NEW YORK, 28 August 2004 — When the Republican National Convention opens its doors next week, members of the Arab-American community will be there to mingle.
Arab-American delegates from eight states have been elected to represent their states, which include the battleground states of Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida. Arab-American delegates at the Democratic National Convention represented 25 states.
According to the Arab-American Institute, Republican Arab-American party leaders will also be present, and include Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham, New Hampshire Sen. John E. Sununu, Illinois Congressman Ray LaHood, California Congressman Darrell Issa, former Director of the Office of Budget and Management Mitch Daniels, former New Hampshire Gov. and Chief of Staff for President George H.W. Bush John H. Sununu, and Westchester County New York District Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Today, more than 3 million Arab-Americans reside in the United States. Almost 75 percent are Christian and 23 percent are Muslim. Most are Lebanese followed by Syrians, Egyptians, Palestinians and Syrians. Their average annual income at $75,000 is well above the national average.
Several of the states represented at the RNC may not have large Arab-American populations, but their communities have a long history of political activism. New Hampshire, home to the Sununu family and several other Arab-American political kin, will be represented by delegate Rich Ashooh.
Arab-American lobbyists and party activists will also be present next week, including delegate George Salem, who was Solicitor of Labor under the second Reagan administration and served as national chair of the Arab-American outreach effort in five successive Republican campaigns.
A Zogby poll indicates that issues of importance to them are detainment on secret evidence, airport profiling, the plight of Palestinian refugees and the need for a just solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict. As important, however, are domestic issues: Social Security, Medicare, crime, taxes, school vouchers and abortion.
The convention will also be the place for several Arab-American organizations protests, some which have been given permits and others that haven’t.
New York City officials have granted some permits for demonstrations coinciding with the Republican National Convention, while negotiations over a massive anti-war rally continue.
Police gave permits to groups including the Middle East Peace Coalition, which has planned demonstrations, prayer vigils and rallies by this and other organizations.
Other groups that applied for permits include the anti-war groups Not In Our Name and the National Council of Arab-Americans (NCA).
The NCA filed a permit application on Jan. 7, 2004, for a mass assembly rally of 75,000 people in the Great Lawn of Central Park two days before the Aug. 30 opening of the Republican National Convention. After waiting six months, the City of New York denied the permit.
NCA’s attorneys said New York City refused to give specific rationale for the denial of the permit, saying the denial was politically motivated, and filed another request.
The lawsuit filed on behalf of the NCA and the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition wants to open access to Central Park for all those intending to stage mass anti-Bush demonstrations during the week of the Republican National Convention and to ensure that the park is open to people expressing political dissent without fear of arrest.
