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AAI in the News

AAI Poll Shows Americans Opt for Diplomacy Over Violence

By Fahd Chafik
Morocco Times
Posted on Tuesday August 23, 2005

A recently-conducted Arab American Institute (AAI) poll has shown that Americans overwhelmingly reject the suggestion made by US Congressman Tom Tancredo, who had urged the American government to bomb Islamic holy sites, namely Mecca, as a response to any future attack by Islamist fundamentalists on the US national soil.

The survey, carried out in mid-August, shows that the American people rejects Tancredo’s call by a margin of three-to-one, as 68% opt for diplomacy with the Arab and Islamic world, while only 24%, according to the same source, would side with the fanatical congressman.

Tancredo, a Republican from Colorado, had made his ‘notorious’ statement in an interview with WFLA-AM radio station in Orlando, Florida, back in July. He invited the US to “take out” Islamic holy sites, including Mecca, if the North American country is again targeted by Islamist fundamentalism. But his spokesman later maintained he was only speaking hypothetically.

The AAI study goes further to show that Americans’ “preference for diplomacy over provocative threats was reinforced in response to other questions,” namely the most realistic ways to combat terror.

Eighty-three percent of Americans, says the poll, strongly support the establishment of joint programs between US-based Arab American and Muslim American communities and local, state, and federal enforcement agencies to develop communication and trust.

On the other hand, 79% stand for strengthening partnerships with ‘moderate Arab and Muslim states,” with a view to sharing intelligence and cooperate in anti-terrorism actions.

The Florida talk-radio show was debating an article that was posted on an internet website saying that Islamic terrorists had brought nuclear devices across the Mexican border, and were preparing for an attack on several American cities.

When the programme’s host Pat Campbell raised a question about how the US should retaliate if the country is struck with nuclear weapons, Tancredo’s answer was that “if this happens in the United States, and we determine that it is the result of extremist, fundamentalist Muslims, you know, you could take out their holy sites.”

Asked whether he was “talking about Mecca,” Tancredo responded: “Yeah!”

Located about 80 km from the Red Sea Coast, Mecca is the holiest city in Islam, and its Al-Haram is the world’s biggest mosque, with its rectangular brick-made building, Al-Ka’ba, being the Muslims’ direction for prayer.

The Arab American Institute strongly condemned the Republican congressman’s remarks that sparked much controversy amongst the US Arab and Islamic communities in particular, and the Arab Islamic world as a whole.

“Congressman Tancredo’s remarks are dangerous and not befitting a member of Congress,” commented AAI President James Zogby, a Democratic activist and lecturer on Middle East issues and US-Arab relations.

“This poll should make it clear that Americans overwhelmingly reject Tancredo’s dangerous threats,” affirmed the Arab American scholar.

AAI had called on the US lawmaker to apologize for his statements, but Tancredo was reluctant to answer the call, despite mounting criticism in the States and the Arab Islamic world.

“This kind of speech from an elected official is harmful to the war on terror and does not represent the sentiments of the American people,” went on Zogby, stressing that “irresponsible language such as this only widens the gap between the US and the Arab and Muslim world. Tancredo should apologize immediately.”

But clinging to his arrogant stand (this is the least we can say about it), the US lawmaker said: “I’m not suggesting we do it. I have nothing to apologize for in that respect.

“I’m simply saying to have a good discussion on this issue, a thorough discussion on what is perhaps the most serious kind of possible situation we could face as a civilization, that you cannot simply take things off the table because they are uncomfortable to talk about.”

Tancredo’s statements came only a few weeks after the US-based magazine Newsweek published a story on American guards who desecrated the Holy Qur’an by flushing it into a toilet, something that stirred mass protests in the streets of different Islamic countries.

A US Department of State spokesman said that the US congressman’s remarks “are insulting and offensive to us all.

“Speaking on behalf of the United States Government, let me say that we respect Islam as a religion, we respect its holy sites,” said the official.

“The United States is a country of religious diversity that our citizens, whether they be Muslim or Christian or Jew or whatever, respect the dignity and sanctity of other religions and believe we are part of one human family and that the enemy of that family are those who use the name of religion to pursue a violent and hateful ideology that really goes against the teachings that, I think, any person of faith believes in, no matter what that faith is”.

Tancredo’s remarks also aroused bitter criticism in Turkey, a long-time US ally secular country with a majority of Muslims. Ankara denounced the American congressman’s attitude, underlining that he spoke “irresponsibly and without thought of how far his statement would reach or what kind of problems they could create.”

A vehement opponent of illegal immigration, Tancredo is likely to launch a campaign for the 2008 Republican nomination.