Saturday, April 26, 2008
Arab-American "Courage"
How much courage does it take to provide translation and psychological services to Arab immigrants? "Courage" in light of two Arab countries' occupations, I imagine, would involve politically organizing Arabs to express their outrage and end the occupations. This Florence Nightingale-type work of dispensing social services is called "generous" or "sweet" or "socially dedicated" not "courageous".
Today "Arab-American courage" means having the bravery to check "Arab" on the census, buying hummus using a credit card and hanging an Arab flag from your rearview mirror.
That's what happens when you reduce our cause, our pain and our struggle to a cultural circus. I went to a Kathim Al-Sahir concert in 2006 and saw dozens of Iraqi flags in the audience. I was like, why didn't I see you people and your flags protesting when over a million of our people were massacred, when soldiers defiled our humanity in Abu Ghraib, when the world's only superpower demolished our children's dreams, when the uncivilized terrorized the cradle of civilization. At best, Arab-Americans were watching aljazeera and at worst they were holding wedding-like celebrations in the streets. That's what Arab-Americans were doing while the Arab world was mourning the occupation of Baghdad on April 9, 2003 and flattened Falluja in April and November 2004 and ... you know the rest of the list.
Today "Arab-American courage" means having the bravery to check "Arab" on the census, buying hummus using a credit card and hanging an Arab flag from your rearview mirror.
That's what happens when you reduce our cause, our pain and our struggle to a cultural circus. I went to a Kathim Al-Sahir concert in 2006 and saw dozens of Iraqi flags in the audience. I was like, why didn't I see you people and your flags protesting when over a million of our people were massacred, when soldiers defiled our humanity in Abu Ghraib, when the world's only superpower demolished our children's dreams, when the uncivilized terrorized the cradle of civilization. At best, Arab-Americans were watching aljazeera and at worst they were holding wedding-like celebrations in the streets. That's what Arab-Americans were doing while the Arab world was mourning the occupation of Baghdad on April 9, 2003 and flattened Falluja in April and November 2004 and ... you know the rest of the list.
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I think this article was a bit over the top. The "courage" award did not come from an Arab organization it came from a women's organization. Feminists believe that it takes courage for a woman to become a successful businesswoman. As for why she and other Arabs did not come to your protest. One reason often stated is that they are sick of it. They came to America to get away from shouting angry slogans and that sort of thing. Also, many Arabs are Republicans or religiously socially conservative and do not wish to be associated with Communists and Progressives and Homosexuals etc. They try to stay away from anything that might be seen as "leftist." They also might not want to be seen hanging around hippies. Furthermore there is not much evidence that going to peace marches and protests ends wars. So one can't really fault them for not coming. They want to work their way up in society so that they can be among the decision makers. I personally think it's really great that the cultural events of the Arab world are being enjoyed increasingly in the US. When I lived in Dearborn many of the people were very nervous about music because of religious reasons. The establishment of Arab pop music is a way of humanizing Arabs without making political statements.
# posted by 
: Sunday, April 27, 2008 7:42:00 PM
: Sunday, April 27, 2008 7:42:00 PM
I have to think Maria Hussain is either a closet zionist or, as she said herself, a Republican Arab (which is akin to "Nazi Jew" or "Klan Black"). If Arabhood/Islam means anything to you, you ought to show solidarity and end the suffering of your less fortunate sisters and Arabs. You have an additional duty to do that because your taxes pay for their annihilation. If Muhammad Al-Durra's dad looked you in the eye and asked you why you choose to indulge in your comfortable American lifestyle instead of organize to boycott Israel, would you honestly be able to tell him "because of communists, progressives and homosexuals"? As Arabs say, that's an excuse worse than the transgression itself.
Keep up the cultural events. Culture alone, in absence of political organizing, does not prevent genocide. Native Americans still have cultural events, you know.
Keep up the cultural events. Culture alone, in absence of political organizing, does not prevent genocide. Native Americans still have cultural events, you know.
There are PLENTY of Republican Arabs, they simply have a Republican argument for not wanting to pay taxes to Israel. The reason leftists always act "holier than thou" and use despicable slurs like "Nazi" is because they have absorbed the secular Jewish traits of Communism. This type of haughty talk exhibited by Kawla, when she thought I was an Arab, explains everything about why people Arabs come to her protests.
# posted by : Tuesday, June 17, 2008 7:24:00 AM
: Tuesday, June 17, 2008 7:24:00 AM
Maria, are your referring to "Republican Arabs" like Michael Bouchard and/or the Arabs who endorsed him?
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