April 1989, Page 25a

Focus on Arabs and Islam

By Catherine M. Willford

ADC National Convention in April

The American-Arab And-Discrimination Committee will hold its national convention April 13-16 at the Crystal City Marriott Hotel in Crystal City, VA. Entitled "Breakthroughs, Achievements, and Hopes," this year's convention is expected to attract upwards of 3,000 Arab-American civic and business leaders from throughout the United States. It will be the first large-scale gathering of the Arab-American community since the historic peace overtures made by the Palestine Liberation Organization in Geneva. With a year of significant achievement behind it, ADC has scheduled a wide range of panel discussions focusing on the continuing Palestinian uprising, the political crisis in Lebanon, the "Eyewitness Israel" program, and the image of Arabs in American popular culture. ADC will host high level representatives of the Palestine Liberation Organization including Ibrahim Souss, the PLO representative in Paris and author of the acclaimed Letter to a Jewish Friend ' For in. formation contact ADC at 4201 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC, or call (202) 244-2990.

ADC Update on B'nai B'rith Letter

ADC has continued to demand that Seymour Reich, president of B'nai B'rith International and the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations, disassociate himself from the racist content and language of a B'nai B'rith Hiliel fund-raising letter. The letter referred to the "Arab presence" on college campuses "poisoning the minds of our young people."

B'nai B'rith has alleged that an unidentified "independent contractor" was responsible for drafting the letter. However, ADC said it had learned that the letter was composed by a B'nai B'rith executive. Representatives of the Jewish group who apologized for "a poor choice of words," referred to the fundraising letter's content as a "mistake," and said they would issue a letter of retraction to the recipients of the original letter. They refused, however, to let journalists or ADC representatives see the text of the proposed retraction. ADC in turn showed journalists a 1987 fund-raising letter, also signed by Reich, which used racist language virtually identical to that in the 1989 letter.

In 1985, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) also used a similar format and identical anti-Arab phrases in a membership drive letter. The membership appeal attempted to arouse fears of an "anti-Israel campaign on America's campuses" and accused Arab and Muslim student organizations of "fanning the flames of hatred."

National Council on Islamic Affairs and The Satanic Verses

Dr. M. T. Mehdi, president of the National Council on Islamic Affairs, recently addressed the Manhattan Interfaith Council on the controversy surrounding Salman Rushdie's novel The Satanic Verses. Mehdi opposes the Ayotallah Khomeini's death sentence of Rushdie, as well efforts to ban the book or prevent its publication. " Khomeini is trying to make a 'martyr' out of Rushdie, " said Mehdi. "We believe the book is in poor taste, absurd, and should be ignored." Mehdi believes that non-Muslims can understand the outrage generated by the book if they examine the author's insensitivity. Mehdi compared Rushdie's use of the name "Mahound" for the Prophet Mohammad to referring to Moses or Jesus as Nero or Hitler. If an author does this, "the Christians and Jews of the West will react as the Muslims of the East," Mehdi suggested. Mehdi called Rushdie a "frustrated and roofless individual" whose bitterness about himself and his background led to his "getting back at Islam by this obscene work."

ADC Confronts Omni Magazine

ADC has called for a protest against an article in the February issue of the popular science-oriented magazine Omni, which claims a circulation of one million. ADC claims the issue contains racist slurs against Arabs and Muslims. Both Omni and Penthouse magazine are edited and published by Bob Guccione. An article by Howard Bloom in Omni, entitled "The Importance of Hugging, " contends that Arab and Islamic cultures treat children harshly, despise open displays of affection, and encourage violence in adults. The article refers to "Arab brutality" and a "thirst for blood" of the "keepers of the Islamic flame. "

ADC has condemned the article as an unscientific piece of spurious scholarship which contradicts some of the findings it cites, and has demanded that Omni print a retraction, meet with representatives of ADC and the Arab community, and publish a scholarly article which accurately describes Arab family life and society. A letter-writing campaign has begun and ADC regional chapters are calling Omni's offices.

After Omni's editors refused to meet with ADC, a group of children and their parents held a sit-in Feb. 13 at the New York City headquarters of Omni/Penthouse. Omni officials threatened to arrest the participants.

Arab-American Press Guild Rates TV Networks, Adopts Resolution

The Media Relations Committee of the Arab-American Press Guild (AAPG) praised Cable News Network (CNN) for its "fair, impartial, and unbiased reporting of news in the Arab world. " At its recent annual convention in Los Angeles, AAPG released the results of its first rating survey of TV network coverage of news in the Middle East. CNN was also credited with displaying insight into American interests in the region. In a wide-ranging resolution, the AAPG voiced its support for the establishment of the state of Palestine and recognition of the Palestine Liberation Organization as the sole representative of the Palestinians, and urged the United States to encourage peace negotiations between the PLO and Israel. Scholarships were presented to Arab-American students majoring in journalism and media studies.

AAI Launches Leadership Council

The Arab-American Institute has announced the creation of the National Arab-American Leadership Council (NAALC). Intended to serve as an advisory body to the institute, the NAALC will participate in the setting of policy guidelines and establishing priorities for Arab-American electoral work. Membership will be open to elected officials, party officials, officers of Arab-American Democratic and Republican clubs, and officers of Arab-American organizations. In introducing the NAALC, AAI Executive Director Jim Zogby cited the success of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLQ, founded by the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Like the SCLC, the NAALC aspires to be an effective coalition of community leaders and representatives of constituent organizations focused on a common agenda. "This is not another organization," said Zogby. "This is a coordinating council of leaders and activists, coming together with a single focus to set the strategy and priorities for electoral political work, and to be a network for the sharing of resources and information in the field of electoral politics."

MidAmerica-Arab Chamber of Commerce Legal Seminar

The Chicago-based MidAmerica-Arab Chamber of Commerce held a one day seminar on "Legal Aspects of Doing Business in the Arab World" on Feb. 16. Approximately 150 attendees, mostly attorneys, gathered to listen to panels on trade and investment with Iraq, Egypt, Saudia Arabia, and the Gulf states. Panelists included retired Ambassador Marshall W. Wiley, president of the United States-Iraq Business Forum; noted Saudi Arabian attorney Abdul Wahab Wohabe; and representatives of the MidAmerica Chamber. Former Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Charles Percy was the keynote speaker. The MidAmerica Chamber also held a reception on Feb. 22 for Ambassador Clovis Maksoud of the League of Arab States and Ambassador Robert Dillon, president and chief executive officer of AMIDEAST.

American Task Force for Lebanon

Formerly a project of the National Association of Arab-Americans (NAAA), the American Task Force for Lebanon (ATFL) has been reorganized as an independent entity. The first organizational meeting of the task force was scheduled for March 18 in Washington, DC, to coincide with Danny Thomas' St. Jude Research Hospital dinner honoring White House Chief of Staff (and task force member) John Sununu.

"Our goal is to make Washington constantly aware of Lebanon," said ATFL Chairman Peter J. Tanous, former chairman of the NAAA Board of Directors. "The ATFL is well known in Lebanon, in Washington, the State Department, and in the corridors of Congress. " He described ATFL's agenda as "making Lebanon a front burner item for the administration. " The 90-member task force includes high ranking officials of Lebanese heritage such as Sununu, Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, Reps. Nick Rahall and Mary Rose Oakar, former Oregon Gov. Victor Attiyeh, former ambassador and special presidential emissary Philip Habib, and former Federal Aviation Administration Director Najeeb Halaby.

Catherine Willford, the circulation director for the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, is a free-lance journalist.