April 1991, Page 69

Arab American Activism

By Catherine M. Willford

Protective Legislation for Arab Americans Gains Support

FBI Director William Sessions has stated that recent congressional resolutions condemning anti-Arab hate crimes are "on target" and "consistent" with his thinking. The resolutions, H. Con Res. 56 and S. Con. Res. 12, also call for protection of Arab-American civil liberties.

The House version, originally sponsored by Mervyn Dymally (D-CA), has 45 additional co-sponsors as of this writing, including representatives with strong pro-Israel voting records such as Howard Berman (D-CA), Tom Lantos (D-CA) and Martin Frost (D-TX). The Senate resolution, introduced by Carl Levin (D-MI), has been cosponsored by Paul Simon (D-IL) and John Breaux (D-LA).

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) reported a nationwide increase of hate crimes and harassment against Arab-Americans, including bombings and arson, following the Jan. 16 beginning of the air war against Iraq.

In a Jan. 25 meeting with Arab-American community leaders, President Bush stated, "there is no room for discrimination against anybody in the United States of America." He asked the help of community leaders in getting "that message out loud and clear to every Arab American. Whether he agrees with me on this war or not is unimportant."

ADC Ramadan Awareness Program

ADC announced plans for improving awareness of Ramadan, the holiest month of the year for Muslims, at a March 14 press conference, in response to the challenges facing Muslim-Americans in regard to stereotypes and hate crimes.

In a letter to Acting Secretary of Education Ted Sanders calling for a task force to examine the treatment of Islam and the Arab world in our national elementary and secondary school systems, ADC President Albert Mokhiber explained that "our nation's lack of commitment to educating our children on the world's third largest faith contributes to a mood of apathy, intolerance, and in some cases, hatred directed against Americans who practice the Muslim faith."

ADC has initiated a campaign in 70 local chapters to raise an awareness of Ramadan through public speaking in schools, clubs and civic associations. ADC also sent instructional press packets to over 250 media executives, urging coverage of this holiday season.

USACC Joins Commerce Secretary On "Freedom Flight to Kuwait"

J. R. AbiNader, President of the National US-Arab Chamber of Commerce (USACC), joined Secretary of Commerce Robert Mosbacher and Ambassador of Kuwait Sheikh Saud Nasir AI-Sabah on the "Freedom Flight to Kuwait" March 13-17. The group visited Bahrain and Kuwait City, where they were greeted by US Ambassador Edward "Skip" Gnehm.

The USACC is coordinating the development of a private-sector advisory council of national business organizations on Gulf reconstruction to work with the inter-agency Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee. In addition, the Chamber is developing a procurement and business directory data base, preparing information brochures, and hosting a series of conferences.

At departure, AbiNader commented, "While we do not expect to transact business with Kuwaitis until their infrastructure begins functioning, the importance of this delegation underscores a three-tiered message to the US Gulf alliance partners. The first, delivered by our military, is our commitment to their national security. The second, delivered by Secretary of State James Baker, demonstrates American commitment to achieving political stability in the region. The third, delivered by Secretary Mosbacher, demonstrates the US commitment to a leading role in the reconstruction and economic development of the Gulf and neighboring Arab countries.

ADC Convention in May

The 8th Annual ADC Convention, "Arab-Americans: The Struggle for Peace and Justice," will be held May 2-5 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, VA.

Panels include the Arab-American Family Unit, the Role of Israel in International Terrorism, and Minority Business Status for Arab Americans.

Among the scheduled speakers are ABC anchorman Peter Jennings, former Secretary of Defense Frank Carlucci, noted scholar and Palestine National Council member Edward Said, Bir Zeit educator Hanan MikhailAshrawi, TransAfrica Director Randall Robinson and feminist author Robin Morgan. For information contact ADC at (202) 244-2990.

American-Arab Affairs Council Conference

The 10th Annual American-Arab Affairs Council Conference, "The Gulf Crisis: Global Ramifications" was held Feb. 29--March 1 in Atlanta, GA.

The conference was co-sponsored by the Georgia Consortium, Inc., an association of four-year colleges in the University System of Georgia. Speakers included The Hon. Paul Wolfowitz, US Under Secretary of Defense for Policy; Dr. William Quandt, Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution; and Mr. Kenzo Oshima, Minister of Political Affairs at the Japanese Embassy.

Lebanon Conference Rescheduled

The American Task Force for Lebanon conference has been rescheduled for June 27-30. Contact the Task Force at (202) 223-9333 for details.

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