would express the House of Representatives’ disapproval of the NYPD’s use of ethnic and religious profiling. Though the resolution is nonbinding, its passage would be a strong signal to Mayor Bloomberg and NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly that the Congress disapproves of their surveillance program. Read More »
Latest poll to be released Friday finds Americans are divided on continuing aid to #Egypt: http://t.co/1spZM1m9d2
about 20 minutes ago.
RT @MaiE_89: In the 1990’s, #Egypt had a 60% favorable rating among Americans, while today only 36% of US views the country positively via @AAIUSA
about 24 minutes ago.
The Muslim Brotherhood has a negative favorable/unfavorable ratio of 30%–47%
http://t.co/rMKu4JJrgW
about 25 minutes ago.
Looking at Iran by James Zogby
Kahlil Gibran Awards Gala - April 16, 2013President Obama got it just about perfect in his Jerusalem speech when he urged Israelis to see the world through the eyes of Palestinians. That portion of his remarks was so compelling it deserves to be quoted in full: Read More »
Air Date: 5/31/2012
Fellows from Syracuse University’s “Leaders for Democracy Fellowship Program (LDF); Bill Press, Host of the “Bill Press Show” and author of the new book, The Obama Hate Machine: The Lies, Distortions, and Personal Attacks on the President---and Who Is Behind Them. Read More »
The story of Arab Americans coming of age as an organized community is a classic American tale of immigrants seeking opportunity, benefiting from America’s freedoms, but also experiencing, at times, the dark side of exclusion and discrimination that has so often been a part of our nation’s history. Read More »
Apr 16 2013
Apr 27 2013
Jul 19 2013
