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National Arab American Leaders Endorse Kerry/Edwards

Posted on Monday October 18, 2004

WASHINGTON – In a conference call yesterday with senior members of the Kerry campaign, Arab American leaders from throughout the country endorsed the Kerry/Edwards ticket. Campaign Chairwoman Governor Jeanne Shaheen thanked leaders for their support and reminded callers of each vote’s importance in battleground states. “I want to reiterate what you already know and that is that Arab Americans have the potential to make a difference in this election. Those states where you have the potential to make a difference could be the difference between winning and losing this election.” The Arab American vote represents slightly more than 5% of the overall vote in Michigan, 2% in Florida, just under 2% in Ohio, and more than 1.5% of all Pennsylvania voters.

Senator Kerry’s brother, Cameron Kerry, spoke of his pride that both Jewish American and Arab American activists are strongly supporting his brother’s candidacy. “I’m proud to be a Jewish American and proud to be on this call with so many leaders of the Arab American community. I’m very proud that John has your support.”

Judge William Shaheen, who helped Kerry clinch the Democratic nomination as the successful chair of his New Hampshire campaign, has traveled throughout the country speaking to fellow Arab American voters urging them to make their voices heard. “The world will be looking at us as Arab Americans. We need to speak loudly, we need to speak with one voice. I don’t need you lukewarm, I need you red hot.”

During the call, longtime Democrat James Zogby, an Executive Committee member of the Democratic National Committee Zogby read the following endorsement statement to the campaign:

As Arab Americans we choose an administration that is led by John Kerry and John Edwards, because:

-they will pursue diplomacy over unilateral military preemption

-they can be better trusted to find a way out of Iraq;

-they will protect our civil liberties and end the abuses of the Ashcroft era; and

-whatever differences we may have, we know that John Kerry and John Edwards will make the pursuit of an Israeli-Palestinian peace a priority rather than a neglected afterthought.

Several Arab American leaders representing the community’s diversity and its strong concentration in battleground states voiced their support during the call. Ismael Ahmed, President of the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS), gave his personal endorsement to Senator Kerry. “On human services and especially on immigrant issues, I think that he is going to be a big step forward for our community. His position on the Civil Liberties Restoration Act will help restore the loss of civil liberties that Arab Americans have faced in this country.” Fay Beydoun of Dearborn, MI who chairs the national Women for Kerry coalition, echoed Ahmed’s statements. “I just want to say that Arab Americans in the state of Michigan feel very strongly for John Kerry and John Edwards.”

Arab American Democratic activists have made significant impacts in several influential states including Iowa, Virginia, and New Jersey. Clifton, NJ attorney Abed Awad was selected to serve on his state’s electoral college. Midwestern activists Sarah Shatila, vice president of the Cuyahoga County Young Democrats in Ohio and Jack Hanna, a prominent member of Pennsylvania’s Democratic party, both spoke of the community’s tireless efforts in their states to register new voters and organize phone banks to reach Arab American voters throughout their states.

Florida’s Taleb Salhab detailed the activities of the community in the state which decided the 2000 election. “We’ve registered thousands of people to vote, elected several delegates to the Democratic National Convention, helped raised thousands of dollars for John Kerry and appeared in numerous articles including the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times.” Salhab acknowledged that while the community may have differences with the campaign’s position on specific issues, Arab Americans are dedicated to helping secure a Kerry victory November 2. “Although there may have been some bumps in the road, our community is committed to the election of John Kerry because he’ll be a better President for all Americans.”

Jamal Baadani, a Gunnery Sergeant in the Marine Corps, Res. also endorses Kerry/Edwards. “As a veteran of Operations Enduring Freedom and Beirut Lebanon in the U.S. Marines, I fully support John Kerry as the next President and Commander in Chief of the United States of America. I support John Kerry and John Edwards because they recognize that Arab Americans are a valuable community which maintains the strong values of family, responsibility, hard work, tolerance, service and freedom. These are the values that make our community strong and these are the values that make America strong.”

Zogby added, “The vision that we had twenty years ago of integrating Arab Americans into the progressive political movement of this country has happened.” He stressed his personal support for Senator Kerry’s campaign, stating, “This ticket pursues diplomacy rather than unilateral pre-emption. This ticket will find a way out of Iraq. We know that they are committed to protecting civil liberties and ending abuses. We know that although there are differences we may have had along the way, John Kerry will make the pursuit of Israeli-Palestinian peace a priority rather than a neglected afterthought. The world needs new leadership, our country needs new leadership, and my community needs new leadership.”