This Week

Building Cohesion

GROWING CLOUT from page 7

Cohen and the National Jewish Democratic
Council tussled with the Arab American Political
Action Committee in the fall over a videotape called
Hope for Peace in Jerusalem. In the video, Israeli sol-
diers are falsely depicted storming the al-Aqsa
Mosque in Jerusalem and are accused throughout of
killing Arab children. The tape was shown at
AAPAC's annual dinner at which U.S. Rep. John
Dingell of Michigan was present and at a "town
hall" meeting in Dearborn.
It wasn't the first time Cohen publicly took issue
with the Arab American leadership, and it has been
frustrating, he said.
"The organizations know what they're
doing, and while they're not necessarily lead-
ing the march on the anti-Jewish tone, they
know where their troops are and what types of
things will appeal to them," he said.
"I view it as a similar situation as what's
happened in Israel with the Palestinian
Authority: Israelis were prepared for compro-
mise and peace, but the Arabs were not.
Americans were ready for peace initiatives, but
the Arab community doesn't understand the
necessity for concessions and compromise.
The leadership isn't the rabble-rousers."
Still, they tend to blame their disappoint-
ments on pro-Israel forces, whether organized
or not.
Abed Hammoud, 34-year-old president of
the Dearborn-based AAPAC, said he felt
wounded when the ADL denounced the
videotape, asserting that the ADL is blind to
human rights abuses in Israel. He called it a
"hypocritical" position that stems from an
inability to see Arabs as anything but violent
provocateurs.
entitled to and which we respect," said
• Early immigrants in the late 19th Century were
"We criticize [Iraqi leader] Saddam
Hoenlein of the Conference of Presidents of
Christian, by and large, from Syria and Lebanon. Many
Hussein," Hammoud said. "Jewish organiza-
Major American Jewish Organizations. "It
post-World War II immigrants were Palestinians,
tions should tell the government of Israel it
should not be exaggerated, as there's a ten-
Egyptians and Syrians. But Arab immigration was highest
should be democratic and stop discrimina-
dency to do that."
after 1964, with 44 percent coming to the U.S. between
tion."
1965 and 1980. Between 1990 and 1992, 78,500 immi-
Muslims cannot gain a foothold in main-
grants from Arab countries came to the U.S.
Unifying Forces
stream American politics because of the same
prejudices, said the ADC's Ibish. It's not true
Transforming itself from a recognized minor-
• Major organizations include the Arab American
of the Jewish community as a whole, he
ity to a powerful lobby, as Jewish Americans
Institute, Washington, D.C.; American-Arab Anti-
noted, distinguishing it from the "pro-Israel
have done, will take time, but it will happen,
Discrimination Committee, Washington, D.C.; Council
community," like the Zionist Organization of
said Hussein Ibish of the 20,000-member
on American-Islamic Relations, Washington, D.C.
America,
the America Israel Public Affairs
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination
Sources: American Demographer, Zogby International -
Committee and fundamentalist and messianic
Committee. The ADC's mission is to illumi-
Christians.
nate and root out ignorant and bigoted
"It's true that most journalists and commen-
images of Arabs that make their way into
tators are influenced by a very pro-Israel take on
"is the Arab American community beginning to
movies, television and the news media.
things, but there is an Arab American constituency
take on what many American Jews took on even
"I think it's clear that other ethnic groups that
that has managed to express itself in the media. It's
before the creation of the state and certainly after
had once been disenfranchised or ineffective as
not a monologue anymore, but in policymaking, in
the state. That is a sense of real responsibility and
immigrant groups have had a similar learning
government, we see a concerted and coordinated
stewardship of the building of the infrastructure •
curve," he said. "But we are starting to see the
attempt to exclude Arab Americans, especially those
and economy that will make a Palestinian state and
results of our efforts in the last few decades.
who
are Muslim, who might affect discussion on
entity
durable.
That
is
something
I
have
not
seen
"There's a learning curve in acculturating to the
Israel," Ibish said.
very much yet."
American conversation and the American political
Donald Cohen, immediate past director of the
system. Simply repeating what would be effective in
Anti-Defamation League/Michigan Region, believes
an Arab context, in English, is not going to be
No Longer Immigrants
Arab American organizations undercut their credi-
effective."
In Los Angeles and Chicago, it is all but impossible
bility.
One
way
is
by
failing
to
rein
in
the
searing
Jewish leaders, some of whom work in political or
to find a distinctly Arab neighborhood. Mosques
rhetoric that spilled onto the streets during anti-
religious coalitions with Arab groups, agree that
seem to serve as social centers for all comers.
Israel rallies in Dearborn; another is by dispelling
their Arab counterparts have become sophisticated
In the blue-collar bastion of the Detroit suburb of
grotesque stereotypes of Jews that routinely find
Related Editorial: page 31
Dearborn, however, the Arab community has settled
their way into the Arab press.

strong showing in the polls among Arab Americans
at advancing their agendas through the press and
— 45 percent of the vote to Gore's 38, according to
Congress.
a survey by an Arab television station.
Yet, they also agree there isn't a unifying force
But it was the collective courtship of their vote,
bringing Arab Americans under a single banner.
whoever the suitor, that signified to Arab Americans
A Los Angeles rabbi who works closely with the
that they had finally become a legitimate voice in
Muslim community believes that a lack of organiza-
the national discourse, if not a potent force for
tion is preventing Arab Americans from attaining
change.
their political objectives in the Middle East.
Policymakers, particularly Michigan's Democratic
"I think Arab Americans are at a nascent stage of
caucus, are listening, too.
their development," said Rabbi Harvey Fields of the
Wilshire Boulevard Temple.
House Minority Whip David Bonior co-spon-
sored legislation to reform the immigration laws
"One of the bellwethers I'm looking for," he said,
that have led to the detention of people —
mostly Arabs — who have been allegedly
linked to terrorist organizations. Rep. John
Conyers joined in, too:
ARA13 AMERICANS AT A GLANCE
Arab activism and the media attention it
drew certainly factored into the release last
• There are roughly 3.5 million Arab Americans in the
month of Mazen AI-Najjar, a South Florida
United States, or slightly more than half the Jewish popu-
University professor who was held for three
lation. Eighty percent of Arab Americans were born in the
years on suspicion of having ties to the
United States.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad. That was a coup for
the community, said Dr. Yahya Basha of the
• The largest Arab communities are Los Angeles County,
American Muslim Council, who also praised
CA; metropolitan Detroit; Brooklyn, N.Y., Chicago, IL.
Jewish groups that came to Al-Najjar's
• Largest nationalities in order of population: Lebanese,
defense.
Syrian, Egyptian, Palestinian.
Another coup was President-elect Bush's
nomination last week of Spencer Abraham of
• Eighty percent of Arab Americans are Christian, with 40
Michigan as his secretary of energy. If con-
percent Roman Catholic. Twenty percent are Muslim.
firmed, Abraham, defeated in his bid for re-
election to a second term in the U.S. Senate,
• The U.S. Census bureau defines Arab Americans as hav-
will be the first Arab American Cabinet
ing national origins in Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya,
member.
Sudan, Egypt, Lebanon, Israel-occupied Palestine, Syria,
"We recognize and see the increased level
Jordan,
Iraq, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia,
of activity and assertiveness on the part of the
Kuwait,
United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
Arab American community, which they are

VAN
1/12
2001

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