Countdown

Sharon Regrets Not Killing Arafat

Volume III, No. 5
Posted on Friday February 1, 2002

Victims of Hate Crimes Receive Compensation

Families and community centers in California, Ohio, Washington, D.C., Illinois, Maryland and Tennessee received checks from the AmeriDream Foundation as partial compensation for damages they suffered after September 11 because of alleged “Middle Eastern” hate crimes. The $25,000 fund was set up in coordination with the Arab American Institute (AAI), which distributed information on the fund and sent applications to the Foundation for their review and decision. Compensation is to partially cover various kinds of property damaged sustained by victims as a result of 9/11 backlash.

Arab Delegations Visit Washington To “Set the Record Straight”

While attending the World Economic Forum meetings in New York, several Arab delegations are making time to come to Washington, D.C. to meet with the Administration, Congress, media, policy groups and Arab Americans to discuss the current climate of their countries’ relations with the United States. H.E. Mohammad Al-Sager, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Kuwait’s Parliament is leading a delegation of more than 10 Kuwaiti men and women. The delegation has been criticized by some of the Islamic press in Kuwait as being too secular and being too friendly with the United States. H.R.H. Prince Turki Al Faisal, former head of the Department of Intelligence in Saudi Arabia, spoke to the Council on Foreign Relations on January 31 on the US-Saudi relationship with particular attention to remarks made by President Bush in the state of the union address. Prince Turki will return Sunday to Washington for an address at his alma mater, Georgetown University. A Saudi delegation headed by H.H. Prince Abdullah bin Faisal bin Turki Al Saud, Governor of the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority and Abdullah Zainal Alireza, Chairman of the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce will be busy during the first week of February with briefings at think tanks, policy centers, Congressional offices and with members of the Administration. Other Saudi delegations will be traveling to other cities in the United States.

President Clinton Holds Forum on Islam and America; AAI Speaks Out

The William J. Clinton Presidential Foundation hosted a conference entitled, “Islam and America in a Global World,” co-sponsored by the New York University School of Law and the Georgetown University Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding. Featured panels included: perceptions of America in the Islamic world, Islam in the modern world, the changing role of women, and future relations between the U.S. and the Islamic world. James Zogby, president of AAI, spoke on the challenges faced by Islam in projecting a consistent and accurate image in the United States. Dr. Zogby later spoke to the National Immigration Forum on civil rights issues facing the Arab American community as a result of the tragic events of 9/11 and related federal law enforcement efforts. The panel was carried on C-SPAN.

Sharon Regrets Not Killing Arafat; More Anti-Palestinian Legislation Enters Congress

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon drew little criticism from the U.S. government this week after remarking that he regrets not killing Chairman Yasser Arafat during the 1982 siege of Beirut. When asked about the statement, Richard Boucher, spokesman for the State Department, merely said that it was “not helpful” and noted that they were looking at both sides to move in a positive direction and “avoid remarks that can inflame the situation.” Also in Israel, the Likud Party declared that there could be no Palestinian State, with the Deputy Chief of Staff of the IDF, Maj. Gen. Moshe Ya’alon saying, “It could be that we will have to return to the territories that we withdrew from in the Oslo accords.” Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) introduced HR 3624 last week to prohibit assistance to the Palestinian Authority or any of its arms. In his “Dear Colleague” letter seeking co-sponsors in the House, he says “The time has come to cut off all American taxpayer dollars to the Palestinian Authority (PA), a proven terrorist organization,” ignoring the fact that US aid is spent through NGOs and PVOs operating in the Palestinian areas. Meanwhile, Neil Bush, brother of President George Bush, spoke in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on the need for a sustained lobbying and public relations effort to shape U.S. public opinion. According to press accounts, he urged Arab leaders to hire lobbyists and public relations representatives to combat these negative images, saying, “I hope America sees Arabs as I see them, and understand Islam as I understand it. Leave behind the misunderstandings about our two peoples and two cultures. And let us help bridge the gap by understanding each other.”