ADC West Coast Conference Commemorates Alex Odeh

By Kari Sprowl

The late Alex Odeh, southern California regional director for the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) who was assassinated by a trip-wire bomb in 1985, was commemorated by hundreds of Arab Americans attending ADC's three-day West Coast Regional Conference in Anaheim, California. During a banquet held in his honor, the Alex Odeh Humanitarian Award was presented to former ADC-Los Angeles president Anthony Saidy for "his enduring dedication and commitment to the Arab-American community."

The 10-year FBI investigation into Odeh's death has identified three suspects linked to the Jewish Defense League (JDL) who have yet to be charged for his murder. Yet Alex's memory lives on, as does the commitment to bring to justice the perpetrators of this terrorist attack against a soft-spoken and cherished Arab-American activist, professor and poet.

In addition to commemorating the slain activist, ADC members and supporters converged at the Anaheim Inn on the weekend of Nov. 3, 1995 to attend a non-stop program of activities and seminars on a variety of issues affecting the Arab-American community. Topics included combating anti-Arab stereotypes in the media and in schools, protecting Arab-American civil rights, and promoting unity and activism within the community.

Reaching Out to Teachers

The first panel, moderated by ADC director of educational programs Marvin Wingfield, dealt with the educational challenges faced by most Americans of Arab descent. Margaret Grater, an administrator and consultant at the Los Angeles Board of Education, cited herself as an example of the obstacles faced by Arab-American parents and educational activists. She argued that, like many others, she was influenced by the popular media, which helped mold her opinion of Arabs.

As she prepared for her first trip to the Arab world, she admitted initially being afraid because of her preconceived notions about Arabs. "My first stop was Egypt. I found out immediately that I'd been lied to. I felt so much at home, so safe," she said. Since her trip, Grater has been active in promoting educational programs about Arabs. She has organized several teachers' conferences on Arab issues, as well as trips to the region for school administrators. However, she was not only demoted as a result of her efforts, but was even the victim of death threats from the JDL for displaying a car bumper-sticker describing Congress as "Israeli-occupied territory."

Undaunted, Grater continues her goal of educating teachers about the richness of Arab history and culture. She emphasized the need for concerned community members to review textbooks before they are deemed acceptable by the school systems, and to act as sources on contemporary Arab history in the schools.

Panelist Ann Kerr, a trustee of the American University of Beirut (AUB) whose late husband, president of AUB, was assassinated in 1985, administers the Malcolm H. Kerr High School Scholars Program in Arab and Islamic studies. The program offers high school juniors a month-long study program in an Arab country. "To witness the wonder and maturation of these kids over just one month is truly wonderful," Kerr said. She suggested that such educational programs have the advantage of teaching students about the Arab world by combining theory with first-hand experiences.

Mona Pargee, a graduate student at California State University, said that, like Grater, she also was negatively influenced by media depictions of Arabs. "I had seen the Holocaust films, and saw the Jews as a small group of people surrounded by hostile Arabs," she said. "It seemed right that the U.S. support them." In her mind, "Palestinian equalled terrorist."

Pargee had a change of heart after taking a college course in international terrorism. Through that course, which explored terrorism in several countries, one of which was Palestine, Pargee developed a more objective understanding of Arabs and Muslims. "After that experience, I became hungry for more knowledge," she said. Since then, she has studied at Birzeit University in the West Bank, and lived with a Palestinian family. "I've walked through the Old City [of Jerusalem], the occupied territories, Ramallah, Gaza, Jenin," she said. "I've seen the day-to-day brutality forced on the Palestinians by the Israelis. Guns have been put in my face—and that's not one-tenth of what the Palestinians have to endure. They can be physically abused or jailed without cause, or murdered without cause. That was so hard for an American to understand."

Pardee's next goal is to pursue a doctoral program in Middle Eastern studies. "I want to do for others what my professor did for me—opened my eyes and my heart, and put love in my heart," she said. "I was a living, breathing example of everything that you are trying to combat in terms of wrong information. I'm here to tell you: Education works."

Grassroots Activism

A panel on grassroots activism, moderated by ADC chairman Hamzi K. Moghrabi, discussed ways of encouraging Arab Americans to become active in defending their rights and promoting their heritage. ADC Youth Coordinator Aythem el-Saleh opened by expressing his admiration for the level of cultural pride and civil rights awareness in ADC. However, he pointed to a lack of youth involvement in ADC issues. The present community leadership is part of the "greying generation," he argued. "Community leaders have so much knowledge, but I don't see it being transferred down." El-Saleh stressed that leadership must be sensitive to the needs of the young. He called for dialogue and a commitment to incorporate these needs into long-term agendas.

Salem Al-Marayati, director of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, argued that, in order for the Arab-American community to become recognized in the United States, it must focus on unifying themes such as civil rights, family values, and the threat of the counterterrorism legislation. However, Glenn Omatsu of the UCLA Asian American Studies Center added that outreach with other minority groups also is needed in order to affect the political scene.

Rima Nashashibi, president of ADC-Orange County, spoke of the need for Arab Americans to make their mark on the political scene. Nashashibi, for many years active in the Democratic Party, at first found herself ostracized at Democratic Party conventions because of AIPAC influence. The attitude of her fellow partisans changed when she gathered the 200 signatures required for a petition. "You have to prove yourself to the politicians first," she said. "You have to help them first, show them that you are useful and committed, before they will help you."

Moghrabi argued that although the community is rich in resources and ideas, he continues to observe a low level of participation in Arab-American organizations and in politics. His motto is: "If you don't vote, you don't exist." ADC consultant Jamil Budeiri echoed this call to action during a luncheon address by reminding the Arab-American audience, "We are brought up in dictatorships where we are afraid of government and afraid of issues. [But] in this country, the only people who are going to impact government are the ones who fight for their rights."

Several speakers addressed an issue which has become increasingly challenging to the Arab-American community—that of religious factionalism. "We are not Christian or Muslim, we are Arabs," Father Labib Kotbi, a Lebanese Catholic priest, reminded the audience. "We lost our home countries because we were divided."

Hollywood producer Mustapha Akkad, also a luncheon speaker, concurred with Kotbi when he urged Arab Americans to rise above "divisive diseases" such as "religion, politics, or class." Father Elias Chacour, president of Prophet Elias College, echoed this call for religious understanding in an inspiring and entertaining presentation to a luncheon audience. "I was not born a Christian," he said. "I thank God I was not born a Christian. I was born a baby, like all my Muslim brothers and sisters. Only sometime later, somewhere baptized, somewhere circumcised, do we become Christian or Muslim." Chacour warned against the dangers of factionalism based on creed, stressing that "we can no longer pretend to possess the truth...We need the faith of others to fulfill the meaning of life. The fact that we are Jews, Christians or Muslims should not be a dividing factor. It should be an enriching experience."

Challenging Stereotypes

A media panel, moderated by attorney Fareed Haddad, discussed ways to combat anti-Arab stereotypes. These range from "the old, benign stereotype of the Arab in robes with a camel" to "the modern stereotype—in a rumpled shirt and carrying a gun," said panelist Donald Bustany, co-founder of Top 40 and former president of ADC-Los Angeles.

"Polite persistence is the most effective tool for correcting errors in the media," Bustany advised. As an example, he cited the negotiations held between ADC and Walt Disney regarding the animated film "Aladdin." "There were...some problems with the lyrics, and the bad guys having accents while the good guys didn't," Bustany said. However, these problems were remedied in the video release and any subsequent showings of the film.

Waleed Ali, CEO of MPI Media Group, cited "Jihad in America," a controversial PBS documentary, as an example of the modern stereotype of Arabs and Muslims as terrorists. He argued that interests sympathetic to Zionism produced the program in an effort to intensify negative public sentiments of Arabs in America. Ali described one scene, purported to be a segment from a terrorist training film, which showed armed Palestinians jumping out of trees. "If you could read Arabic, you would see the word 'starring' written across the shoot. The piece was patched together from pieces of TV series."

Bustany and Ali called on ADC activists to make their concerns known to the media. "Ask for nothing more and nothing less than the truth," Ali said. "Keeping in touch with the media works."

Protecting Civil Rights

A civil rights panel, moderated by ADC legal department director Mary Ramadan, discussed common legal issues and problems faced by the Arab-American community. Simon Michael, attorney-at-law and legal adviser to ADC chapters in California, pointed out that even jurors may be influenced by the media and society's stereotypical portrayal of Arabs. For instance, jurors tend to limit damage awards in civil suits based on the assumption that Arabs are rich, according to Michael. In order to avoid being negatively affected by such perceptions, Michael advised Arab Americans to educate their lawyers about potential issues of cultural bias and to avoid court-appointed interpreters, as they are generally less efficient.

Peter Schey, executive director of the Center of Human Rights and Constitutional Law, talked about the LA 8 case and the suit against B'nai B'rith's Anti-Defamation League (ADL), both of which have been followed closely by the Arab-American community. In the LA 8 case, individual students allegedly affiliated with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine were arrested and faced deportation, although they were not charged with any criminal violations. In fact, the students had distributed leaflets and raised funds for lawful activities such as medical clinics and child care centers. As for the ADL case, which involves a suit by hundreds of individuals and groups against the ADL for alleged spying against individuals and groups, Schey informed the audience that the organization now is eager to settle the case to avoid a jury trial.

Fareed Haddad, a worker's compensation attorney, pointed out that most employees are unaware of their human rights, while many employers do not know their legal responsibilities. He reminded the audience that, by law, employment discrimination on the basis of sex, age, national origin, or physical or mental impairment is prohibited. To George Kassim, a retired judge who was the first Arab-American member of Congress, "discrimination is quite natural to man, but that doesn't make it right."

Mary Ramadan informed the audience that the counterterrorism legislation may be derailed since the Waco hearings as legislators have become reluctant to give federal investigators broader powers. She also urged ADC activists to "proact, not react" with their legislators regarding the Smith Immigration Act, a proposed measure that would place unfair burdens and restrictions on immigration, including cases of family reunification between legal permanent residents and their relatives.

Middle East Peace Process

On the second day of the conference, news of the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin by a Jewish extremist traveled fast, engendering shock and consternation. Journalists from the Orange Country Register and Los Angeles Times rushed to the conference to obtain reactions from the attendees, which ranged from anger to fear about the future of the peace process. "The coddling of terrorist elements by the Israelis has resulted in this kind of arrogance," former ADC president Saidy told reporters. Kassim added that "the prospects for peace are [now] more difficult to assess than ever. A great deal depends on how the U.S. uses its considerable power to force an accord."

A panel moderated by James Kaddo, judge of the Los Angeles Municipal Court, was dedicated to a discussion of the peace accords. Stanford University professor Khalil Barhoum criticized the peace process as it has allowed Israel "to have its cake and eat it too." He argued that "instead of a well-defined process of decolonization, the Palestinians are dealing with what I like to call a 'rationing process,' whereby the Israelis will allow the Palestinians to assume control of 4 percent of the land and 98 percent of the administrative costs."

The panelists criticized biased American Mideast policies. "The shortest road to Washington is through Tel Aviv," Barhoum said. He objected to the peace accords' deferral of fundamental issues such as the fate of Israeli settlements and Palestinian refugees, arguing that the accords "preserve the apartheid privileges of 450 religious fanatic settlers in Hebron." Donald Bustany, replacing PLO permanent observer to the U.N. Nasser Al-Kidwa, who was unable to attend, added that "Rabin missed a good opportunity in not evicting the Jewish settlers years ago."

The panelists agreed that the peace accords reflect the imbalance of power between Israel and the Palestinians. Barhoum predicted a grim future whereby "the PLO will surrender to the Pax Americana, and the Palestinians will surrender to Israel's demands. Sooner or later, there's going to be a domestic Palestinian resistance to a peace that is virtually indistinguishable from occupation."

However, Bustany was more hopeful and suggested that there still is a chance to reclaim the situation is spite of the flaws of the peace process. He stressed the need to educate people, especially American Jews, about Palestinian rights. "Decent American Jews who might feel guilt have forgotten that they are the invaders," he said, adding that "spreading the word" and turning "rational anger" into "rational discourse" may help bring about positive changes. "We can sit in our coffee shops and cry the blues, or we can go out into the streets and educate people, channel our anger and open minds."

Samir Kafity, Episcopal archbishop of Jerusalem, reminded the audience about the special religious significance of Jerusalem to the three Abrahamic religions. "Jerusalem cannot be occupied and cannot be monopolized by one tradition at the expense of the other two," he said. "Jerusalem is not only a holy place, it is our heritage in Islam, Judaism and Christiantiy...Jerusalem is a mother who loves her children equally."

Following Kafity's presentation, Mansour and Hanan Jammal entertained the audience with original piano compositions. Hanan performed a composition entitled "Love," while her 11-year-old brother, accompanied by Cochise Sanchez, played "War and Peace." This moving tribute to peace earned him a standing ovation and an invitation from Archbishop Kafity to play it in Jerusalem. The audience was also charmed by the four young daughters of Ibrahim Boulos, who performed a selection of Arab folk songs accompanied by the rhythmic clapping of the audience.

Summing Up

Dr. Philip Salem, director of Cancer Research at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, gave the final address of the conference, during which he spoke of the challenges faced by Arab Americans in preserving their identity. "Short of loss of life, I don't know of any loss greater than loss of identity. To preserve our identity, we must preserve our heritage."

He argued that one of the greatest challenges facing the Arab-American community is lack of unity. "Arabs do not work together as a cohesive force," he said. "That's why Israel has won almost every war. That's why we are not a strong presence in America. That's why ADC is a platform that all of us must support."

Salem concluded by stressing the need for Arab Americans to cherish the best of both the Arab and American cultures. "We owe it to America to infuse her with our heritage...We contribute to America when we do what we do with love and with excellence."

The three-day conference closed with a visit to the Alex Odeh memorial statue facing the Santa Ana Public Library. A floral wreath "To the Memory of Alex Odeh" was laid in front of the nine-foot monument. Archbishop Kafity read a blessing and led a silent prayer while the members of the audience paid their respects to the memory of a peace-loving activist, poet and martyr.

This article is abridged and reprinted with permission from the ADC Times. Kari Sprowl is a free-lance writer and peace activist based in La Caøada, California.