I just came back from the post office and mailed an old pair of shoes to President Bush at the White House in protest of his policies.
Arab journalist Muntadar al-Zaidi, the Kanye West of the Arab World, has started a trend that I think is great. Let's face it, he didn't go there and blow himself up. That's progress in a region where violencebecomes the protest form of choice.
But al-Zaidi, who was brutalized by guards (one reportedly yelling not to kick him in the face"), is a hero. Instead of violence, he used a cultural form of protest that is popular in the Arab World, and that one many American came to know when American soldiers during the invasion of Iraq, pulled down the statue of Saddam Hussein in front of one of the dictator's palaces in Baghdad, (trying to make it look like the "people" did it) and then those civilians who were brought there by the military started to express their disdain for Saddam Hussein in the way they knew best, by throwing their shoes at the statue.
How ironic that more than five years later, Iraqis are now throwing their shoes at President Bush?
And I want to help, as a fellow Arab American journalist who believes that violence is NEVER the right choice, NEVER a good choice, and NEVER a strategy for success, the symbolic throwing of my shoes at Bush (courtesy of the US Postal Service) is the most powerful expression of free speech today against the Iraq war possible.
I hope you will join me and others.
Here is the information on the White House, where to mail your packages:
The White House
President Bush
1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington DC., 20500
-- Ray Hanania
www.RadioChicagoland.com
Monday, December 15, 2008
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Racism continues to plague Southwest Chicago suburbs
It has been nearly a decade since residents of Palos Heights sullied their community by rising in protest against their neighbors who happened to be Muslim who sought to open a Mosque where they could observe their religion.
The move pushed nearly 2,000 people to sign a petition protesting the mosque plans, and sparked a high profile public battle led by some members of the Palos Heights City Council.
A few years later, after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, nearly 700 residents of Orland Park tried but failed to prevent Muslims from doing the same there, claiming that building a Mosque for the region’s Arabs who bring Osama Bin Laden’s terrorism to the suburb.
Although both incidents have faded from public view, the anti-Muslim and anti-Arab hatred that sparked the incidents of community racism has not dissipated at all. There have been many less publicized incidents.
So it was not surprising when on Sept. 16, 2008, a 17-year-old girl working a late night shift at T.J. Grinders in Palos Heights on Harlem Avenue claimed she had been sexually assaulted by a man who looked “Arab” or “Indian.”
According to police, the girl had sent a text message to a friend saying a strange man who looked “creepy” had been ogling her through the sandwich shop’s window before coming in an ordering a sandwich.
Two hours later when she was alone and closing the store, the “creepy man” put a knife to her neck, ordered her into the back seat of his black car, and threatened to kill her if she made a sound. He drove around for 20 minutes and then took her to the forest preserves where he sexually assaulted her.
After the 30 minute assault, she said he drove her within blocks of her home and dropped her off in her t-shirt and underwear.
The police drawing of the suspect, based on the young girl’s description, clearly described a man who looked Middle Eastern. It was a horrible thing to see for Arabs and Muslims in the area as the flyer was distributed everywhere, from Palo Heights to Burbank and to Orland Park, communities with large Arab American populations.
The story immediately became a major report on the weekly FOX News Crime program “America’s Most Wanted,” a program that has done so much good to capture criminals and make the public aware of crime. But you could sense the animosity reflected in the tone of the words of the host, John Walsh when he spoke about the “vicious sexual assault” and the “disturbed sexual predator.” The report noted repeatedly that the suspect was “Arab” or “Indian.”
And it repeated the claim by the victim that the alleged suspect “emitted some minor but offensive body odor,” according to America’s Most Wanted.
Over the past few weeks, emails have been circulating through the Internet about those “Arab animals” and “Muslim monsters” who live in Palos Heights, Orland Park, Burbank and elsewhere.
The Southwest suburbs have a large concentration of Arab Americans. Although they are mostly Christian, the Muslims whose women wear Hijabs of head coverings, stand out making them more obvious targets of the growing hatred.
This week, Palos Heights police announced they were closing their investigation into the alleged sexual assault. The girl’s attorney, Martin A. Dolan, issued a statement that apologized to the “Southwest suburban community” for “the unnecessary concern and the time and effort from everyone involved.”
Dolan’s statement continued, "At this time, we assure you our community is safe and always has been... we ask you to continue your prayers for the family and avoid criticism or anger as they move forward and cope."
It must be terrible to be the parents of a young child that is disturbed enough to make up such a story. I wonder how people in the Southwest Suburbs feel about a child who found it so easy to point a finger of blame against an “Arab” or an “Indian.”
I wonder how many of the people who sent the hate emails around warning about the vicious Arab rapist who was wandering our community from Burbank, to Palos Heights to Orland Park still believe this?
Dolan said he did address the issue of the racism and the family specifically apologized to the specific ethnic groups that were mentioned. This was the action of a young, immature girl and she did not intentionally try to single out Arabs and Indians, he said. “But I think maybe it might be a wider problem and I can appreciate it for sure," Dolan said.
But, I wonder how long it will be before all of the phony police sketches of the “Arab” or “Indian” suspect will be removed.
It probably will happen faster than many people in the Southwest suburbs will be able to cleanse their hearts of the racism that helped make this tragic young girl’s lies so believable.
-- Ray Hanania
The move pushed nearly 2,000 people to sign a petition protesting the mosque plans, and sparked a high profile public battle led by some members of the Palos Heights City Council.
A few years later, after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, nearly 700 residents of Orland Park tried but failed to prevent Muslims from doing the same there, claiming that building a Mosque for the region’s Arabs who bring Osama Bin Laden’s terrorism to the suburb.
Although both incidents have faded from public view, the anti-Muslim and anti-Arab hatred that sparked the incidents of community racism has not dissipated at all. There have been many less publicized incidents.
So it was not surprising when on Sept. 16, 2008, a 17-year-old girl working a late night shift at T.J. Grinders in Palos Heights on Harlem Avenue claimed she had been sexually assaulted by a man who looked “Arab” or “Indian.”
According to police, the girl had sent a text message to a friend saying a strange man who looked “creepy” had been ogling her through the sandwich shop’s window before coming in an ordering a sandwich.
Two hours later when she was alone and closing the store, the “creepy man” put a knife to her neck, ordered her into the back seat of his black car, and threatened to kill her if she made a sound. He drove around for 20 minutes and then took her to the forest preserves where he sexually assaulted her.
After the 30 minute assault, she said he drove her within blocks of her home and dropped her off in her t-shirt and underwear.
The police drawing of the suspect, based on the young girl’s description, clearly described a man who looked Middle Eastern. It was a horrible thing to see for Arabs and Muslims in the area as the flyer was distributed everywhere, from Palo Heights to Burbank and to Orland Park, communities with large Arab American populations.
The story immediately became a major report on the weekly FOX News Crime program “America’s Most Wanted,” a program that has done so much good to capture criminals and make the public aware of crime. But you could sense the animosity reflected in the tone of the words of the host, John Walsh when he spoke about the “vicious sexual assault” and the “disturbed sexual predator.” The report noted repeatedly that the suspect was “Arab” or “Indian.”
And it repeated the claim by the victim that the alleged suspect “emitted some minor but offensive body odor,” according to America’s Most Wanted.
Over the past few weeks, emails have been circulating through the Internet about those “Arab animals” and “Muslim monsters” who live in Palos Heights, Orland Park, Burbank and elsewhere.
The Southwest suburbs have a large concentration of Arab Americans. Although they are mostly Christian, the Muslims whose women wear Hijabs of head coverings, stand out making them more obvious targets of the growing hatred.
This week, Palos Heights police announced they were closing their investigation into the alleged sexual assault. The girl’s attorney, Martin A. Dolan, issued a statement that apologized to the “Southwest suburban community” for “the unnecessary concern and the time and effort from everyone involved.”
Dolan’s statement continued, "At this time, we assure you our community is safe and always has been... we ask you to continue your prayers for the family and avoid criticism or anger as they move forward and cope."
It must be terrible to be the parents of a young child that is disturbed enough to make up such a story. I wonder how people in the Southwest Suburbs feel about a child who found it so easy to point a finger of blame against an “Arab” or an “Indian.”
I wonder how many of the people who sent the hate emails around warning about the vicious Arab rapist who was wandering our community from Burbank, to Palos Heights to Orland Park still believe this?
Dolan said he did address the issue of the racism and the family specifically apologized to the specific ethnic groups that were mentioned. This was the action of a young, immature girl and she did not intentionally try to single out Arabs and Indians, he said. “But I think maybe it might be a wider problem and I can appreciate it for sure," Dolan said.
But, I wonder how long it will be before all of the phony police sketches of the “Arab” or “Indian” suspect will be removed.
It probably will happen faster than many people in the Southwest suburbs will be able to cleanse their hearts of the racism that helped make this tragic young girl’s lies so believable.
-- Ray Hanania
Monday, September 01, 2008
NAAJA protest arrest of Arab American journalist and two colleagues outside GOP Convention Sept. 1, 2008
Arab American journalist Sharif Abdel Kouddous, a producer at Democracy Now (www.DemocracyNow.org), was arrested outside the GOP Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota along with host Amy Goodman and Nicole Salazar. They were covering a street protest.
The National Arab American Journalists Association (www.NAAJA-US.com) , founded in 1999 and with 275 members nationwide, has issued a formal protest demanding the release of all three journalists.
"The National Arab American Journalists Association today protests the arrest of Sharif Abdel Kouddous, Amy Goodman and Nicole Salazar as they were reporting on a street protest outside of the Republican National Convention in St. Paul today," said NAAJA coordinator Ray Hanania.
"NAAJA demands thatr the three journalists be released immediately. Their arrest while covering a street protest is a violation of the protections accorded journalists in this country."
Here is the release issued by Democracy Now on the arrests:
ST. PAUL, MN-Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman was unlawfully arrested in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota at approximately 5 p.m. local time. Police violently manhandled Goodman, yanking her arm, as they arrested her. Video of her arrest can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYjyvkR0bGQ
Goodman was arrested while attempting to free two Democracy Now! producers who were being unlawfully detained. They are Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar. Kouddous and Salazar were arrested while they carried out their journalistic duties in covering street demonstrations at the Republican National Convention. Goodman's crime appears to have been defending her colleagues and the freedom of the press.
Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher told Democracy Now! that Kouddous and Salazar were being arrested on suspicion of rioting. They are currently being held at the Ramsey County jail in St. Paul.
Democracy Now! is calling on all journalists and concerned citizens to call the office of Mayor Chris Coleman and the Ramsey County Jail and demand the immediate release of Goodman, Kouddous and Salazar. These calls can be directed to: Chris Rider from Mayor Coleman's office at 651-266-8535 and the Ramsey County Jail at 651-266-9350 (press extension 0).
Democracy Now! stands by Goodman, Kouddous and Salazar and condemns this action by Twin Cities law enforcement as a clear violation of the freedom of the press and the First Amendment rights of these journalists.
During the demonstration in which they were arrested law enforcement officers used pepper spray, rubber bullets, concussion grenades and excessive force. Several dozen others were also arrested during this action.
Amy Goodman is one of the most well-known and well-respected journalists in the United States. She has received journalism's top honors for her reporting and has a distinguished reputation of bravery and courage. The arrest of Goodman, Kouddous and Salazar is a transparent attempt to intimidate journalists from the nation's leading independent news outlet.
Democracy Now! is a nationally syndicated public TV and radio program that airs on over 700 radio and TV stations across the US and the globe.
Video of Amy Goodman's Arrest: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYjyvkR0bGQ
ABOUT DEMOCRACY NOW!
Democracy Now! airs on over 650 radio and TV stations, including Pacifica, NPR, community, and college radio stations; on public access, PBS, satellite TV stations (DISH network: Free Speech TV ch. 9415 and Link TV ch. 9410;
Sharif grew up in Cairo, Egypt. He joined the Democracy Now! staff in 2003 after leaving the lucrative world of corporate investment banking. As the U.S. led occupation of Iraq was in full swing, Sharif traveled to Baghdad with DCTV filmmaker John Alpert. In addition to shooting video footage in Iraq for Democracy Now! Sharif reported from the streets of Baghdad on the occupation.
-- Ray Hanania
www.TheMediaOasis.com
The National Arab American Journalists Association (www.NAAJA-US.com) , founded in 1999 and with 275 members nationwide, has issued a formal protest demanding the release of all three journalists.
"The National Arab American Journalists Association today protests the arrest of Sharif Abdel Kouddous, Amy Goodman and Nicole Salazar as they were reporting on a street protest outside of the Republican National Convention in St. Paul today," said NAAJA coordinator Ray Hanania.
"NAAJA demands thatr the three journalists be released immediately. Their arrest while covering a street protest is a violation of the protections accorded journalists in this country."
Here is the release issued by Democracy Now on the arrests:
ST. PAUL, MN-Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman was unlawfully arrested in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota at approximately 5 p.m. local time. Police violently manhandled Goodman, yanking her arm, as they arrested her. Video of her arrest can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYjyvkR0bGQ
Goodman was arrested while attempting to free two Democracy Now! producers who were being unlawfully detained. They are Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar. Kouddous and Salazar were arrested while they carried out their journalistic duties in covering street demonstrations at the Republican National Convention. Goodman's crime appears to have been defending her colleagues and the freedom of the press.
Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher told Democracy Now! that Kouddous and Salazar were being arrested on suspicion of rioting. They are currently being held at the Ramsey County jail in St. Paul.
Democracy Now! is calling on all journalists and concerned citizens to call the office of Mayor Chris Coleman and the Ramsey County Jail and demand the immediate release of Goodman, Kouddous and Salazar. These calls can be directed to: Chris Rider from Mayor Coleman's office at 651-266-8535 and the Ramsey County Jail at 651-266-9350 (press extension 0).
Democracy Now! stands by Goodman, Kouddous and Salazar and condemns this action by Twin Cities law enforcement as a clear violation of the freedom of the press and the First Amendment rights of these journalists.
During the demonstration in which they were arrested law enforcement officers used pepper spray, rubber bullets, concussion grenades and excessive force. Several dozen others were also arrested during this action.
Amy Goodman is one of the most well-known and well-respected journalists in the United States. She has received journalism's top honors for her reporting and has a distinguished reputation of bravery and courage. The arrest of Goodman, Kouddous and Salazar is a transparent attempt to intimidate journalists from the nation's leading independent news outlet.
Democracy Now! is a nationally syndicated public TV and radio program that airs on over 700 radio and TV stations across the US and the globe.
Video of Amy Goodman's Arrest: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYjyvkR0bGQ
ABOUT DEMOCRACY NOW!
Democracy Now! airs on over 650 radio and TV stations, including Pacifica, NPR, community, and college radio stations; on public access, PBS, satellite TV stations (DISH network: Free Speech TV ch. 9415 and Link TV ch. 9410;
Sharif grew up in Cairo, Egypt. He joined the Democracy Now! staff in 2003 after leaving the lucrative world of corporate investment banking. As the U.S. led occupation of Iraq was in full swing, Sharif traveled to Baghdad with DCTV filmmaker John Alpert. In addition to shooting video footage in Iraq for Democracy Now! Sharif reported from the streets of Baghdad on the occupation.
-- Ray Hanania
www.TheMediaOasis.com
Saturday, May 17, 2008
EEOC settles lawsuit on behalf of 7 Middle Eastern victims of Hawaiian cruise line bigotry
EEOC SETTLES CASE INVOLVING DISCHARGE OF SEVEN MIDDLE EASTERN CREW MEMBERS FROM THE CRUISE SHIP PRIDE OF ALOHA
HONOLULU – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today announced the settlement of a federal lawsuit against NCL America, Inc. for $485,000 to seven former employees and remedial relief.
In its lawsuit, filed in 2006 under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the EEOC alleged that NCL America discharged seven Middle Eastern crew members from various positions on the cruise ship “Pride of Aloha.” NCL America denied that it had acted improperly against these crew members in agreeing to resolve the lawsuit.
“We are very pleased with this outcome, and NCL America should be applauded for its commitment to prevent discrimination by agreeing to the comprehensive injunctive relief in this case,” said Anna Y. Park, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Los Angeles District Office, which includes Hawaii.
Los Angeles District Director Olophius Perry added, “We encourage all employers to utilize EEOC’s resources to ensure proper EEO training and compliance.”
As part of the two year consent decree resolving the case, NCL America agrees to pay the crew members $485,000. With respect to the injunctive relief, NCL America further agrees, among other things, to revise its policies to ensure a workplace that promotes equal employment opportunity, to hire an EEO consultant, and to provide training to its managers and employees on the company’s equal employment policy and complaint procedure.
The litigation and consent decree were filed by the EEOC in the U.S. Court for the District of Hawaii (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Almraisi, et. al., v. NCL America Inc., et. al., cv 06-00451 SOM BMK, cv 07-00372 SOM BMK).
The EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Further information about the EEOC is available on the agency’s web site at www.eeoc.gov.
HONOLULU – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today announced the settlement of a federal lawsuit against NCL America, Inc. for $485,000 to seven former employees and remedial relief.
In its lawsuit, filed in 2006 under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the EEOC alleged that NCL America discharged seven Middle Eastern crew members from various positions on the cruise ship “Pride of Aloha.” NCL America denied that it had acted improperly against these crew members in agreeing to resolve the lawsuit.
“We are very pleased with this outcome, and NCL America should be applauded for its commitment to prevent discrimination by agreeing to the comprehensive injunctive relief in this case,” said Anna Y. Park, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Los Angeles District Office, which includes Hawaii.
Los Angeles District Director Olophius Perry added, “We encourage all employers to utilize EEOC’s resources to ensure proper EEO training and compliance.”
As part of the two year consent decree resolving the case, NCL America agrees to pay the crew members $485,000. With respect to the injunctive relief, NCL America further agrees, among other things, to revise its policies to ensure a workplace that promotes equal employment opportunity, to hire an EEO consultant, and to provide training to its managers and employees on the company’s equal employment policy and complaint procedure.
The litigation and consent decree were filed by the EEOC in the U.S. Court for the District of Hawaii (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Almraisi, et. al., v. NCL America Inc., et. al., cv 06-00451 SOM BMK, cv 07-00372 SOM BMK).
The EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Further information about the EEOC is available on the agency’s web site at www.eeoc.gov.
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Giuliani racism in presidential campaign
(WASHINGTON DC, 12/31/07) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today called upon Republican presidential candidate, Rudy Giuliani, to repudiate anti-Muslim remarks made by one of his campaign workers in New Hampshire.
John Deady, co-chair of that state's Veterans for Rudy, told Britain's Guardian newspaper that Americans need to chase Muslims "back to their caves." When Deady was later asked if he was referring to all Muslims, he said: "I don't subscribe to the principle that there are good Muslims and bad Muslims." He added that he "wasn't necessarily referring to genocide." Deady later resigned his post.
SEE: Giuliani co-chairman quits after Muslim remark
SEE ALSO: Rudy Surrogate: "I Don't Subscribe To The Principle That There Are Good Muslims And Bad Muslims"
“There is no need to point out why these chilling comments have absolutely no place in the public or political discourse of a serious presidential campaign – that’s obvious,” said Ahmed Rehab, a spokesman for CAIR. “The troubling reality is they were made by a representative of Giuliani’s campaign and he has yet to repudiate them. His silence sends a terrible message.”
American Muslims have expressed concerns about the anti-Muslim views of several advisors on the Rudy Giuliani campaign. In September, CAIR criticized Rep. Peter King (R-NY), who is on Giuliani's Homeland Security Advisory Board, for claiming "we have too many mosques in this country."
SEE: NY Congressman Says 'Too Many Mosques' in U.S.
CAIR had previously called on Giuliani to drop Daniel Pipes, whose controversial discourse on Muslims is widely criticized as being agenda-driven.
SEE: Giuliani Advisor Supports Terror Group
CAIR, America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, has 33 offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
- END - CONTACT: CAIR Media Relations Director Ahmed Rehab, 202-870-0166, E-Mail: arehab@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator Amina Rubin, 202-488-8787, E-Mail: arubin@cair.com
John Deady, co-chair of that state's Veterans for Rudy, told Britain's Guardian newspaper that Americans need to chase Muslims "back to their caves." When Deady was later asked if he was referring to all Muslims, he said: "I don't subscribe to the principle that there are good Muslims and bad Muslims." He added that he "wasn't necessarily referring to genocide." Deady later resigned his post.
SEE: Giuliani co-chairman quits after Muslim remark
SEE ALSO: Rudy Surrogate: "I Don't Subscribe To The Principle That There Are Good Muslims And Bad Muslims"
“There is no need to point out why these chilling comments have absolutely no place in the public or political discourse of a serious presidential campaign – that’s obvious,” said Ahmed Rehab, a spokesman for CAIR. “The troubling reality is they were made by a representative of Giuliani’s campaign and he has yet to repudiate them. His silence sends a terrible message.”
American Muslims have expressed concerns about the anti-Muslim views of several advisors on the Rudy Giuliani campaign. In September, CAIR criticized Rep. Peter King (R-NY), who is on Giuliani's Homeland Security Advisory Board, for claiming "we have too many mosques in this country."
SEE: NY Congressman Says 'Too Many Mosques' in U.S.
CAIR had previously called on Giuliani to drop Daniel Pipes, whose controversial discourse on Muslims is widely criticized as being agenda-driven.
SEE: Giuliani Advisor Supports Terror Group
CAIR, America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, has 33 offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
- END - CONTACT: CAIR Media Relations Director Ahmed Rehab, 202-870-0166, E-Mail: arehab@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator Amina Rubin, 202-488-8787, E-Mail: arubin@cair.com
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Muslim Americans come under attack by radio talk show haters Boortz, Hannity and Savage
CAIR: HATEFUL HOST ATTACKS ISLAM ON US RADIO - TOP
Al-Arabiya, 11/22/07
Major U.S. corporations and civil organizations are launching a campaign to boycott channels that broadcast shows of controversial radio anchor Michael Savage after his hateful remarks about Islam.
Giant companies like JCPenny department stores, Office Max stationary supplies and IT company Citrix Systems have pulled all their commercials from the show hosted by Savage, America in Arabic News Agency reported…
The show, called 'The Savage Nation,' airs on more than 350 radio stations across the U.S. to an estimated 8 million listeners a week, but now major advertisers are moving to distance themselves from the hate-filled host.
"We want to make clear that the opinions expressed on the Michael Savage program—or any other program we advertise in—do not in any way represent the views of Citrix Systems or Citrix Online," Bernardo de Albergaria, vice president and general manager of Citrix Systems said.
Using the slogan "Hate Hurts America," a coalition of religious and civic organizations has launched a campaign against Savage and other shows that promote hate, by putting pressure on advertisers to drop their spots.
The coalition includes the California Council of Churches, LA Jews for Peace, and The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).
Earlier this year, another U.S. radio host likened Muslims who fast during Ramadan to cockroaches.
"…Muslims don't eat during the day during Ramadan. They fast during the day and eat at night. Sort of like cockroaches," talk show radio host Neal Boortz said on his hit show of the same name.
SEE ALSO:
ACTION: ASK AT&T TO DROP ADS FROM ‘SAVAGE NATION’ - TOP
IMMEDIATE ACTIONS REQUESTED: (As always, be POLITE. Hostile comments can and will be used by Savage to further defame Islam and Muslims.)
1. CONTACT AT&T, today's featured "Savage Nation" advertiser. (Other advertisers will be featured in the future.)
As part of the ongoing campaign to ask companies that advertise on "The Savage Nation" to stop buying air time on that program, today's featured company is AT&T. Please contact company officials to express your concerns about their support of such a hate-filled program.
CONTACT:
Randall L. Stephenson
Chairman of the Board, President, Chief Executive Officer, AT&T
175 E. Houston
San Antonio, TX 78205
Tel: (210) 821-4105
Fax: (210) 351-2071
E-Mail: randall.stephenson@att.com, forrest.miller@att.com, karen.jennings@att.com, richard.dietz@att.com, walt.sharp@att.com, wes.warnock@att.com, mjthornburg@YELLOWPAGES.COM, drucilla.cessac@att.com, elva.gonzalez@att.com
COPY TO: info@cair.com
2. Because "The Savage Nation" is a syndicated program, many of the advertisers vary from station to station. FIND OUT which station carries Michael Savage's program in your area, LISTEN to the program and write down the contact information for both local and national advertisers.
CONTACT those advertisers to POLITELY inform them that you and your friends and family will not purchase their products or services as long as they continue to subsidize a hate-filled program.
For a listing of radio stations that air Michael Savage's program, click here.
3. CONTACT Talk Radio Network, Michael Savage's syndicator, to express your concerns about his hate-filled attacks on Muslims, Islam and the Quran.
Mr. Mark Masters
Chief Executive Officer
Talk Radio Network
P.O. Box 3755
Central Point OR 97502
Phone: 541-664-8827 or 541-474-2297
Fax: 541-664-6250 or 866-876-5075
E-Mail: mmasters@talkradionetwork.com, eterry@talkradionetwork.com, gregdoyle@talkradionetwork.com, info@talkradionetwork.com, affiliates@talkradionetwork.com, rubend@talkradionetwork.com
4. SEND COPIES of all correspondence to CAIR at: E-Mail info@cair.com or fax to 202-488-0833.
5. ORGANIZE local coalitions with friends of the Muslim community to challenge Savage's hate rhetoric.
---
ISLAM NOT WELCOME IN HANNITY’S AMERICA - TOP
News Hounds, 11/23/07
As has been noted in numerous News Hounds threads, Sean Hannity is very hostile to numerous groups and ideas prominent among them Islam and public education. In the November 18th edition of “Hannity’s America,” Hannity was able to bash both of the aforementioned categories. He was also able to work in the ever popular Fox “fear factor” as he introduced his piece by stating that a “radical Islamic agenda is infiltrating public schools all across the nation and targeting our kids.” He spoke in apocalyptic terms when he declared that “there is a battle reaching the boiling point in California. Parents are taking a stand and fighting back.” In an “us vs them” (very popular with the conservative right wing and Fox News) metaphor he asserted that it’s “smalltown USA vs. Islamic indoctrination.”
Hannity began by noting that Lodi, California is the “Zinfandel capitol of the world;” but “it’s not wine that is drawing attention to Lodi but radical Islam” (while showing photos of Muslim children playing in a school yard). He said that 2 years ago a pair of Muslim residents was charged with being part of a terror sleeper cell. (Comment: If Hannity were trying for accuracy he would have added that Hamid Hayat was sentenced to 24 years in jail; but the jury was deadlocked in the case of Hamid’s father, Umer Hayat.)
So now that the stage has been set by inferring that Lodi is a hotbed of radical Islam, Hannity moved to the main topic which was about a group of parents who are upset that the local school’s history text, “History Alive,” is being used to “teach Islam.” He interviewed local parents, Jim and Korina Self, who feel that the history of Islam, in this text, is given more attention than it warrants and that the information is inaccurate. The Selfs have petitioned the local school board to remove the text. (Comment: not mentioned by Hannity is the fact that the boy is now being homeschooled and that a school administrator “didn't know of any other parent who has contacted the district to complain about the textbook.” So much for this boiling point battle!) (MORE)
end
Al-Arabiya, 11/22/07
Major U.S. corporations and civil organizations are launching a campaign to boycott channels that broadcast shows of controversial radio anchor Michael Savage after his hateful remarks about Islam.
Giant companies like JCPenny department stores, Office Max stationary supplies and IT company Citrix Systems have pulled all their commercials from the show hosted by Savage, America in Arabic News Agency reported…
The show, called 'The Savage Nation,' airs on more than 350 radio stations across the U.S. to an estimated 8 million listeners a week, but now major advertisers are moving to distance themselves from the hate-filled host.
"We want to make clear that the opinions expressed on the Michael Savage program—or any other program we advertise in—do not in any way represent the views of Citrix Systems or Citrix Online," Bernardo de Albergaria, vice president and general manager of Citrix Systems said.
Using the slogan "Hate Hurts America," a coalition of religious and civic organizations has launched a campaign against Savage and other shows that promote hate, by putting pressure on advertisers to drop their spots.
The coalition includes the California Council of Churches, LA Jews for Peace, and The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).
Earlier this year, another U.S. radio host likened Muslims who fast during Ramadan to cockroaches.
"…Muslims don't eat during the day during Ramadan. They fast during the day and eat at night. Sort of like cockroaches," talk show radio host Neal Boortz said on his hit show of the same name.
SEE ALSO:
ACTION: ASK AT&T TO DROP ADS FROM ‘SAVAGE NATION’ - TOP
IMMEDIATE ACTIONS REQUESTED: (As always, be POLITE. Hostile comments can and will be used by Savage to further defame Islam and Muslims.)
1. CONTACT AT&T, today's featured "Savage Nation" advertiser. (Other advertisers will be featured in the future.)
As part of the ongoing campaign to ask companies that advertise on "The Savage Nation" to stop buying air time on that program, today's featured company is AT&T. Please contact company officials to express your concerns about their support of such a hate-filled program.
CONTACT:
Randall L. Stephenson
Chairman of the Board, President, Chief Executive Officer, AT&T
175 E. Houston
San Antonio, TX 78205
Tel: (210) 821-4105
Fax: (210) 351-2071
E-Mail: randall.stephenson@att.com, forrest.miller@att.com, karen.jennings@att.com, richard.dietz@att.com, walt.sharp@att.com, wes.warnock@att.com, mjthornburg@YELLOWPAGES.COM, drucilla.cessac@att.com, elva.gonzalez@att.com
COPY TO: info@cair.com
2. Because "The Savage Nation" is a syndicated program, many of the advertisers vary from station to station. FIND OUT which station carries Michael Savage's program in your area, LISTEN to the program and write down the contact information for both local and national advertisers.
CONTACT those advertisers to POLITELY inform them that you and your friends and family will not purchase their products or services as long as they continue to subsidize a hate-filled program.
For a listing of radio stations that air Michael Savage's program, click here.
3. CONTACT Talk Radio Network, Michael Savage's syndicator, to express your concerns about his hate-filled attacks on Muslims, Islam and the Quran.
Mr. Mark Masters
Chief Executive Officer
Talk Radio Network
P.O. Box 3755
Central Point OR 97502
Phone: 541-664-8827 or 541-474-2297
Fax: 541-664-6250 or 866-876-5075
E-Mail: mmasters@talkradionetwork.com, eterry@talkradionetwork.com, gregdoyle@talkradionetwork.com, info@talkradionetwork.com, affiliates@talkradionetwork.com, rubend@talkradionetwork.com
4. SEND COPIES of all correspondence to CAIR at: E-Mail info@cair.com or fax to 202-488-0833.
5. ORGANIZE local coalitions with friends of the Muslim community to challenge Savage's hate rhetoric.
---
ISLAM NOT WELCOME IN HANNITY’S AMERICA - TOP
News Hounds, 11/23/07
As has been noted in numerous News Hounds threads, Sean Hannity is very hostile to numerous groups and ideas prominent among them Islam and public education. In the November 18th edition of “Hannity’s America,” Hannity was able to bash both of the aforementioned categories. He was also able to work in the ever popular Fox “fear factor” as he introduced his piece by stating that a “radical Islamic agenda is infiltrating public schools all across the nation and targeting our kids.” He spoke in apocalyptic terms when he declared that “there is a battle reaching the boiling point in California. Parents are taking a stand and fighting back.” In an “us vs them” (very popular with the conservative right wing and Fox News) metaphor he asserted that it’s “smalltown USA vs. Islamic indoctrination.”
Hannity began by noting that Lodi, California is the “Zinfandel capitol of the world;” but “it’s not wine that is drawing attention to Lodi but radical Islam” (while showing photos of Muslim children playing in a school yard). He said that 2 years ago a pair of Muslim residents was charged with being part of a terror sleeper cell. (Comment: If Hannity were trying for accuracy he would have added that Hamid Hayat was sentenced to 24 years in jail; but the jury was deadlocked in the case of Hamid’s father, Umer Hayat.)
So now that the stage has been set by inferring that Lodi is a hotbed of radical Islam, Hannity moved to the main topic which was about a group of parents who are upset that the local school’s history text, “History Alive,” is being used to “teach Islam.” He interviewed local parents, Jim and Korina Self, who feel that the history of Islam, in this text, is given more attention than it warrants and that the information is inaccurate. The Selfs have petitioned the local school board to remove the text. (Comment: not mentioned by Hannity is the fact that the boy is now being homeschooled and that a school administrator “didn't know of any other parent who has contacted the district to complain about the textbook.” So much for this boiling point battle!) (MORE)
end
Thursday, November 15, 2007
The Case of the Los Angeles Eight ends 20 years later -- Political "Prisoners" Freed from American bigotry
November 15, 2007 by The San Francisco Chronicle
Charges Dropped Against Last of ‘Los Angeles Eight’
by Michel Shehadeh
For the last 20 years, the U.S. government has accused me of being a terrorist. Along with six other Palestinians and a Kenyan, we were dubbed the “Los Angeles Eight” by the media. Our case even made it to the U.S. Supreme Court.
On Oct. 30 - 20 grueling years after the early morning raid in which armed federal agents barged into my apartment, brutally arrested me before my 3-year-old son’s eyes, incarcerated me in maximum security cells in San Pedro State Prison for 23 days without bond, and attempted to deport me - the government dropped all charges fabricated against me. The charges involved accusations of aiding a member group of the Palestine Liberation Organization that the government alleged aided terrorism.
But Los Angeles immigration Judge Bruce J. Einhorn had ordered an end to the deportation proceedings against us last January because the government failed to comply with his order to disclose evidence that supported our innocence. He called their behavior “an embarrassment to the rule of law.”
Why did the U.S. government spend 20 years trying to ban us from this country? Because we tried to educate Americans about the situation facing millions of Palestinians living in apartheid-like conditions under Israeli military occupation. Because we organized fundraisers to provide Palestinians with humanitarian support. And because we attended demonstrations to urge a shift in U.S. policy away from unconditional financial and diplomatic support of Israel.
The government robbed us and our families of the best and most productive years of our lives. For more than 20 years, they vilified us in public without recourse.
We’ll never be able to entirely erase the negative words and images they manufactured about us. Our case is a stark example, and is different only in degree, from what routinely befalls those who call for equal rights for Palestinians and press for a fair Middle East U.S. policy consistent with international law. In February of this year, two others who advocated equal rights for Palestinians - Mohammed Salah and Abdelhaleem Ashqar - were found not guilty of terrorism charges based in part on evidence provided by Israel and obtained through the use of torture.
President Carter, university professors John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt and Nobel laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu face charges of anti-Semitism and shoddy scholarship meant to intimidate, discredit and silence them.
And it may be surprising, but I don’t hold a grudge. Throughout this 20-year plus ordeal, we never lost faith that we would win against this political and legal oppression. Not only because of our innocence, but because of the tremendous, unfaltering support that we enjoyed all these years across religious, ethnic and civic communities, and a legal team that did not waver once in its commitment to justice. This incredible support has taught us more about America than we could have learned in two lifetimes; the support of such people who are a living example and a role model for immigrants - to positively engage with the issues facing the country on a daily basis. Struggling to make the place a bit better than when we arrived is
what made America home to us. We made that choice, and we’re the better for it.
My two American-born sons learned though this experience the meaning of establishing a strong grassroots connection and of getting involved with their community. The words justice, freedom, equality and civil liberties are not words they learned in school that will become empty clichés as they grow older. They are concepts that have real meaning to them, that affect their family and community. They know that they must be vigilantly protected, especially when the issues they advocate are not popular, or at times of war, and conflict, when the first causalities are our basic freedoms - free speech, the right to dissent and to disagree with the government - the very basis of democracy.
From the beginning, we said that our case was a political one and that the government made us victims of a political witch-hunt. We persevered all these years and defeated the attempt to uproot us from our communities, break our families apart, and deport us, because we were innocent. Free at last, we are finally exonerated and it tastes sweet. We will savor the sweetness. And we will use it to fuel our determination to defend the same issues that our supporters defended through us: justice, civil liberties, freedom and immigrant rights. We believe that this is the America for which we continually aspire, the America that is just, here at home and in faraway places - with policies based on fairness, equality, and a shared humanity.
Michel Shehadeh is a research associate in the Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas Initiative in the College of Ethnic Studies at San Francisco State University.
Charges Dropped Against Last of ‘Los Angeles Eight’
by Michel Shehadeh
For the last 20 years, the U.S. government has accused me of being a terrorist. Along with six other Palestinians and a Kenyan, we were dubbed the “Los Angeles Eight” by the media. Our case even made it to the U.S. Supreme Court.
On Oct. 30 - 20 grueling years after the early morning raid in which armed federal agents barged into my apartment, brutally arrested me before my 3-year-old son’s eyes, incarcerated me in maximum security cells in San Pedro State Prison for 23 days without bond, and attempted to deport me - the government dropped all charges fabricated against me. The charges involved accusations of aiding a member group of the Palestine Liberation Organization that the government alleged aided terrorism.
But Los Angeles immigration Judge Bruce J. Einhorn had ordered an end to the deportation proceedings against us last January because the government failed to comply with his order to disclose evidence that supported our innocence. He called their behavior “an embarrassment to the rule of law.”
Why did the U.S. government spend 20 years trying to ban us from this country? Because we tried to educate Americans about the situation facing millions of Palestinians living in apartheid-like conditions under Israeli military occupation. Because we organized fundraisers to provide Palestinians with humanitarian support. And because we attended demonstrations to urge a shift in U.S. policy away from unconditional financial and diplomatic support of Israel.
The government robbed us and our families of the best and most productive years of our lives. For more than 20 years, they vilified us in public without recourse.
We’ll never be able to entirely erase the negative words and images they manufactured about us. Our case is a stark example, and is different only in degree, from what routinely befalls those who call for equal rights for Palestinians and press for a fair Middle East U.S. policy consistent with international law. In February of this year, two others who advocated equal rights for Palestinians - Mohammed Salah and Abdelhaleem Ashqar - were found not guilty of terrorism charges based in part on evidence provided by Israel and obtained through the use of torture.
President Carter, university professors John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt and Nobel laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu face charges of anti-Semitism and shoddy scholarship meant to intimidate, discredit and silence them.
And it may be surprising, but I don’t hold a grudge. Throughout this 20-year plus ordeal, we never lost faith that we would win against this political and legal oppression. Not only because of our innocence, but because of the tremendous, unfaltering support that we enjoyed all these years across religious, ethnic and civic communities, and a legal team that did not waver once in its commitment to justice. This incredible support has taught us more about America than we could have learned in two lifetimes; the support of such people who are a living example and a role model for immigrants - to positively engage with the issues facing the country on a daily basis. Struggling to make the place a bit better than when we arrived is
what made America home to us. We made that choice, and we’re the better for it.
My two American-born sons learned though this experience the meaning of establishing a strong grassroots connection and of getting involved with their community. The words justice, freedom, equality and civil liberties are not words they learned in school that will become empty clichés as they grow older. They are concepts that have real meaning to them, that affect their family and community. They know that they must be vigilantly protected, especially when the issues they advocate are not popular, or at times of war, and conflict, when the first causalities are our basic freedoms - free speech, the right to dissent and to disagree with the government - the very basis of democracy.
From the beginning, we said that our case was a political one and that the government made us victims of a political witch-hunt. We persevered all these years and defeated the attempt to uproot us from our communities, break our families apart, and deport us, because we were innocent. Free at last, we are finally exonerated and it tastes sweet. We will savor the sweetness. And we will use it to fuel our determination to defend the same issues that our supporters defended through us: justice, civil liberties, freedom and immigrant rights. We believe that this is the America for which we continually aspire, the America that is just, here at home and in faraway places - with policies based on fairness, equality, and a shared humanity.
Michel Shehadeh is a research associate in the Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas Initiative in the College of Ethnic Studies at San Francisco State University.
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