Countdown

Two States, Two Speeches

Vol. VIII, No. 35
Posted on Thursday December 20, 2007

Rhetorical Devices
Presidential candidate Barack Obama has said on several occasions that if he were Muslim, he would be proud to state that publicly. That his adversaries are trying to associate him with Islam in an effort to "smear" his image demonstrates just how thematic Islamophobia has been throughout this campaign. The latest chapter of this ongoing saga includes an apology to Obama from former Senator Bob Kerrey (D-NE) for his backhanded compliment, mentioning his middle name (Hussein) and Muslim roots. In his apology, Kerrey said that the senator from Illinois is "exceptionally qualified by experience and judgment to be president of the United States"—very high kudos for someone who publicly endorsed Senator Hillary Clinton last week.

Very Unsettling
Less than one month after the peace conference in Annapolis, reports surfaced that Israel plans to add 307 new units to the housing settlement in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Jebel Abu Ghneim (Har Homa). Now we hear that Israel’s Housing minister, Zeev Boim, is reviewing plans to develop a brand new settlement in the Atarot area of East Jerusalem. The Ararot project is slated to include 10,000 apartments, making it the largest housing settlement in Palestine—and possibly the death knell of the good will generated at Annapolis.

Two States, Two Speeches  
It was almost taken for granted that during his first state visit to Israel, scheduled for January 2008, President George W. Bush would address the Knesset. But reports from the JTA newswire indicate that the White House has declined the offer. The rationale behind the snub? Reciprocity. President Bush decided that he could not address the Israeli parliament without also speaking to the Palestinian Legislative Council. (Predictably, the White House cites the presence of Hamas officials as the reason for boycotting the PLC.) Bush also turned down an invitation to attend a gala dinner in West Jerusalem hosted in his honor.

Balancing Act
On the two-year anniversary of Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal’s donations to prominent American universities, the Washington Times quoted the following charge by  Clifford May, president of the xenophobic Foundation for Defense of Democracies: "Departments on Middle Eastern studies tend to be dominated by professors tuned to the concerns of Arab and Muslim rulers. It’s very difficult for scholars who don’t follow this line to get jobs and tenure on college campuses." Oh really, Mr. May? What then of programs like Campus Watch, Caravan for Democracy and the Israel on Campus Coalition? Surely scholars who are flagged under these programs are not fast-tracked to tenured positions.

Shalom, Salaam, Pax
Hassan Askari, the Muslim American who intervened in an anti-Semitic attack on a New York subway earlier this month, is winning high praise for his selfless act. In a recent interview Askari epitomized the spirit of the holiday season, saying: "My religion is a big factor in who I am. It taught me good moral values; what you can and can’t do. Islam teaches you that you have to be there for someone in need, no matter what his or her race, religion or nationality." This December, Jews will celebrate Chanukah, Muslims Eid Al-Adha and Christians Christmas. The Arab American Institute wishes everyone a Happy Chanukah, Eid Mubarak and Merry Christmas and a healthy, happy Festivus for the Restofus.

Enjoy a safe New Year’s celebration. Countdown will resume in January 2008!