DEARBORN, IL: Community anger over US support for Israel’s bombardment in the Gaza Strip spilled open among Arab and Muslim voters and activists during a convention organized by the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee in Dearborn, Michigan last week.
The ADC’s Annual National Convention, which ran from Sept. 12-15, was hosted outside Washington for the first time — an intentional choice aimed at answering the Wall Street Journal’s accusations that Dearborn was the city of terrorists in the US, ADC Chairman Safa Rifka told Arab News.
Dearborn is a “city of fantastic citizens, proud American citizens” and “we wanted to make a statement that it is the capital of Arab America,” he said.
The majority of the nearly 1,000 attendees demanded that Democratic officeholders support the third-party candidacy of Dr. Jill Stein, who many believe is the only presidential contender to strongly criticize the actions of Israel’s government and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
More than 50,000 Gazans have been killed during the near yearlong war, but independent sources banned by Israel’s government from entering Gaza contend the number is in excess of 150,000.
Speaker after speaker were pressed by audience members on whether they would stand up and denounce Israel’s violence.
“The Gaza war dominates our concerns,” Rifka said “Clearly the community is concerned about how the elected officials in this country will respond to the carnage.”
Several attendees, activists and elected officials told The Ray Hanania Radio Show that the US government needed to do more than simply criticize Hamas for its assault on Oct. 7, which provoked Israel’s invasion of Gaza.
A few attendees expressed support for Republican candidate Donald Trump and others said they were hoping for Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris to not only condemn Hamas’ violence but also expand it to condemn the military campaign by Netanyahu’s government.
Michigan State Rep. Alabas Farhat said that when he and his colleagues called for a ceasefire, “dozens of representatives and elected officials” signed the letter.
“I think the Arab community right now has said very loudly, very clearly, they want a nominee for a ceasefire,” he said.
Many attendees believe it is still not too late for candidates to take action. With roughly six weeks until the election, Illinois State Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid said that not only was the door open but there was a need for candidates to “change policy, protect lives and to earn the support of so many people who care deeply about this issue.”
“People need to vote in November and people need to engage with their elected officials to let them know where they stand,” he said.
Amid growing frustrating and political uncertainty, Georgia State Rep. Ruwa Romman said it was important not to give up.
Her biggest concern, she said, was the growing idea of “nihilism” and “cynicism” and “the idea that nothing matters, nothing will change, so there’s no point in trying.”
“That is making us surrender before we’ve even tried. My goal is to make sure nobody gives up,” she said.
The Ray Hanania Radio Show is broadcast on the US Arab Radio Network on Thursday at 5 p.m. EST and again on Mondays in Michigan on WNZK AM 690 radio. It is also broadcast on Facebook.com/ArabNews and on Youtube, and podcast at ArabNews.com/rayradioshow. For more information on the host, visit www.Hanania.com.
