Muslims in america "we regret supporting George Bush"

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
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DEARBORN, Mich.-To the outside world, the Arab Americans in this community are adjusting well to the heightened scrutiny they receive from law enforcement, cooperating with interviews and proudly displaying their American flags.

But inside, said Don Unis, a U.S. citizen of Lebanese descent, people are upset, anxious and increasingly angry at what they perceive as a war – domestically and abroad – on Arabs and Muslims.

Their relatives have been called in for random interviews. Their brethren are being held in U.S. jails on suspicion of terrorism, some without a hint from the government about their alleged crimes. And there is a widespread perception that few Americans understand – or care – what they’re going through.

The Justice Department says that it is not engaged in racial or ethnic profiling and that its war is aimed at terrorists, not Muslims.

But those arguments have not won over many Arab Americans. In Los Angeles and Chicago, Arab Americans continue to criticize programs – such as the FBI’s interview of 5,000 men – that focus solely on people from Arab countries. In Seattle, Arab Americans complain of being regularly reported to the police for taking pictures of Boeing Field from a tour boat, or for entering a 7-Eleven and then deciding not to buy something, said Rita Zawaideh, founder of the Arab American Community Coalition there.

“Some people will not go to court [even on traffic violations] because they feel they will automatically be guilty,” said Zawaideh, a U.S. citizen who is originally from Jordan and owns a travel agency here. "They are choosing to pay a fine instead. . . .

“Women are being followed in their cars for wearing a hijab. One woman had her health insurance dropped by a company that told her, ‘We don’t sell to immigrants.’ We don’t know what rules, what rights we have as U.S. citizens.”

Now “we regret supporting George Bush,” said Osama Siblani, president of the Arab American Political Action Committee, which endorsed Bush in 2000 and delivered many predominantly Arab American precincts here by a 3 to 1 margin over Democrat Al Gore.

Now “we regret supporting George Bush,” said Osama Siblani, president of the Arab American Political Action Committee, which endorsed Bush in 2000 and delivered many predominantly Arab American precincts here by a 3 to 1 margin over Democrat Al Gore.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A39673-2002Aug3?language=printer

what did these muslims expect a snake is a snake end of the day!

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I think the issue of what bush can do to prevent backlash against muslims in the states is irrelevant. I remember reading posts upon posts of how this country was going to put all muslims in camps and stuff. None of that has happened, we have found a small number of idiots going overboard with rhetoric. We have also had a small number of racially motivated incidents, where perpetrators were rebuked and admonished by this President. We have also had certain muslim americans arrested for abetting Al-qaida. And they got everything that was coming to them.

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Chaltahai, despite your words, I do believe that Muslims are experiencing a backlash after the entire 9-11 incident which in my personal view was a Mosad (Israeli) operation to begin with! A good number of Muslims are in prisons/correctional facilities under the watchful and sometimes unfair eye of law enforcement in this country, most especially AFTER 9-11!. My dad was lucky that he was alive and well as he escaped safely from the 76th floor of Tower 2 at the time though can’t say the same for most of those in the WTC that morning. All I can say is that, being a Muslim, I have heard firsthand accounts of fellow Muslims being treated unfairly by this country’s law enforcement and other agencies. US of A needs to wake up and stop screaming “Commy!” evey time someone looks like a possible Muslim (as if there is a particular way a Muslim is supposed to look!) I am a Pakistani-American and a Muslim too yet if one ever saw me on the street, would they ever stop to even think that I am Muslim since I may not necessarily “look” or “act” Muslim. Something to ponder. :nono:

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moona, my sentiments exactly. Care to check my thread and post something there?

Pakistani Americans in the Land of Nine Eleven

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Well Moona, my reply was deleted but in its purest essence. This zionist conpiracy thing is quite fruity. It has been proven to be a lie and people should get over it soon. Otherwise it just begins to fester in ones mind and consumes their rational thought process.

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While it may be true that this particular Arab-American PAC delivered a 3 to 1 vote in favor of Bush over Gore, that is an anomaly. In fact, Arab-Americans voted 60% for Gore over Bush nationwide according to post-election analysis. Thus, the majority of Arab-Americans actually supported the Gore-Lieberman ticket voting in conformity with 79% of the Jewish vote.

See It’s Race, Stupid - American Renaissance for an analysis of the ethnic group voting in the last Presidential election.

Because the Arab-American vote is not concentrated in a few key states like the Jewish vote and it represents such a small percentage of the overall electorate, I don’t think the political parties in national elections worry too much about whether a PAC can deliver a 3 to 1 ratio of votes of Arab-Americans in small pockets around the country. Besides, in 2000 the Democrats offered what was perceived as a far more pro-Israel ticket than the Republicans, not to mention the Democrats offering a Jewish VP. What is amazing to me is NOT that some PAC could deliver a 3 to 1 ratio in favor of Bush BUT RATHER that Arab-Americans voted 60% nationally for Gore/Lieberman.

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Honestly Myvoice, couldnt you atleast try to be credible and provide an official government link? This dot.com stuff as everybody knows when bust a long time ago

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Plus, muslim americans on the whole are deeply segregated along the socio-economic lines. And their percapita incomes might relect their voting patterns. So bush need'nt worry.

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Chaltahai: *
Plus, muslim americans on the whole are deeply segregated along the socio-economic lines. And their percapita incomes might relect their voting patterns. So bush need'nt worry.
[/QUOTE]

Thank so much for that brilliant insight. That lame generalization can be made for any ethnic group of any society in any country. Though i would like to see the official way muslims voted.

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Exactly chanda! Muslims in America are no different than any other voting group. Next time they can vote against Bush. They will vote according to what is dear to them. Second generation immigrants who do well tend to vote republican, regardless of ethnic or religious group.

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by CM: *
Honestly Myvoice, couldnt you atleast try to be credible and provide an official government link? This dot.com stuff as everybody knows when bust a long time ago
[/QUOTE]

Generally, CM, the US government does not provide election analysis and particularly it doesn't reduce any such analysis down to racial lines. You need to go to educational institutions, news resources, private pollsters and/or private organizations for such an analysis.

If you don't find the analysis by this group (whoever they are) to be credible, why not provide some statistics from someone else that are different? Everything this group has published regarding black, Jewish and Hispanic voting patterns is entirely consistent with what I have read from multiple other sources. It happens to be the only site I found through a quick web search that also included national voting tendencies of Arab-Americans. What is it, do the reported numbers somehow differ from your own preconceptions about what Arab-Americans did in the last election?

I also find it interesting that someone like you would all of a sudden assume a position that information coming from an official US government source would all of a sudden be credible.

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Then i have a question myvoice, how do these organizations know who voted for what? Were they there when the votes were counted? Did they have a check list, and check people as they go by. Ok your white and jewish? Ah you voted for Gore. Thank you. And you? Black gore interesting.... etc etc. You gotta be kidding

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Chaltahai, who really knows if 9-11 was an Al-Quaida operation or a Mossad operation?! And no this has not tainted my "rational" thinking in any way whatsoever. My point is that it is extremely frustrating for Muslims to be labeled especially as is the case with this Sniper dude on the loose who one reporter on Good Morning America referred to as someone with possible Middle-eastern descent, just because he had tan skin coloring. How aweful is that?! See, this is the kind of stuff that disgusts me...the 'jumping the gun' business. It's like you're guilty until proven innocent mentality. No way Jose, I would not vote Republican again since I did vote FOR Bush the last time...that was a mistake in hindsight. Either way though, Democratic or Republican, they all enjoy starting wars with Muslim countries (a ressurgence of the Crusades???) or picking on Muslims, American or otherwise. It is sick. :o

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I think it is a foregone conclusion that 9/11 is an al-qaida brainchild. You can research umpteenth number of threads on that topic on this site alone.

Do I think muslims are getting a wary look in the states, yes! Do I think that is right? No!

Do I think that the incidents of backlash are minimal. yes! Do I think even one incident is too much, yes!

Do I think a lot of muslims can't get over the fact that there are terrorists among their midst, yes! Do I think there are terrorists of other ethinic and religion compositions, yes! Do I think that US is right, absolutely. I hope that clears up my sanding on this very touchy topic.

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by CM: *
Then i have a question myvoice, how do these organizations know who voted for what? Were they there when the votes were counted? Did they have a check list, and check people as they go by. Ok your white and jewish? Ah you voted for Gore. Thank you. And you? Black gore interesting.... etc etc. You gotta be kidding
[/QUOTE]

Glad you asked. It wouldn't matter if they were there when the votes were counted. We don't have a red ballot cast by white catholics, a blue one for jews, pink ones for Arab-Americans and green ones for black Americans. Nor do people need to identify themselves by religion, ethnicity or anything else when they vote.

If you are not aware, virtually all data is collected in polls, both pre-election and exit polls. There is an entire body of "science" and mathematical models that peole use to arrive at results. Clearly, there is a range of error that comes into play. You can either choose to accept results acknoweldging the range of error or you can just live in the dark choosing to ignore any educational inquiry and analysis.

Analyzing free elections in the US is, of course, more difficult than analyzing the results of an election in Iraq where one candidate receives 100% of the vote cast.

As to another comment you made (i.e. "i would like to see the official way muslims voted"), fuggedaboutit. As stated above, we do not issue different colored ballots to Muslims so that you can find an "official" election result for that group. Besides, I'm not sure that is particularly relevant in the context of US elections. There is much more diversity among the US Muslim population than you might be aware of. According to the US Department of State, 33% of US Muslims are ethnically South Asian (Pakistani, Indian, Bangladeshi, Afghani), 30% are African-American and 25% are Arab-American. I doubt that African-American Muslims have historically voted the way they do because of issues relating to their Muslim faith so much as they have voted the way they do because of issues relating to their race. Thus, it is probably much more relevant to know how Arab-Americans voted (regardless of whether they are Muslim) than how Muslims generally voted.

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Don’t agree with one or two points you’ve made Chaltahai but it’s alright. Everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion. :rolleyes:

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Yaaro,despite all these why are you still hanging aroung in US?Goli maro in Amriki kaafiron ko aur apne watan wapas laut aao.

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So basically myvoice you are saying that the number could vary from NGO to NGO that is covering the elections and that your number is infact not a respresentation of the actual voting, but an estimate of the voting breakup on the premise of what people said about their votes is true.

There is no offical break up, so next elections i will create an NGO go to the US and cover the elections and guess by choosing random people how an entire segment of society votes. Beautiful i must say. Why didnt african dictators think this one up?

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CH - I agree, i don't think this was a Mousad operation and i think we're all being a bit warped if we think it was.

But Americas knee jerk response to 9/11, a rush of legislation, and thousand+ of Muslims swooped upon by FBI n cronies do deserve a second thought...

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DD, I suppose I can look at things from your perspective regarding your first point, and I totally agree in reference to your second point.