URGENT ALERT FROM THE ARAB AMERICAN INSTITUTE
This is not the work we normally do, but we were so upset by these two stories that we felt we had to act.
This week added insult to injury:
1) Insult
Dunkin Donuts ran an ad with Rachael Ray (America's favorite 30-minute cook)...Yes, that's a kaffiyeh!
We take delight in the way the kaffiyeh, a traditional peasant head covering, has become a fashionable part of U.S. pop culture. And here it was in a Dunkin Donuts ad!
But not so fast, said Michelle Malkin - a far right buffoon who often utters anti-Arab and anti-Muslim sentiments. Malkin accused Dunkin Donuts of failing to recognize that the kaffiyeh "symbolizes murderous Palestinian jihad" and is "a regular adornment of Muslim terrorists appearing in beheading and hostage-taking videos."
Instead of weathering the silly dust-up, Dunkin Donuts folded and pulled the ad.
We cannot tolerate a situation where Michelle Malkin defines what is culturally acceptable, in effect becoming the P.C. Czarina of the far right.
Tell Dunkin Donuts to reinstate the online ad, and let them know that they should not be bullied by petty bloggers. Make your voice heard.
The head of marketing at Dunkin Donuts is Frances Allen; her e-mail address is frances.allen@dunkinbrands.com
The Dunkin Donuts Customer Care service line: (800) 859-5339. Be patient calling this number, it takes some time to get through. You can e-mail your concerns to customerservice@dunkinbrands.com or send a letter to:
Dunkin' Donuts Public Relations Department130 Royall StreetCanton, MA 02021Tel: 781.737.5200
2) Injury
Much more seriously, and even less explicably, as The New York Times and AP reported today, eight Palestinians in Gaza have lost their Fulbright scholarships.
Why?
Because the Israeli government would not let them out of Gaza, and the U.S. government never lifted a finger to help resolve the situation - and that is the most shameful aspect of the whole affair. U.S. silence.
Born of the same type of anti-Arab bias that fuels attacks on kaffiyehs in ads, this time it frustrated the purpose of one of the most prestigious U.S. public diplomacy programs, U.S. efforts to promote peace and build Palestinian civil institutions, and shattered the dreams of eight promising young people - people who are exactly what U.S. policy depends on. "I was building my hope on this scholarship," says one disappointed young woman who, according to the article in the New York Times, voluntarily remained in Gaza even as her family fled.
This outrage should not be allowed to stand.
The Fulbright program provides life-changing opportunities for young men and women all over the world. Palestinians should not be denied the right to participate in this because of Israeli obstructionism, and the U.S. should not be silent in the face of this Israeli behavior.
Let the responsible parties know that you insist that the Fulbright scholarships be reinstated, and that Israel be pressed to allow the awardees to travel:
Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board ChairMs. Shirley Moore Green202.453.8189greenm@state.gov
Office of Israel and Palestinian AffairsPolitical Affairs OfficeMatthew Rosenstock(202) 647-1481rosentstockms@state.gov
Deputy Secretary of State for Visa ServicesStephen A. "Tony" Edson(202) 647-9584tonye@state.gov
This email was sent to: rayhanania@comcast.netTo unsubscribe, go to: http://www.aaiusa.org/unsubscribe/members
Arab American Institute1600 K Street, NW Suite 601Washington, DC 20006www.aaiusa.org
Friday, May 30, 2008
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Middle East podcasts: Ray Hanania interviews Suzanne Manneh ont he rise of Palestinian/Arab Hip-Hop
PODCAST INTERVIEWS
with Ray Hanania
Go to podcast? Interview with Suzanne Manneh on the phenomena of Palestinian and Arab Hip-Hop artists. May 28, 2008. Manneh discusses the rise of hip-hop as a form of creative social protest and expression for Palestinian and Arab youth not just in the United States but also in the Middle East. Go to Podcast Blog?
Ray Hanania's Middle East focused Interview Podcasts: Suzanne Manneh, a feature writer and reporter with the New American Media discusses a recent feature story she wrote on Palestinian and Arab hip-hop and its growing popularity as a form of expression on social and political issues for Middle Easterner youth in the Arab World and in the United States. The interview hosted by Ray Hanania was conducted May 28, 2008. Here is the link to Suzanne's feature at New America Media. This podcast is sponsored by the National Arab American Times newspaper at www.AATimesNews.com and by the National Arab American Journalists Association at www.NAAJA-US.com. Ray Hanania can be reached at www.hanania.com. Hanania also does podcast interviews on Mainstream American topics which are hosted by RadioChicagoland at www.RadioChicagoland.com.
with Ray Hanania
Go to podcast? Interview with Suzanne Manneh on the phenomena of Palestinian and Arab Hip-Hop artists. May 28, 2008. Manneh discusses the rise of hip-hop as a form of creative social protest and expression for Palestinian and Arab youth not just in the United States but also in the Middle East. Go to Podcast Blog?
Ray Hanania's Middle East focused Interview Podcasts: Suzanne Manneh, a feature writer and reporter with the New American Media discusses a recent feature story she wrote on Palestinian and Arab hip-hop and its growing popularity as a form of expression on social and political issues for Middle Easterner youth in the Arab World and in the United States. The interview hosted by Ray Hanania was conducted May 28, 2008. Here is the link to Suzanne's feature at New America Media. This podcast is sponsored by the National Arab American Times newspaper at www.AATimesNews.com and by the National Arab American Journalists Association at www.NAAJA-US.com. Ray Hanania can be reached at www.hanania.com. Hanania also does podcast interviews on Mainstream American topics which are hosted by RadioChicagoland at www.RadioChicagoland.com.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
New book challenges Arabs and Muslims to defeat extremism to win a Palestinian State
New book challenges Arabs and Muslims to defeat extremism to win a Palestinian State
Chicago -- Palestinians need to overcome the growing movement of secular and religious extremists in their own community before they can be strong enough to overcome the challenges from Israel and create their own independent Palestinian State, says award winning journalist Ray Hanania in a new book "The Catastrophe: The One-State Solution is the No-State Solution. How Palestinians can stand up to the extremistsand create a Palestinian State."
Hanania, whose writings "define the moderate Arab voice," is an outspoken critic of extremism in the Arab and Muslim community.
Consistently denouncing violence on both sides, Hanania argues in his book that Israelis and Palestinians each face an uncertain future as the extremist secular left partners with the fanatic religious right to use violence prevent peace based on compromise, to advance the so-called "One-State Solution," and to exploit Palestinian suffering as a means of preventing them from the only viable option for statehood, the creation of a Palestinian State in the context of a Two-State Solution.
"We are watching as Palestine is being erased not just from the maps but from reality as Israel's government exploits the failures of our leadership and the uncontrolled emotions of our people," Hanania argues.
"Palestinians are being held hostage by these extremists and fanatics on the left and the right who reject any compromise and who live in a dream of the past that has become our nightmare. To save our people, we must reject the rejectionists, embrace compromise and recognize the reality of our situation in the hopes of someday rebuilding a dream that is the cornerstone of justice."
In the book, Hanania also argues that Palestinians must regain the principled moral stand and cannot succumb to the emotions of their failures over the past 60 years of Israel's existence, writing:
"Being honest about one's mistakes -- and failures -- and acknowledging the reality of history, rather than its myths, is a crucial step towards lifting oneself out of defeat. You cannot make something "better" if you do not honestly acknowledge that things are "bad" or you attempt to do so from a "bad" position. Only those who are "better" can make a situation better. Improve it. Correct it. Bring it back to the moral center.
"But just being 'better,' as a relative statement, is not good enough. You are either pregnant or you are not pregnant. There is no in-between. The road to pregnancy is pregnancy. The road to peace is peace. Either Palestinians have a state or they don't have a state. You either support peace or you don't support peace. Those who use violence to achieve 'peace' are not seeking peace at all. The use of violence is in and of itself a rejection of peace. Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims must answer this important issue correctly. We must clean our own house first before we can insist on cleaning out the houses of others, our 'enemies.' We cannot demand justice from others when we deny justice to others in our actions, in our arguments in our beliefs. Doing so is to deny justice to ourselves."
The book is available directly from the author through his web site at http://www.hanania.com/.
"The Catastrophe"
238 Pages, softcover 7 x 9 trade
$24.95
Ray Hanania Enterprises
PO Box 2127
Orland Park, IL., 60462
end
Chicago -- Palestinians need to overcome the growing movement of secular and religious extremists in their own community before they can be strong enough to overcome the challenges from Israel and create their own independent Palestinian State, says award winning journalist Ray Hanania in a new book "The Catastrophe: The One-State Solution is the No-State Solution. How Palestinians can stand up to the extremistsand create a Palestinian State."
Hanania, whose writings "define the moderate Arab voice," is an outspoken critic of extremism in the Arab and Muslim community.
Consistently denouncing violence on both sides, Hanania argues in his book that Israelis and Palestinians each face an uncertain future as the extremist secular left partners with the fanatic religious right to use violence prevent peace based on compromise, to advance the so-called "One-State Solution," and to exploit Palestinian suffering as a means of preventing them from the only viable option for statehood, the creation of a Palestinian State in the context of a Two-State Solution.
"We are watching as Palestine is being erased not just from the maps but from reality as Israel's government exploits the failures of our leadership and the uncontrolled emotions of our people," Hanania argues.
"Palestinians are being held hostage by these extremists and fanatics on the left and the right who reject any compromise and who live in a dream of the past that has become our nightmare. To save our people, we must reject the rejectionists, embrace compromise and recognize the reality of our situation in the hopes of someday rebuilding a dream that is the cornerstone of justice."
In the book, Hanania also argues that Palestinians must regain the principled moral stand and cannot succumb to the emotions of their failures over the past 60 years of Israel's existence, writing:
"Being honest about one's mistakes -- and failures -- and acknowledging the reality of history, rather than its myths, is a crucial step towards lifting oneself out of defeat. You cannot make something "better" if you do not honestly acknowledge that things are "bad" or you attempt to do so from a "bad" position. Only those who are "better" can make a situation better. Improve it. Correct it. Bring it back to the moral center.
"But just being 'better,' as a relative statement, is not good enough. You are either pregnant or you are not pregnant. There is no in-between. The road to pregnancy is pregnancy. The road to peace is peace. Either Palestinians have a state or they don't have a state. You either support peace or you don't support peace. Those who use violence to achieve 'peace' are not seeking peace at all. The use of violence is in and of itself a rejection of peace. Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims must answer this important issue correctly. We must clean our own house first before we can insist on cleaning out the houses of others, our 'enemies.' We cannot demand justice from others when we deny justice to others in our actions, in our arguments in our beliefs. Doing so is to deny justice to ourselves."
The book is available directly from the author through his web site at http://www.hanania.com/.
"The Catastrophe"
238 Pages, softcover 7 x 9 trade
$24.95
Ray Hanania Enterprises
PO Box 2127
Orland Park, IL., 60462
end
Saturday, May 17, 2008
EEOC settles lawsuit on behalf of 7 Middle Eastern victims of discrimination by Hawaiian cruise line
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.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Churches for Middle East Peace applauds Price-LaHood resolution urging peace between Israel and Palestinians
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Warren Clark, 202-543-1222; warren@cmep.org
[Washington, DC- May 15, 2008] Churches for Middle East Peace commends Representatives David Price (D-NC) and Ray Lahood (R-IL), and the 50 other Members of the House who joined them, for sending a letter to President Bush yesterday urging efforts to end the crisis in southern Israel and Gaza and enable progress on Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts.
The Price-Lahood letter comes amidst a new outbreak of Gaza-Israel violence and as the President begins a Middle East trip that provides an opportunity to move forward on the Annapolis process launched last November. The letter asserts that for "the peace process to be viable, solutions must be found to stabilize the Gaza situation, preserve the achievements made in peace talks, and maintain forward momentum." It suggests that such solutions must include international condemnation of the rocket attacks on southern Israel, an exploration of a potential ceasefire to stop the violence and an end to the border blockade that addresses Israel's security needs and provides humanitarian relief to the people of Gaza.
Praising the Congressional letter, CMEP Executive Director, Warren Clark said: "The situation on the ground in the Holy Land needs to improve now if Israelis and Palestinians are going to have sufficient trust and confidence to do the hard work of peacemaking. We commend Reps. Price and Lahood and their 50 colleagues for offering bipartisan support for constructive solutions that can help provide a climate conducive to negotiations. We join them in urging the President to use his trip to re-energize the Annapolis process."
A May 9th CMEP letter to President Bush also highlights current obstacles to moving forward on the peace process, including the "death and suffering in Gaza and in southern Israel" and raises concerns regarding movement and access in the West Bank, which "undermines Palestinian leadership that seeks peace with Israel."
Churches for Middle East Peace, a coalition of 22 Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant national church bodies, has strongly supported the Price-Lahood letter together with a range of Jewish and Arab- American organizations, including Americans for Peace Now, the Arab American Institute, Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, Israel Policy Forum and J Street.
For the full text of the Price-Lahood letter and a final list of signers or for the CMEP May 9th letter, please contact CMEP's Executive Director, Warren Clark, at 202-543-1222 or warren@cmep.org.
###
Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) is a coalition of 22 Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant church bodies and organizations that work together in pursuit of a peaceful resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict where two viable states, Israel and Palestine, live side-by-side within secure and recognized borders.
email: info@cmep.org
phone: 202-543-1222 web: http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001ZM9vypu1SIiI15Nwnh2RH-ku6SZzOkMfZKJBm9Z1cHpchP7x7__i7FSt9MPp9HY6P8sIW2pC8Qw7MCWVVlaE_kYOv0DCXpUYvZifGcEddo8=
CONTACT: Warren Clark, 202-543-1222; warren@cmep.org
[Washington, DC- May 15, 2008] Churches for Middle East Peace commends Representatives David Price (D-NC) and Ray Lahood (R-IL), and the 50 other Members of the House who joined them, for sending a letter to President Bush yesterday urging efforts to end the crisis in southern Israel and Gaza and enable progress on Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts.
The Price-Lahood letter comes amidst a new outbreak of Gaza-Israel violence and as the President begins a Middle East trip that provides an opportunity to move forward on the Annapolis process launched last November. The letter asserts that for "the peace process to be viable, solutions must be found to stabilize the Gaza situation, preserve the achievements made in peace talks, and maintain forward momentum." It suggests that such solutions must include international condemnation of the rocket attacks on southern Israel, an exploration of a potential ceasefire to stop the violence and an end to the border blockade that addresses Israel's security needs and provides humanitarian relief to the people of Gaza.
Praising the Congressional letter, CMEP Executive Director, Warren Clark said: "The situation on the ground in the Holy Land needs to improve now if Israelis and Palestinians are going to have sufficient trust and confidence to do the hard work of peacemaking. We commend Reps. Price and Lahood and their 50 colleagues for offering bipartisan support for constructive solutions that can help provide a climate conducive to negotiations. We join them in urging the President to use his trip to re-energize the Annapolis process."
A May 9th CMEP letter to President Bush also highlights current obstacles to moving forward on the peace process, including the "death and suffering in Gaza and in southern Israel" and raises concerns regarding movement and access in the West Bank, which "undermines Palestinian leadership that seeks peace with Israel."
Churches for Middle East Peace, a coalition of 22 Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant national church bodies, has strongly supported the Price-Lahood letter together with a range of Jewish and Arab- American organizations, including Americans for Peace Now, the Arab American Institute, Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, Israel Policy Forum and J Street.
For the full text of the Price-Lahood letter and a final list of signers or for the CMEP May 9th letter, please contact CMEP's Executive Director, Warren Clark, at 202-543-1222 or warren@cmep.org.
###
Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) is a coalition of 22 Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant church bodies and organizations that work together in pursuit of a peaceful resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict where two viable states, Israel and Palestine, live side-by-side within secure and recognized borders.
email: info@cmep.org
phone: 202-543-1222 web: http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001ZM9vypu1SIiI15Nwnh2RH-ku6SZzOkMfZKJBm9Z1cHpchP7x7__i7FSt9MPp9HY6P8sIW2pC8Qw7MCWVVlaE_kYOv0DCXpUYvZifGcEddo8=
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Subscribe to Ray's
Join Ray Hanania on the
Follow Ray Hanania's 
