AMERICAN MUSLIMS

IN THE CONTEXT OF

AMERICAS DOMESTIC

POLITICS AND FOREIGN RELATIONS

Abdulkader H. Sinno Indiana University

asinno@indiana.edu www.sinno.com

LECTURE OUTLINE

American Muslims and American society American Muslims in the context of electoral competition American Muslims in the context of wars of values American Muslims in the Context of 9/11 & Americas wars in Iraq and Afghanistan American Muslims in the Context of the PalestinianIsraeli conflict

Abdulkader H. Sinno American Muslims in the context of Americas domestic politics and foreign relations

MUSLIM OBAMA

Obama madrasa: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pMgsbMcpOE

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Abdulkader H. Sinno American Muslims in the context of Americas domestic politics and foreign relations

AMERICAN MUSLIMS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE PALESTINIAN-ISRAELI CONFLICT

Demographic trends: Jews, Muslims & Arabs in Europe & North America Arab American and Jewish-American attitudes The role of Jewish organizations in shaping US foreign policy towards Israel since the 1970s Emerging Muslim-American organizations How the Middle East conflict affects Muslim-Jewish relations in America. Collective choices & personal choices

Another Arab-Israeli conflict or an opportunity to bring peace?

DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS: AMERICAN JEWS, MUSLIMS & ARABS

Numbers/immigration trends Economic success Political mobilization Main communal concerns

ARAB-AMERICAN AND JEWISH AMERICAN ATTITUDES

From: Seeing Eye to Eye: A Survey of Jewish American and Arab American Public Opinion Margin of error +/- 4.5% (sample of 501+501) Check full report online:
http://www.donteverstop.com/files/apn/upl/assets/AAIAPN2007Poll.pdf

DOES AIPAC REPRESENT JEWISH AMERICANS?

50-60% of Jewish Americans since 1993 support an Israeli withdrawal from OT while AIPAC has mostly adopted an aggressive pro-occupation posture Most Jewish Americans value civil rights and liberties while AIPAC has actively prevented the participation of Muslims in politics Much more aggressive on Iran than most Jewish Americans So why is AIPAC so influential?

AIPAC CONTROVERSIES
Interview on P. Carters book: http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=NKBIc_voF6c Other criticism:

Walt & Mearsheimer article/book

PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER, SPEAKING FRANKLY ABOUT ISRAEL AND PALESTINE, LOS ANGELES TIMES, DECEMBER 8, 2006.
The many controversial issues concerning Palestine and the path to peace for Israel are intensely debated among Israelis and throughout other nations but not in the United States. For the last 30 years, I have witnessed and experienced the severe restraints on any free and balanced discussion of the facts. This reluctance to criticize any policies of the Israeli government is because of the extraordinary lobbying efforts of the American-Israel Political Action Committee and the absence of any significant contrary voices. It would be almost politically suicidal for members of Congress to espouse a balanced position between Israel and Palestine, to suggest that Israel comply with international law or to speak in defense of justice or human rights for Palestinians. Very few would ever deign to visit the Palestinian cities of Ramallah, Nablus, Hebron, Gaza City or even Bethlehem and talk to the beleaguered residents. What is even more difficult to comprehend is why the editorial pages of the major newspapers and magazines in the United States exercise similar selfrestraint, quite contrary to private assessments expressed quite forcefully by their correspondents in the Holy Land.

[ADL Leader Abraham] Foxman particularly objected to Carters claim in a Los Angeles Times op-ed that while issues of peace are hotly and freely debated in Israel, for the last 30 years, I have witnessed and experienced the severe restraints on any free and balanced discussion of the facts. This reluctance to criticize any policies of the Israeli government is because of the extraordinary lobbying efforts of the American-Israel Political Action Committee [sic] and the absence of any significant contrary voices. That, Foxman argued, is anti-Semitism because it reinforces the anti-Semitic canard that our power is so great that you cant even talk about these issues.

THE WORLD IN CRISIS: ARAB-AMERICAN LOBBY FINDS SMALL VICTORIES SWEET

BYLINE: SCOTT SHEPARD SOURCE: COX W ASHINGTON BUREAU
WASHINGTON --- THE ARAB-AMERICAN LOBBY IS NO MATCH FOR THE AMERICAN ISRAEL PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, IN MEMBERSHIP
OR MONEY.

YET WHILE THE LOBBY LOST POLITICAL CONTESTS WITH AIPAC THIS YEAR, THE LEADERS OF THE FAR-FLUNG ALLIANCE OF ARAB-AMERICAN ORGANIZATIONS BELIEVE THEY HAVE NEVER HELD A STRONGER HAND IN AMERICAN POLITICS. "W E TRY TO BE THE LITTLE THORN IN THE SIDE OF THE BIG ELEPHANT THAT IS CALLED AIPAC," SAID KHALID TURAANI, EXECUTIVE WASHINGTON-BASED AMERICAN MUSLIMS FOR JERUSALEM, PART OF THE LOOSELY KNIT PRO-ARAB AND PRO-MUSLIM LOBBY.
DIRECTOR OF THE

WHERE AIPAC'S STAFF IS COUNTED BY THE SCORE, TURAANI'S STAFF CAN BE COUNTED ON ONE HAND. W HERE AIPAC SPENDS AN ESTIMATED $13 MILLION TO $15 MILLION A YEAR, TURAANI'S ORGANIZATION SPENDS LESS THAN $100,000 ANNUALLY. THE BEST FUNDED OF THE MORE THAN 20 ARAB AND MUSLIM LOBBYING ORGANIZATIONS IS THE ARAB AMERICAN INSTITUTE, WITH AN ANNUAL BUDGET OF JUST OVER $1 MILLION. CONSEQUENTLY, SAID TURAANI, THE ARAB-MUSLIM LOBBY OFTEN RELIES ON "GRASS-ROOTS" ORGANIZATIONS TO PUBLICIZE ITS CONCERNS, GROUPS SUCH AS THE SOUTHERN REGION ARM OF THE AMERICAN-ARAB ANTI-DISCRIMINATION COMMITTEE AND ATLANTA PALESTINE SOLIDARITY, THE PRIMARY ORGANIZERS OF THE PROTEST AIMED AT THE AIPAC NATIONAL SUMMIT IN ATLANTA. "W E USED TO NEVER BE ON THE RADAR SCREEN," HE SAID. "NOW WE ARE." THE ARAB-MUSLIM LOBBY SEES REASONS FOR CELEBRATING, EVEN IN THE POLITICAL SETBACKS IT SUFFERED THIS YEAR --- THE PASSAGE OF CONGRESSIONAL RESOLUTIONS OF SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL AND THE LOSS OF TWO SYMPATHETIC CONGRESSIONAL DEMOCRATIC INCUMBENTS, EARL HILLIARD OF ALABAMA AND CYNTHIA MCKINNEY OF GEORGIA. JAMES ZOGBY, HEAD OF THE ARAB AMERICAN INSTITUTE, SAID THE CONGRESSIONAL RESOLUTIONS WERE A "PSYCHOLOGICAL THE PRO-ARAB LOBBY. "EIGHTY PEOPLE IN CONGRESS DID NOT VOTE FOR THAT RESOLUTION," HE SAID.
BREAKTHROUGH" FOR

IT PASSED THE HOUSE, 352-21, AND THE SENATE, 94-2, WITH 55 HOUSE MEMBERS AND FOUR SENATORS NOT VOTING. AIPAC CALLED IT AN "UNEQUIVOCAL" EXPRESSION OF "UNWAVERING SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL" IN ITS CONFLICT WITH THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE. HILLIARD AND MCKINNEY,
SOURCES. BOTH OF WHOM HAD BEEN CRITICAL OF ISRAEL, WERE EASILY DEFEATED IN THEIR RE-ELECTION BIDS, THEIR OPPONENTS

RECEIVING GENEROUS FUNDING FROM JEWISH SOURCES THAT DWARFED COUNTERVAILING FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS FROM

ARAB AND MUSLIM

HOWEVER, THE HILLIARD AND MCKINNEY CAMPAIGNS ARE CONSIDERED "HUGE VICTORIES" AMONG ARAB AND MUSLIM AMERICANS, SAID TURAANI. THEY MARKED "THE FIRST TIME WE PUT UP A GOOD FIGHT . . . THE FIRST TIME WE HAVE COME TOGETHER BEHIND FRIENDS WHO WOULD NOT BE INTIMIDATED," HE SAID.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE JEWISH AMERICAN AND MUSLIM AMERICAN ATTITUDES

American Jewish Identity Survey (2001): http://www.gc.cuny.edu/faculty/research_stu dies/ajis.pdf Pews Survey: Muslim Americans, Middle Class and Mostly Mainstream (2007): http://pewresearch.org/assets/pdf/muslimamericans.pdf

Abdulkader H. Sinno American Muslims in the context of Americas domestic politics and foreign relations

VIDEOS

The Muslim American candidate:

E.g. Glenn Beck: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JegKCAO6N7I E.g.Renee Elmers:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ru5cFp2Fpbo

Leveraging Islam to undermine Democratic candidates

Obama madrasa: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pMgsbMcpOE Leveraging Islam to win Republican nomination:

e.g. Herman Cain: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDXCwd65R5o Renditions e.g. the Maher Arar case http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBWp4iMnHN0 CUFI: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FS3SmEj5r9g

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