This Week

Building Cohesion

GROWING CLOUT from page 11

Orange County, Calif., who, like Arash Spencer,
"You're not dealing with a foreign group anymore;
was helping out at the Los Angeles' Islamic cultural
you're dealing with a growing group of Americans."
center last month, reflects the politicization of the
later-generation Arab Americans.
The Terrorism Issue
The affable young man, whose Egyptian-born
father is the head of the center, said he didn't want
Salam Al-Marayati was a casualty of Jewish opposi-
to discuss his politics too openly because he'd like to
tion, some from moderate organizations, when he
break into acting one day and he feared alienating
was appointed the only Muslim member of a con-
people who might employ him.
gressional commission on terrorism in mid-1999.
But he said he chose Green Party candidate Ralph
The ADL said Al-Marayati "was not an appropri-
Nader, admitting that Nader's Lebanese heritage
ate participant" because he had criticized the
swayed him. Otherwise, he said, he would have
Counterterrorism Act of 1995 for not addressing
gone with Bush.
the roots of terrorism, had called starving the chil-
"It's hard to say this without sounding racist; but
dren of Iraq by means of sanctions "a terrible act of
a vice president can become president," said
terrorism" and had condemned the bombing of
Eletreby of Joseph Lieberman. "I am not a
Sudan and Afghanistan by the United States. Mort
Republican, but I hate Gore because of his policy
Klein, president of the Zionist Organization of
on Israel. It contradicts American ideals of freedom
America, opposed Al-Marayati "because of his long
and non-oppression."
record over many, many years of rationalizing and
While the children and grandchildren of immi-
justifying terrorism."
grants increasingly find their voice, a nationalistic
Added Rabbi James Rudin of the American
pride has taken root. It wasn't until
Jewish Committee, "His
about 30 years ago that Arab
position on terrorism is
Americans began seeing themselves as a
quite different and his
singular group.
understanding of terrorism,
"When I was growing up, we had
his definition of terrorism
Lebanese from different villages who
is so different from the
defined themselves by their villages,"
United States government's
said James Zogby, who is widely con-
position, that it was, in our
sidered the granddaddy of mainstream
judgment, that he should
U.S. Arab politics. "People identify
not serve on this commis-
themselves as Arab Americans, whereas
sion."
they used to consider themselves
In the face of the criti-
Egyptian, Lebanese, Syrian. The chil-
cism, U.S. Rep. Dick
dren of immigrants, despite their par-
Gephardt withdrew his
ents' direct ties with a town or a partic-
nomination of Al-Marayati.
ular country, see the more general kl-
"Every time a Muslim
rural designation as the identifier."
steps on a public stage,
About 80 percent of Arab Americans
they get bombarded by the
are Christian, but newer immigrants
pro-Israel factions that have
come from Iraq — most notably
dominated the arena," Al-
Chaldeans, who are Catholic — Israel,
Marayati
said.
Salam Al-Marayati
Egypt, Yemen and North Africa.
He links the episode with
"Even with the diversity in the com-
Hillary Rodham Clinton's
munity, there are overriding issues that unite every-
disavowal of a $50,000 campaign contribution from
body," James Zogby said. "Chaldean organizations
the American Muslim Alliance last fall.
are working with the larger community. They didn't
Clinton's opponent in the New York Senate race,
before."
then-U.S. Rep. Rick Lazio, had suggested that she
Terry Ahwal, a Palestinian activist in Detroit,
was consorting with terrorists by accepting the
remembers her father warning her not to mention
money and pressured her to return it.
that she was from Ramallah in the West Bank. He
"They were fulfilling their civic duty and they got
suggested she tell people she was Italian or Syrian to
knocked around," Al-Marayati said. "I was in exact-
avoid their unspoken assumption that she had ter-
ly the same situation. They felt that the commission
rorist leanings.
needed a Muslim voice. We were serving national
"Up until the 1980s, the Arab community tried
interests."
to hide its identity because of discrimination," she
If it hadn't been for a more sympathetic media,
said. "Now, we are part of the country. What affects
particularly the press, his case would not have made
this country affects us."
as many editorial pages as it did, he said. More than
The differences between immigrants and non-
50 publications, some Jewish, were outraged at Al-
immigrants also are disappearing.
Marayati's ill treatment.
"There's an increasing realization that home is
"The judgment was clear: The American public
here in America, not Karachi or Cairo, where many
was outraged when it happened to me, and I believe
immigrants have come from," said Salam Al-
they'll be equally outraged when this happens in the
Marayati of the 11-year-old Muslim Public Affairs
future," Al-Marayati said.
Council in Los Angeles. "Home is where my grand-
Just as Israelis worry about their Arab citizens'
children are going to be buried, not where my
potential to aid the current Palestinian intifada,
grandparents are buried.
GROWING CLOUT on page 14

:PA
1/12
2001

12

Enemy Nominee
Abraham Gets Nod
Of Jewish Groups

MATTHEW E. BERGER

Jewish Telegraphic Agent),

Washington

T

he only Arab American in the U.S. Senate
for the last six years, who has a mixed
record on Israel issues, is slated to join
President-elect Bush's Cabinet as secre-
tary of energy — with the approval of
Jewish leaders.
Spencer Abraham, who lost his Senate
re-election race to Michigan Democrat
Debbie Stabenow, was praised by several
pro-Israel activists, who noted his strong
Spencer
support for immigration reform and
Abraham
nuclear 11 on-p ro ife ration .
"We had a good working relation-
ship with him," said Malcolm Hoenlein, execu-
tive vice chairman of the Conference of
Presidents of Major Americ_an Jewish
Organizations. "He had a close relationship with
the Jewish community in Michigan, and his vot-
ing record was good on Israel-related issues."
In acceptin&the Cabinet post last week,
Abraham, 48, cited his Lebanese heritage. He is
an Eastern Orthodox Christian.
"I just want to say that I think it is a testament
to the special place that America is that the
grandson of four Lebanese immigrants can have
the opportunity to serve in the Cabinet of the
president of the United States," he said. "I'm
very proud to have been given this opportunity."
In the Senate, Abraham co-sponsored legisla-
tion to crack down on oil money headed toward
Iran and Libya.
Yet Abraham's record at times has not always
pleased Jewish groups. He was one of only two
senators not to sign a letter to President Clinton
this fall condemning Palestinian Authority ** -
President Yasser Arafat for the latest violence in
the Middle East. In September, Washington
Report magazine placed Abraham in its hall of
fame for his pro-Arab voting record.
In Michigan, the Arab community is three
times the size of the Jewish community. Still,
relations
h atde_
c
toDav v,id4 th
unnitc7d rding
inaita
shcomm
..svi
rah
jAebam
according
Had, executive director of the Jewish
Community Council of Metropolitan Detroit.
The two men worked together on immigration
reform, part of Abraham's job as chair of the Senate
Judiciary Committee's immigration subcommittee.
"He took the lead in trying to work for more fair
immigration policies and to raise the limits on the
number of legal immigrants," Gad-Harf said.
Abraham also made sure that he and his sta
were available to the local Jewish community.
"You would think that on Middle East issues,
there would be problems," Gad-Harf said. "But
we were able to work with him on issues that
were supportive of the peace process. ❑

