Obama made the same claim many times, but it’s fictional, just another example of the left’s relentless Islamopandering. Arab Americans’ contributions to the US are as old as America itself? Really? There were Arabs at Jamestown? In the Massachusetts Bay Colony? At Roanoke? Ned Price’s statement is so wildly ridiculous that it doesn’t just invite parody; it pleads for it. Remember the Arabs among the Founding Fathers, Yahya al-Adams and Iskandar Hamilton? Remember the Arabs who told James Madison about Muhammad’s Constitution of Medina so that he could lay out the foundations of a republic in the U.S. Constitution? Remember the Arabs who fought so valiantly in the Revolutionary Jihad, and the Jihad of 1812, and the Mexican Jihad, and the Civil War, aka the Jihad Between the Caliphates? Remember all the controversies about whether Muslim soldiers in the Civil War could make sex slaves out of the wives and daughters of Confederate commanders? The jihad suicide attacks that broke the Germans’ will to fight on during World War I?
Price didn’t mention the real contributions Arabs have made to our nation: you know, like rearranging the New York skyline, transforming government buildings into grim, nervous fortresses, making air travel into the exercise in annoyance and humiliation that it is today, and draining the American economy with two futile wars and hundreds of billions spent on security and counterterror initiatives.
“April is Arab American Heritage Month, the State Department declares,” by Mirna Alsharif, CNN, April 5, 2021:
(CNN)The culture of Arab Americans will be honored this month, with the designation by the State Department of April as Arab American Heritage Month, reflecting the group’s contributions to the US “are as old as America itself,” a spokesman said.
“The United States is home to more than 3.5 million Arab Americans representing a diverse array of cultures and traditions. Like their fellow citizens, Americans of Arab heritage are very much a part of the fabric of this nation,” Ned Price, a spokesman, said in a video statement on April 1.
“And Arab Americans have contributed in every field and profession, many of them, in fact, serve here at the State Department and throughout the interagency.”
Advocacy groups say this is the first time the State Department has designated a particular month for Arab American Heritage Month. States that have recognized April as Arab American History Month in 2021 and years past include Arkansas, Hawaii, Michigan, New York, North Carolina and Virginia.
Arab Americans trace their origins to 22 Arabic-speaking countries in the Middle East and North Africa. Arabs began immigrating to the US in the late 1800s fleeing war, persecution and economic hardships, according to the Migration Policy Institute. California, New York, Michigan and Illinois have the largest populations of Arab American residents in the country, based on data from the 2015-2019 ACS Ancestry survey.
While the State Department made this announcement, Arab American History Month is not officially recognized by the entire US government. A bill sponsored by Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a Michigan Democrat, was introduced to Congress in 2019 and is still pending.
Advocacy groups such as the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) and the Arab American Institute (AAI) have been advocating to get April designated as a month to celebrate Arab Americans for two decades.“This is a breath of fresh air,” said Samer Khalaf, president of the ADC, about the State Department’s move. “It will give the community a sense of pride and it’s a chance to show what the community is all about, to educate people and dispel stereotypes.”
Maya Berry, executive director of the AAI, sees the recognition as a high-level opportunity to celebrate Arab American life in a visible way.
“The formality of it coming from an agency at this level is fantastic,” she said. “This month is about sharing our story with our fellow Americans.”…
Honest Ali says
He is right! If it were not for Islam and Jihad kidnapping and enslaving our Earliest Americans, we would not have a Navy or the Leathernecks.
It is also true that Arab CHRISTIANS have been emigrating here for centuries, fleeing the depredations of Islam… And they have always been a contribution to our nation.
gravenimage says
+1
Rob Porter says
Ali – Ned Price is a pinch-faced fool whose lies and rubbish statements are endless. A few days ago he gave us revised history regarding Israel and land it (in fact rightfully) occupies, but dopey Ned Price claims in really Palestinian territory. “It’s an historical fact” he told us, and then spouted non-factual nonsense about the West Bank and Israel occupying land that is not its, but in fact Is. This Ned Price imbecile is a liar, but it’s evident that his superiors are ‘okay’ with his pathetic versions of history. We can see where they are going with their lies, so, Israel, be prepared.
Robert is right. This is Obama’s version of history, so here we go with a second round of mentally retarded Barack Obama versions of history.
owensgate says
Not sure where this Price clown went to school, but if it was in the USA, it’s proof of “garbage in, garbage out”.
Rob Porter says
Ali – Ned Price is a pinch-faced fool whose lies and rubbish statements are endless. A few days ago he gave us revised history regarding Israel and land it (in fact rightfully) occupies, but dopey Ned Price claims in really Palestinian territory. “It’s an historical fact” he told us, and then spouted non-factual nonsense about the West Bank and Israel occupying land that is not its, but in fact Is. This Ned Price imbecile is a liar, but it’s evident that his superiors are ‘okay’ with his pathetic versions of history. We can see where they are going with their lies, so, Israel, be prepared.
Robert is right. This is Obama’s version of history, so here we go with a second round of mentally retarded Barack Obama versions of history.
Cathy says
Arab Christians? How many Arab Christians are there in the US?
Bill says
About 24 % of the 1,698,000 Arab Americans are Muslim – wikipedia
gravenimage says
Actually, *most* Arabs in the US are Chirstian, mostly those who have fled Dar-al-Islam over the years, like actors Danny Thomas, Marlo Thomas, and Tony Shaloub.
Michael Copeland says
“We’re not American, we’re Muslim. We will not be part of the great American melting pot. … We want to turn them into Muslims.”
Sharifa Alkhateeb
North American Council for Muslim Women
https://gellerreport.com/2019/01/muslim-leader-convert-all-americans-2islam.html/
jim says
Read the history books. Where do you think the term “Leather Necks” came from. there’s your contribution.
Robert Latta says
The Arabs influenced America by shipping millions of Black slaves here!
Beneath the Veil of Consciousness says
Truly tragic. Rest In Peace 911 victims
The left is out to lunch.
somehistory says
Having mozlums at the state department does not convey bragging rights.
If by arab, he means, as did ‘o’…mozlums….he should be required to name a few from the early days and what they did to work for Freedom from oppression, Freedom of speech, Freedom of religious belief. Name some…or just one.
The names of non-mozlums who worked and fought for those and other Freedoms are as numerous as the Cherry trees famous for blooming at this time of year in Washington. Even more numerous…perhaps as numerous as the cherry blossoms on those trees.
mozlums don’t ever work or fight for freedom….they only fight against those who believe in all of the Freedoms that our Creator gave us as a blessing.
So, go ahead…name a few mozlums who did a positive thing when the country was born out of necessity for the Freedoms mozlums now use to work on subjugating the rest of us.
gravenimage says
Damn good questions, Somehistory.
Savvyone says
Yes,name some. I only see them as parasites. Wish that wasn’t so. Oh the cherry trees….brought to the America’ s by an ancestral cousin.
Tina says
Will they celebrate the VERY FIRST ATTACK ON AMERICA by the Islamic Pirates- or BARBARY PIRATES? This needs to be overturned! This is rediculous!
Rarely says
Rewriting history is usually (read “never”) a good idea. Celebrate events for what they are not what they are imagined to be. There are certainly many areas and events where Arab-Americans distinguished themselves and by inventing a faux history for them those areas and events are debased.
gravenimage says
+1
Kurt says
They created a market and contributed to the U.S. slave trade. So they helped establish that, is that what the State Dept. means?
gravenimage says
Good point.
mortimer says
Yes, indeed. The CONTRIBUTION of Arabs to the early colonies was the ISLAMIC AFRICAN SLAVE TRADE !!! And nothing else beside that.
Ken Johnson says
Every day more and more ridiculous. But from the State Department. When I was youngr I failed the State Department entrance exam because my knowledge of history was was not sufficietlky broad.. Now look at what is representing us.¡¡¡¡
Mike says
just an another level of Stupidly
Wellington says
What a farce, but then the Biden Administration in general is a massive farce and is getting almost everything wrong, from canceling the Keystone Pipeline, to the mess on our southern border, to trying to get back into the putrid Iran nuclear deal, to the gigantic fraud which is green energy, to sucking up to China while bashing the state of Georgia, et al.
As for Arabs in general, they would get my vote for the single most dysfunctional major people on the planet. Overwhelmingly they adhere to the worst religion ever, are still horribly tribal and have warped senses of honor rather than a noble sense of honor. The Arab world overall is a burden to mankind, rather as Islam surely is.
curious george says
What can one expect from people who excel at being liars, thieves and bandits.
Is this article an indication of the direction that the USA is going?
Op-Ed: Why America’s record godlessness is good news for the nation
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/op-ed-why-americas-record-100647418.html
Keith O says
The Ned Price statement came out on April 1.
So this has to be some kind of sick April fools joke, right??
Terry Gain says
Well the Barbary Pirates did play an instrumental role in the creation of the Navy. And let’s not ignore the fact that Biden lies like a Muslim. So there’s that.
Infidel says
Terry, you beat me to it! The Barbary pirates were an important part of our history. In fact, it may have been what inspired the likes of Jefferson to study islam and indeed debate whether islam would deserve a status equivalent to Christianity or Judaism
Jim says
We need a nine-eleven week to commemorate Muslim contributions to America.
Mike 2 says
Nice one.
Check Burry says
Maybe call it Payback Week
Marilyn Griffin says
So, the muslims get a whole month, not just a day or a week?? Sounds right in line for the USA today.
Halal Bacon says
its true, the muslims, aka barbary pirates sold the africans into slavery
gravenimage says
State Dept declares April ‘Arab American Heritage Month,’ says Arab contributions to US ‘as old as America itself’
………….
If by that they mean that Muslims were pirating, robbing, enslaving, raping, and murdering Americans from the very beginning, this is true.
That’s why we founded a navy before we could really afford to do so–to fight off the Barbary Pirates.
Any other meaning, not so much…
Niemoller says
To be fair, it is only Muslim Arabs that give the rest a bad name in the eyes of those who are only familiar with Islamic terrorism.
Half of US Arabs are Christian; indeed, they did flee the Middle East–from other Arabs, i.e., Muslims!
Unfortunately, 98% of the world’s Arabs are Muslim, so it’s not hard to understand how Arab and Muslim become conflated so easily.
gravenimage says
True. Funny that Arab American heritage month only popped up once ravening Muslims started flooding in…
Stephen Tanner says
Hey Ned Price – LAY OUT your “Facts”. How EXACTLY are Arabs part of the American Fabric from day one?
Stick to the facts, or shut the F#(k UP! I cannot abide a liar, and you Sir, are one.
americanpatriot says
We also need not only to mark 911 as greatest contribution made by these Arab-Muslims, we also need to celebrate their contribution to endless inconveniences we have to have in security checks at airports in our travels. If this not enough yet, these people in state department should declare America as founded by Arabs! What gone wrong?
gregbeetham says
At some point in the future they’ll say that America was always Islamic and it got invaded by Christians and Jews who corrupted the place and we are getting it back to how it should be.
Tony Naim says
Muslims and leftists have forged a common vision :abolish Christianity. Aided by
Americans and Europeans who have placed freedom above Christ.
Arabs are deeply tribal, they have nothing in common with each other than Islam.
They have made zero contribution to America , other than to wish for its destruction from within,
nabiZK (pbum) says
In response to many comments here…
In our system of justice, crimes are committed by individuals, not by “them”. It is wrong to judge any person by the worst members of some group they belong to. This is bad when applied to faith groups and downright evil when applied to ethnic groups. After all, one can not change one’s ethnicity. And probably you identify with the religion you were raised in. Doesn’t mean you take it seriously or even understand it.
Once while driving on the freeway I was passed by a car driven by a woman who wore hijab. When I could see her license plate I noticed the purple heart. She, or perhaps her spouse or other close relative, would be a better American than I am. I have never served.
Jesus never said to harm other people, yet his supposed followers have, at times, unleashed many cruelties. Mohamet wrote a manual of war on all of humanity, yet most supposed followers are not mindless killing machines bent on 72 hotties and a dingdong as tall as a palm tree, which never quits. Seriously, who in their right mind would believe such nonsense? I am sure that many mohametans do not.
An examination of the Ottoman Caliphate reveals that they did not follow anything like normative islam despite the Sultan being called the “commander of the faithful”, nominally the leader of all mohametans. The killing of infants, brothers having a potential claim to the throne, would be the killing of innocent mohametans. I think this is proscribed in islam. Is it not? Yet it was Ottoman law for centuries to commit fratricide upon succession.
gravenimage says
Nabi, noticing that Muslims are taught to destroy freedom and democracy is not collective punishment.
nabi ZK (pbum) - Founder of now defunkt Online School of Nabihood "Be a Nabi in 10 easy lessons or half your money back" says
Of course not. But many attacked “Arabs”, when not all Arabs are mohametan. Even if a person identifies as mohametan he can still be a good person. The war manual itself is different from the way any particular person reads, understands, and puts it into practice. This is America and we can notice and say anything we like. I just don’t like to see hatred of people. That’s all.
Eric Monette says
April’s fool, September is the Arab American Heritage month.
Fred van de Bunt says
“Arabs began immigrating to the US in the late 1800s fleeing war, persecution and economic hardships, according to the Migration Policy Institute.”
Apart from that, the most important thing is that the harsh Arab sharia law rulers, like the Saudi’s caliphs, invested their enormous oil and gas profits in the USA and it’s companies at the cost of 99% of the other 300 million Arabs, who’s countries stayed underdeveloped, apart from those Arab people suffering from some ideological disorder, called Islam.
The neo-colonist Pride, disguised as a leftist democrat, would not honour Chinese and other Asians, that are building their countries more successful than those Arabs, even without oil and gas profits, in a way that they become competitors of Pride. No, if those Arabs would do the same, then Pride will have to look for a job and start working, instead of proclaiming trivial blabber as the usual worthless overpaid bureaucrat.
Major Tom says
The only contribution I can recall is Ray Stevens singing “Ahab the Arab!”
S. Anoop Kumar says
Completely wrong. Arab contributions to America is as old as Islam & the Prophet Mohammed in terms of civilisation, culture, heritage, technological development, public administration, democracy, civil and human rights.
gravenimage says
Note that S. Anoop Kumar does not cite a single example. No surprise, really.
Michael Copeland says
“Americans of Arab heritage are very much a part of the fabric of this nation”, said Neil Pride.
A part or apart?
“We’re not American, we’re Muslim. We will not be part of the great American melting pot. … We want to turn them into Muslims.”
Sharifa Alkhateeb
North American Council for Muslim Women
https://gellerreport.com/2019/01/muslim-leader-convert-all-americans-2islam.html/
“Our number one and top priority is to protect and defend our community. It is not to assimilate and to please any other people in authority.”
Linda Sarsour
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2017/07/07/muslim-immigrants-must-not-assimilate-says-progressive-ally-linda-sarsour/
“Ultimately we can never be fully citizens of this country…because there is no way we can be fully committed to the institutions and ideologies of this country.”
Ihsan Bagby, leader of CAIR-KY, president of its board and Islamic Studies professor at the University of Kentucky, 1991.
https://www.jewishpress.com/indepth/opinions/the-deceivers-disciple/2019/03/20/
Michael Copeland says
Correction: Ned Price
BlackSabbath says
Since the Civil War was a Jihad Between the Caliphates, forgot to claim that Mohammaad Abraham Lincoln was the first moslem president because he had a long beard and no mustache. That will make Barack Hussein Obama the second moslem president.
Michael Copeland says
“Americans of Arab heritage are very much a part of the fabric of this nation”, said Ned Price.
A part or apart?
“We’re not American, we’re Muslim. We will not be part of the great American melting pot. … We want to turn them into Muslims.”
Sharifa Alkhateeb
North American Council for Muslim Women
https://gellerreport.com/2019/01/muslim-leader-convert-all-americans-2islam.html/
“Our number one and top priority is to protect and defend our community. It is not to assimilate and to please any other people in authority.”
Linda Sarsour
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2017/07/07/muslim-immigrants-must-not-assimilate-says-progressive-ally-linda-sarsour/
“Ultimately we can never be fully citizens of this country…because there is no way we can be fully committed to the institutions and ideologies of this country.”
Ihsan Bagby, leader of CAIR-KY, president of its board and Islamic Studies professor at the University of Kentucky, 1991.
https://www.jewishpress.com/indepth/opinions/the-deceivers-disciple/2019/03/20/
David says
Surely without Muhammad who was an Arab inspiring the Ottomans to stop Europeans travelling overland to India then America would not have been discovered by Europeans for a lot longer?
Not something to boast about though.
gravenimage says
Yep.
ROBERT CARRILLO says
Really?
Wanna buy this bridge I have in Brooklyn for sale?
OLD GUY says
Well what exact heritage has Arab and Muslims brought to America that we would want. to celebrate? I’am 77 years old and the only thing I can come up with is a couple of Hollywood movies about Saudi Arabia back in the camel days of transportation.
The WOKE and LEFT seem to focus on these minority groups of nationality and race, while avoiding the truth about what the WHITE people have contributed towards making this country such a great place to live.
The beauty of America is that WE are a country that is made up of all races, religions, and ethnic backgrounds UNITED towards a better life and prosperity for all who can and are willing to work. Nobody said it would be easy, but dividing us all up into ethnic and racist groups is NOT goin to make America a better place to live.
Quit diving us and let’s work on living and improving each other lives. If you as an individual are not getting ahead, before you blame someone else for your inability to thrive, take a hard look at yourself. Are you educated or lacking a skill? If so find a school or training program. Is your neighborhood a mess, then get out there and clean it up, rather than waiting for someone else to do it for you. If you dress and act like a gang member or punk rocker you might want to change your image so an employer sees someone who represents his or hers business image.
GOD BLESS AMERICA, it is still the greatest country of freedom and opportunity for those willing to work for it.
A final note for God sakes think about the thousands of men, women and children who gave their lives for the freedom and opportunity that America offers. There are people who die each and every day hoping for that freedom and opportunity that they and their children don’t have.
spiro says
I go back pretty far in history (1950) and the state department has always been the fifth column or even working against u s best interest
pennant8 says
It was the Barbary wars that got Thomas Jefferson interested studying the Koran. I guess he was already familiar with the ancient Chinese bit of wisdom to “known your enemy.” Jefferson was known to send excerpts of the Koran around to his friends telling them in so many words, “You won’t believe what’s in this book.”