JEDDAH, 19 December 2004 — Mazen Basrawy, 25, has his eyes on a high public office in the US. He took an active part in John Kerry’s presidential campaign and has the energy and the qualifications to succeed. Mazen, blind from birth, attributes his success to personal determination and technological assistance from sophisticated computer programs he is able to take advantage of. He spoke to Arab News on a recent trip to Jeddah.

Mazen has been interested in politics for a long time and feels it is the best way to influence people and drive change. “There are Arabs in the US Congress. The political system is open for anyone to participate in.” He feels that in order for Arabs to strengthen their voices in American politics, they need three things: Money, votes and media. “Give money to candidates you believe in and elect representatives in order to have a strong voice in the political process,” Basrawy said. “The media must be used for our benefit.”

Basrawy agreed that Arabs appear to be experiencing tougher times in the US than Jews who are a disproportionately powerful minority in the American political process. Arabs, on the other hand, are often marginalized. “The Jews are very good at putting their differences aside and uniting against the majority.”

He explained that there was no reason for Arabs not to gain a similar power. He pointed out that it took the Jews almost 40 years to turn Congress from being pro-Arab in the Eisenhower era to being pro-Israel today. “In order to turn things around, Arabs must vote in every election, participate in every campaign and build links with other minorities facing similar challenges.”

Basrawy felt that Arabs see the political process the wrong way round. “The road to power ends in Washington but it begins in the field. It’s about rewarding your friends and punishing your enemies.”

Basrawy lives full time in the US, though he said he would love to live in Saudi Arabia with his family. He explained, however, that the lack services for the handicapped in the Kingdom left him with no choice but to live abroad. He is free there to achieve his ambitions and advance his career without being made to feel unequal. “I am visually handicapped and people in Saudi Arabia or the Arab world in general are ashamed or embarrassed if there is a handicapped person in the family.”

In the US, Basrawy finds that people expect the handicapped to be equal members of society because of the availability of facilities for the disabled. “I get around easily in the US using public transportation and I am fully independent there. I don’t have to rely on anyone.”

If he lived in Saudi Arabia, he wouldn’t be able to move around so easily and would have to depend on someone. “I am not used to depending on anyone.”

When he returns to the US, he will continue his work on a fellowship for disability rights advocates. The fellowship is a nonprofit one that deals with classes and groups rather than individuals. “I can’t say yet what position I would like to run for — mayor, local official or perhaps congressman. I am working on being part of the political decision-making process in the US. I hope to be a Civil Rights lawyer.”

Mazen Basrawy graduated from the University of Virginia with a double major — Environmental Science and Political and Social Thought. He received a JD (law) degree from the University of Berkeley, California and he has recently passed the California Bar Exam.