Thursday 2 July 2009

Saja - Where is the self-respecting outrage from Institutional Arab-America?

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By Guest Post • Jul 2nd, 2009 at 12:58 • Category: Analysis, Counter-terrorism, No thanks!, Ideas and Projects, Internet and Communication, Israel, Newswire, Opinions and Letters, Palestine, Religion, Resistance, War, Zionism

Dear everyone who continues to graciously demonstrate patience to listen to my anti-House-Arab* diatribes,


I could denounce the complacency of the self-absorbed and disconnected leadership of our "Arab" community. But at some point, words and videos (and threats to do unspeakable things to one's hair) don't suffice to express frustration. The complacency somehow manages to confound language and camera lenses.


The US has been strangling the life out of Iraq for the last two decades and killed over a million Iraqis and displaced 4 million and continues to support the zionist presence on Palestinian land. What more does it need to do before we see some raw, self-respecting outrage coming out of institutional Arab-America? Behold (emphasis added):


P. 10 of Forum and Link, a local Arab-American magazine, covers the recent ADC fest in Washington. It whitewashes Clinton's crimes. "As the U.S. continues to push for peace in the area, 'I think it’s really important to give the Palestinian people something to look forward to,' Clinton said to loud applause [from the Arab audience]."

Meaning, if Bush says at an Arab convention "I think it's really important to give the Iraqi people something to look forward to", he'll also get "loud applause" from Arabs (also known as people who ought to know better).


The ADC also awarded Congressman John Dingell: "After his speech, he wrapped his arms around Dingell and the congressman’s wife Debbie and chatted at length. In an interview before his award, Dingell said much work is needed by political Washington on behalf of Arab Americans."


Allow me to quote Dingell in his own words. This is from the government's own website, not the Book of Arab Conspiracy Theories: http://www.house.gov/dingell/110/080423israel.shtml "In my 50 years in Congress, I have proudly supported more than $300 billion dollars in aid for the State of Israel".


Furthermore, if I massacre a bunch of squirrels, I'll get praise at a squirrel convention as long as I avoid using the expression "war on squirrels." "Shora praised Obama for avoiding using the phrase 'war on terrorism,' a signature phrase in the Bush era that many Arab Americans feel fanned fears of people of Arab and Muslim descent. Shora’s observation drew applause."


The most radical statement out of that convention was this beauty paegant type answer: "Also receiving an award were Hasan and Shereen Newash of Grosse Pointe. The couple founded the Michigan Citizens for Palestinian Rights, an educational outreach group. Before receiving their award, Shereen Newash said they look forward to “peace in the Middle East.”


Saja


* "House Arab" is a term inspired by Malcolm X's usage of "House Negro" and "Field Negro."


The ADC's Criteria for Usage of the Word "Condemnation" and for Invitation as Keynote Speakers at Convention


In order for the ADC to "condemn" an attack, the victims in question must be either:


1) Jewish (which is understandable, considering the timid nature of AIPAC, ADL and JDL; recall "condemnation" of alleged attack on NY synagogues last month); or


2) members of Congress; or


3) Nobel Laureate winners (see below).


Otherwise, if you're a plain vanilla Arab, attacks on you don't get "condemned" by the American "Arab" Anti-Discrimination Committee. For example, condemnation of the savage bombardment of plain vanilla Arabs in Iraq's Guernica, Falluja, is nowhere to be heard by ADC even though the city was bombed to oblivion by the world's only superpower. Mention of the city comes up once on adc.org, in the context of instructing it to release humanitarian workers.


You have to fall into one of the above three categories to matter to the ADC. No exceptions shall be made. Those who request exceptions shall be condemned.


In order to quality for an invitation as keynote speaker to an ADC convention, the bar is a bit higher:


1) strangulate half a million Iraqi kids (Clinton); or


2) convince the UN that defenseless, sanctioned Arab countries have WMD's (Powell); or


3) bomb Arab medicine factories (Clinton again)







.




ADC Condemns Israel's Seizure of Humanitarian Aid Ship on Route to Gaza



Action Alert : Click Below to Contact Represenatives



Washington, DC June 30, 2009 www.adc.org The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) condemns the Israeli naval commandeering of a ship carrying humanitarian supplies to the besieged territory of Gaza. The ship, which left from the Cypirot port of Larnaca, was approximately 20 miles off the coast of Gaza when it was board by Israeli Navy personnel and redirected to the city of Ashdod.



The ship was flying a Greek flag and traveled through international waters but was stopped during their approach to the occupied Gaza Strip. The "Spirit of Humanity" is crewed by a number of humanitarian activists from across the globe including former Congresswoman Cynthia Mckinney and Nobel Laureate Mairead Maguire. Reports indicate that all of the ship's 21 crew members have been taken into custody by Israel.



The siege of the Gaza Strip has continued unabated for over two years and badly needed reconstruction aid has been prevented from entering the Strip after the 22-day war on Gaza this past winter. Recently, President Obama called for humanitarian supplies to be permitted to enter the Gaza Strip and a number of members of Congress have traveled to the Strip and remarked on the dire circumstances facing the impoverished civilian population.



ADC echoes the calls of President Obama and others who have called for an end to the inhumane siege of the Gaza Strip, the immediate release of the human rights activists who were aboard the ship, and stern repercussions for the flagrant and continuing Israeli violations of international law.



You can take a moment to send a note to your member of Congress and President Obama demanding the release of the crew members of the "Spirit of Humanity" and an end to the siege by clicking here: Tell Your Representatives to End the Siege of Gaza Now!


CLICK HERE TO SEND A MESSAGE TO YOUR REPRESENATIVES DEMANDING AN END TO THE SIEGE AND RELEASE OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS HELD BY ISRAEL




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