Reminder – Tuesday, Sept 3 Media Day - Navy SEAL Fitness Challenge and Saturday, Sept 6 Navy SEAL Fitness Challenge UIC Chicago
Alissar Langworthy – Diversity Advisor
Navy SEAL Fitness Challenge
269-832-2882
You and your colleagues are invited to Media Day, held 72 hours before the Navy SEAL Fitness Challenge (Sat., Sept. 6 at UIC.) Media Day is any time between 6am and 2pm on Wednesday, Sept. 3, at University of Illinois Chicago at (or outside of) the Physical Education Building, 839 W. Roosevelt, Chicago. This is chance for you and your newsroom friends to get in there and try elite SEAL events such as push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, a 500 yd. swim, or a 1.5 mile run. Great photo fodder….
About 30 elite Navy SEALS will be running the show, and they will be available for interviews.
All of Mayor Daley’s health agencies are solidly behind the fitness challenge…the executive director of the Mayor’s Fitness Council - Colleen Lammel-Harmon – can do 6 pull-ups. (Females have a very hard time with pull ups.) This firecracker of a woman is available for interviews as are the other VIPs from the Chicago Dept. of Health, Chicago Parks and Recreation, Chicago office of the United States Dept. of Health and Human Services, etc.
Media Day is all yours, but I have to know if you’re coming….RSVP to Ginny Richardson at 630-789-8555, Ext 10 or grichardson@gr-pr.com. Thanks for your consideration of both Media Day and the release below.
Ginny
P.S. Electronic Press Kit with photos: http://www.gr-pr.com/navy/
_______________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release
Press contact: Ginny Richardson, GR-PR
630-789-8555, Ext. 10 or grichardson@gr-pr.com
electronic press kit: http://www.gr-pr.com/navy/
Navy SEALs promote fitness in order to halt obesity
[CHICAGO, IL – Aug. 26, 2008] The Navy SEAL Fitness Challenge takes place Saturday, Sept. 6, 2008, at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Physical Education Building, 839 W. Roosevelt, Chicago. The Challenge is free and open to anyone age 13 or older, city or suburb, male or female. It consists of five fitness events: a 500-yard swim, push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups and a 1.5 mile run.
Taking place to promote fitness and to heighten awareness of the epidemic of obesity, the Navy SEAL Fitness Challenge offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to compare personal fitness levels with those of the elite Navy SEALs.
“The Navy SEALs are highly respected and admired for their vital role in national defense,” said Dr. Terry Mason, commissioner, Chicago Department of Public Health. “That they would choose Chicago for this initiative speaks well of our City. It gives us an opportunity to showcase the many talented and fit individuals who live in our great City, and it challenges the rest of us to step it up a notch.”
“This Challenge is a means to encourage citizens of Chicago and its suburbs to improve fitness and to utilize our SEAL standard as a way to measure their own level of fitness,” said Duncan Smith, Captain, Navy SEAL.
The events:
500 yd. swim – Standard: 12 ½ minutes. Competitive: 10 minutes
Push-ups – Standard: 42 in two minutes. Competitive: 80 in two minutes
Sit-ups - Standard: 50 in two minutes. Competitive: 80 in two minutes
Pull-ups – Standard: 6. Competitive: 11 (no time limits)
1.5 mile run – Standard: 11 minutes. Competitive: 10 minutes
Chicago is the fifth stop of the national tour of The Navy SEAL Fitness Challenge. The inaugural challenge kicked off more than a year ago in Boston. Since then, the challenge has taken place in San Antonio, Los Angeles and Dearborn.
“Let’s show ‘em what Chicago is made of,” said Corey Garner, director of the Chicago Navy SEAL Fitness Challenge. “We’re hoping for an unprecedented number of competitors - of all fitness levels – to rise to the challenge.”
Individuals are welcome as are groups such as family members, neighbors, running clubs, classmates, members of a football team, fitness clubs or someone looking for inspiration to begin a program of better physical fitness. Anyone who participates is welcome to invite an unlimited number of cheering spectators. Encouragement is very helpful to each participant. In addition to watching the exciting events, spectators will have the extraordinary opportunity to meet and talk with the elite Navy SEALS.
Navy SEAL Fitness Challenge competitors will be scored and ranked against each other, with all participants receiving a dog tag and a complimentary commemorative white T-shirt with the Navy SEAL Fitness Challenge logo. Earning a tan T-shirt means the competitor met SEAL standards, and a blue T-shirt means the participant has met Navy SEAL competitive standards which indicates a superb athlete.
All participants should pre-register by going to http://www.sealfitnesschallenge.com/ and choose a time slot in which to compete. Teams may register for the same time slot, however there will be no exceptions made to accommodate an entire team, once a time slot is full. All participants under the age of 18 are required to provide parental or guardian consent.
Early registration is suggested.
Be Fit – Be There!
###
Ginny Richardson, President
Ginny Richardson Public Relations
15 Salt Creek Lane, Suite 317
Hinsdale, IL 60521
630-789-8555, Ext. 10
http://www.gr-pr.com/
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
President Bush offers Ramadan Greetings to Muslims
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
August 29, 2008
Ramadan 2008
I send greetings to Muslims observing Ramadan in America and around the globe.
The holy month of Ramadan is a special time of prayer, fasting, and service. For Muslims, these days commemorate the revelation of God's word to the prophet Muhammad in the form of the Qur'an.
I thank the men and women of the Muslim community for their contributions to America. Your love of family, and gratitude to God have strengthened the moral fabric of our country. Our Nation is stronger and more hopeful because of the generosity, talents, and compassion of our Muslim citizens.
Laura and I send our best wishes. Ramadan Mubarak.
GEORGE W. BUSH
President
END
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
August 29, 2008
Ramadan 2008
I send greetings to Muslims observing Ramadan in America and around the globe.
The holy month of Ramadan is a special time of prayer, fasting, and service. For Muslims, these days commemorate the revelation of God's word to the prophet Muhammad in the form of the Qur'an.
I thank the men and women of the Muslim community for their contributions to America. Your love of family, and gratitude to God have strengthened the moral fabric of our country. Our Nation is stronger and more hopeful because of the generosity, talents, and compassion of our Muslim citizens.
Laura and I send our best wishes. Ramadan Mubarak.
GEORGE W. BUSH
President
END
Monday, August 25, 2008
New Home built for Palestinian victimized by Israeli military aggression
A New Home Built By Holy Land Trust
Holy Land Trust’s Home Rebuilding Camp has been hard at work rebuilding the home of Walid Ahour, which was destroyed by the Israeli military in 2005. About fifteen international volunteers from Europe and the US are working side by side with Palestinian builders to build a new house in just two weeks. After three days of building, all four walls were already set up. On the fourth day, huge cement trucks made their way to the tiny village to pour concrete for the roof. We had a special lunch of sheep meat to celebrate this milestone—finally Walid’s family will have their own roof over their heads!
The family keeps the volunteers well-fed with delicious homemade lunches, fresh fruits and vegetables from the garden, and endless supplies of coffee and tea. The volunteers have enjoyed practicing their Arabic with the many children, cousins, and friends who come to watch the building. The atmosphere at the site is more like a party than a construction site—the female volunteers were even invited into the house for a spontaneous dance party with some women from the village.
Today the house is finished thanks for all the volunteers who joined us hand in hand to build the house , thanks for everyone who gave his time , his support to this just cause , thanks for the villagers that worked with us , and thanks for all the donations from different parts of the world. Right now Holy Land Trust is getting prepared for the next year’s summer camp , so hopefully soon we will have information about the 2009 Summer Camp and we are all getting very excited to handle the key of another house to a new family.
End of Palestine Summer Encounter 2008
On August 15th the last twenty seven participants representing 10 countries joined us in Osh Gurab park (Dismantled Military Camp ) for the farewell party, to say good bye for people they have spent time with for the past months, Holy Land Trust presented by Sami Awad and the Travel and Encounter department presented by Elias Ghareeb, presented a Palestinian Scarf (koffiye) as a thank you gift for the participants for their contribution and support to the Palestinian community.
As PSE participants, they had the opportunity to become a part of the local culture and community through home stays, assist in community development through volunteer work, practicing their Arabic skills, studying the conflict. and learning Palestinian dance (dabkeh) and how to cook Palestinian food, at the end of the Farwell party the participants performed the dabkeh that they have been learning for the past weeks it was an amazing end, an amazing way say goodbye to their host families and their volunteer organizations.
For those who are interested in taking part of this incredible experience, don’t miss the 2009 Palestine Summer Encounter program ! You can find out more information once they are available on http://www.palestinesummer.org/
& Lots More Upcoming Events
Olive Harvest Ends of October – Midst of November
Join us to harvest olives with local families in their olive groves. Many of these olive groves have been confiscated by Israeli authorities, especially for the building of the wall separating Palestine from Israel. Your presence with the farmers helps to protect them from Israeli settlers and soldiers who in the past have used violent means to deter farmers from harvesting their yield. You will play a role in maintaining this centuries-old practice through the tumult of the current political situation.
Other than helping in this vital role, you will have ample opportunity to explore the region, experience Palestinian culture, and learn about the current political situation.
Newspapers, Magazines, Radio Stations, and TV Networks, All Journalists
In creating a venue to empower the people of Palestine in general, and the people of Bethlehem in particular and have their voices heard, the first community television and radio stations in Palestine known as “Al-Kul” which means, ‘Everyone’ was established in 2007. The purpose: to be a media outlet of the people and for the people.
The television and radio stations aim to strengthen the community and create a venue where its concerns, fears, dreams, and aspirations are heard and addressed. These stations serve as a platform for all to share no matter what their age, religion, economic, or social standing may be.
Al-Kul broadcasts unique and high quality television and radio programs, programs that address the real issues facing the community today while at the same time allowing for an opportunity to have the community express its joys and talents.
Holy Land Trust, in cooperation with Al-Kul, extends our warm invitation for journalists around the world to connect with us as a base for journalistic and documentary work in the Middle East. Whether you are covering important religious events, such as Christmas and Easter celebrations, or covering the conflict in the region, Bethlehem is a perfect location with a rich history and proximity to many important events. At Al Kul we can provide you with a studio, other equipment, networking opportunities with other journalists, and connections to people from every sector of Palestinian society and Israel .
We have experience in assisting film-makers seeking to present Palestine and the Holy Land from a unique and constructive perspective. If journalism or film is your area of expertise, we can assist you in organizing your project by helping you to successfully navigate any logistical or administrative concerns, researching topics related to your production and organizing the details of your trip.
For Further information please do not hesitate to contact us
If you Want Peace , You Never Build Walls But Bridges .
Rafat Shomali
Travel & Encounter
Operations Manager &
Spanish Language Liaison
Holy Land Trust
Bethlehem - Palestine
Cell: + 972 (0) 599 255 569
http://www.holylandtrust.org/
For Latest news in Palestine visit http://www.pnn.ps/
Holy Land Trust’s Home Rebuilding Camp has been hard at work rebuilding the home of Walid Ahour, which was destroyed by the Israeli military in 2005. About fifteen international volunteers from Europe and the US are working side by side with Palestinian builders to build a new house in just two weeks. After three days of building, all four walls were already set up. On the fourth day, huge cement trucks made their way to the tiny village to pour concrete for the roof. We had a special lunch of sheep meat to celebrate this milestone—finally Walid’s family will have their own roof over their heads!
The family keeps the volunteers well-fed with delicious homemade lunches, fresh fruits and vegetables from the garden, and endless supplies of coffee and tea. The volunteers have enjoyed practicing their Arabic with the many children, cousins, and friends who come to watch the building. The atmosphere at the site is more like a party than a construction site—the female volunteers were even invited into the house for a spontaneous dance party with some women from the village.
Today the house is finished thanks for all the volunteers who joined us hand in hand to build the house , thanks for everyone who gave his time , his support to this just cause , thanks for the villagers that worked with us , and thanks for all the donations from different parts of the world. Right now Holy Land Trust is getting prepared for the next year’s summer camp , so hopefully soon we will have information about the 2009 Summer Camp and we are all getting very excited to handle the key of another house to a new family.
End of Palestine Summer Encounter 2008
On August 15th the last twenty seven participants representing 10 countries joined us in Osh Gurab park (Dismantled Military Camp ) for the farewell party, to say good bye for people they have spent time with for the past months, Holy Land Trust presented by Sami Awad and the Travel and Encounter department presented by Elias Ghareeb, presented a Palestinian Scarf (koffiye) as a thank you gift for the participants for their contribution and support to the Palestinian community.
As PSE participants, they had the opportunity to become a part of the local culture and community through home stays, assist in community development through volunteer work, practicing their Arabic skills, studying the conflict. and learning Palestinian dance (dabkeh) and how to cook Palestinian food, at the end of the Farwell party the participants performed the dabkeh that they have been learning for the past weeks it was an amazing end, an amazing way say goodbye to their host families and their volunteer organizations.
For those who are interested in taking part of this incredible experience, don’t miss the 2009 Palestine Summer Encounter program ! You can find out more information once they are available on http://www.palestinesummer.org/
& Lots More Upcoming Events
Olive Harvest Ends of October – Midst of November
Join us to harvest olives with local families in their olive groves. Many of these olive groves have been confiscated by Israeli authorities, especially for the building of the wall separating Palestine from Israel. Your presence with the farmers helps to protect them from Israeli settlers and soldiers who in the past have used violent means to deter farmers from harvesting their yield. You will play a role in maintaining this centuries-old practice through the tumult of the current political situation.
Other than helping in this vital role, you will have ample opportunity to explore the region, experience Palestinian culture, and learn about the current political situation.
Newspapers, Magazines, Radio Stations, and TV Networks, All Journalists
In creating a venue to empower the people of Palestine in general, and the people of Bethlehem in particular and have their voices heard, the first community television and radio stations in Palestine known as “Al-Kul” which means, ‘Everyone’ was established in 2007. The purpose: to be a media outlet of the people and for the people.
The television and radio stations aim to strengthen the community and create a venue where its concerns, fears, dreams, and aspirations are heard and addressed. These stations serve as a platform for all to share no matter what their age, religion, economic, or social standing may be.
Al-Kul broadcasts unique and high quality television and radio programs, programs that address the real issues facing the community today while at the same time allowing for an opportunity to have the community express its joys and talents.
Holy Land Trust, in cooperation with Al-Kul, extends our warm invitation for journalists around the world to connect with us as a base for journalistic and documentary work in the Middle East. Whether you are covering important religious events, such as Christmas and Easter celebrations, or covering the conflict in the region, Bethlehem is a perfect location with a rich history and proximity to many important events. At Al Kul we can provide you with a studio, other equipment, networking opportunities with other journalists, and connections to people from every sector of Palestinian society and Israel .
We have experience in assisting film-makers seeking to present Palestine and the Holy Land from a unique and constructive perspective. If journalism or film is your area of expertise, we can assist you in organizing your project by helping you to successfully navigate any logistical or administrative concerns, researching topics related to your production and organizing the details of your trip.
For Further information please do not hesitate to contact us
If you Want Peace , You Never Build Walls But Bridges .
Rafat Shomali
Travel & Encounter
Operations Manager &
Spanish Language Liaison
Holy Land Trust
Bethlehem - Palestine
Cell: + 972 (0) 599 255 569
http://www.holylandtrust.org/
For Latest news in Palestine visit http://www.pnn.ps/
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Freedom Boats reach Gaza despite Israeli blockade
Boats reach Gaza despite blockade
Two vessels spent 30-hours journeying to the Gaza Strip from Cyprus [AFP]
Two vessels carrying 46 international human rights activists have reached the Gaza Strip, despite Israel's strict 14-month siege of the Palestinian territory.
The end of the mission to symbolically break the siege came after Israel backed down from an earlier warning to the 'Free Gaza' protest group not to breach the blockade.
Al Jazeera's Ashraf Amritti in Gaza said: "The arrival of these two boats is a very symbolic gesture for the Palestinian cause, to end the siege, end the occupation.
In fact, those phrases are written across the peace boats which carry flags from more than 70 nationalities."
The boats set sail on Friday on a 370km voyage from the Mediterranean island of Cyprus carrying activists from 17 countries, including Israel, with the aim of drawing attention to Israel's blockade of Gaza and its affect on the people there.
The boats sailed through choppy waters into Gaza City's main port on Saturday, where they were greeted by thousands of people waving Palestinian flags, many of them sailing around the harbour in boats.
Unity call
Ismail Haniya, the Hamas leader and dismissed Palestinian prime minster, called on the world to follow the example of the international activists movement and "break the siege on Gaza".
"We deeply appreciate and salute the activists on the two boats", Haniya told Al Jazeera in a phone interview.
Haniya said that it was time for Egypt to reopen the Rafah crossing and end the siege once and for all.
Egypt reopened the crossing last January after Palestinians blew up part of the border barrier, allowing thousands to stock up on supplies from border towns.
Cairo sealed the crossing three days later under pressure from both the United States and the Israeli government, to "protect its own sovereignty."
Jibril al-Rjoub, a senior Fatah leader, also welcomed the "breach of the embargo", describing the international activists as "humanists".
"The two boats defiance the of the Israeli blockade is a glimmer of hope that could be an opening of an end of the siege", the former Palestinian security chief told Al Jazeera in an interview from the West Bank of Ramallah.
Rjoub called for both an immediate reconcilation between Fatah and Hamas to unite the efforts to restore national unity, and to forge ahead with efforts to alleviate Palestinian suffering.
'Overjoyed'
Local activists and charity workers had feared Israel's military would step in to prevent the activists from reaching their destination.
Andrew Mumcie, one of the activists on board one of the boats, told Al Jazeera he was "overjoyed" by their success in reaching Gaza's shore.
"Now we will go back to Cyprus and organise another trip," Mumcie said, adding the group would continue its activities until Israel's siege of Gaza was lifted.
Israel's foreign ministry said it had been closely monitoring the 21-metre-long "Free Gaza" and 18-metre-long "Liberty" boats after they left the Cypriot port of Larnaca.
Aviv Sharon, an Israeli foreign ministry spokesman, earlier said: "They want provocation at sea, but they won't get it.
"We know who the passengers are and what they are bringing with them, and so we have no problem letting them through."
'Death threats'
Sharon had said earlier in the day that "all options" were being considered to prevent the ships from entering embargoed waters.
Angela Godfrey-Goldstein, a Jerusalem-based spokeswoman for the Free Gaza Movement which organised the event, said the boats' communications systems had been attacked by "electronic piracy" earlier in the day.
The activists' group was comprised of people between 22 and 81, included students, lawyers, doctors, journalists and an online poker player, organisers said.
Mostly American and British, they included Lauren Booth, the sister-in-law of Tony Blair, the former British prime minister who is now a Middle East envoy.
Many of the activists said they had received death threats before they set sail, leading some to drop out.
Israel has tightened its blockade of Gaza since Hamas seized power in June 2007.
Awad Hamdan
American Muslims for Palestine
National Office Manager
6424M W Belmont Avenue
Chicago, IL 60634
Office 888.404.4 AMP
Mobile 773-366-1232
Fax 214.279.2914
Two vessels spent 30-hours journeying to the Gaza Strip from Cyprus [AFP]
Two vessels carrying 46 international human rights activists have reached the Gaza Strip, despite Israel's strict 14-month siege of the Palestinian territory.
The end of the mission to symbolically break the siege came after Israel backed down from an earlier warning to the 'Free Gaza' protest group not to breach the blockade.
Al Jazeera's Ashraf Amritti in Gaza said: "The arrival of these two boats is a very symbolic gesture for the Palestinian cause, to end the siege, end the occupation.
In fact, those phrases are written across the peace boats which carry flags from more than 70 nationalities."
The boats set sail on Friday on a 370km voyage from the Mediterranean island of Cyprus carrying activists from 17 countries, including Israel, with the aim of drawing attention to Israel's blockade of Gaza and its affect on the people there.
The boats sailed through choppy waters into Gaza City's main port on Saturday, where they were greeted by thousands of people waving Palestinian flags, many of them sailing around the harbour in boats.
Unity call
Ismail Haniya, the Hamas leader and dismissed Palestinian prime minster, called on the world to follow the example of the international activists movement and "break the siege on Gaza".
"We deeply appreciate and salute the activists on the two boats", Haniya told Al Jazeera in a phone interview.
Haniya said that it was time for Egypt to reopen the Rafah crossing and end the siege once and for all.
Egypt reopened the crossing last January after Palestinians blew up part of the border barrier, allowing thousands to stock up on supplies from border towns.
Cairo sealed the crossing three days later under pressure from both the United States and the Israeli government, to "protect its own sovereignty."
Jibril al-Rjoub, a senior Fatah leader, also welcomed the "breach of the embargo", describing the international activists as "humanists".
"The two boats defiance the of the Israeli blockade is a glimmer of hope that could be an opening of an end of the siege", the former Palestinian security chief told Al Jazeera in an interview from the West Bank of Ramallah.
Rjoub called for both an immediate reconcilation between Fatah and Hamas to unite the efforts to restore national unity, and to forge ahead with efforts to alleviate Palestinian suffering.
'Overjoyed'
Local activists and charity workers had feared Israel's military would step in to prevent the activists from reaching their destination.
Andrew Mumcie, one of the activists on board one of the boats, told Al Jazeera he was "overjoyed" by their success in reaching Gaza's shore.
"Now we will go back to Cyprus and organise another trip," Mumcie said, adding the group would continue its activities until Israel's siege of Gaza was lifted.
Israel's foreign ministry said it had been closely monitoring the 21-metre-long "Free Gaza" and 18-metre-long "Liberty" boats after they left the Cypriot port of Larnaca.
Aviv Sharon, an Israeli foreign ministry spokesman, earlier said: "They want provocation at sea, but they won't get it.
"We know who the passengers are and what they are bringing with them, and so we have no problem letting them through."
'Death threats'
Sharon had said earlier in the day that "all options" were being considered to prevent the ships from entering embargoed waters.
Angela Godfrey-Goldstein, a Jerusalem-based spokeswoman for the Free Gaza Movement which organised the event, said the boats' communications systems had been attacked by "electronic piracy" earlier in the day.
The activists' group was comprised of people between 22 and 81, included students, lawyers, doctors, journalists and an online poker player, organisers said.
Mostly American and British, they included Lauren Booth, the sister-in-law of Tony Blair, the former British prime minister who is now a Middle East envoy.
Many of the activists said they had received death threats before they set sail, leading some to drop out.
Israel has tightened its blockade of Gaza since Hamas seized power in June 2007.
Awad Hamdan
American Muslims for Palestine
National Office Manager
6424M W Belmont Avenue
Chicago, IL 60634
Office 888.404.4 AMP
Mobile 773-366-1232
Fax 214.279.2914
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Ramadan Revival planned in Des Plaines Illinois
MASYouthChicago Presents…
RamadanRevival! with Imam Suhaib Webb
Friday, August 22nd, 2008
Prepare your soul for Ramadan! Attend a revival lecture by the phenomenal (mashAllah)Imam Suhaib Webb and get a head start on your spiritual cleansing. Worry not; there will beenlightening entertainment as well, featuring spoken word artists, beat-boxing, and much more..Friday Sermon (Khutba)
Islamic Community Center of Des Plaines480 Potter Rd., Des Plaines, IL 60016
~RamadanRevival and EntertainmentUniversity of Illinois at Chicago Behavioral Sciences Building Room 1451007 West Harrison Street
6:00-9:30 PM
~Saturday Morning Intensive Course
University of Illinois at Chicago Behavioral Sciences Building Room 1401007 West Harrison Street
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Lamya Arman
MAS Youth Chicago
Lamya_Arman@yahoo.com
RamadanRevival! with Imam Suhaib Webb
Friday, August 22nd, 2008
Prepare your soul for Ramadan! Attend a revival lecture by the phenomenal (mashAllah)Imam Suhaib Webb and get a head start on your spiritual cleansing. Worry not; there will beenlightening entertainment as well, featuring spoken word artists, beat-boxing, and much more..Friday Sermon (Khutba)
Islamic Community Center of Des Plaines480 Potter Rd., Des Plaines, IL 60016
~RamadanRevival and EntertainmentUniversity of Illinois at Chicago Behavioral Sciences Building Room 1451007 West Harrison Street
6:00-9:30 PM
~Saturday Morning Intensive Course
University of Illinois at Chicago Behavioral Sciences Building Room 1401007 West Harrison Street
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Lamya Arman
MAS Youth Chicago
Lamya_Arman@yahoo.com
Friday, August 15, 2008
Video in defense of Baha'i minority rights
Safeguard The Innocent: Video in Defense of the Baha'i Minority
"I will not stand by while my neighbors are denied basic human rights just because they are Baha'is"
MideastYouth.com's Censeo Productions and BahaiRights.org announce the release of their new video defending the rights of the Baha'i minority.
How many times have you heard people ask, where are the Muslim voices against discrimination and oppression? Here is your chance to write about a group of Middle Eastern youth who have come together in defense of minorities within their communities and to practice dialogue with one another. Their most recent effort is the creation of a video to bring attention to the rights of the Baha'is: a religious minority that has often found itself persecuted in predominantly Muslim countries.
Nowhere is the persecution worse than in Iran and Egypt where they have been denied basic rights and seen their sacred places destroyed and vandalized. In Iran, where the Baha'i Faith first emerged, Baha'i schools are shut down, leaders of the faith are arrested, executed, or harassed, and Baha'is are denied the right to higher education. In Egypt, Baha'is are not given identity papers, thus preventing them from attaining the basic rights of citizenship.
A group of predominantly Muslim youth have banded together to speak out against the discrimination. They formed a website, BahaiRights.org, which catalogues abuses against Baha'is and have now released a video which uses images from the film Persepolis to make a powerful statement against the persecution of the Baha'is. Their first video, called "Egyptian Tourism Ad," which edited a popular TV advertisement into an awareness campaign for the condition of Baha'is in Egypt, has been written about in a prominent Egyptian paper, Al Masry Al Yowm.
"When minorities are not given their rights, how can we ever expect to exercise our own?" says Kawthar Muhaib, a member of the Muslim Network for Baha'i Rights.
Watch the video here:English: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEI8RxFL7ZsFarsi: http://tinyurl.com/63kpzeFor more information contact:
Esra'a Al Shafei, Director, MideastYouth.com, director@mideastyouth.comKawthar Muhaib, Project Coordinator, MideastYouth.com, kaw@mideastyouth.com
More about our efforts to defend the rights of the Baha'i minority:
BBC Persian:http://tinyurl.com/6q4f3xMuslim Arab Youth Defend Baha'i
Rights:http://tinyurl.com/6odhqwMideastYouth.com in the
Press:http://www.mideastyouth.com/press-room/
"I will not stand by while my neighbors are denied basic human rights just because they are Baha'is"
MideastYouth.com's Censeo Productions and BahaiRights.org announce the release of their new video defending the rights of the Baha'i minority.
How many times have you heard people ask, where are the Muslim voices against discrimination and oppression? Here is your chance to write about a group of Middle Eastern youth who have come together in defense of minorities within their communities and to practice dialogue with one another. Their most recent effort is the creation of a video to bring attention to the rights of the Baha'is: a religious minority that has often found itself persecuted in predominantly Muslim countries.
Nowhere is the persecution worse than in Iran and Egypt where they have been denied basic rights and seen their sacred places destroyed and vandalized. In Iran, where the Baha'i Faith first emerged, Baha'i schools are shut down, leaders of the faith are arrested, executed, or harassed, and Baha'is are denied the right to higher education. In Egypt, Baha'is are not given identity papers, thus preventing them from attaining the basic rights of citizenship.
A group of predominantly Muslim youth have banded together to speak out against the discrimination. They formed a website, BahaiRights.org, which catalogues abuses against Baha'is and have now released a video which uses images from the film Persepolis to make a powerful statement against the persecution of the Baha'is. Their first video, called "Egyptian Tourism Ad," which edited a popular TV advertisement into an awareness campaign for the condition of Baha'is in Egypt, has been written about in a prominent Egyptian paper, Al Masry Al Yowm.
"When minorities are not given their rights, how can we ever expect to exercise our own?" says Kawthar Muhaib, a member of the Muslim Network for Baha'i Rights.
Watch the video here:English: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEI8RxFL7ZsFarsi: http://tinyurl.com/63kpzeFor more information contact:
Esra'a Al Shafei, Director, MideastYouth.com, director@mideastyouth.comKawthar Muhaib, Project Coordinator, MideastYouth.com, kaw@mideastyouth.com
More about our efforts to defend the rights of the Baha'i minority:
BBC Persian:http://tinyurl.com/6q4f3xMuslim Arab Youth Defend Baha'i
Rights:http://tinyurl.com/6odhqwMideastYouth.com in the
Press:http://www.mideastyouth.com/press-room/
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
THE LAST PHARAOH: MUBARAK AND THE UNCERTAIN FUTURE OF EGYPT IN THE VOLATILE MID EAST
A new book predicts the end of the Mubarak and the coming political earthquake
THE LAST PHARAOH: MUBARAK AND THE UNCERTAIN FUTURE OF EGYPT IN THE VOLATILE MID EAST
By
Aladdin Elaasar
For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL - Award winning journalist, Aladdin Elaasar has just released his latest book: THE LAST PHARAOH: MUBARAK AND THE UNCERTAIN FUTURE OF EGYPT IN THE VOLATILE MID EAST, predicting the downfall of President Mubarak of Egypt and the aftermath of the collapse of his regime .
Packed with facts and telling the story of both modern and Ancient Egypt, how the modern Arab and Islamic Worlds evolved, and interviewing and quoting experts, politicians, journalists and Western diplomats, Elaasar tells a compelling story that needs to be read by every one. Combining an uncanny sense of clarity and understatement, Aladdin Elaasar weaves E gypt’s historical grandeur with an unnerving cascade of political intrigue that reveal a side of Mubarak the world cannot long ignore. In one fell swoop, my admiration for Egypt is both strengthened, and the source of my20unease revealed, as the author sheds light on the darkness of Egyptian politics that could one day turn catastrophic. With so much at stake, the west is slowly coming to grips with a new reality; a reality which no single book or author could possibly address. The Last Pharaoh should be indispensable to anyone hoping to understand Egypt’s role, not only the Middle East, but the potential for Mubarak’s Egypt to impact the destiny of global events.
"Peeling back layer after complex layer of Egyptian intrigue, culture and politics, Aladdin de-mystifies Egypt without tarnishing her almost mystical status as the pinnacle of Arabian culture, and the bedrock of human civilization. The book is stunning in its revelations of Mubarak’s stranglehold on every aspect of life in this glorious, long suffering nation. Connecting one mysterious dot to the next, Aladdin teases the reader from chapter to chapter as he lucidly explains the details of Egypt’s worst kept secrets of all…the ‘secret’ of Mubarak’s power and how he plans to rule from his own royal crypt, " says Professor Tate Miller, expert on International Negotiations; Conflict Management; Government Relations and Diplomac y; Cross-cultural Communication, and Senior Lecturer at the Monterey Institute of International Studies.
“Egypt is the next domino to fall and, as they say, so goes Egypt so goes the Middle East...explaining why a pillar of American dominance in that part of the world is about to crumble.” Says Robert Baer, former Middle East-based CIA operative and author of See No Evil, and Sleeping with the Devil.
The 83 years old President Mubarak of Egypt has been in power since 1981 and was elected for six more years in 2005. Concerns about Mubarak’s health draw much greater attention to the question of who will next rule the nation of Egypt? Succession plan for Mubarak’s son Gamal is already in place.
Haunted by the memories of the overnight fall of the Shah of Iran to the Ayatollahs, U.S. policymakers fear a similar event in Egypt. Once thought to be a strong U.S. ally, the Shah, lost his grip over power to the zealous clergy sabotaging every effort for peace and stability in the region. Marcos and Suharto, two old dictators considered strong U.S. allies, as well, fell to the angry mobs in the Philippines and Indonesia. Bush's successor is likely to=2 0find himself (or herself) facing an unbelievably bad choice in the largest Arab country. Would America intervene militarily to preserve Gamal’s faltering rule? Is Africa where Al-Qaeda hides its money, guns, recruits, training camps—and its future? Africa would be the last gr eat stand in this Long War, where all those impossibly straight borders will inevitably be made squiggly again by globalization's cultural reformatting process. Now this fight heads south...and yes, the Long War could be even uglier there.
END-
About the Author
Born, raised and educated in Egypt, lecturer and writer Aladdin Elaasar is one of the foremost authorities on Egypt and the Arab World. Some of his writings are: “Iraq, the State & Terrorism”; where he predicted the downfall of former Dictator Saddam Hussein. Elaasar also wrote “Silent Victims: the Plight of Arab & Muslim Americans in Post 9/11 America”, 2004. He has been a frequent commentator on Middle Eastern affairs on several local American TV and Radio networks since 1992.
For a free preview please click here: http://www.mobipocket.com/en/eBooks/AuthorDetails.asp?authorId=63168&authorName=Elaasar%2C+Aladdin
THE LAST PHARAOH: MUBARAK AND THE UNCERTAIN FUTURE OF EGYPT IN THE VOLATILE MID EAST
By
Aladdin Elaasar
For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL - Award winning journalist, Aladdin Elaasar has just released his latest book: THE LAST PHARAOH: MUBARAK AND THE UNCERTAIN FUTURE OF EGYPT IN THE VOLATILE MID EAST, predicting the downfall of President Mubarak of Egypt and the aftermath of the collapse of his regime .
Packed with facts and telling the story of both modern and Ancient Egypt, how the modern Arab and Islamic Worlds evolved, and interviewing and quoting experts, politicians, journalists and Western diplomats, Elaasar tells a compelling story that needs to be read by every one. Combining an uncanny sense of clarity and understatement, Aladdin Elaasar weaves E gypt’s historical grandeur with an unnerving cascade of political intrigue that reveal a side of Mubarak the world cannot long ignore. In one fell swoop, my admiration for Egypt is both strengthened, and the source of my20unease revealed, as the author sheds light on the darkness of Egyptian politics that could one day turn catastrophic. With so much at stake, the west is slowly coming to grips with a new reality; a reality which no single book or author could possibly address. The Last Pharaoh should be indispensable to anyone hoping to understand Egypt’s role, not only the Middle East, but the potential for Mubarak’s Egypt to impact the destiny of global events.
"Peeling back layer after complex layer of Egyptian intrigue, culture and politics, Aladdin de-mystifies Egypt without tarnishing her almost mystical status as the pinnacle of Arabian culture, and the bedrock of human civilization. The book is stunning in its revelations of Mubarak’s stranglehold on every aspect of life in this glorious, long suffering nation. Connecting one mysterious dot to the next, Aladdin teases the reader from chapter to chapter as he lucidly explains the details of Egypt’s worst kept secrets of all…the ‘secret’ of Mubarak’s power and how he plans to rule from his own royal crypt, " says Professor Tate Miller, expert on International Negotiations; Conflict Management; Government Relations and Diplomac y; Cross-cultural Communication, and Senior Lecturer at the Monterey Institute of International Studies.
“Egypt is the next domino to fall and, as they say, so goes Egypt so goes the Middle East...explaining why a pillar of American dominance in that part of the world is about to crumble.” Says Robert Baer, former Middle East-based CIA operative and author of See No Evil, and Sleeping with the Devil.
The 83 years old President Mubarak of Egypt has been in power since 1981 and was elected for six more years in 2005. Concerns about Mubarak’s health draw much greater attention to the question of who will next rule the nation of Egypt? Succession plan for Mubarak’s son Gamal is already in place.
Haunted by the memories of the overnight fall of the Shah of Iran to the Ayatollahs, U.S. policymakers fear a similar event in Egypt. Once thought to be a strong U.S. ally, the Shah, lost his grip over power to the zealous clergy sabotaging every effort for peace and stability in the region. Marcos and Suharto, two old dictators considered strong U.S. allies, as well, fell to the angry mobs in the Philippines and Indonesia. Bush's successor is likely to=2 0find himself (or herself) facing an unbelievably bad choice in the largest Arab country. Would America intervene militarily to preserve Gamal’s faltering rule? Is Africa where Al-Qaeda hides its money, guns, recruits, training camps—and its future? Africa would be the last gr eat stand in this Long War, where all those impossibly straight borders will inevitably be made squiggly again by globalization's cultural reformatting process. Now this fight heads south...and yes, the Long War could be even uglier there.
END-
About the Author
Born, raised and educated in Egypt, lecturer and writer Aladdin Elaasar is one of the foremost authorities on Egypt and the Arab World. Some of his writings are: “Iraq, the State & Terrorism”; where he predicted the downfall of former Dictator Saddam Hussein. Elaasar also wrote “Silent Victims: the Plight of Arab & Muslim Americans in Post 9/11 America”, 2004. He has been a frequent commentator on Middle Eastern affairs on several local American TV and Radio networks since 1992.
For a free preview please click here: http://www.mobipocket.com/en/eBooks/AuthorDetails.asp?authorId=63168&authorName=Elaasar%2C+Aladdin
New Book "Prophets and Princes" by Mark Weston released
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Prophets and Princes – Saudi Arabia from Muhammad to the Present By Mark Weston
Presents a new, post – 9/11 history of Saudi Arabia
New York, NY – Saudi Arabia is easy to criticize. It is the birthplace of Osama bin Laden and fifteen of the nineteen 9/11 hijackers. Saudi women are not permitted to drive, work with men, or travel without a man’s permission. Prior to 9/11, the Saudis sent millions of dollars abroad to schools that taught Muslim extremism and to charities that turned out to be fronts for al-Qaeda. Yet the country is the economic and spiritual center of the Middle East, the source of one fourth of the world’s oil, and the cradle of Islam.
In PROPHETS AND PRINCES (Wiley, August 2008, $35.00), Mark Weston, a scholar who has lived in Saudi Arabia, writes that despite its serious shortcomings, the Saudi kingdom is still America’s most important ally in the Middle East. The country is a voice for moderation toward Israel and on the price of oil, and it is starting to make the economic and cultural changes necessary to adjust to modern realities.
Most books on Saudi Arabia focus on current events and give short shrift to the long history that is the key to understanding the Saudis. PROPHETS AND PRINCES begins with the birth of Muhammad in 570, but almost half of the book is a revealing portrait of Saudi Arabia today. Drawing on interviews with many Saudi men and women, Weston portrays a complex society in which sixty percent of Saudi Arabia’s university students are women, and citizens who seek a constitutional monarchy can petition the king without fear of reprisal.
PROPHETS AND PRINCES is loaded with new information about Saudi Arabia, painting a more complete picture of the country than other recent books on the topic do. For example:
· The Saudi government has stopped charities from doing any work abroad since 9/11, fired 1300 radical clerics and forbidden them to preach, and is completing the process of replacing over a million textbooks that had hostile references to Christians and Jews.
· The terror-filled spring of 2004, when Westerners were getting killed every few days, came to an abrupt end in June of that year when the Saudi police raided several terrorist hideouts after receiving tips from “disgusted neighbors.”
· 22 members of the bin Laden family were able to leave the U.S. in the days after 9/11 because the FBI had already thoroughly investigated the entire family, with their full cooperation, after the 1998 African embassy bombings.
· The outrage following the tragic girls’ school fire in Mecca in 2002, when fifteen girls were trampled to death as religious policemen prevented fire fighters from entering the school because the girls were not wearing the full veil, has led to a freer press and the transfer of the administration of the nation’s girls’ schools from religious authorities to the Ministry of Education.
Weston also brings to life the story of Muhammad, his successors, and origin of the Sunni-Shi’ite split in the 7th century; ibn Abdul Wahhab and the rise of Wahhabism in the 18th century; the discovery of oil in the kingdom in the 1930s, and the influence of the Egyptian writer Sayyid Qutb on al-Qaeda in 20th and 21st centuries.
Mark Weston, a former Visiting Scholar at the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies in Riyadh, has been a lawyer for ABC Television and a journalist for ABC News. His articles have been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Los Angeles Times. He is the author of Giants of Japan, The Lives of Japan’s Greatest Men and Women and The Land and People of Pakistan.
Filled with new and underreported information about life in Saudi Arabia, PROPHETS AND PRINCES is a must-read for anyone interested in the Middle East, oil, Islam, or terrorism.
Prophets and Princes – Saudi Arabia from Muhammad to the Present By Mark Weston
Presents a new, post – 9/11 history of Saudi Arabia
New York, NY – Saudi Arabia is easy to criticize. It is the birthplace of Osama bin Laden and fifteen of the nineteen 9/11 hijackers. Saudi women are not permitted to drive, work with men, or travel without a man’s permission. Prior to 9/11, the Saudis sent millions of dollars abroad to schools that taught Muslim extremism and to charities that turned out to be fronts for al-Qaeda. Yet the country is the economic and spiritual center of the Middle East, the source of one fourth of the world’s oil, and the cradle of Islam.
In PROPHETS AND PRINCES (Wiley, August 2008, $35.00), Mark Weston, a scholar who has lived in Saudi Arabia, writes that despite its serious shortcomings, the Saudi kingdom is still America’s most important ally in the Middle East. The country is a voice for moderation toward Israel and on the price of oil, and it is starting to make the economic and cultural changes necessary to adjust to modern realities.
Most books on Saudi Arabia focus on current events and give short shrift to the long history that is the key to understanding the Saudis. PROPHETS AND PRINCES begins with the birth of Muhammad in 570, but almost half of the book is a revealing portrait of Saudi Arabia today. Drawing on interviews with many Saudi men and women, Weston portrays a complex society in which sixty percent of Saudi Arabia’s university students are women, and citizens who seek a constitutional monarchy can petition the king without fear of reprisal.
PROPHETS AND PRINCES is loaded with new information about Saudi Arabia, painting a more complete picture of the country than other recent books on the topic do. For example:
· The Saudi government has stopped charities from doing any work abroad since 9/11, fired 1300 radical clerics and forbidden them to preach, and is completing the process of replacing over a million textbooks that had hostile references to Christians and Jews.
· The terror-filled spring of 2004, when Westerners were getting killed every few days, came to an abrupt end in June of that year when the Saudi police raided several terrorist hideouts after receiving tips from “disgusted neighbors.”
· 22 members of the bin Laden family were able to leave the U.S. in the days after 9/11 because the FBI had already thoroughly investigated the entire family, with their full cooperation, after the 1998 African embassy bombings.
· The outrage following the tragic girls’ school fire in Mecca in 2002, when fifteen girls were trampled to death as religious policemen prevented fire fighters from entering the school because the girls were not wearing the full veil, has led to a freer press and the transfer of the administration of the nation’s girls’ schools from religious authorities to the Ministry of Education.
Weston also brings to life the story of Muhammad, his successors, and origin of the Sunni-Shi’ite split in the 7th century; ibn Abdul Wahhab and the rise of Wahhabism in the 18th century; the discovery of oil in the kingdom in the 1930s, and the influence of the Egyptian writer Sayyid Qutb on al-Qaeda in 20th and 21st centuries.
Mark Weston, a former Visiting Scholar at the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies in Riyadh, has been a lawyer for ABC Television and a journalist for ABC News. His articles have been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Los Angeles Times. He is the author of Giants of Japan, The Lives of Japan’s Greatest Men and Women and The Land and People of Pakistan.
Filled with new and underreported information about life in Saudi Arabia, PROPHETS AND PRINCES is a must-read for anyone interested in the Middle East, oil, Islam, or terrorism.
PLO offers condolences for death of Mahmoud Darwish
August 13, 2008
Subject: Condolences for Mahmoud DarwishFrom: The PLO Mission-Washington, DC
Dr. Nabil Abuznaid, Charge' d'Affaires of the PLO Mission and staff, extend their heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the late Mr. Mahmoud Darwish and to the Palestinian people for the loss of a respected poet and author. Mr. Darwish was one of the greatest contemporary Arab Poets, a literary figure who enlightened the entire world with his work. His poetry and prose created a Palestinian national identity that no other poet could achieve. Mahmoud Darwish gave a voice to the Palestinians through his writings and was able to define a country's collective spirit through his work. The Palestinians and the entire world revered Mr. Darwish as a literary icon, and as an artist whose voice will be forever missed.
The PLO Mission will open a book of condolences to be signed beginning Monday August 18th thru Friday August 22nd from 12:30 - 4:00 pm. PLO Mission1320 18th Street, NWSuite 200Washington, DC 20036202-974-6360 PLO Mission Staff Washington DC
Subject: Condolences for Mahmoud DarwishFrom: The PLO Mission-Washington, DC
Dr. Nabil Abuznaid, Charge' d'Affaires of the PLO Mission and staff, extend their heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the late Mr. Mahmoud Darwish and to the Palestinian people for the loss of a respected poet and author. Mr. Darwish was one of the greatest contemporary Arab Poets, a literary figure who enlightened the entire world with his work. His poetry and prose created a Palestinian national identity that no other poet could achieve. Mahmoud Darwish gave a voice to the Palestinians through his writings and was able to define a country's collective spirit through his work. The Palestinians and the entire world revered Mr. Darwish as a literary icon, and as an artist whose voice will be forever missed.
The PLO Mission will open a book of condolences to be signed beginning Monday August 18th thru Friday August 22nd from 12:30 - 4:00 pm. PLO Mission1320 18th Street, NWSuite 200Washington, DC 20036202-974-6360 PLO Mission Staff Washington DC
IQRA honors three Muslim leaders October 19
Media contact: Jameel A. Syed
Cell: 248.635.9275
Email: info@fluidvisions.com
Website: www.iqrafoundation.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
IQRA’ SILVER JUBILEE DINNER
Securing Our Future: The Need for Effective Islamic Education
Chicago (Aug. 13, 2008) – Twenty-five years have passed since concerned educators established a non-profit organization whose name literally means to "read." This fact not only reflects the first word revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), but exhibits this organization’s goal to facilitate access to Islamic literature and education for everyone.
IQRA’ International Educational Foundation invites you to celebrate its Silver Jubilee anniversary on Sunday, October 19th, 2008 at 6:00 p.m. at Monty’s Elegant Banquets in Bensenville, Illinois. Tickets are priced at $100 per person and $50 for students. The event will include a dinner with entertainment and will provide an opportunity for all involved to converse and network with leading civic and educational activists in the country. One of America’s most valued Islamic scholars, Imam Zaid Shakir, will present the keynote address focusing on the challenges facing Islamic education in pluralistic societies.
IQRA’ will also honor three American Muslim scholars - Shaykh Abdullah Idris Ali, Dr. Ahmad Sakr and Dr. Seema Imam - with lifetime achievement awards.
These past seven months, IQRA’ has been celebrating its Silver Jubilee with a series of programs that include teachers training workshops, storytelling for children, special educational forums, visits to Islamic centers and community organizations and Khutbahs to Masajids
IQRA’ International Educational Foundation was established in 1983 by concerned Muslim educators who saw a need to provide quality Islamic education for Muslim children living in North America and in other pluralistic societies. IQRA’ has since developed a comprehensive, integrated and systematic system of Islamic studies, publishing over 150 textbooks, workbooks, teacher’s guides, curriculum guides and other educational materials. IQRA’s program is extremely popular in Islamic full-time and weekend schools and is being used in many countries around the world.
This year IQRA’ International Educational Foundation plans to establish a program of online distance learning state of the art distribution facilities for Islamic publications and an updated marketing system.
Of course, all of this work takes money. "Our future depends on achieving financial independence and operational efficiency, given that we are accountable to the community from whom we aim to secure at least one million dollars," said Dr. Abidullah Ghazi, IQRA’s executive director. "With community support we plan to establish an endowment fund that would provide for the continuation of our efforts well into the future. It is also critically important that we prepare IQRA’s succession by bringing in young professionals."
We at IQRA’ International Educational Foundation invite you to celebrate our achievements on IQRA’s Silver Jubilee celebration night on October 19th, 2008. You can purchase tickets in person at IQRA’ Book Center, IQRA’ Head Office, or online at
http://www.iqrafoundation.com/.
Jubilee Venue Address: Monty’s Elegant Banquets
703 South York Road
Bensenville, IL. 60106
(630) 595-1780
IQRA’ Head Office: 7450 Skokie Blvd.
Skokie, IL 60077
(847) 673-4072
IQRA’ Book Center: 2749-51 W. Devon Ave.
Chicago, IL 60659
(773) 274-2665
Cell: 248.635.9275
Email: info@fluidvisions.com
Website: www.iqrafoundation.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
IQRA’ SILVER JUBILEE DINNER
Securing Our Future: The Need for Effective Islamic Education
Chicago (Aug. 13, 2008) – Twenty-five years have passed since concerned educators established a non-profit organization whose name literally means to "read." This fact not only reflects the first word revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), but exhibits this organization’s goal to facilitate access to Islamic literature and education for everyone.
IQRA’ International Educational Foundation invites you to celebrate its Silver Jubilee anniversary on Sunday, October 19th, 2008 at 6:00 p.m. at Monty’s Elegant Banquets in Bensenville, Illinois. Tickets are priced at $100 per person and $50 for students. The event will include a dinner with entertainment and will provide an opportunity for all involved to converse and network with leading civic and educational activists in the country. One of America’s most valued Islamic scholars, Imam Zaid Shakir, will present the keynote address focusing on the challenges facing Islamic education in pluralistic societies.
IQRA’ will also honor three American Muslim scholars - Shaykh Abdullah Idris Ali, Dr. Ahmad Sakr and Dr. Seema Imam - with lifetime achievement awards.
These past seven months, IQRA’ has been celebrating its Silver Jubilee with a series of programs that include teachers training workshops, storytelling for children, special educational forums, visits to Islamic centers and community organizations and Khutbahs to Masajids
IQRA’ International Educational Foundation was established in 1983 by concerned Muslim educators who saw a need to provide quality Islamic education for Muslim children living in North America and in other pluralistic societies. IQRA’ has since developed a comprehensive, integrated and systematic system of Islamic studies, publishing over 150 textbooks, workbooks, teacher’s guides, curriculum guides and other educational materials. IQRA’s program is extremely popular in Islamic full-time and weekend schools and is being used in many countries around the world.
This year IQRA’ International Educational Foundation plans to establish a program of online distance learning state of the art distribution facilities for Islamic publications and an updated marketing system.
Of course, all of this work takes money. "Our future depends on achieving financial independence and operational efficiency, given that we are accountable to the community from whom we aim to secure at least one million dollars," said Dr. Abidullah Ghazi, IQRA’s executive director. "With community support we plan to establish an endowment fund that would provide for the continuation of our efforts well into the future. It is also critically important that we prepare IQRA’s succession by bringing in young professionals."
We at IQRA’ International Educational Foundation invite you to celebrate our achievements on IQRA’s Silver Jubilee celebration night on October 19th, 2008. You can purchase tickets in person at IQRA’ Book Center, IQRA’ Head Office, or online at
http://www.iqrafoundation.com/.
Jubilee Venue Address: Monty’s Elegant Banquets
703 South York Road
Bensenville, IL. 60106
(630) 595-1780
IQRA’ Head Office: 7450 Skokie Blvd.
Skokie, IL 60077
(847) 673-4072
IQRA’ Book Center: 2749-51 W. Devon Ave.
Chicago, IL 60659
(773) 274-2665
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Navy SEAL Fitness Challenge Sept. 6 UIC Chicago
Greetings Chicago Arab-Americans,
I am writing you on behalf of the U.S. Navy in the interest of promoting the Navy SEAL Fitness Challenge, which will take place in Chicago (University of Illinois-Chicago) on September 6th. Below is a link to the electronic press kit provided by our media public relations firm. In the interest of diversification and cultural awareness, as well as the main message of this event - raising awareness in fitness and battling obesity - the Navy is reaching out to communities of all cultural backgrounds.
Please take a few moments to view the information link, and if you have any questions, please feel free to call me or email me.
Thank you for your time.
Best Regards,
Alissar Langworthy
Diversity Advisor - Navy SEAL Fitness Challenge
269-832-2882
quaize@aol.com
sealfitnesschallenge.com
Hope you’ll let your readers know about The Navy SEAL Fitness Challenge taking place Sept. 6 at UIC. The SEALs motivation is to bring awaren ess to the epidemic of obesity. The challenge is totally free and open to anyone – city or suburb – male or female - age 13 and up. This event has taken place in Boston, LA, San Antonio and Detroit. Let’s show ‘em what Chicagoland can do!!!!!
Lots of great photos and endorsements from all sorts of VIPs in Chicago are part of the EPK.
Electronic Press Kit: http://www.gr-pr.com/navy/
In fact, one of the endorsers is the executive director of the Mayor’s Fitness Council - Colleen Lammel-Harmon, RD, LDN. At the news conference about the challenge, she did 6 pull-ups. Females have a very hard time with pull ups! This firecracker of a woman is available for interviews as are the others.
Also in the EPK is a tab about Media Day which will be held 72 hours before the actual event, on Wednesday, Sept. 3, at (or outside of) the Physical Education Building at UIC, 839 W. Roosevelt, Chicago. The SEALs will accommodate your schedule anytime between 6 a.m. and noon. And if those hours don’t work, please call to arrange another time. You and your colleagues (bring the entire newsroom!) are invited to experience the challenge for yourselves. If you’re not too keen about tackling the pull-up bar yourself, bring someone from the office who’s willing, and do a story, take a photo or get some footage of them. The SEALs will be available for interviews.
Media Day is all yours. Please RSVP to Ginny Richardson at 630-789-8555, Ext 10 or grichardson@gr-pr.com. Thanks for your consideration of bot h Media Day and the release below.
Ginny Richardson
For Immediate Release
Press contact: Ginny Richardson, GR-PR
630-789-8555, Ext. 10 or grichardson@gr-pr.com
electronic press kit: http://www.gr-pr.com/navy/
I am writing you on behalf of the U.S. Navy in the interest of promoting the Navy SEAL Fitness Challenge, which will take place in Chicago (University of Illinois-Chicago) on September 6th. Below is a link to the electronic press kit provided by our media public relations firm. In the interest of diversification and cultural awareness, as well as the main message of this event - raising awareness in fitness and battling obesity - the Navy is reaching out to communities of all cultural backgrounds.
Please take a few moments to view the information link, and if you have any questions, please feel free to call me or email me.
Thank you for your time.
Best Regards,
Alissar Langworthy
Diversity Advisor - Navy SEAL Fitness Challenge
269-832-2882
quaize@aol.com
sealfitnesschallenge.com
Hope you’ll let your readers know about The Navy SEAL Fitness Challenge taking place Sept. 6 at UIC. The SEALs motivation is to bring awaren ess to the epidemic of obesity. The challenge is totally free and open to anyone – city or suburb – male or female - age 13 and up. This event has taken place in Boston, LA, San Antonio and Detroit. Let’s show ‘em what Chicagoland can do!!!!!
Lots of great photos and endorsements from all sorts of VIPs in Chicago are part of the EPK.
Electronic Press Kit: http://www.gr-pr.com/navy/
In fact, one of the endorsers is the executive director of the Mayor’s Fitness Council - Colleen Lammel-Harmon, RD, LDN. At the news conference about the challenge, she did 6 pull-ups. Females have a very hard time with pull ups! This firecracker of a woman is available for interviews as are the others.
Also in the EPK is a tab about Media Day which will be held 72 hours before the actual event, on Wednesday, Sept. 3, at (or outside of) the Physical Education Building at UIC, 839 W. Roosevelt, Chicago. The SEALs will accommodate your schedule anytime between 6 a.m. and noon. And if those hours don’t work, please call to arrange another time. You and your colleagues (bring the entire newsroom!) are invited to experience the challenge for yourselves. If you’re not too keen about tackling the pull-up bar yourself, bring someone from the office who’s willing, and do a story, take a photo or get some footage of them. The SEALs will be available for interviews.
Media Day is all yours. Please RSVP to Ginny Richardson at 630-789-8555, Ext 10 or grichardson@gr-pr.com. Thanks for your consideration of bot h Media Day and the release below.
Ginny Richardson
For Immediate Release
Press contact: Ginny Richardson, GR-PR
630-789-8555, Ext. 10 or grichardson@gr-pr.com
electronic press kit: http://www.gr-pr.com/navy/
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Arab Christian comedians organize fundraiser for Arab Christian member of the Israeli Knesset Oct 8 Oak Park, Illinois
The only Chicago area performance of the INFIDELS OF COMEDY Arab Christian Comedy Tour in Oak Park at the Arts Center on Wednesday October 8, 2008 at 6 :30 PM, a fundraiser for Nadia Hilou an Arab Christian member of the Israeli Knesset.
Attached is the press release, but it might be the only time you'll see Christian Arab comedians coming together to help a Christian Palestinian woman who is running for re-election in the Israeli Knesset with the Labor Party. This event will also help support Mar Elias Campus which is a branch of the University of Indianapolis in Ibillin in the Galilee. You can get information and tickets online at www.InfidelsofComedy.com.
Please pass it along if you can and I hope you come out to see my comedy and the comedy of two other Christian Arab comedians Nasry Malak and Maria Shehata.
Thanks
Ray hanania
www.TheMediaOasis.com
======= ===========
===========
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ray Hanania
312-933-9855
www.InfidelsofComedy.com
August 3, 2008
Christian Arab Comedians highlight fundraiser for Nadia Hilou Christian Arab member of Israel’s Knesset October 8
Chicago – A unique troupe of Christian Arab standup comedians will be the featured entertainment at a fundraiser to be held for the Honorable Nadia Hilou, a Christian Palestinian Arab member of the Israeli Knesset with the Labor Party on Wednesday October 8, 2008 at the historic Oak Park Arts Center.
The evening will feature an overview of the challenges facing Christian Arabs in the Middle East, support of the peace process and the upcoming elections in Israel this Fall.
The comedy group, called the Infidels of Comedy, was formed by Christian Arab comedians Nasry Malak, Maria Shehata and Ray Hanania. Malak, from New York, and Shehata, originally from Ohio, are Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Christians. Hanania is Antiochian Orthodox Christian raised Lutheran and from Chicago.
The fundraiser will also support the Mar Elias Branch Campus in Ibillin, Galilee in the Holy Land, a branch campus of the University of Indianapolis, Indiana which offers a Christian Arab Education.
“The peace process for me is also very important,” Hilou said, former head of Social Workers for Peace and Justice in Israel.
“We have very good relations with the Palestinians and we work closely with them on joint projects. We cannot close our eyes to the difficulties but we have no other solution. In the end, there must be two states for two people siude by side in peace.”
Hilou was first elected to the Knesset in 2006. She is one of only 17 women in the Knesset, and one of only two Christian members of the Knesset. Hilou is a social worker by profession focused on the development of children, challenges facing women and the protection of the family.
The event will be held on Wednesday, October 8, 2008 at the Arts Center in Oak Park, Illinois, 200 N. Oak Park Ave., (708-366-3981) with doors opening at 6:30 PM. Tickets for the fundraiser, which includes a presentation by Knesset Member Hilou and the Infidels of Comedy American premiere performance, are $40 per person. They can be purchased online at the comedy web site www.InfidelsofComedy.com or through the organizers listed below.
“The Schools are revolutionary, the faculty and student body is Christian, Muslim, and Jewish. It is a place where all religions meet and interact on equal footing, where the value of each human being comes before their form of religion,” said Susan Drinan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Mar Elias Campus.
“The students learn, play and work together, they learn respect and tolerance instead of hate. The school represents ideas and interests for a better future for all faiths, and offers a chance for Christians to remain in the Holy Land. The Mar Elias Schools are the model, the best example for how lasting peace can be achieved.”
Tickets are $40 each.
For More Information, contact:
Ray Hanania, 312-933-9855 cell, 708-403-1203 home Susan Drinan, 630-653-8309 Order tickets online at www.InfidelsofComedy.com
EVENT INFO
Wednesday Oct. 8, 2008, 6:30 PM – 10 PM
Benefits: Fundraiser for the Honorable Nadia Hilou, member of the Israeli Knesset, Labor Party. Social worker and advocate for peace.
Also, support Mar Elias Branch Campus of the University of Indianapolis, Indiana located in Ibillin in the Galilee in the Holy Land.
Location: Arts Center of Oak Park, 200 N. Oak Park Ave, 708-366-3981
The Arts Center is a magnificent neoclassical building, an architectural gem, inside and out. Large lobby reception area, 700 seat auditorium with spacious dressing rooms and the Ernest Hemingway Museum.
Entertainment: the Christian Arab Comedy Troupe “The Infidels of Comedy” featuring Nasry Malak, Maria Sehata and Ray Hanania.
Tickets are $40 each.
# # #
Attached is the press release, but it might be the only time you'll see Christian Arab comedians coming together to help a Christian Palestinian woman who is running for re-election in the Israeli Knesset with the Labor Party. This event will also help support Mar Elias Campus which is a branch of the University of Indianapolis in Ibillin in the Galilee. You can get information and tickets online at www.InfidelsofComedy.com.
Please pass it along if you can and I hope you come out to see my comedy and the comedy of two other Christian Arab comedians Nasry Malak and Maria Shehata.
Thanks
Ray hanania
www.TheMediaOasis.com
======= ===========
===========
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ray Hanania
312-933-9855
www.InfidelsofComedy.com
August 3, 2008
Christian Arab Comedians highlight fundraiser for Nadia Hilou Christian Arab member of Israel’s Knesset October 8
Chicago – A unique troupe of Christian Arab standup comedians will be the featured entertainment at a fundraiser to be held for the Honorable Nadia Hilou, a Christian Palestinian Arab member of the Israeli Knesset with the Labor Party on Wednesday October 8, 2008 at the historic Oak Park Arts Center.
The evening will feature an overview of the challenges facing Christian Arabs in the Middle East, support of the peace process and the upcoming elections in Israel this Fall.
The comedy group, called the Infidels of Comedy, was formed by Christian Arab comedians Nasry Malak, Maria Shehata and Ray Hanania. Malak, from New York, and Shehata, originally from Ohio, are Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Christians. Hanania is Antiochian Orthodox Christian raised Lutheran and from Chicago.
The fundraiser will also support the Mar Elias Branch Campus in Ibillin, Galilee in the Holy Land, a branch campus of the University of Indianapolis, Indiana which offers a Christian Arab Education.
“The peace process for me is also very important,” Hilou said, former head of Social Workers for Peace and Justice in Israel.
“We have very good relations with the Palestinians and we work closely with them on joint projects. We cannot close our eyes to the difficulties but we have no other solution. In the end, there must be two states for two people siude by side in peace.”
Hilou was first elected to the Knesset in 2006. She is one of only 17 women in the Knesset, and one of only two Christian members of the Knesset. Hilou is a social worker by profession focused on the development of children, challenges facing women and the protection of the family.
The event will be held on Wednesday, October 8, 2008 at the Arts Center in Oak Park, Illinois, 200 N. Oak Park Ave., (708-366-3981) with doors opening at 6:30 PM. Tickets for the fundraiser, which includes a presentation by Knesset Member Hilou and the Infidels of Comedy American premiere performance, are $40 per person. They can be purchased online at the comedy web site www.InfidelsofComedy.com or through the organizers listed below.
“The Schools are revolutionary, the faculty and student body is Christian, Muslim, and Jewish. It is a place where all religions meet and interact on equal footing, where the value of each human being comes before their form of religion,” said Susan Drinan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Mar Elias Campus.
“The students learn, play and work together, they learn respect and tolerance instead of hate. The school represents ideas and interests for a better future for all faiths, and offers a chance for Christians to remain in the Holy Land. The Mar Elias Schools are the model, the best example for how lasting peace can be achieved.”
Tickets are $40 each.
For More Information, contact:
Ray Hanania, 312-933-9855 cell, 708-403-1203 home Susan Drinan, 630-653-8309 Order tickets online at www.InfidelsofComedy.com
EVENT INFO
Wednesday Oct. 8, 2008, 6:30 PM – 10 PM
Benefits: Fundraiser for the Honorable Nadia Hilou, member of the Israeli Knesset, Labor Party. Social worker and advocate for peace.
Also, support Mar Elias Branch Campus of the University of Indianapolis, Indiana located in Ibillin in the Galilee in the Holy Land.
Location: Arts Center of Oak Park, 200 N. Oak Park Ave, 708-366-3981
The Arts Center is a magnificent neoclassical building, an architectural gem, inside and out. Large lobby reception area, 700 seat auditorium with spacious dressing rooms and the Ernest Hemingway Museum.
Entertainment: the Christian Arab Comedy Troupe “The Infidels of Comedy” featuring Nasry Malak, Maria Sehata and Ray Hanania.
Tickets are $40 each.
# # #
Friday, August 01, 2008
Iraqi Jazz Concert in Chicago August 7
The full series press release is attached for your reference. You can hear some music samples here:
http://www.millenniumparkconcerts.org/madeinchicago/
Thanks,
Kennon
Amir ElSaffar’s Two Rivers Large Ensemble
Thursday, August 7, 6:30 pm
Jay Pritzker Pavilion, Millennium Park
Free admission
Chicago-born, Iraqi-American trumpeter and vocalist Amir ElSaffar (pictured) fuses traditional Iraqi Maqam music with modern jazz in a new work written for a 15-piece ensemble of Arabic and Western instrumentation. In this concert, ElSaffar contrasts the Iraqi modalities with the heavy grooves and free textures of jazz, while still maintaining the feeling of the blues. The ensemble includes Amir ElSaffar (trumpet, santoor, vocal); Jeff Parker (guitar); Rudresh Mahanthappa (alto saxophone); Zafer Tawil (‘ud, violin, percussion); Tareq Abboushi (buzuq); Jason Adacewicz (vibes); Jeb Bishop (trombone); Geof Bradfield (tenor saxophone, bass clarinet); Carlo DeRosa (bass); Dena ElSaffar (violin, viola, jowza); Naeif Rafah (nay); Nasheet Waits (drums); Wanees Zarour (buzuq, violin, riqq) and Mohammed Saleh.
(Other than Nasheet, Carlo, Tareq and Zafer, all of the musicians are either from, have lived in, or currently live in Chicago.) Full series press release attached for your reference.
http://www.millenniumparkconcerts.org/madeinchicago/
Thanks,
Kennon
Amir ElSaffar’s Two Rivers Large Ensemble
Thursday, August 7, 6:30 pm
Jay Pritzker Pavilion, Millennium Park
Free admission
Chicago-born, Iraqi-American trumpeter and vocalist Amir ElSaffar (pictured) fuses traditional Iraqi Maqam music with modern jazz in a new work written for a 15-piece ensemble of Arabic and Western instrumentation. In this concert, ElSaffar contrasts the Iraqi modalities with the heavy grooves and free textures of jazz, while still maintaining the feeling of the blues. The ensemble includes Amir ElSaffar (trumpet, santoor, vocal); Jeff Parker (guitar); Rudresh Mahanthappa (alto saxophone); Zafer Tawil (‘ud, violin, percussion); Tareq Abboushi (buzuq); Jason Adacewicz (vibes); Jeb Bishop (trombone); Geof Bradfield (tenor saxophone, bass clarinet); Carlo DeRosa (bass); Dena ElSaffar (violin, viola, jowza); Naeif Rafah (nay); Nasheet Waits (drums); Wanees Zarour (buzuq, violin, riqq) and Mohammed Saleh.
(Other than Nasheet, Carlo, Tareq and Zafer, all of the musicians are either from, have lived in, or currently live in Chicago.) Full series press release attached for your reference.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Tearing Down Barack Obama's Walls and other Comic Strips
Click Comic Strip to view larger image
Ray Hanania's World Comic Strips
July 26, 2008
View more of Ray's Comic Strips
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Arab groups urge Israel to ease restrictions of Gaza Students to pursue higher education
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Letter to Secretary Rice Urges Further Championship of Gaza Students' Hopes
WASHINGTON, D.C. - July 15, 2008 - The Foundation for Middle East Peace, the Arab American Institute, and five other American organizations who support a two state peace between Israel and Palestine have asked Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to urge Israel to permit hundreds of students in Gaza who have been admitted to foreign universities to exit Gaza. These students are confined to Gaza because of Israel's closure policy.
The other co-signers of the letter are Americans for Peace Now, American Task Force on Palestine, Churches for Middle East Peace, the Israel Policy Forum, and Brit Tzedek v'Shalom.
The letter, dated July 15, 2008 thanks Secretary Rice for her earlier intervention with Israel to enable Gazans with Fulbright and other U.S. scholarships to travel to the U.S. to study. The cosigners hope that the U.S. continues to champion the cause of these students in their pursuit of higher education abroad, won by merit and hard work.
The Foundation for Middle East and the co-signers of the letter to Secretary Rice believe that education for young people is a critical investment for peace between Israel and Palestine.
The text of the letter follows:
July 15, 2008
The Honorable Condoleezza Rice
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street N.W
Washington, D.C. 20520
Dear Secretary Rice,
As American organizations committed to a two state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, we applaud your efforts to persuade Israel to allow the seven Fulbright scholars who have been confined to Gaza to travel to the United States. We are also grateful for the efforts of our embassy in Israel to enable Gazan awardees of other American scholarships to leave Gaza and to facilitate U.S. visas for them. Your intervention and public comments on the importance of opportunities for both Israelis and Palestinians to study abroad demonstrate American leadership and are very welcome.
Unfortunately, the problem of students and academics who are trapped in Gaza is much larger than the seven Fulbright grantees and five other Gazan students who have scholarships to American universities.
There are also hundreds of other students in Gaza who have valid opportunities to study elsewhere abroad but do not qualify for the narrow category of the few dozen students with "recognized" scholarships for study in "friendly" countries that Israel now says may leave Gaza, following the intervention of the U.S. and other foreign governments.
We strongly urge that the United States broaden its diplomatic efforts in order to persuade Israel to permit the travel of all students whose travel presents no genuine security threat. Students allowed to travel should include not only scholarship awardees admitted to American universities and those of friendly foreign states, but the hundreds of others who have been admitted to foreign universities elsewhere without "recognized" scholarships.
As you said so eloquently on May 30, "If you cannot engage young people and give them a complete horizon to their expectations and to their dreams, then I don't know that there would be any future for Palestine." For Palestinians, like Israelis, education is the most important investment. Peace and a better future for both Israelis and Palestinians will depend on an educated and productive Palestinian community. Israeli policies that foreclose higher studies abroad that are generally unavailable in Gaza not only undermine such a future, but also threaten to destroy hope, the critical antidote to extremism and violence.
As Israel's ally and closest friend and partner in the cause of peace, the United States has a deep and legitimate interest, not only in ensuring that students in Gaza can come to study in our country, but in ensuring that any Gazan student who has earned a place at a foreign university has the opportunity to pursue these studies. The right to do so should not be limited to the few dozen who have "recognized" scholarships.
Members of the Israeli Knesset and Supreme Court, international academics, and leading media around the world, have called on Israel to permit Gazan students to study abroad. For example, Rabbi Michael Melchior, Chairman of the Knesset's Education Committee has said "Trapping hundreds of students in Gaza is both immoral and unwise." Broadening American diplomatic efforts to include all such students would reinforce these appeals. Such U.S. leadership would also resonate positively with the Israeli public, which, according to a recent public opinion survey, believes the closure of Gaza is likely to increase radicalism and support for Hamas. And, it would demonstrate to Palestinians, both in the West Bank and Gaza, genuine U.S. concern for the Palestinian people.
Of course, the deprivation of the right of students to travel abroad for education is only one harmful aspect of an Israeli security regime that harshly restricts the movements of a million and a half Gazans, as well as the movement of goods into and out of the Gaza Strip. We hope this larger problem is addressed soon and urgently. In the meantime, as the next academic year approaches, there is a special urgency to ensuring that Gazan students who have won by merit and hard work the chance to study abroad do not lose this priceless opportunity.
Yours truly,
Among the signatores, are:
Philip C. Wilcox, Jr.
President, Foundation for Middle East Peace
1761 N Street NW, Washington, DC 20036
Warren Clark
Executive Director, Churches for Middle East Peace 110 Maryland Avenue NE, #311, Washington, DC 20002
James Zogby
President, Arab American Institute
1600 K Street, Suite 601, Washington, DC 20006
Letter to Secretary Rice Urges Further Championship of Gaza Students' Hopes
WASHINGTON, D.C. - July 15, 2008 - The Foundation for Middle East Peace, the Arab American Institute, and five other American organizations who support a two state peace between Israel and Palestine have asked Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to urge Israel to permit hundreds of students in Gaza who have been admitted to foreign universities to exit Gaza. These students are confined to Gaza because of Israel's closure policy.
The other co-signers of the letter are Americans for Peace Now, American Task Force on Palestine, Churches for Middle East Peace, the Israel Policy Forum, and Brit Tzedek v'Shalom.
The letter, dated July 15, 2008 thanks Secretary Rice for her earlier intervention with Israel to enable Gazans with Fulbright and other U.S. scholarships to travel to the U.S. to study. The cosigners hope that the U.S. continues to champion the cause of these students in their pursuit of higher education abroad, won by merit and hard work.
The Foundation for Middle East and the co-signers of the letter to Secretary Rice believe that education for young people is a critical investment for peace between Israel and Palestine.
The text of the letter follows:
July 15, 2008
The Honorable Condoleezza Rice
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street N.W
Washington, D.C. 20520
Dear Secretary Rice,
As American organizations committed to a two state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, we applaud your efforts to persuade Israel to allow the seven Fulbright scholars who have been confined to Gaza to travel to the United States. We are also grateful for the efforts of our embassy in Israel to enable Gazan awardees of other American scholarships to leave Gaza and to facilitate U.S. visas for them. Your intervention and public comments on the importance of opportunities for both Israelis and Palestinians to study abroad demonstrate American leadership and are very welcome.
Unfortunately, the problem of students and academics who are trapped in Gaza is much larger than the seven Fulbright grantees and five other Gazan students who have scholarships to American universities.
There are also hundreds of other students in Gaza who have valid opportunities to study elsewhere abroad but do not qualify for the narrow category of the few dozen students with "recognized" scholarships for study in "friendly" countries that Israel now says may leave Gaza, following the intervention of the U.S. and other foreign governments.
We strongly urge that the United States broaden its diplomatic efforts in order to persuade Israel to permit the travel of all students whose travel presents no genuine security threat. Students allowed to travel should include not only scholarship awardees admitted to American universities and those of friendly foreign states, but the hundreds of others who have been admitted to foreign universities elsewhere without "recognized" scholarships.
As you said so eloquently on May 30, "If you cannot engage young people and give them a complete horizon to their expectations and to their dreams, then I don't know that there would be any future for Palestine." For Palestinians, like Israelis, education is the most important investment. Peace and a better future for both Israelis and Palestinians will depend on an educated and productive Palestinian community. Israeli policies that foreclose higher studies abroad that are generally unavailable in Gaza not only undermine such a future, but also threaten to destroy hope, the critical antidote to extremism and violence.
As Israel's ally and closest friend and partner in the cause of peace, the United States has a deep and legitimate interest, not only in ensuring that students in Gaza can come to study in our country, but in ensuring that any Gazan student who has earned a place at a foreign university has the opportunity to pursue these studies. The right to do so should not be limited to the few dozen who have "recognized" scholarships.
Members of the Israeli Knesset and Supreme Court, international academics, and leading media around the world, have called on Israel to permit Gazan students to study abroad. For example, Rabbi Michael Melchior, Chairman of the Knesset's Education Committee has said "Trapping hundreds of students in Gaza is both immoral and unwise." Broadening American diplomatic efforts to include all such students would reinforce these appeals. Such U.S. leadership would also resonate positively with the Israeli public, which, according to a recent public opinion survey, believes the closure of Gaza is likely to increase radicalism and support for Hamas. And, it would demonstrate to Palestinians, both in the West Bank and Gaza, genuine U.S. concern for the Palestinian people.
Of course, the deprivation of the right of students to travel abroad for education is only one harmful aspect of an Israeli security regime that harshly restricts the movements of a million and a half Gazans, as well as the movement of goods into and out of the Gaza Strip. We hope this larger problem is addressed soon and urgently. In the meantime, as the next academic year approaches, there is a special urgency to ensuring that Gazan students who have won by merit and hard work the chance to study abroad do not lose this priceless opportunity.
Yours truly,
Among the signatores, are:
Philip C. Wilcox, Jr.
President, Foundation for Middle East Peace
1761 N Street NW, Washington, DC 20036
Warren Clark
Executive Director, Churches for Middle East Peace 110 Maryland Avenue NE, #311, Washington, DC 20002
James Zogby
President, Arab American Institute
1600 K Street, Suite 601, Washington, DC 20006
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Point to Point Arab American Journalist Podcasts explore Israel-Hezbollah, and indictment of Sudanese president
Point to Point Arab American Journalism Podcasts
Topic: Israeli-Hezbollah Prisoner exchange
Topic: The war crimes indictment of Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir
Veteran award winning columnists Ray Hanania and Ali Alarabi discuss and debate the most recent news in the Middle East on Point to Point: Interviews without Boundaries. The topics include the recent prisoner swap between the powerful Lebanese Shiite Militia Hezbollah and the Government of Israel, trading the remains of two Israeli solders killed when Hezbollah sought to capture Israeli soldiers to trade for its soldiers held by Israel in the summer of 2006, an assault that provoked Israel to launch a brutal retaliation against Lebanon's civilian population and Hezbollah strongholds. Israel released five prisoners, including the notorious Druse fighter and leader, Samir Kuntar (Kantar, Qantar), of a 1979 mission into Israel that resulted in the killing of an Israeli police officer and the murder of his four year old daughter. Kuntar was captured and served 30 years for the killings.
Hezbollah returned the bodies of two Israelis killed during the July 2006 confrontation that spark the 34-day Israeli-Lebanon war, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev. What are the moral issues involved and is there an issue of hypocrisy in criticism of Arabs for killing civilians while there is silence when Israel kills Arab civilians?
And, Alarabi and Hanania discuss the recent war crimes indictment by the International Criminal Court of Sundanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir and the hypocrisy of singling out Arabs while excluding Israel and even Americans from I.C.C. prosecutions. The two discuss the issues involved in Sudan and Darfur where al-Bashir has been accused of supporting genocide, while supporters accuse pro-Western groups of inciting a vicious campaign of terrorism. You can read columns on both subjects by Hanania and Alarabi at http://www.arabwritersgroup.com/ web site. 22 Minutes.
Go to http://www.themediaoasis.com/ or visit iTunes and download the podcasts to your iPod.
Topic: Israeli-Hezbollah Prisoner exchange
Topic: The war crimes indictment of Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir
Veteran award winning columnists Ray Hanania and Ali Alarabi discuss and debate the most recent news in the Middle East on Point to Point: Interviews without Boundaries. The topics include the recent prisoner swap between the powerful Lebanese Shiite Militia Hezbollah and the Government of Israel, trading the remains of two Israeli solders killed when Hezbollah sought to capture Israeli soldiers to trade for its soldiers held by Israel in the summer of 2006, an assault that provoked Israel to launch a brutal retaliation against Lebanon's civilian population and Hezbollah strongholds. Israel released five prisoners, including the notorious Druse fighter and leader, Samir Kuntar (Kantar, Qantar), of a 1979 mission into Israel that resulted in the killing of an Israeli police officer and the murder of his four year old daughter. Kuntar was captured and served 30 years for the killings.
Hezbollah returned the bodies of two Israelis killed during the July 2006 confrontation that spark the 34-day Israeli-Lebanon war, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev. What are the moral issues involved and is there an issue of hypocrisy in criticism of Arabs for killing civilians while there is silence when Israel kills Arab civilians?
And, Alarabi and Hanania discuss the recent war crimes indictment by the International Criminal Court of Sundanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir and the hypocrisy of singling out Arabs while excluding Israel and even Americans from I.C.C. prosecutions. The two discuss the issues involved in Sudan and Darfur where al-Bashir has been accused of supporting genocide, while supporters accuse pro-Western groups of inciting a vicious campaign of terrorism. You can read columns on both subjects by Hanania and Alarabi at http://www.arabwritersgroup.com/ web site. 22 Minutes.
Go to http://www.themediaoasis.com/ or visit iTunes and download the podcasts to your iPod.
PLO Cites Israeli violations of peace accords
Letter from the Palestine Liberation Organization
July 15, 2008
Dear Sir/ Madam; Your Excellency etc…
This letter is to draw your attention to recent escalations in the policies and activities of the government of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory which violate commitments Israel made at the Annapolis conference, and risk destroying the political process and rendering it meaningless.
First, we note the recurring assaults on Palestinian cities, official institutions, and civil society organisations, which have increased in an unprecedented manner (up by 50%). Indeed, if we look back to the six months following the Annapolis conference, the numbers alone paint an alarming picture of Israeli violence against Palestinian citizens: 467 killed and 1706 injured in over 2000 attacks. Needless to say, many of the victims are civilians, including women and children.
Second, Israel has escalated the pace of construction and expansion of existing and new settlements throughout the West Bank, in particular in and around East Jerusalem, in flagrant violation of international law and its commitments under the Road Map as reaffirmed at the Annapolis conference. Furthermore, Israel continues the construction of the Wall four years after the decision of the International Court of Justice that held the Wall and the settlements to be illegal under international law.
Recently, Israel has encouraged the building of new housing units in the heart of East Jerusalem and specifically in Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood where Palestinian houses were seized. Furthermore, in the heart of Nablus, it shut down and confiscated an entire multi-storey shopping centre, notwithstanding the fact that it is a publicly-held company, and in blatant disregard of signed agreements which prohibit the Occupation from shutting down and confiscating property inside PA areas.
These deliberate Israeli policies are primarily aimed at undermining the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) and its role, standing, and credibility in the eyes of the citizens. Despite this, however, the PNA has all the while worked hard and at all levels to improve security conditions, to build and develop the economy, and to strengthen public institutions and to support civil society. On security, for instance, these efforts are evident from the security plans implemented by the PNA Ministry of Interior despite recurring Israeli obstacles, in particular in Nablus, Jenin, Tulkarem, Hebron, and Bethlehem. With respect to the economy and institution building, a great deal of effort has gone into the adoption of the Palestinian Development and Reform Plan (PRDP), and the convening of the Paris, Bethlehem, and Berlin conferences. These efforts have led to the approval and adoption of numerous projects aimed at developing infrastructure, capacity and funding much needed for the maintenance and development of Palestinian society and economy.
The problem, however, remains that the prevailing stream within the Israeli government seeks to weaken and undermine the PNA, in a manner that strengthens the radical forces and renders them the dominant Palestinian counterpart.
Given the above, there is a real risk that the current negotiations may fail and collapse before the end of this year, a failure for which the government of Israel would bear full responsibility, be it on the internal or regional fronts. In order to prevent such failure, serious and decisive action is needed from the international community, with the United States and the Quartet at the forefront including all its parties, the UN, EU and Russia, and all peace loving countries, parties and forces.
We hope you expend all possible efforts to help stop Israeli violations which have reached unprecedented levels with regard to destroying Palestinian life and the functioning of Palestinian national and leadership institutions as well as destroying the peace process.
Respectfully,
Palestine Liberation Organization
Executive Committee
General Secretariat
July 15, 2008
Dear Sir/ Madam; Your Excellency etc…
This letter is to draw your attention to recent escalations in the policies and activities of the government of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory which violate commitments Israel made at the Annapolis conference, and risk destroying the political process and rendering it meaningless.
First, we note the recurring assaults on Palestinian cities, official institutions, and civil society organisations, which have increased in an unprecedented manner (up by 50%). Indeed, if we look back to the six months following the Annapolis conference, the numbers alone paint an alarming picture of Israeli violence against Palestinian citizens: 467 killed and 1706 injured in over 2000 attacks. Needless to say, many of the victims are civilians, including women and children.
Second, Israel has escalated the pace of construction and expansion of existing and new settlements throughout the West Bank, in particular in and around East Jerusalem, in flagrant violation of international law and its commitments under the Road Map as reaffirmed at the Annapolis conference. Furthermore, Israel continues the construction of the Wall four years after the decision of the International Court of Justice that held the Wall and the settlements to be illegal under international law.
Recently, Israel has encouraged the building of new housing units in the heart of East Jerusalem and specifically in Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood where Palestinian houses were seized. Furthermore, in the heart of Nablus, it shut down and confiscated an entire multi-storey shopping centre, notwithstanding the fact that it is a publicly-held company, and in blatant disregard of signed agreements which prohibit the Occupation from shutting down and confiscating property inside PA areas.
These deliberate Israeli policies are primarily aimed at undermining the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) and its role, standing, and credibility in the eyes of the citizens. Despite this, however, the PNA has all the while worked hard and at all levels to improve security conditions, to build and develop the economy, and to strengthen public institutions and to support civil society. On security, for instance, these efforts are evident from the security plans implemented by the PNA Ministry of Interior despite recurring Israeli obstacles, in particular in Nablus, Jenin, Tulkarem, Hebron, and Bethlehem. With respect to the economy and institution building, a great deal of effort has gone into the adoption of the Palestinian Development and Reform Plan (PRDP), and the convening of the Paris, Bethlehem, and Berlin conferences. These efforts have led to the approval and adoption of numerous projects aimed at developing infrastructure, capacity and funding much needed for the maintenance and development of Palestinian society and economy.
The problem, however, remains that the prevailing stream within the Israeli government seeks to weaken and undermine the PNA, in a manner that strengthens the radical forces and renders them the dominant Palestinian counterpart.
Given the above, there is a real risk that the current negotiations may fail and collapse before the end of this year, a failure for which the government of Israel would bear full responsibility, be it on the internal or regional fronts. In order to prevent such failure, serious and decisive action is needed from the international community, with the United States and the Quartet at the forefront including all its parties, the UN, EU and Russia, and all peace loving countries, parties and forces.
We hope you expend all possible efforts to help stop Israeli violations which have reached unprecedented levels with regard to destroying Palestinian life and the functioning of Palestinian national and leadership institutions as well as destroying the peace process.
Respectfully,
Palestine Liberation Organization
Executive Committee
General Secretariat
Friday, July 18, 2008
Ship sails to break siege of Gaza
Ship sails to break siege of Gaza
The Free Gaza Movement UK
Press Release � Friday 18 July 2008
For Immediate Release
Setting Sail on August 5, 2008 to Break the Siege of Gaza
Around 60 Palestinians, Israelis and Internationals from 15 countries will sail to Gaza during the sixty-year anniversary of the Nakba � the forcible expulsion of more than 700,000 Palestinians from their lands to create Israel �to challenge Israeli control over the open-air prison called Gaza.
Among the crew are a Holocaust survivor and a survivor of the Palestinian Nakba. They sail with the common bond of focusing the world's attention on the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and its collapsing economy which are direct results of Israel's ongoing occupation and continuing control over Gaza's air space and territorial waters.
"The siege of Gaza ends only when Palestinians are accorded the basic fundamental human rights of citizens throughout the free world," says UK passenger, Musheir El-Farra who knows the irreparable human cost of current Israeli government policies. "My family and beloved ones in Gaza have been under siege for over two years now; living without their most basic human rights on their own land.
In the words of Holocaust survivor Hedy Epstein "What an opportunity to make a change for good, both for Palestinians and Israelis. We intend to open the port, fish with the fishermen, help in the clinics, and work in the schools. But we also intend to remind the world that we will not stand by and watch 1.5 million people suffer death by starvation and disease".
A press conference will be held in central London on Monday the 4th August 2008 at 11am. Please contact us for more information about the Gaza boat and the conference.
The Free Gaza Movement UK
Press Release � Friday 18 July 2008
For Immediate Release
Setting Sail on August 5, 2008 to Break the Siege of Gaza
Around 60 Palestinians, Israelis and Internationals from 15 countries will sail to Gaza during the sixty-year anniversary of the Nakba � the forcible expulsion of more than 700,000 Palestinians from their lands to create Israel �to challenge Israeli control over the open-air prison called Gaza.
Among the crew are a Holocaust survivor and a survivor of the Palestinian Nakba. They sail with the common bond of focusing the world's attention on the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and its collapsing economy which are direct results of Israel's ongoing occupation and continuing control over Gaza's air space and territorial waters.
"The siege of Gaza ends only when Palestinians are accorded the basic fundamental human rights of citizens throughout the free world," says UK passenger, Musheir El-Farra who knows the irreparable human cost of current Israeli government policies. "My family and beloved ones in Gaza have been under siege for over two years now; living without their most basic human rights on their own land.
In the words of Holocaust survivor Hedy Epstein "What an opportunity to make a change for good, both for Palestinians and Israelis. We intend to open the port, fish with the fishermen, help in the clinics, and work in the schools. But we also intend to remind the world that we will not stand by and watch 1.5 million people suffer death by starvation and disease".
A press conference will be held in central London on Monday the 4th August 2008 at 11am. Please contact us for more information about the Gaza boat and the conference.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Tunisian freedom issues raised with French President
Paris, 10 July 2008
For immediate release
Press Freedom Groups Raise Tunisian Concerns With French President
A coalition of international press freedom organisations has asked French President Nicolas Sarkozy not to underestimate human rights violations in Tunisia as he seeks to create a Union for the Mediterranean at a summit meeting in Paris on Sunday, 13 July.
The World Association of Newspapers and 17 press freedom organisation wrote to Mr Sarkozy on Thursday to express their “extreme concern” over “the Tunisian authorities' tendency to resort to censorship, intimidation and violence.”
“It seems essential that the French government does not underestimate the seriousness of the human rights violations in Tunisia,” said members of the International Freedom of Expression Exchange’s Tunisia Monitoring Group, in the letter to Mr Sarkozy, who will preside over a meeting in Paris on Sunday to establish the Union for the Mediterranean.
“It is furthermore essential that France adopts and promotes a policy in accordance with the values of the Republic, by inviting the Tunisian authorities to respect their international human rights obligations, specifically those in favour of freedom of expression and the press.”
Members of the Tunisia Monitoring Group include: Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (Egypt); ARTICLE 19 (United Kingdom); Canadian Journalists for Free Expression; Cartoonists Rights Network International (United States); Egyptian Organization for Human Rights; Index on Censorship (United Kingdom); International Federation of Journalists; International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions; International Press Institute; International Publishers' Association; Journaliste en danger (Democratic Republic of Congo); Maharat Foundation (Lebanon); Media Institute of Southern Africa; Norwegian PEN; World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters; World Association of Newspapers; World Press Freedom Committee; and theWriters in Prison Committee of International PEN.
The full letter can be read at http://www.wan-press.org/ article17627.html
For immediate release
Press Freedom Groups Raise Tunisian Concerns With French President
A coalition of international press freedom organisations has asked French President Nicolas Sarkozy not to underestimate human rights violations in Tunisia as he seeks to create a Union for the Mediterranean at a summit meeting in Paris on Sunday, 13 July.
The World Association of Newspapers and 17 press freedom organisation wrote to Mr Sarkozy on Thursday to express their “extreme concern” over “the Tunisian authorities' tendency to resort to censorship, intimidation and violence.”
“It seems essential that the French government does not underestimate the seriousness of the human rights violations in Tunisia,” said members of the International Freedom of Expression Exchange’s Tunisia Monitoring Group, in the letter to Mr Sarkozy, who will preside over a meeting in Paris on Sunday to establish the Union for the Mediterranean.
“It is furthermore essential that France adopts and promotes a policy in accordance with the values of the Republic, by inviting the Tunisian authorities to respect their international human rights obligations, specifically those in favour of freedom of expression and the press.”
Members of the Tunisia Monitoring Group include: Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (Egypt); ARTICLE 19 (United Kingdom); Canadian Journalists for Free Expression; Cartoonists Rights Network International (United States); Egyptian Organization for Human Rights; Index on Censorship (United Kingdom); International Federation of Journalists; International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions; International Press Institute; International Publishers' Association; Journaliste en danger (Democratic Republic of Congo); Maharat Foundation (Lebanon); Media Institute of Southern Africa; Norwegian PEN; World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters; World Association of Newspapers; World Press Freedom Committee; and theWriters in Prison Committee of International PEN.
The full letter can be read at http://www.wan-press.org/ article17627.html
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
New Arab American cartoon added to syndication
Award winning journalist, columnist and standup comedian Ray Hanania has launched "Ray Hanania's World" comic strip, which lampoons topics from the Middle East to suburban Chicago, and also pays particular attention to the hypocrisy in the mainstream American news media.
The comics are located on the Internet for viewing at:
http://professivecomicstrips.blogspot.com/
The cartoon series is archived at http://www.themediaoasis.com/ and is distributed through several online media sources including http://www.orlandparker.com/, which focuses on Southwest suburban Chicago issues specifically in orland Park; the National Arab American Journalists Association at http://www.naaja-us.com/ which focuses on news media hypocrisy and anti-Arab bias; at http://www.radiochicagoland.com/ which focuses on Chicago area political issues; and at the Arab American Writers Syndicate web site at http://www.arabwritersgroup.com/ which focus on Middle East issues.
All of the comic strips will run under one banner name, "Ray Hanania's World," but may vary in their focus. The topics addressed will determine their placement.
"The Internet and the computer revolution have really allowed ethnic groups advance causes of justice and principle breaking right through the front windshields of the mainstream news media's ongoing bias and discrimination," Hanania explains.
"Today, you do not have to become enslaved by the mainstream news media and its bias and bigotry and instead, using the power of the Internet, can create and distribute communications products that range from columsn, news and features, to photographs and comic strips. The most powerful messages are those that are partnered with humor and satire and comic strips, in a few words, can say much."
Visit http://www.themediaoasis.com/ for more information.
The Archive Site for all of Ray Hanania's World Comic Strips is:
http://professivecomicstrips.blogspot.com/
Ray Hanania
http://www.arabwritersgroup.com/
The comics are located on the Internet for viewing at:
http://professivecomicstrips.blogspot.com/
The cartoon series is archived at http://www.themediaoasis.com/ and is distributed through several online media sources including http://www.orlandparker.com/, which focuses on Southwest suburban Chicago issues specifically in orland Park; the National Arab American Journalists Association at http://www.naaja-us.com/ which focuses on news media hypocrisy and anti-Arab bias; at http://www.radiochicagoland.com/ which focuses on Chicago area political issues; and at the Arab American Writers Syndicate web site at http://www.arabwritersgroup.com/ which focus on Middle East issues.
All of the comic strips will run under one banner name, "Ray Hanania's World," but may vary in their focus. The topics addressed will determine their placement.
"The Internet and the computer revolution have really allowed ethnic groups advance causes of justice and principle breaking right through the front windshields of the mainstream news media's ongoing bias and discrimination," Hanania explains.
"Today, you do not have to become enslaved by the mainstream news media and its bias and bigotry and instead, using the power of the Internet, can create and distribute communications products that range from columsn, news and features, to photographs and comic strips. The most powerful messages are those that are partnered with humor and satire and comic strips, in a few words, can say much."
Visit http://www.themediaoasis.com/ for more information.
The Archive Site for all of Ray Hanania's World Comic Strips is:
http://professivecomicstrips.blogspot.com/
Ray Hanania
http://www.arabwritersgroup.com/
Monday, June 30, 2008
Point to Point Podcast Interview with ALO Hayati Magazine Editor Michael Lloyd
Now available on Point to Point Podcasting
June 30, 2008: Interview with Michael Lloyd editor in chief of ALO Hayati Magazine on Arab American and Middle East publishing, magazines, news media, journalism. Background on ALO Hayati, www.ALOMagazine.comits goals, successes, challenges and what the publication looks for in terms of submissions. Listen to the PodCast online now?
Point to Point offers several genres of interviews: Arab American issues and journalism; mainstream American politics.
Ray Hanania
www.TheMediaOasis.com
June 30, 2008: Interview with Michael Lloyd editor in chief of ALO Hayati Magazine on Arab American and Middle East publishing, magazines, news media, journalism. Background on ALO Hayati, www.ALOMagazine.comits goals, successes, challenges and what the publication looks for in terms of submissions. Listen to the PodCast online now?
Point to Point offers several genres of interviews: Arab American issues and journalism; mainstream American politics.
Ray Hanania
www.TheMediaOasis.com
Friday, June 27, 2008
Update on Bonnie Bernstein, ESPN Sports Radio and Palestinian Suicide Bombers
UPDATE: The National Arab American Journalists Association (NAAJA-US.com) has accepted Bonnie Bernstein's apology, and the apology of the producers of the Mike & Mike show and ESPN, who all acknowledged that the reference to the Palestinian suicide bombers was out of context and inappropriate. In fairness to Ms. Bernstein, while she referenced the stereotype, we are satisfied she was not advocating it. Her error was to use the stereotype to make another, unrelated point. We recognize that as an example of "innocent construction" and believe that Ms. Bernstein did not intend to defame all Palestinians. She did not hesitate to acknowledge the inappropriateness of the comparison.
# # #
# # #
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
ESPN guest apologizes for inappropriate remarks
UPDATE:
ESPN and Dr. Bonnie Bernstein acknowledged that a comment made referencing Palestinian suicide bombers (below) was inappropriate and they took immediate action to correct it by apologizing. I think the Arab American community has a right to protest such remarks, but we also have an obligation to acknowledge when someone in the media does the right thing and clearly both ESPN and Dr. Bonnie Bernstein have done the right thing in this instance and they deserve our respect.
Ray Hanania
NAAJA Coordinator
Email to ESPN Producer/Bernstein
Hi Scott
The National Arab American Journalists Association believes your apologya nd Dr. Bernstein's apology are genuine and sincere and we have immediately removed you from the Watch List and because of your prompt attention to incidents like this, we have placed both on our Honor List which reflects journalists or media who make an extra effort to clarify remarks and display sensitivity.
Thank you for your attention.
I know you recognize how painful these things can be but also how important it is to listen to your audience and respond to their concerns. I think your response and Dr. Bernstein's response were very responsive and respectful and complete.
Ray Hanania
on behalf of NAAJA
RESPONSE FROM ESPN MORNING SHOW PRODUCER
From: ESPN Morning Show [mailto:ESPN.MorningShow@espn.com] Sent: Wednesday, June 25, 2008 5:31 PM
The comments made this morning by Bonnie Bernstein were inappropriate. We expressed that to Bonnie who has since apologized for her remarks. Please feel free to click on the link below to access Ms. Bernstein's apology.
LINK TO BONNIE BERNSTEIN"S GENUINE EXPRESSION OF REMORSE
http://sports.espn.go.com/espnradio/player?context=audio&id=3460824 Scott Shapiro
Producer, "Mike & Mike in the Morning" ESPN Radio & ESPN 2 ESPN Plaza Bristol, CT 06010 860-884-5355 612-816-3057 (cell) Scott.A.Shapiro@espn.com
PAST COMMENTS AND NOTES
Link to full article:
http://arabjournalists.blogspot.com/2008/06/arab-american-protests-espn-chicago.html
NAAJA has acted on a complaint involving an ESPN radio show syndicated through Chicago called "Mike and Mike" in which a guest slammed Palestinians as raising their children to be suicide bombers.
I guess every Palestinian is in the same boat in the eyes of the guest, which is what racism and stereotyping is all about, generallizing in a derogatory manner against another people, especially if someone has an interest in such racism.
NAAJA issued a letter asking that the host acknowledge the racism. Below is the information including one of many protest emails from NAAJA members in Chicago, information about the show and hosts and guest and also the letter NAAJA sent by email several hours after the incident.
Thanks
Ray Hanania
http://www.naaja-us.com/
=============
Mike & Mike in the Morning
Host(s): Mike Golic and Mike Greenberg
Weekdays 5:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.E-mail: mikeandmike@espnradio.com
One of several email complaints received
This morning at 8:15 a.m. Chicago time, I was shocked to hear an analogy by Dr. Bonnie Bernstein on how NBA hopefuls are programmed to "just make it to the NBA." Her analogy pointed to how Palestinian children are programmed to be suicide bombers was disgusting!!!!
She claims she read it so I guess she expects that your listening audience will buy it. Dr. Bernstein seems to suggest that because people enjoy sports they are ignorant to the happenings in the world they live in. Her assumption does not give her the right to assume sports fans can be "programmed" to think that a people, namely in this case Palestinians, is synonymous with suicide bombing and terrorism. She is out of line. Does she even understand the situation in the Middle East? Mike and Mike's silence when she said it spoke volumes too. People listen and enjoy sports as an escape. That woman is a hatemongerer with a personal agenda. Had she have been talking about any other ethnicity, it would be equally shameful and ESPN should never have her on again and should make a public statement on the radio saying that her comment was inappropriate and apologize if it offended anyone!!!
I am personally offended as an American of Palestinian heritage that works with Jewish Americans and Israeli's to help foster peace and reconciliation between the two people, I am sickened. Mike and Mike should offer a comment immediately. I am not hopeful that Dr. Bernstein will retract her statement but it would be nice.
SS
Chicago
=================== ===========
CONTACT INFO ON ESPN
ESPN Radio Network
545 Middle St
Bristol, CT 06010
Roberts, Jim Affiliate Relations Executive Director (972) 776-4613 (860) 766-2213
mailto:jim.roberts@espnradio.disney.comWalsh, John Executive Vice President (860) 766-2323 (860) 766-2213
mailto:john.walsh@espn.comGoralski, Keith Operations Director (860) 766-2000 (860) 766-2213
mailto:keith.goralski@espn.comGeneric email: radio@espn.com
Background on the GUEST Bonnie Bernstein
BonnieBernstein.com
ABC Sports
c/o Bonnie Bernstein
47 W. 66th Street, 12th Floor
New York, NY 10023
With 15 years in broadcasting, Bonnie Bernstein is one of the most recognizable and highly respected journalists in her field. As a reporter and host for ABC Sports and ESPN, she has a wide range of responsibilities. During the college football season, she serves as the sideline reporter for the Brad Nessler/Bob Griese/Paul McGuire announce team on ABC and hosts "Countdown to the Heisman". She is also part of the hosting rotation for "NFL Live" and "Jim Rome is Burning" and has covered Major League Baseball for the Network. Additionally, Bernstein covers the NFL for CBS/Westwood One Radio.
NAAJA Letter sent Wednesday 10:32 AM by email
Hi Mike Golic and Mike Greenberg:
This morning, Dr. Bonnie Bernstein, a veteran sports reporter and radio reporter, made a very racist comparison between NBA players and Palestinians who raise their children to become suicide bombers. I am writing on behalf of the National Arab American Journalists Association asking that you address the issue.I think it was very inappropriate for Bonnie to use that racial stereotype of Palestinians as an example to back up her comments that NBA hopefuls "are programmed" to make it in the NBA the way Palestinian children are "programmed" to become suicide bombers ...
I don't need to explain that suicide bombers are not a race or ethnicity, or that there are 7 million Palestinians and have been only 50 suicide bombers over the past 15 years, or that suicide bombers come from all walks of life (in the film Pearl Harbor, the character of Jimmy Doolitle said that if his plane ran out of gas while bombing Tokyo and couldn't make it back to the states during World War II, he would simply crash his plane into a Japanese building -- making him, a typical American, a suicide bomber, too) ...
It is not about being politically correct. If you wanted to have a discussion about suicide bombers in the Middle East and Iraq and their ethnicity and the act of terrorism, you could probably fill five hours easily on radio. But that wasn't the point of Bonnie's comments, but rather a gratuitous slam against Palestinians.I know you guys are pros when it comes to sports and I would hope you might make mention that the comparison was inappropriate and in fact is racist.
In this day and age of understanding how easily minorities and ethnic groups are defamed by casual racist comments and especially how easily it happens on radio -- Don Imus is a good example -- we should try our best to be respectful.I think Bonnie should address the issue also.
Thanks and best regards
Ray Hanania
http://www.naaja-us.com/
rayhanania@comcast.net
NAAJA
PO Box 2127
Orland Park, IL., 60462
cc: Jim Roberts, ESPN, Affiliates Relations Exec. Dir
John Walsh, ESPN Exec. VP
Keith Goralski, ESPN, Operations Manager
Ray Hanania
rayhanania@comcast.net
http://www.TheMediaOasis.com
ESPN and Dr. Bonnie Bernstein acknowledged that a comment made referencing Palestinian suicide bombers (below) was inappropriate and they took immediate action to correct it by apologizing. I think the Arab American community has a right to protest such remarks, but we also have an obligation to acknowledge when someone in the media does the right thing and clearly both ESPN and Dr. Bonnie Bernstein have done the right thing in this instance and they deserve our respect.
Ray Hanania
NAAJA Coordinator
Email to ESPN Producer/Bernstein
Hi Scott
The National Arab American Journalists Association believes your apologya nd Dr. Bernstein's apology are genuine and sincere and we have immediately removed you from the Watch List and because of your prompt attention to incidents like this, we have placed both on our Honor List which reflects journalists or media who make an extra effort to clarify remarks and display sensitivity.
Thank you for your attention.
I know you recognize how painful these things can be but also how important it is to listen to your audience and respond to their concerns. I think your response and Dr. Bernstein's response were very responsive and respectful and complete.
Ray Hanania
on behalf of NAAJA
RESPONSE FROM ESPN MORNING SHOW PRODUCER
From: ESPN Morning Show [mailto:ESPN.MorningShow@espn.com] Sent: Wednesday, June 25, 2008 5:31 PM
The comments made this morning by Bonnie Bernstein were inappropriate. We expressed that to Bonnie who has since apologized for her remarks. Please feel free to click on the link below to access Ms. Bernstein's apology.
LINK TO BONNIE BERNSTEIN"S GENUINE EXPRESSION OF REMORSE
http://sports.espn.go.com/espnradio/player?context=audio&id=3460824 Scott Shapiro
Producer, "Mike & Mike in the Morning" ESPN Radio & ESPN 2 ESPN Plaza Bristol, CT 06010 860-884-5355 612-816-3057 (cell) Scott.A.Shapiro@espn.com
PAST COMMENTS AND NOTES
Link to full article:
http://arabjournalists.blogspot.com/2008/06/arab-american-protests-espn-chicago.html
NAAJA has acted on a complaint involving an ESPN radio show syndicated through Chicago called "Mike and Mike" in which a guest slammed Palestinians as raising their children to be suicide bombers.
I guess every Palestinian is in the same boat in the eyes of the guest, which is what racism and stereotyping is all about, generallizing in a derogatory manner against another people, especially if someone has an interest in such racism.
NAAJA issued a letter asking that the host acknowledge the racism. Below is the information including one of many protest emails from NAAJA members in Chicago, information about the show and hosts and guest and also the letter NAAJA sent by email several hours after the incident.
Thanks
Ray Hanania
http://www.naaja-us.com/
=============
Mike & Mike in the Morning
Host(s): Mike Golic and Mike Greenberg
Weekdays 5:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.E-mail: mikeandmike@espnradio.com
One of several email complaints received
This morning at 8:15 a.m. Chicago time, I was shocked to hear an analogy by Dr. Bonnie Bernstein on how NBA hopefuls are programmed to "just make it to the NBA." Her analogy pointed to how Palestinian children are programmed to be suicide bombers was disgusting!!!!
She claims she read it so I guess she expects that your listening audience will buy it. Dr. Bernstein seems to suggest that because people enjoy sports they are ignorant to the happenings in the world they live in. Her assumption does not give her the right to assume sports fans can be "programmed" to think that a people, namely in this case Palestinians, is synonymous with suicide bombing and terrorism. She is out of line. Does she even understand the situation in the Middle East? Mike and Mike's silence when she said it spoke volumes too. People listen and enjoy sports as an escape. That woman is a hatemongerer with a personal agenda. Had she have been talking about any other ethnicity, it would be equally shameful and ESPN should never have her on again and should make a public statement on the radio saying that her comment was inappropriate and apologize if it offended anyone!!!
I am personally offended as an American of Palestinian heritage that works with Jewish Americans and Israeli's to help foster peace and reconciliation between the two people, I am sickened. Mike and Mike should offer a comment immediately. I am not hopeful that Dr. Bernstein will retract her statement but it would be nice.
SS
Chicago
=================== ===========
CONTACT INFO ON ESPN
ESPN Radio Network
545 Middle St
Bristol, CT 06010
Roberts, Jim Affiliate Relations Executive Director (972) 776-4613 (860) 766-2213
mailto:jim.roberts@espnradio.disney.comWalsh, John Executive Vice President (860) 766-2323 (860) 766-2213
mailto:john.walsh@espn.comGoralski, Keith Operations Director (860) 766-2000 (860) 766-2213
mailto:keith.goralski@espn.comGeneric email: radio@espn.com
Background on the GUEST Bonnie Bernstein
BonnieBernstein.com
ABC Sports
c/o Bonnie Bernstein
47 W. 66th Street, 12th Floor
New York, NY 10023
With 15 years in broadcasting, Bonnie Bernstein is one of the most recognizable and highly respected journalists in her field. As a reporter and host for ABC Sports and ESPN, she has a wide range of responsibilities. During the college football season, she serves as the sideline reporter for the Brad Nessler/Bob Griese/Paul McGuire announce team on ABC and hosts "Countdown to the Heisman". She is also part of the hosting rotation for "NFL Live" and "Jim Rome is Burning" and has covered Major League Baseball for the Network. Additionally, Bernstein covers the NFL for CBS/Westwood One Radio.
NAAJA Letter sent Wednesday 10:32 AM by email
Hi Mike Golic and Mike Greenberg:
This morning, Dr. Bonnie Bernstein, a veteran sports reporter and radio reporter, made a very racist comparison between NBA players and Palestinians who raise their children to become suicide bombers. I am writing on behalf of the National Arab American Journalists Association asking that you address the issue.I think it was very inappropriate for Bonnie to use that racial stereotype of Palestinians as an example to back up her comments that NBA hopefuls "are programmed" to make it in the NBA the way Palestinian children are "programmed" to become suicide bombers ...
I don't need to explain that suicide bombers are not a race or ethnicity, or that there are 7 million Palestinians and have been only 50 suicide bombers over the past 15 years, or that suicide bombers come from all walks of life (in the film Pearl Harbor, the character of Jimmy Doolitle said that if his plane ran out of gas while bombing Tokyo and couldn't make it back to the states during World War II, he would simply crash his plane into a Japanese building -- making him, a typical American, a suicide bomber, too) ...
It is not about being politically correct. If you wanted to have a discussion about suicide bombers in the Middle East and Iraq and their ethnicity and the act of terrorism, you could probably fill five hours easily on radio. But that wasn't the point of Bonnie's comments, but rather a gratuitous slam against Palestinians.I know you guys are pros when it comes to sports and I would hope you might make mention that the comparison was inappropriate and in fact is racist.
In this day and age of understanding how easily minorities and ethnic groups are defamed by casual racist comments and especially how easily it happens on radio -- Don Imus is a good example -- we should try our best to be respectful.I think Bonnie should address the issue also.
Thanks and best regards
Ray Hanania
http://www.naaja-us.com/
rayhanania@comcast.net
NAAJA
PO Box 2127
Orland Park, IL., 60462
cc: Jim Roberts, ESPN, Affiliates Relations Exec. Dir
John Walsh, ESPN Exec. VP
Keith Goralski, ESPN, Operations Manager
Ray Hanania
rayhanania@comcast.net
http://www.TheMediaOasis.com
Friday, June 20, 2008
Nader/Gonzalez team to file for president in Illinois elections
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Chris Driscoll, 202-360-3273, chris@votenader.org
IL Contact: Christina Tobin: 312-320-4101
THE NADER/GONZALEZ CAMPAIGN MONDAY WILL SUBMIT MORE THAN 50,000 SIGNATURES FOR AN ILLINOIS BALLOT LINE, FAR SURPASSING REQUIREMENT
Joint News Conference with Libertarian And Green Party Representatives Will Focus On Impediments to DemocracyThe Nader/Gonzalez Campaign will submit more than 50,000 signatures to the Illinois Board of Elections Monday, far more than the 25,000 required to secure a line on the state ballot in the November elections.
This is good news for voters who want a choice that matters in the 2008 election and an agenda (see: votenader.org) for numerous new directions for our country that a majority of Illinois voters support.Illinois coordinators of the Nader/Gonzalez presidential campaign will join state Libertarian and Green Party officials in a joint news conference Monday, June 23, at 1 p.m. Central Daylight Time, in the Capital Building Press Room, Mezzanine Level, Springfield IL, 62706.Christina Tobin, Nader/Gonzalez National Ballot Access Coordinator/Illinois Ballot Coordinator, Val Vetter, State Chairman of the Libertarian Party and Rich Whitney, IL Green Party 2006 gubernatorial candidate, and several Nader/Gonzalez Road Trippers--dedicated signature gatherers--will answer questions and comment on the undemocratic barriers imposed by restrictive ballot requirements.
- End -
Contact: Chris Driscoll, 202-360-3273, chris@votenader.org
IL Contact: Christina Tobin: 312-320-4101
THE NADER/GONZALEZ CAMPAIGN MONDAY WILL SUBMIT MORE THAN 50,000 SIGNATURES FOR AN ILLINOIS BALLOT LINE, FAR SURPASSING REQUIREMENT
Joint News Conference with Libertarian And Green Party Representatives Will Focus On Impediments to DemocracyThe Nader/Gonzalez Campaign will submit more than 50,000 signatures to the Illinois Board of Elections Monday, far more than the 25,000 required to secure a line on the state ballot in the November elections.
This is good news for voters who want a choice that matters in the 2008 election and an agenda (see: votenader.org) for numerous new directions for our country that a majority of Illinois voters support.Illinois coordinators of the Nader/Gonzalez presidential campaign will join state Libertarian and Green Party officials in a joint news conference Monday, June 23, at 1 p.m. Central Daylight Time, in the Capital Building Press Room, Mezzanine Level, Springfield IL, 62706.Christina Tobin, Nader/Gonzalez National Ballot Access Coordinator/Illinois Ballot Coordinator, Val Vetter, State Chairman of the Libertarian Party and Rich Whitney, IL Green Party 2006 gubernatorial candidate, and several Nader/Gonzalez Road Trippers--dedicated signature gatherers--will answer questions and comment on the undemocratic barriers imposed by restrictive ballot requirements.
- End -
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Huamn Rights Watch Film Festival in New York June 23
The Human Rights Watch Int'l Film Festival is pleased to be featuring seven excellent films at this year's event (June 13-26 at New York's Film Society of Lincoln Center) that explore subjects of particular Middle Eastern interest: TO SEE IF I'M SMILING, DEADLY PLAYGROUND, USA VS. AL-ARIAN, DEAD LINE, THE RECRUITER, THIS WAY UP, OPEN HEART, and UNDER THE BOMBS
Descriptions of the films, as well as the complete HRWIFF program, follow.
ATTENDING THE FESTIVAL AND AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS:
Director Tamar Yarom - TO SEE IF I'M SMILING (June 12-16)
Director Georgi Lazarevski - THIS WAY UP (June 23-27)
Director Edet Belzberg - THE RECRUITER (based in NY)
For preview DVDs of featured films, to schedule interviews or for further information, please contact Susan Norget or Eric Hynes at (212) 431-0090 or susan@norget.com / eric@norget.com
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
TO SEE IF I'M SMILING New York Premiere
Tamar Yarom, Israel, 2007; 59m. In Hebrew.
SCREENING WITH
DEADLY PLAYGROUND US Premiere
Katia Saleh, UK/Lebanon, 2007; 23m. In Arabic and English.
Fri Jun 13: 9:15pm; Additional Screenings: Fri Jun 13: 1:30pm; Sun Jun 15: 6:00pm
To See If I’m Smiling
Israel is the only country in the world where 18-year-old women are drafted for compulsory military service. To See If I’m Smiling is a disturbing look at the actions and behavior of women soldiers in the Israeli army who, stationed in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, help maintain the 40-year-old occupation of Palestinian territories. The women in the film, veterans who’ve tried to bury the past for years, finally speak openly about their experiences. Deeply personal interviews are dramatically interwoven with both archival footage and details of the women’s daily lives. One woman recounts how she posed for a photo with a Palestinian corpse. She searches for that picture, saying, “I wanted to see if I’m smiling.” At a time when women in the military are increasingly on the frontlines, this powerful film explores the ways that gender, ethics, and moral responsibility intersect during war. A Women Make Movies release.
Deadly Playground
Thirteen-year-old Hussein from the village of Sadikkeen in south Lebanon has been watching the de-mining experts in his area clearing the estimated 3 million cluster munitions that Israeli forces dropped in the war with Hezbollah in 2006. A projected 1 million of these remain unexploded and scattered around the villages and mountains of south Lebanon. Hundreds of children, like Hussein, are still fascinated by them.
USA VS. AL-ARIAN New York Premiere
Line Halvorsen, Norway, 2007; 98m. In English and Arabic.
Thu Jun 26: 9:00pm; Additional Screenings: Tue June 24: 6:15pm; Wed Jun 25: 3:30pm
A passionate, outspoken pro-Palestinian activist, university professor Sami Al-Arian was charged in 2003 with funding and supporting a Palestinian terrorist group and held in prison awaiting a trial for two-and-a-half years. USA vs. Al-Arian is an intimate family portrait that documents the strain brought on by Al-Arian’s trial, a battle waged both in court and in the media. A tight-knit family unravels before our eyes as trial preparations, strategy, and spin consume their lives. This is a nightmare come to life, as a man is prosecuted for his beliefs rather than his actions. Director Line Halvorsen presents democracy in a new light—in a post-9/11 culture of fear, “security measures” trump free speech, and punishment is meted out in the name of protection. Presented in association with the American Civil Liberties Union and the New York Civil Liberties Union.
Spotlight on ARIEL DORFMAN
DEAD LINE US Premiere
Alex Marengo, Director; Ariel Dorfman & Rodrigo Dorfman, Screenplay, UK, 1998; 30m.
PRECEDING
PRISONERS IN TIME US Premiere
Stephen Walker, Director; Ariel Dorfman & Rodrigo Dorfman, Screenplay, UK, 1995; 66m.
Sat Jun 14: 1:30pm
Dead Line
Using Ariel Dorfman’s classic poems of exile and the “disappeared” as read by Bono, Emma Thompson, Juliet Stevenson, Harold Pinter and others, the film follows a desperate Iraqi exile (Art Malik) through the streets of London in search of a magical phone from which he can call home and find out the fate of his brother at the hands of the Saddam Hussein dictatorship.
THE RECRUITER New York Premiere
Edet Belzberg, US, 2008; 86m
Fri Jun 13: 4:00pm; Sat Jun 14: 9:15pm; Sun Jun 15: 1:00pm
Bringing new meaning to the slogan “An Army of One,” The Recruiter follows US Army Sergeant First Class Clay Usie, one of the most successful recruiters in America, as he seeks out the young men and women of Houma, Louisiana. Sergeant Usie’s infectious ‘can do’ spirit draws in the kids, and he begins working with some of them three to four years before they are able to enlist. He becomes their mentors, their role models, and in some cases their surrogate fathers, as he trains beside his recruits and pushes them to their physical limits to prepare for Army basic training boot camp. But the realities of the war hit closer to home as the death count in Iraq for soldiers from the Houma area begins to rise and fewer and fewer civilians are willing to enlist. Four of Sergeant Usie’s recruits, Chris, Bobby, Lauren, and Matt, enter boot camp inflated with Sergeant Usie’s vim and vigor and talk of brotherhood and pride, but are soon confronted by the realities of the day-to-day life of a soldier. Sergeant Usie has prepared them for the physical brutality of boot camp, but can anyone prepare them for the emotional and psychological hardship that separation from their families, boot camp, and actual combat will bring? Official Selection, Sundance Film Festival 2008. Presented in association with Margaret Mead Film & Video Festival. This HBO Documentary Film premieres on HBO on July 28th.
THIS WAY UP New York Premiere
Georgi Lazarevski, France, 2007; 60m. In Arabic.
SCREENING WITH
OPEN HEART New York Premiere
Claire Fowler, UK/Palestine, 2006; 22m. In Arabic and English.
Tue Jun 24: 9:00pm; Wed Jun 25: 1:00pm and 6:15pm
This Way Up
Just east of Jerusalem lies the formerly bucolic Our Lady of Pains, a senior citizens’ home for Palestinians. A few meters from the front door rises the grimly spectacular and unavoidable wall of separation, whose unstoppable progression gradually isolates the seniors from their children’s visits, the outside world, even from the very staff that attends to them. With beautiful imagery, contemplative pacing, moments of laughter, and brilliant use of a quietly humorous ‘guide’—a memorable character with a trademark knitted cap, weathered expressive face, and savoring appreciation for smoking—filmmaker Lazarevski has fashioned a film whose political message grows like an approaching thundercloud.
Open Heart
An emotional journey highlighting the plight of the struggling Palestinian healthcare system under occupation. A Palestinian couple’s son’s life is threatened by congenital heart disease. A charity offers a life-saving surgery in Jerusalem, but to get there the family must make an uncertain trip through Israeli checkpoints.
UNDER THE BOMBS New York Premiere
Philippe Aractingi, France/Lebanon/UK/Belgium, 2007; 98m. In Arabic.
Tue Jun 17: 9:00pm; Thu Jun 19: 6:30pm
There is a fine line between fiction and documentary, and Lebanese filmmaker Philippe Aractingi walks this line stunningly in his new film, Under the Bombs. Aractingi takes us to Lebanon, to the Israeli-Hezbollah war of summer 2006, and combines real footage of the massive destruction with a moving narrative story. The Israelis have just bombed the south. Into the chaos comes Zeina (Nada Abou Farhat), a Shiite woman in her thirties, searching for her sister and her six-year-old son, both of who are reported missing. Zeina pays Tony, a Christian taxi driver, who is the only driver willing to take her to the south. At first they keep their distance, but during the search they grow closer. Aractingi captures remarkable and unscripted scenes, as Zeina and Tony encounter victims of the war and sights of bombed-out buildings, witness a Hezbollah rally, and see peacekeeping forces and international journalists arrive. The only side that Aractingi takes is the side of the civilian victims. Under the Bombs asks us to join Zeina and Tony’s journey and keep our eyes open throughout.
Tickets: Single screening tickets for the 2008 Human Rights Watch International Film Festival are $11 for adults, $7 for Film Society members and students with a valid photo ID, and $8 for seniors. They are available at both the Walter Reade Theater box office and online at www.filmlinc.com. HRWIFF08 Series Pass ($40 public/$30 Film Society member) admits one person to five titles in the festival. Available only at the Walter Reade Theater box office (cash only). Additional information is available online at www.filmlinc.com and http://www.hrw.org/iff/, or by calling (212) 875-5600.
..............................................................................................................................
THE 19TH ANNUAL HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVALCo-presented by the Film Society of Lincoln CenterJune 13-26 at the Walter Reade Theater
Program of 32 Films from 20 Countries—including 31 New York Premieres
NEW YORK, May 14, 2008 – Each year countless talented filmmakers work against long odds, short finances and threatening politics to bring to the screen powerful stories of human struggle, sacrifice and triumph. The Human Rights Watch International Film Festival returns to the Walter Reade Theater this June to bring some of the most compelling of these stories to New York audiences. Co-presented by Human Rights Watch and the Film Society of Lincoln Center, the 19th annual festival will run from June 13 to 26, featuring 19 feature-length films and 13 shorts from 20 countries, including 31 New York premieres. The festival is especially proud that this year’s program features an unprecedented 20 films by women.
The festival launches on Friday, June 13 with A Promise to the Dead: The Exile Journey of Ariel Dorfman, with the film's namesake and renowned author of “Death and the Maiden” present to introduce this extraordinary documentary. In 1973, the coup in Chile sent Dorfman into exile and killed many of his friends. Director Peter Raymont follows him on an emotional journey back to Chile as he recalls that tumultuous period and its consequences. Mr. Dorfman receives a special spotlight later in the festival when two films that he wrote with his son Rodrigo, Prisoners in Time (1995) and Dead Line (1998), will be featured. A Promise to the Dead will be followed opening night by To See If I’m Smiling in which six young Israeli women talk with bracing candor about their experiences during their mandatory military service in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Director and former Israel Defense Forces soldier Tamar Yarom will present the film.
Women are also on the frontlines in festival centerpiece The Sari Soldiers, by New York-based filmmaker Julie Bridgham, this year’s recipient of the festival’s Nestor Almendros Award for courage and commitment in filmmaking. The film follows six Nepali women on opposing sides of Nepal's armed conflict as they bravely fight to transform their country's future.
On Thursday, June 26, two closing night films offer sobering tales of the profound personal cost many pay in the fight for justice. Letter to Anna tells the story of the life and tragic death of crusading Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya, who was murdered in 2006 by a gunman who some believe was an operative of the government of which she was openly critical. In USA vs. Al-Arian, our own government is implicated in this intimate portrait of Palestinian-American activist Dr. Sami Al-Arian and his family during his federal trial on terrorism-related charges.
One of the most shameful legacies of America’s past is invoked in Traces of the Trade, in which director Katrina Browne and nine relatives trace their roots as the largest slave-trading family in American history. In this bicentennial year of the U.S. abolition of the slave trade, the film offers powerful new perspectives on the black/white divide.
Four more superb documentaries by American women will be showcased at this year’s festival. Acclaimed cinematographer Ellen Kuras’s gorgeously shot The Betrayal (Nerakhoon), co-directed by Thavisouk Phrasavath, movingly chronicles 23 years in the life of a Laotian family who escaped the ravages of the Vietnam War to resettle in New York. From Senain Kheshgi and Geeta V. Patel comes the world premiere of Project Kashmir, in which the directors, two American friends from opposite sides of the divide, investigate the war in Kashmir and find their friendship tested over deeply rooted religious biases they never had to face in the U.S. Edet Belberg’s The Recruiter takes a compelling look at army recruitment in this country through the story of Louisiana Sergeant Clay Usie, one of the most successful recruiters in the history of the Army. In the Sundance award-winning The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo, filmmaker Lisa F. Jackson documents the tragic plight of women and girls in the Democratic Republic of Congo who are raped in the name of war.
Africa is also the focus of The Dictator Hunter which follows tireless Human Rights Watch lawyer Reed Brody and Chadian political refugee Souleymane Guengueng as they pursue former president Hissène Habré of Chad, under whose regime tens of thousands of citizens were tortured and killed. "If you kill one person, you go to jail. If you kill 40 people, they put you in an insane asylum,” says Brody, who will attend the festival screenings. "But if you kill 40,000 people, you get a comfortable exile with a bank account in another country, and that’s what we want to change here."
Films from Latin America and the Middle East have become perennial features of the program and this year is no exception. Like A Promise to the Dead, the Chilean filmCalle Santa Fe returns to the brutal Pinochet regime and post-revolutionary exile through filmmaker Carmen Castillo’s deeply personal journey back to her homeland, which she fled in 1974 after her husband, a leftist leader, was killed. From Brazil comes Maria Ramos's Behave, which follows the process of minors who have fallen into the hands of Rio de Janeiro’s troubled juvenile court system and detention centers. Middle Eastern offerings include the feature drama Under the Bombs, a poignant tale of a Lebanese woman's search for her young son in the aftermath of the Israeli bombardment of Lebanon in 2006, and This Way Up, where a group of elderly Palestinians learn to live with the everyday changes, restrictions and surprises created when the West Bank Wall is erected just yards from their door. Playing in the same program as This Way Up, Open Heart highlights the plight of the Palestinian healthcare system struggling under occupation, while the shortDeadly Playground (preceding the Israeli film To See If I’m Smiling) looks at a young boy’s fascination with cluster bombs dropped by Israeli forces in south Lebanon in 2006.
Other highlights of this year’s program include Roger Weisberg’s Critical Condition, which reveals the impact of being sick and uninsured in this country; American Outrage, a portrait of two elderly Shoshone sisters who’ve been fighting against the U.S. government’s attempts to take over their land in Nevada (showing with the Kenyan land-rights short Rightful Place); and China’s Stolen Children, an investigation into how China’s one-child policy has led to a boom in stolen children, with an estimated 70,000 children kidnapped there every year and traded on the black market. The spotlight is also on China in the annual HRW photography exhibit in the Film Society’s Frieda and Roy Furman Gallery, adjacent to the Walter Reade Theater, in which photographer Kadir van Lohuizen shows the world a side of Beijing that Olympic organizers would prefer to conceal.
In partnership with the Adobe Foundation, the festival is pleased to announce the inaugural edition of Youth Producing Change, a special program of nine short films directed and produced by youth from across the globe. Armed with digital cameras and their own boundless creativity, these young people bravely expose human rights issues faced by themselves and their communities. Many of the teenage filmmakers will be making the trip to New York to present their work.
Each year, Human Rights Watch endorses select First Run Feature films that fit within the Human Rights Watch mission. This year they have added a new dimension to the partnership by screening five of the HRW Selects Film Series as part of the festival proper – Monday, June 16 to Friday, June 20, daily at 4:00 p.m. Please checkwww.filmlinc.com or www.hrw.org/iff for descriptions of the films.
Single screening tickets for the 2008 Human Rights Watch International Film Festival are $11 for adults, $7 for Film Society members and students with a valid photo ID, and $8 for seniors. They are available at both the Walter Reade Theater box office and online at www.filmlinc.com. HRWIFF08 Series Pass ($40 public/$30 Film Society member) admits one person to five titles in the festival. Available only at the Walter Reade Theater box office (cash only). Additional information is available online at www.filmlinc.com andwww.hrw.org/iff, or by calling (212) 875-5600.
Please note: Due to construction work taking place around Lincoln Center, access to the Walter Reade Theater is at 165 West 65th Street close to Amsterdam Avenue. Once there, take the escalator, elevator or stairs to the upper level.
Descriptions of the films, as well as the complete HRWIFF program, follow.
ATTENDING THE FESTIVAL AND AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS:
Director Tamar Yarom - TO SEE IF I'M SMILING (June 12-16)
Director Georgi Lazarevski - THIS WAY UP (June 23-27)
Director Edet Belzberg - THE RECRUITER (based in NY)
For preview DVDs of featured films, to schedule interviews or for further information, please contact Susan Norget or Eric Hynes at (212) 431-0090 or susan@norget.com / eric@norget.com
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
TO SEE IF I'M SMILING New York Premiere
Tamar Yarom, Israel, 2007; 59m. In Hebrew.
SCREENING WITH
DEADLY PLAYGROUND US Premiere
Katia Saleh, UK/Lebanon, 2007; 23m. In Arabic and English.
Fri Jun 13: 9:15pm; Additional Screenings: Fri Jun 13: 1:30pm; Sun Jun 15: 6:00pm
To See If I’m Smiling
Israel is the only country in the world where 18-year-old women are drafted for compulsory military service. To See If I’m Smiling is a disturbing look at the actions and behavior of women soldiers in the Israeli army who, stationed in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, help maintain the 40-year-old occupation of Palestinian territories. The women in the film, veterans who’ve tried to bury the past for years, finally speak openly about their experiences. Deeply personal interviews are dramatically interwoven with both archival footage and details of the women’s daily lives. One woman recounts how she posed for a photo with a Palestinian corpse. She searches for that picture, saying, “I wanted to see if I’m smiling.” At a time when women in the military are increasingly on the frontlines, this powerful film explores the ways that gender, ethics, and moral responsibility intersect during war. A Women Make Movies release.
Deadly Playground
Thirteen-year-old Hussein from the village of Sadikkeen in south Lebanon has been watching the de-mining experts in his area clearing the estimated 3 million cluster munitions that Israeli forces dropped in the war with Hezbollah in 2006. A projected 1 million of these remain unexploded and scattered around the villages and mountains of south Lebanon. Hundreds of children, like Hussein, are still fascinated by them.
USA VS. AL-ARIAN New York Premiere
Line Halvorsen, Norway, 2007; 98m. In English and Arabic.
Thu Jun 26: 9:00pm; Additional Screenings: Tue June 24: 6:15pm; Wed Jun 25: 3:30pm
A passionate, outspoken pro-Palestinian activist, university professor Sami Al-Arian was charged in 2003 with funding and supporting a Palestinian terrorist group and held in prison awaiting a trial for two-and-a-half years. USA vs. Al-Arian is an intimate family portrait that documents the strain brought on by Al-Arian’s trial, a battle waged both in court and in the media. A tight-knit family unravels before our eyes as trial preparations, strategy, and spin consume their lives. This is a nightmare come to life, as a man is prosecuted for his beliefs rather than his actions. Director Line Halvorsen presents democracy in a new light—in a post-9/11 culture of fear, “security measures” trump free speech, and punishment is meted out in the name of protection. Presented in association with the American Civil Liberties Union and the New York Civil Liberties Union.
Spotlight on ARIEL DORFMAN
DEAD LINE US Premiere
Alex Marengo, Director; Ariel Dorfman & Rodrigo Dorfman, Screenplay, UK, 1998; 30m.
PRECEDING
PRISONERS IN TIME US Premiere
Stephen Walker, Director; Ariel Dorfman & Rodrigo Dorfman, Screenplay, UK, 1995; 66m.
Sat Jun 14: 1:30pm
Dead Line
Using Ariel Dorfman’s classic poems of exile and the “disappeared” as read by Bono, Emma Thompson, Juliet Stevenson, Harold Pinter and others, the film follows a desperate Iraqi exile (Art Malik) through the streets of London in search of a magical phone from which he can call home and find out the fate of his brother at the hands of the Saddam Hussein dictatorship.
THE RECRUITER New York Premiere
Edet Belzberg, US, 2008; 86m
Fri Jun 13: 4:00pm; Sat Jun 14: 9:15pm; Sun Jun 15: 1:00pm
Bringing new meaning to the slogan “An Army of One,” The Recruiter follows US Army Sergeant First Class Clay Usie, one of the most successful recruiters in America, as he seeks out the young men and women of Houma, Louisiana. Sergeant Usie’s infectious ‘can do’ spirit draws in the kids, and he begins working with some of them three to four years before they are able to enlist. He becomes their mentors, their role models, and in some cases their surrogate fathers, as he trains beside his recruits and pushes them to their physical limits to prepare for Army basic training boot camp. But the realities of the war hit closer to home as the death count in Iraq for soldiers from the Houma area begins to rise and fewer and fewer civilians are willing to enlist. Four of Sergeant Usie’s recruits, Chris, Bobby, Lauren, and Matt, enter boot camp inflated with Sergeant Usie’s vim and vigor and talk of brotherhood and pride, but are soon confronted by the realities of the day-to-day life of a soldier. Sergeant Usie has prepared them for the physical brutality of boot camp, but can anyone prepare them for the emotional and psychological hardship that separation from their families, boot camp, and actual combat will bring? Official Selection, Sundance Film Festival 2008. Presented in association with Margaret Mead Film & Video Festival. This HBO Documentary Film premieres on HBO on July 28th.
THIS WAY UP New York Premiere
Georgi Lazarevski, France, 2007; 60m. In Arabic.
SCREENING WITH
OPEN HEART New York Premiere
Claire Fowler, UK/Palestine, 2006; 22m. In Arabic and English.
Tue Jun 24: 9:00pm; Wed Jun 25: 1:00pm and 6:15pm
This Way Up
Just east of Jerusalem lies the formerly bucolic Our Lady of Pains, a senior citizens’ home for Palestinians. A few meters from the front door rises the grimly spectacular and unavoidable wall of separation, whose unstoppable progression gradually isolates the seniors from their children’s visits, the outside world, even from the very staff that attends to them. With beautiful imagery, contemplative pacing, moments of laughter, and brilliant use of a quietly humorous ‘guide’—a memorable character with a trademark knitted cap, weathered expressive face, and savoring appreciation for smoking—filmmaker Lazarevski has fashioned a film whose political message grows like an approaching thundercloud.
Open Heart
An emotional journey highlighting the plight of the struggling Palestinian healthcare system under occupation. A Palestinian couple’s son’s life is threatened by congenital heart disease. A charity offers a life-saving surgery in Jerusalem, but to get there the family must make an uncertain trip through Israeli checkpoints.
UNDER THE BOMBS New York Premiere
Philippe Aractingi, France/Lebanon/UK/Belgium, 2007; 98m. In Arabic.
Tue Jun 17: 9:00pm; Thu Jun 19: 6:30pm
There is a fine line between fiction and documentary, and Lebanese filmmaker Philippe Aractingi walks this line stunningly in his new film, Under the Bombs. Aractingi takes us to Lebanon, to the Israeli-Hezbollah war of summer 2006, and combines real footage of the massive destruction with a moving narrative story. The Israelis have just bombed the south. Into the chaos comes Zeina (Nada Abou Farhat), a Shiite woman in her thirties, searching for her sister and her six-year-old son, both of who are reported missing. Zeina pays Tony, a Christian taxi driver, who is the only driver willing to take her to the south. At first they keep their distance, but during the search they grow closer. Aractingi captures remarkable and unscripted scenes, as Zeina and Tony encounter victims of the war and sights of bombed-out buildings, witness a Hezbollah rally, and see peacekeeping forces and international journalists arrive. The only side that Aractingi takes is the side of the civilian victims. Under the Bombs asks us to join Zeina and Tony’s journey and keep our eyes open throughout.
Tickets: Single screening tickets for the 2008 Human Rights Watch International Film Festival are $11 for adults, $7 for Film Society members and students with a valid photo ID, and $8 for seniors. They are available at both the Walter Reade Theater box office and online at www.filmlinc.com. HRWIFF08 Series Pass ($40 public/$30 Film Society member) admits one person to five titles in the festival. Available only at the Walter Reade Theater box office (cash only). Additional information is available online at www.filmlinc.com and http://www.hrw.org/iff/, or by calling (212) 875-5600.
..............................................................................................................................
THE 19TH ANNUAL HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVALCo-presented by the Film Society of Lincoln CenterJune 13-26 at the Walter Reade Theater
Program of 32 Films from 20 Countries—including 31 New York Premieres
NEW YORK, May 14, 2008 – Each year countless talented filmmakers work against long odds, short finances and threatening politics to bring to the screen powerful stories of human struggle, sacrifice and triumph. The Human Rights Watch International Film Festival returns to the Walter Reade Theater this June to bring some of the most compelling of these stories to New York audiences. Co-presented by Human Rights Watch and the Film Society of Lincoln Center, the 19th annual festival will run from June 13 to 26, featuring 19 feature-length films and 13 shorts from 20 countries, including 31 New York premieres. The festival is especially proud that this year’s program features an unprecedented 20 films by women.
The festival launches on Friday, June 13 with A Promise to the Dead: The Exile Journey of Ariel Dorfman, with the film's namesake and renowned author of “Death and the Maiden” present to introduce this extraordinary documentary. In 1973, the coup in Chile sent Dorfman into exile and killed many of his friends. Director Peter Raymont follows him on an emotional journey back to Chile as he recalls that tumultuous period and its consequences. Mr. Dorfman receives a special spotlight later in the festival when two films that he wrote with his son Rodrigo, Prisoners in Time (1995) and Dead Line (1998), will be featured. A Promise to the Dead will be followed opening night by To See If I’m Smiling in which six young Israeli women talk with bracing candor about their experiences during their mandatory military service in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Director and former Israel Defense Forces soldier Tamar Yarom will present the film.
Women are also on the frontlines in festival centerpiece The Sari Soldiers, by New York-based filmmaker Julie Bridgham, this year’s recipient of the festival’s Nestor Almendros Award for courage and commitment in filmmaking. The film follows six Nepali women on opposing sides of Nepal's armed conflict as they bravely fight to transform their country's future.
On Thursday, June 26, two closing night films offer sobering tales of the profound personal cost many pay in the fight for justice. Letter to Anna tells the story of the life and tragic death of crusading Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya, who was murdered in 2006 by a gunman who some believe was an operative of the government of which she was openly critical. In USA vs. Al-Arian, our own government is implicated in this intimate portrait of Palestinian-American activist Dr. Sami Al-Arian and his family during his federal trial on terrorism-related charges.
One of the most shameful legacies of America’s past is invoked in Traces of the Trade, in which director Katrina Browne and nine relatives trace their roots as the largest slave-trading family in American history. In this bicentennial year of the U.S. abolition of the slave trade, the film offers powerful new perspectives on the black/white divide.
Four more superb documentaries by American women will be showcased at this year’s festival. Acclaimed cinematographer Ellen Kuras’s gorgeously shot The Betrayal (Nerakhoon), co-directed by Thavisouk Phrasavath, movingly chronicles 23 years in the life of a Laotian family who escaped the ravages of the Vietnam War to resettle in New York. From Senain Kheshgi and Geeta V. Patel comes the world premiere of Project Kashmir, in which the directors, two American friends from opposite sides of the divide, investigate the war in Kashmir and find their friendship tested over deeply rooted religious biases they never had to face in the U.S. Edet Belberg’s The Recruiter takes a compelling look at army recruitment in this country through the story of Louisiana Sergeant Clay Usie, one of the most successful recruiters in the history of the Army. In the Sundance award-winning The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo, filmmaker Lisa F. Jackson documents the tragic plight of women and girls in the Democratic Republic of Congo who are raped in the name of war.
Africa is also the focus of The Dictator Hunter which follows tireless Human Rights Watch lawyer Reed Brody and Chadian political refugee Souleymane Guengueng as they pursue former president Hissène Habré of Chad, under whose regime tens of thousands of citizens were tortured and killed. "If you kill one person, you go to jail. If you kill 40 people, they put you in an insane asylum,” says Brody, who will attend the festival screenings. "But if you kill 40,000 people, you get a comfortable exile with a bank account in another country, and that’s what we want to change here."
Films from Latin America and the Middle East have become perennial features of the program and this year is no exception. Like A Promise to the Dead, the Chilean filmCalle Santa Fe returns to the brutal Pinochet regime and post-revolutionary exile through filmmaker Carmen Castillo’s deeply personal journey back to her homeland, which she fled in 1974 after her husband, a leftist leader, was killed. From Brazil comes Maria Ramos's Behave, which follows the process of minors who have fallen into the hands of Rio de Janeiro’s troubled juvenile court system and detention centers. Middle Eastern offerings include the feature drama Under the Bombs, a poignant tale of a Lebanese woman's search for her young son in the aftermath of the Israeli bombardment of Lebanon in 2006, and This Way Up, where a group of elderly Palestinians learn to live with the everyday changes, restrictions and surprises created when the West Bank Wall is erected just yards from their door. Playing in the same program as This Way Up, Open Heart highlights the plight of the Palestinian healthcare system struggling under occupation, while the shortDeadly Playground (preceding the Israeli film To See If I’m Smiling) looks at a young boy’s fascination with cluster bombs dropped by Israeli forces in south Lebanon in 2006.
Other highlights of this year’s program include Roger Weisberg’s Critical Condition, which reveals the impact of being sick and uninsured in this country; American Outrage, a portrait of two elderly Shoshone sisters who’ve been fighting against the U.S. government’s attempts to take over their land in Nevada (showing with the Kenyan land-rights short Rightful Place); and China’s Stolen Children, an investigation into how China’s one-child policy has led to a boom in stolen children, with an estimated 70,000 children kidnapped there every year and traded on the black market. The spotlight is also on China in the annual HRW photography exhibit in the Film Society’s Frieda and Roy Furman Gallery, adjacent to the Walter Reade Theater, in which photographer Kadir van Lohuizen shows the world a side of Beijing that Olympic organizers would prefer to conceal.
In partnership with the Adobe Foundation, the festival is pleased to announce the inaugural edition of Youth Producing Change, a special program of nine short films directed and produced by youth from across the globe. Armed with digital cameras and their own boundless creativity, these young people bravely expose human rights issues faced by themselves and their communities. Many of the teenage filmmakers will be making the trip to New York to present their work.
Each year, Human Rights Watch endorses select First Run Feature films that fit within the Human Rights Watch mission. This year they have added a new dimension to the partnership by screening five of the HRW Selects Film Series as part of the festival proper – Monday, June 16 to Friday, June 20, daily at 4:00 p.m. Please checkwww.filmlinc.com or www.hrw.org/iff for descriptions of the films.
Single screening tickets for the 2008 Human Rights Watch International Film Festival are $11 for adults, $7 for Film Society members and students with a valid photo ID, and $8 for seniors. They are available at both the Walter Reade Theater box office and online at www.filmlinc.com. HRWIFF08 Series Pass ($40 public/$30 Film Society member) admits one person to five titles in the festival. Available only at the Walter Reade Theater box office (cash only). Additional information is available online at www.filmlinc.com andwww.hrw.org/iff, or by calling (212) 875-5600.
Please note: Due to construction work taking place around Lincoln Center, access to the Walter Reade Theater is at 165 West 65th Street close to Amsterdam Avenue. Once there, take the escalator, elevator or stairs to the upper level.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Zogby: Arab Americans must engage the system and vote
A message from AAI President James Zogby
There is no doubt that this is the most exciting election in recent history. And it's a time when the Arab American community cannot afford to be silent.
Like all Americans, we're concerned about the economy and education, about health care and home prices. But there are a host of other issues that are impacting our community more deeply and more personally than any others: issues like civil liberties, immigration, and our country's foreign policies.
We're concerned about having become targets because of our surname. We're concerned about what the U.S. is doing --or not doing-- to help our families in the Arab world. And we're concerned that our home -- the United States -- has lost standing, credibility, and respect not just in the Middle East but throughout the world.
That's why AAI launched Our Voice. Our Future. Yalla Vote '08. It's our biggest election year program ever. It's using new technologies, new resources, and new coalitions to get the Arab American agenda at the forefront of the national debate in this election year.
We're putting staff on the ground in key states to mobilize the Arab American vote.We're tracking what the campaigns are saying and doing in local, state, and federal races. We're making sure that our community's agenda is part of the candidates' agendas.
We're getting our agenda into the debates and getting into the media. More than 50 Arab American organizations from around the country have signed on to Yalla Vote '08, and our Yalla Vote Coalition includes hundreds more individuals who are lending their voice to ensure our future.
Now it's up to you. We need every Arab American to join us in this effort. There are many ways to help:
Make a contribution to Yalla Vote '08 (your donation will include membership in AAI)
Sign our National Petition Contact your elected officials about our agenda
Attend a Yalla Vote training workshop in your community
Urge your friends and family to do the same!
Thank you for making a difference!
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
There is no doubt that this is the most exciting election in recent history. And it's a time when the Arab American community cannot afford to be silent.
Like all Americans, we're concerned about the economy and education, about health care and home prices. But there are a host of other issues that are impacting our community more deeply and more personally than any others: issues like civil liberties, immigration, and our country's foreign policies.
We're concerned about having become targets because of our surname. We're concerned about what the U.S. is doing --or not doing-- to help our families in the Arab world. And we're concerned that our home -- the United States -- has lost standing, credibility, and respect not just in the Middle East but throughout the world.
That's why AAI launched Our Voice. Our Future. Yalla Vote '08. It's our biggest election year program ever. It's using new technologies, new resources, and new coalitions to get the Arab American agenda at the forefront of the national debate in this election year.
We're putting staff on the ground in key states to mobilize the Arab American vote.We're tracking what the campaigns are saying and doing in local, state, and federal races. We're making sure that our community's agenda is part of the candidates' agendas.
We're getting our agenda into the debates and getting into the media. More than 50 Arab American organizations from around the country have signed on to Yalla Vote '08, and our Yalla Vote Coalition includes hundreds more individuals who are lending their voice to ensure our future.
Now it's up to you. We need every Arab American to join us in this effort. There are many ways to help:
Make a contribution to Yalla Vote '08 (your donation will include membership in AAI)
Sign our National Petition Contact your elected officials about our agenda
Attend a Yalla Vote training workshop in your community
Urge your friends and family to do the same!
Thank you for making a difference!
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
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