Arab Americans plan strong presence at 2024 Democratic Presidential Convention

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Updated 26 May 2023

Arab Americans plan strong presence at 2024 Democratic Presidential Convention

Arab Americans plan strong presence at 2024 Democratic Presidential Convention
  • Focus on more delegates, says AAI President James Zogby
  • New generation seeks inclusivity, not ‘stuck’ in Mideast politics

CHICAGO: Arab Americans are already planning to have a strong presence at next year’s Presidential Democratic National Convention, seeking to replicate and even exceed past achievements.

James Zogby, founder and president of the Arab American Institute, or AAI, based in Washington D.C., said that while the community continues to face challenges overcoming discrimination and exclusion in American politics, it also continues to advance electing more Arabs to public office.

During an interview on The Ray Hanania Radio Show Wednesday, on the US Arab Radio Network sponsored by Arab News, Zogby said a younger generation of Arab Americans, who are moving away from the divisive politics of their parents’ homelands, would help strengthen their political empowerment. He added that “you get a very different mindset” from the younger generation here in America.

 

“The children of the immigrants have a different mindset. The children of the immigrants, when they take the lead, they find common ground rather than the divisions of their folks — (whose) feet are here but their heads are back home, as they say. What we find today is something of the same thing. The younger kids have a broader sense of being part of a community and look for common ground of issues of concern that are shared. And that is where we will go,” Zogby said, noting that younger Arab Americans do not get “stuck” in Middle East politics which pit various factions, movements and governments against each other.

“But when you deal with the generation of young Syrian-Lebanese, Palestinian, Egyptian American kids here, or the ones who are not so much kids but are focused on America and American politics, you get a very different mindset. I don’t think it will be that difficult. I think they want to get involved and they want to be a part of the process. And we will do our darndest to facilitate it. We have not in any convention since that ’88 one, we have never exceeded 80 (delegates) but we have always hovered around 50. I am sure we will have our component of a reasonable number of delegates because young people are running. They care about it and they want to be involved in the process. They did last time and they will do it again.”

Zogby said Arab American influence in presidential elections was strengthened in 1984 when the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson reached out to the community asking them to support his candidacy for president. Jackson, he said, “inspired” the Arab American political movement.

 

“We had never been involved in a presidential campaign before. There had been Syrians for Carter. Lebanese for Reagan. But there had never been an Arab American effort. And even in ’84 after the Jackson campaign, when a group of Arab Americans gave money to (US Senator Walter) Mondale, he (Mondale) gave the money back. They were very well known. They were St. Jude’s folks. Most of them from this group from Chicago. They were on the St. Jude’s board. But he was told to give the money back and he did. It was heartbreaking to them and infuriating for us,” said Zogby, who Jackson named as a deputy campaign manager for his presidential campaign.

“People turned out in record numbers to rallies and do all that stuff and they were excited that he was there talking to them, talking about them, mentioning the Arab American community’s name.”

Jackson did not win the Democratic Party nomination but Mondale, who won, lost in the November 1984 general election to then-President Ronald Reagan who went on to a second term.

Despite the loss, Zogby’s involvement in the Jackson campaign inspired him and others to launch the AAI in 1985 and to organize in anticipation of the next presidential election campaign in 1988. Democratic nominee Michael A. Dukakis lost his bid to Reagan’s successor, George H.W. Bush.

Zogby said Arab Americans elected a record 80 delegates to the Democratic Presidential Convention held in Atlanta in 1988.

 

 

“We decided that what we will do is we will continue what we did in 1984 and make it into a focused organization. Voter registration. Mobilizing the vote. Getting candidates, Arab Americans to run and being involved in public service and bringing our issue into the political mainstream. So, we did. We launched the (AAI) in 1985. We had one of our founding meetings in Chicago with our eye towards ’88 and how we were going to mobilize Arab Americans before ’88,” Zogby said.

“Well, we got sidetracked because the mayor of Dearborn ran on a platform of what to do with the ‘Arab problem.’ They are not like us. They don’t share our values. And they are ruining our darn good way of life. So, we focused on Dearborn voter registration and it turned out quite successful.”

Zogby added: “But by the time we got to ’88, we had an idea and that was to focus not only on mobilizing the community and getting them to run for delegate and win, but also to bring our issues into the Democratic state conventions. And we passed pro-Palestinian statehood resolutions in 10 states. We had part of the Jackson platform, at the national convention. And we actually had the first-ever national debate on Palestine from the podium of the convention as I introduced the Minority Plank on Palestine at the convention. But more important to me, was that we had 80-plus Arab American delegates. The previous high had been four. We were now at 80. And that was how successful our efforts were to get people to run.”

Since then, the Arab community has elected an average of 40 to 50 delegates at subsequent conventions where they have advocated for pro-Arab policies on the Democratic Platform including supporting a Palestinian state in 1988 and again in 2016. The conventions have also featured Arab American cultural events to raise awareness of Arab American concerns, from advocating for Palestine to fighting bigotry.

In 1995, Zogby was appointed as co-convener of the National Democratic Ethnic Coordinating Committee, or NDECC, an umbrella organization bringing together European and Middle Eastern Americans. And, Zogby has served in various positions with many presidential candidates including former Vice President Al Gore and US Senator Bernie Sanders.

When the Democratic Presidential Convention comes to Chicago Aug. 19 through Aug. 22, 2024, Zogby said the AAI will work with Arab Americans to host a festival showcasing all of the city’s various ethnic groups including Arab American culture and leadership.

 

 

“So, what we are planning for next year’s convention is a ‘Taste of Chicago Ethnic Fair’ where we are going to advertise: here’s the Polish restaurant, and the Irish restaurants and the Arab restaurants, and the Italian restaurants, and create a sense that the ethnic communities of Chicago have a real role to play in the (Democratic) party,” Zogby said, citing Chicago’s history as being one of the nation’s most ethnically diverse cities.

Zogby said the cultural event would help 2024 Democratic Convention delegates recognize the unique cultural and ethnic heritage of Chicago “and the Arab community will be a key part of that. We will try to do an event in the heart of the Arab community” making Arabs “a part of the bigger ethnic identity carrying them through the convention.”

He predicted it would not be difficult to replicate at the 2024 Democratic National Convention the achievements Arab Americans made during past conventions.

The Ray Hanania Radio Show is broadcast every Wednesday in Detroit on WNZK AM 690 and Washington D.C. on WDMV AM 700 radio on the US Arab Radio Network and sponsored by Arab News.

You can listen to the radio show’s podcast by visiting ArabNews.com/rayradioshow.


NATO urges Kosovo to de-escalate tension with Serbia

NATO urges Kosovo to de-escalate tension with Serbia
Updated 28 May 2023

NATO urges Kosovo to de-escalate tension with Serbia

NATO urges Kosovo to de-escalate tension with Serbia
  • Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti defended police actions in escorting the new mayors the previous day

BRUSSELS: NATO on Saturday urged Kosovo to dial down tensions with Serbia, a day after its government forcibly accessed municipal buildings to install mayors in ethnic Serb areas in the north of the country.
The resulting clashes on Friday between Kosovan police and protesters opposed to the ethnic Albanian mayors prompted Serbia to put its army on full combat alert and to move units closer to the border.
“We urge the institutions in Kosovo to de-escalate immediately and call on all parties to resolve the situation through dialogue,” said Oana Lungescu, a spokeswoman for the transatlantic military alliance, in a Twitter post.
She said KFOR, the 3,800-strong NATO-led peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, would remain vigilant.
Things were still tense in the north part of the country where heavily armed police forces in armored vehicles were guarding municipality buildings.
Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti defended police actions in escorting the new mayors the previous day.
“It is the right of those elected in democratic elections to assume office without threats or intimidation. It is also the right of citizens to be served by those elected officials,” Kurti said on Twitter on Saturday.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday criticized Kurti’s government for its actions in the north, saying they “unnecessarily escalated tensions, (were) undermining our efforts to help normalize relations between Kosovo and Serbia and will have consequences for our bilateral relations with Kosovo.”
Almost a decade after the end of a war there, Serbs in Kosovo’s northern region do not accept Kosovo’s 2008 declaration of independence from Serbia and still see Belgrade as their capital.
Ethnic Albanians form more than 90 percent of the population in Kosovo, with Serbs only the majority in the northern region.

 


Iraq seeks multi-sector engagement with Philippines after 10-year gap

Iraq Embassy Charge d’Affaires Dr. Khalid Ibrahim Mohammed poses for a photo at the Iraqi Embassy in Manila on May 24, 2023.
Iraq Embassy Charge d’Affaires Dr. Khalid Ibrahim Mohammed poses for a photo at the Iraqi Embassy in Manila on May 24, 2023.
Updated 28 May 2023

Iraq seeks multi-sector engagement with Philippines after 10-year gap

Iraq Embassy Charge d’Affaires Dr. Khalid Ibrahim Mohammed poses for a photo at the Iraqi Embassy in Manila on May 24, 2023.
  • The last time the Iraq-Philippines joint committee convened was in 2013
  • 4,000 Filipinos live and work in Iraq, and many are married to Iraqi nationals

MANILA: Iraq is seeking a reboot in relations with the Philippines after a lull of 10 years, its head of mission has told Arab News, as Baghdad eyes possible cooperation in agriculture, oil, health and tourism.

Formal relations between Iraq and the Philippines were established in 1975 with the opening of the Iraqi embassy in Manila. Five years later, the Philippines opened its mission in Baghdad, but in the early 2000s both countries closed their respective diplomatic offices.

The embassies were later reopened, and in 2012 the two countries signed an agreement to boost diplomatic exchanges and develop bilateral relations. But the last time the Iraq-Philippines Joint Committee Meeting was held was in 2013.

Iraq is hoping to persuade tourists from the Philippines to explore the country known as the ‘cradle of civilization,’ as it was the site of the Mesopotamians who developed the world’s first writing, agriculture and cities.

Iraq Embassy Charge d’Affaires, Dr. Khalid Ibrahim Mohammed

“Now we are restarting ... Iraq is keen to strengthen relations with the Philippines at various levels,” Iraq Embassy Charge d’Affaires Dr. Khalid Ibrahim Mohammed told Arab News earlier this week. “There are a lot of things we can do with the Filipinos ...  we actually need many projects. And we are looking now for partners.”

Mohammed, who took up his post a few months ago, said that while Iraq has, in the past two decades, been the scene of prolonged conflict, it was already witnessing security and stability.

A number of cooperation proposals, particularly relating to agriculture, health, education, security, and oil, were being prepared for the Philippine side, and Mohammed said the Philippines has been invited to participate in his country’s largest expo, the Baghdad International Fair, in November.

“(The fair) is an appropriate opportunity to exchange experiences, display Philippine products, learn about the Iraq market close-up, and see the great openness that the country is experiencing,” he said.

Currently, around 4,000 Filipinos live and work in Iraq, many of whom have Iraqi spouses.

To strengthen connections, Baghdad has launched a Study in Iraq program, offering scholarships to Filipino students.

Mohammed said Iraq is also hoping to persuade tourists from the Philippines to explore the country known as the “cradle of civilization,” as it was the site of the Mesopotamians who developed the world’s first writing, agriculture and cities.

For Filipinos, who are predominantly Catholics, a major attraction could also be the ancient city-state of Ur, where Abraham was born. According to Mohammed, the state has allocated 9,000 square meters for the construction of “the tourist city of Ur, which will be one of the largest tourist cities in the Middle East.”

Mohammed added that tourist traffic could flow both ways, too.

“Maybe very soon you will see the first Iraqi (tourist) group visit the Philippines” he added. “It’s now under process.”

 


Pope Francis holds talks with head of Muslim World League in the Vatican

Pope Francis holds talks with head of Muslim World League in the Vatican
Updated 28 May 2023

Pope Francis holds talks with head of Muslim World League in the Vatican

Pope Francis holds talks with head of Muslim World League in the Vatican

LONDON: The Secretary-General of the Muslim World League, Sheikh Mohammad Al-Issa, on Saturday held talks with Pope Francis at his office in Saint Martha House in the Vatican, the organization said.

The two sides discussed a number of issues related to shared values and the civilizational alliance, it added.

Following the meeting, Alissa said he was delighted with the sincere, brotherly and deep dialogue with Pope Francis at his residence. 

“We discussed our shared values and building bridges between civilizations based on effective and sustainable initiatives,” he added. “I appreciate Pope Francis’s kind hospitality and noble sentiments.

Pope Francis held a number of private meetings on Saturday after resuming his regular appointments a day after canceling his schedule due to a fever.


Migrants who tried to cross Mediterranean brought back to Libya, UN says

Migrants who tried to cross Mediterranean brought back to Libya, UN says
Updated 27 May 2023

Migrants who tried to cross Mediterranean brought back to Libya, UN says

Migrants who tried to cross Mediterranean brought back to Libya, UN says
  • The Italian Coast Guard reported on Thursday the rescue of 423 and 671 migrants in two separate operations in Italian search and rescue waters, and Alarm Phone said they were unrelated to the missing boat

ROME: Nearly 500 migrants who tried to cross the central Mediterranean have been brought back to Libya, a spokesman for the UN migration agency said, two days after charity groups lost contact with the boat carrying them.
“Libya is an unsafe port where migrants should never be brought back,” Flavio Di Giacomo, a spokesman for the UN’s International Organization for Migration or IOM wrote on Twitter.
He said there were 485 migrants and they docked in the Libyan port of Benghazi on Friday.
No further details were provided to IOM at this stage.
Alarm Phone, a group that picks up calls from migrant vessels in distress, had no signs from the boat since Wednesday morning.
At the time, the boat was adrift, with no working engine, in high seas about 320 km north of Libya and more than 400 km away from Malta or Italy’s southern island of Sicily.
The Italian Coast Guard reported on Thursday the rescue of 423 and 671 migrants in two separate operations in Italian search and rescue waters, and Alarm Phone said they were unrelated to the missing boat.
The Italian coast guard had no immediate comment.
In a separate incident, German charity SOS Humanity said 27 migrants were picked up at sea by an oil tanker and illegally taken back to Libya.
Under international humanitarian law, migrants cannot be forcibly returned to countries where they risk serious ill-treatment, and widespread migrant abuse has been extensively documented in Libya.
European governments have taken an increasingly hard line on migration, including in Italy, which is facing a surge in sea arrivals.
More than 47,000 landings have been recorded in the year to date, up from around 18,000 in the same period of 2022.

 


‘Jihadi Hipster’ jailed for life by UK court

‘Jihadi Hipster’ jailed for life by UK court
Updated 27 May 2023

‘Jihadi Hipster’ jailed for life by UK court

‘Jihadi Hipster’ jailed for life by UK court
  • Shabazz Suleman fled to join Daesh in Syria as a teenager in 2014 while holidaying in Turkiye
  • Promising student claims he was ‘brainwashed’ by group, spent time playing computer games

LONDON: A British man has been jailed after spending three years fighting with Daesh in Syria.

Shabazz Suleman, from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, had been a promising student in the UK, having recently completed his high school exams and been accepted onto a course to study at Keele University before he disappeared while on a family holiday in Turkiye in 2014.

He was detained by Turkish forces trying to cross into Syria, before being exchanged as part of a prisoner swap with Daesh in return for two Turkish diplomats.

Suleman, who was 18 at the time, styled himself as the “Jihadi Hipster,” a moniker he used on social media site Twitter. Adopting the name Abu Shamil Al-Britani, he became “disillusioned” with life under Daesh within a year, claiming the group targeted other Muslims and used its fighters as “cannon fodder.”

Ten months into his stay he was jailed by the group in Raqqa for refusing to fight. He was later released after agreeing to join Daesh’s security wing Amniyat.

Suleman was captured again by Turkish-backed forces in October 2017, and later traveled to Pakistan. He returned to the UK in 2021, where he was detained.

Suleman pleaded guilty to preparing acts of terrorism in April, and was sentenced to life with a minimum of nine-and-a-half years.

During his trial he claimed he spent most of his time with Amniyat playing computer games, but Judge Mark Lucraft KC said he must have known he was “supporting a terrorist organization that engaged in indiscriminate violence against civilians.”

The court heard that after joining an aid convoy to Syria in 2013, he told a friend he wanted to “go deeper where it’s more dangerous,” and that he had been visited by local police when his trip to the country was revealed.

He celebrated the deaths of journalists at the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in 2015 on Twitter, and also detailed his life under Daesh, as well as posting an image of an alleged spy who was beheaded and crucified by the group. In another message he claimed he wanted to “behead some Americans.”

After disappearing on holiday, Suleman contacted his family to tell them: “I’m doing this for Allah, no one else. I’m not brainwashed or anything. I’ve been planning this for months.”

In 2015 he told journalists at The Times he had become “disillusioned” and was “brainwashed,” adding: “I found myself falling for the propaganda of (Daesh). Eventually, I no longer knew who I was.”

After he was captured in 2017, he told Sky News: “I take responsibility. I was with (Daesh), I was with a terrorist organization. But I didn’t kill anyone, I hope I didn’t oppress anyone. I did have a Kalashnikov and a military uniform, but I didn’t hit anyone.”

Prosecutor Duncan Atkinson KC said: “It is clear from the evidence that the defendant fully appreciated before he set off that he would be joining and supporting a terrorist organization which engaged in indiscriminate violence against civilians.

“He was warned not to go, due to the danger, and was told that there was a risk to his life as a UK national. He thus knew very well before traveling how harshly (Daesh) would treat foreigners who did not support (it), and in particular how it treated non-believers.”