Issues

Like all ethnic constituencies, Arab Americans have myriad issues that they are concerned with. As our nation debated changing our health care system and passing financial reforms, Arab Americans were fully engaged. Arab Americans are also engaged on policy debates about education, unemployment and the environment.

But there is a set of specific issues that remain at the forefront of Arab American advocacy work. The cornerstone of all our foreign policy work is a just, lasting and comprehensive resolution to the Israeli-Palestinianconflict that will result in two states, Palestine and Israel, living side by side in peace and security. The unity, territorial integrity and sovereignty of Iraq is important. The stability of a unified, prosperous Lebanon is key.

And on the domestic side, whether it is on immigration or profiling, we support policies that make our country strong and secure, while protecting the civil rights and civil liberties enshrined in the Constitution.

These are the issue we care about. In each of the sections below, you will find information on each priority issue. Some of it is what we are saying and doing or what official Washington is saying and doing. You will also be able to hear from AAI President Jim Zogby on the issue. And finally, we have gathered what we think are the best resources on the topic.

We hope this helps your work on these issues, and we’d like to hear from you on what we could add.

Arab Spring

Iraq

Palestine

Lebanon

Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

AAI Issue Briefs:

AAI Issue Brief: Arab Spring
AAI Issue Brief: Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
AAI Issue Brief: Immigration
AAI Issue Brief: Islamophobia
AAI Issue Brief: NSEERS

From AAI

• Fanning the Flames of Confrontation with Iran — 02/02/2012
• White House Gets it Wrong on Palestine…Again. — 02/02/2012
• Florida’s In, But All Remaining Candidates Fight On — 02/01/2012
• Islamophobic General Withdrawn from National Prayer Breakfast — 01/31/2012
• We do exist — 01/30/2012

Countdown

• In Case You Haven’t Noticed — 01/18/2012
• It’s the Final “Countdown” (of the year) — 12/21/2011
• The Virtual Uprising — 12/14/2011
• America’s Gain, Countdown’s Loss — 12/06/2011
• Read at Your Own Risk — 11/29/2011

From Washington

• Durbin Statement Regarding Islamic Center Controversy — 08/22/2010
• Citing Conflict With Federal Law, Department of Justice Challenges Arizona Immigration Law — 07/06/2010
• Statements on H. Res. 867 (In opposition to the Goldstone Report) November 4, 2009 U.S. House of Rep — 05/12/2010
• TSA Nationality Screening Guidelines Revoked — 04/06/2010
• Selected Statements against H. Res. 867 — 11/18/2009

From Dr. Zogby

• Bridging the Divide — 01/30/2012
• Listening and Learning: Arab Opinion Matters — 01/17/2012
• Predicting the Presidential Election, 2012 — 01/09/2012
• Viewpoint with James Zogby: Rob Malley, Hussein Hassouna, Lara Friedman — 12/30/2011
• Viewpoint with James Zogby: Andrew Parasiliti, Edward Gnehm, Ann Selzer — 12/29/2011

Resources

• Al-Majallah/AAI Poll (1998) — 01/04/2012
• Attitudes of U.S. Voters Toward Saudi Arabia (2003) — 01/04/2012
• Attitudes of the American Public Toward the Recent Arab-Israeli Dispute (2002) — 01/04/2012
• U.S. Attitudes Toward Arab Countries and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (2000) — 01/04/2012
• Arabs: What They Believe and What They Value Most (2002) — 01/04/2012