January 1990, Page 44

Arab-American Activism

By Catherine M. Willford

Good News and Bad News From George Bush's White House

Months of intensive lobbying by the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) and other Arab-American groups and individuals have contributed to the proclamation by President George Bush of next Oct. 25 as National Arab-American Day. The commemorative resolution (H.J. Res. 24 1) was drafted and introduced in the House of Representatives last April by Rep. Jim Traficant (D-OH) with the initial cosponsorship of Reps. Mervyn Dymally (DCA), Jim Bates (D-CA), Nick Rahall (DWV), Edolphus Towns (D-NY), Walter Fauntroy (D-DC) and David Bonior (D-MI). The resolution applauded the hard work and productivity of three million Arab Americans who have continued "to make important contributions to the economic prosperity and cultural life of our Nation since October 1854, when the first recorded Arab immigrant arrived in the United States."

ADC members generated hundreds of phone calls and letters to their representatives urging them to be among the 218 cosponsors required to enact the resolution. ADC President Abdeen Jabara stated that passage of the resolution was "demonstrative of the growing ability of Arab Americans all over the country to work in a concerted national effort on a single issue."

The proclamation signed by President Bush celebrates Arab-American accomplishments in science, medicine, education, business, culture, and government. Referring to the Middle East, the proclamation states that Arab Americans "join all Americans in the desire to bring peace and security to that troubled region."

NAAA Alerts Congress to Israeli-South African Military Cooperation

The National Association of Arab Americans (NAAA) has provided members of Congress with a fact sheet detailing Israeli-South African nuclear weapons and ballistic missile cooperation. The fact sheet backgrounds news reports that Israel shared technology with South Africa in exchange for a steady supply of South African uranium for use in the Israeli nuclear weapons program. NAAA Executive Director Jawad George called for Congressional hearings on the possible violations of US law and threat to US national security posed by the Israeli-South African connection.

The fact sheet pointed out that every foreign aid bill since 1985 mandates that the United States provide neither economic nor military assistance to a country which either delivers or receives nuclear enrichment or reprocessing equipment, materials or technology. The NAAA memorandum also cited the US Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986, which requires the president to submit a report to Congress detailing any violations of' the United Nations arms embargo on South Africa by recipients of US aid, "with a view to terminating US military assistance to those countries."

ADC Protests Marketing of Offensive Halloween Mask

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) reported mixed results from its nationwide campaign to persuade Spencer Gifts, Inc., to withdraw a "Sheikh" mask from its 435 outlets. The mask, part of a Spencer Gifts' "Fright Stuff" line of Halloween products, depicted a hook-nosed figure wearing an Arab headdress. The mask was marketed with traditional "monster" masks such as Dracula.

After ADC's first attempts to resolve the "mask" issue with Spencer Gifts executives proved unproductive, ADC sent an Action Alert to its membership, resulting in hundreds of calls to the company's headquarters, local outlets and annual sales convention. After three days of protest, and facing the prospect of media interest in the controversy, Spencer Gifts withdrew the mask and gave ADC written assurance that the group would be notified should the masks be put on sale in the future. Then, four shopping days before Halloween, ADC was informed by Spencer Gifts that the mask would be returned to the market. In the end, only some retail outlets returned the mask to the selling floor.

Arab-American Groups Condemn Moawad Assassination

Arab-American groups have added their voices to calls from the United States for cooperation among Lebanese in the wake of the tragic assassination of Lebanese President Rene Moawad. President of the National Association of Arab Americans (NAAA) Alfred Shehab urged all Lebanese leaders to "unite to see Lebanon through this latest tragedy. " ADC Chairman James Abourezk condemned the assassination as a senseless act of violence which would make peace even more difficult to achieve. He called upon all parties to "prevent further bloodshed so that the people of Lebanon will not once again suffer as innocent victims."

Catherine M. Willford is the circulation director for the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs.