An important announcement from Walid Phares:
Why a Middle Eastern American Convention for Freedom and Democracy?Writing to the President of the United States and the US Congress, we relayed a common position reached by a number of Mideast-American leaders and organizations about a historic event to be organized by the largest and most diversed coalition of Mideast Americans ever formed in America.
Over the past few months, intense discussions and many meetings were held by a large number of Mideast-Americans from all religious, ethnic, cultural and social background to assess US position in the Middle East and towards Americans from Mideast descent at home.
American organizations and groups from Lebanese, Iraqi, Syrian, Egyptian, Sudanese, Iranian and other Arab and Mideast backgrounds, met and evaluated the War on Terrorism, the liberation of Afghanistan, the removal of dictator Saddam Hussein, as well as important actions towards the Syrian occupation of Lebanon, the genocide in Sudan, Iran's democracy movement as well as the issues of women, freedoms and education in the broader Middle East.
It is becoming a reality in the United States that most Mideastern-Americans believe in the following facts:
1) Numbers:
There are about 4 million Americans from Mideast ancestry. They encompass many ethnicities such as: Arab, ChaldoAssyrians, Lebanese, Persian, Kurds, Sudanese Africans, Copts, Berbers, Turkic, Aramaic, and others. They also belong to many religions and faiths including: Sunnis, Shiites, Maronites, Nestorian, Druze, Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, Melkite, Bahais, Zoroaistrans, Jews, etc.2) Issues:
The overwhelming majority of this diverse Mideast-American community loves its country, the United States and stands firmly in support of National Security, Democracy and Pluralism. It is true that Wahabism and other anti-American ideologies are prevalent among a number of immigrants and visiting students from Mideast descent. But the majority, mostly silent, of all Mideast and Arab Americans, not only is opposed to these radical doctrines, but strongly supports the US Government policies on the Middle East and on Terrorism:a. War on Terror: Overwhelmingly Mideast and Arab Americans are against al Qaida and support the US against Terrorism.
b. War in Iraq: Most Mideast and Arab Americans opposed Saddam and endorsed his removal.
c. Homeland Security: Most Mideast and Arab Americans stand by their Government, nation and support the principles of the Patriot Act.
d. Human Rights: A very large manjority of Mideast Americans endorses the promotion of Democracy and the rule of Law in their mother countries. They support freedom for civil societies and increasing rights to women, minorities as well as religious and political tolerance.Therefore, and after they've noticed how the critics have been trying to undermine the Mideast initiatives triggered by the United States, both overseas and at home, the leaders of most Mideast organizations in America have decided to express their support to the vision and the actions by the US Government in public. They have organized a major national event in Washington, DC to tell the world and the American people, on whose side they are. They want to express their gratitude to the President of the United States, to his Administration and to the US Congress for standing by Freedom in the Middle East.
The leaders of the organizations have formed a coalition and are now working on a Mideast American Convention to be held in Washington on Friday, October 1, 2004 at the Wardman Park Marriott. Speakers will express these views at a forum as well as during the dinner.
For more information, see here.
I would like to point out, the words Middle-eastern Ancestry are used. A lot of those would be 2nd, 3rd, 4th(? More) Generations removed from their origins, and one can at least Hope they are also well divorced from islam. Those that aren't, at least are well-steeped in Western values. Values, mind you, not the bankrupt morals that islamofascists and the Leftist media, Academia and political leadership would like everyone to believe are our values (unless they are running the country).
Still, I think there are going to be extremists views represented at this conference, and it will be interesting to see what they come up for statements- and how those statements might be 'softened' towards islamic extremism, or not. And, for that matter, if and what they say about situations like Israel.
Coverage by the press should also be interesting to watch.
Gary,
I very seriously doubt that there will be extremist views at this conference. It is being staged by Arabic-speaking Christians, not Muslims, and I know several of the organizers personally. I am confident that it will be a highly positive event that will set a counter-current going to all the manipulative coverage of "Arab Americans."
Yrs
Robert Spencer
Excellent! Thank you. In that case, one can hope Al-Jazzira (sp) will cover it... but that is a faint hope.
Sorry about that Robert, I clicked post instead of preview, I'm struggling to post links. I'm doing it how you're supposed to but it just never happens for me.
Walid Phares and others have worked tirelessly to pull off this first ingathering of Middle East non Arab ethnic and multi-religious groups. this has been in the discussion stages for a couple of years to my knowledge and it is finally occuring. Kol Ha'kavod to Walid and his colleagues for pulling this event together for launch in this crucial Presidential election year. AS i wrote Walid last winter, if you could combine this group with AIPAC you'd have a sizable voting bloc of consequence concentrated in half a dozen or more key states in the U.S. that Congress and the White House, enough to get the message across about Middle east policy.
I hope they've hired a big-name publicist and PR firm; otherwise, this will get NO coverage in the mainstream media.
Robert, of course you could report on this conference and we could do our part. We all hope that some good can come of a rapidly unraveling and disintegrating position of Middle Easterners in North America. It must be frightening and disheartening to see how the behaviors of many overseas and some North American Middle Easterners, Christian and Muslim, has poisoned their American experience. Surely a conference such as this one can only help. I sincerely hope that there will be a good outcome.
It is being staged by Arabic-speaking Christians, not Muslims, and I know several of the organizers personally. I am confident that it will be a highly positive event that will set a counter-current going to all the manipulative coverage of "Arab Americans."
Yrs
Robert Spencer
Posted by: jihadwatch at September 20, 2004 08:21 AM
But is that not the Point Where are the mulsums and their standing?
We Know that the Christians are with the USA and her Fight against this EVIL MONSTERS WHO CUT OFF PEOPLES HEADS IN THE NAME OF THEIR god?
And today they have done it again?
MONSTERS IS WHAT THESE EVIL ARE AND MUST BE KILLED AND ALL WHO SUPPORT THEM TOO!!
Part of the American Tribe
Squirrel Hunnter
Spider Killer
God Bless the USA and her Fighting Forces and ALL who Fight with her Give them Strength,Wisdom and Courage to stay the course to Defeat the Islamic Terrorist and ALL who Support them Open the Eyes of the World to their Threat Amen
All governments must be secular.
All existing religious regimes must be overthrown.
These are some commonsense designs for society, notice how Allah (or some holy message) was not included, since it is not difficult to figure out how to run a society without Allah, the last profit, Muhammad, & all the spooky warnings.
If I am not worried about the promises of the ‘next world’ then I am able to fully focus on how to improve the one I am currently living.
For example, Albert Camu discussed, once a person realizes the 'death' of Allah and the death of Paradise, is fact, then he is finally able to connect to his transcendental historic passage, in the living world.
The death of Allah is the awakening of man. Once man discovers his intrinsic divinity; he no longer needs the external Allah.
Have inherent worth and dignity
Have the potential to grow and change
Have a responsibility to strive for ethical growth
Have a responsibility to treat others so as to help them realize their fullest potential
Have a responsibility to create a better world
Have a responsibility to help build a community that welcomes and involves others
We are all part of something that transcends the individual experience
We have responsibilities to each other and to the community at large
We are enriched through our interconnectedness with others
We find confirmation and validation of our own selves and beliefs through our interactions with others
We derive some of our strength through our relationships with others