YALLA VOTE ‘08 Our Voice. Our Future.

WOW Yalla Vote is in definitely in full swing…

As you may know, we are still in the midst of Arab American Heritage week in NYC which in true Arab fashion actually spans two weeks. For more information about Heritage Week,  visit http://arabheritagenyc.net/

Here’s what Yalla Vote has been up to in New York this past week or so:

1. The week began EARLY…around 7am to be exact, at the CBS early show, where I joined members of NAAP, the Arab American Association of Bay Ridge, and more to promote both Heritage Week and the Yalla Vote Declaration. I managed to weasel my way directly behind the interview taking place so my Shirt and sign were prominently displayed on national TV for a solid chunk of time. Here’s a picture of all of us with

CBS Early Show host Harry Smith

2. I went to promote the Declaration at a screening of Sling Shot Hip Hop at Socrates Sculpture Park in Queens. The event was hosted by ArteEast, and was a huge success. The weather even managed to hold out long enough to allow us as a beautiful evening. The movie itself is remarkable, and if you haven’t already done so, go see it. Now. I gathered signatures, recruited volunteers, schmoozed, and saw a great film with the New York City skyline as the backdrop. Does it get better than that? I submit that it does not.

3. Yalla Vote put on a strong showing at Bay Ridge’s own Arab American Bazaar at in the 79th St. Shore Rd. Park. It was a beautiful day and a bazaar filled with vendors, performances, food, and family fun. I got a great tan from working the Yalla Vote table all day, and also got a lot of positive feedback from the community. We even got some attention from local Congressional candidate Steve Harrison, who was very excited to see the Arab American community encouraging one another to take part in the voting process.

All in all, it’s been an exciting and successful “week,” and it’s far from over. There are more great events on the way, and Yalla Vote will be there front and center! Until next time…

-Matt

Today there was an article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer about Yalla Vote in Cleveland as well as the upcoming C.A.M.E.O (Cleveland American Middle Eastern Organization) annual picnic at which Yalla Vote will have a presence.

Read the full article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer here.

Join the Arab American community at a KaboBBQ!

Learn about the Yalla Vote campaign, meet new people, and enjoy free food, courtesy of the Lebanese Taverna. Stick around for a game of football (that’s soccer for you Yanks) in the park.
Special thanks to Nora Burgan, GLS, and Lebanese Taverna for their generous contributions to this event!

WHEN: Saturday, July 26

WHERE: Mason District Park, Annandale, Virginia (click here for maps and directions)

WHEN: 3:30 - 8PM

WHO: RSVP to Community Relations by calling (202) 429-9210 or e-mail cr@aaiusa.org

Free parking! Free food! Good times! Get together and get out the vote this November.

Yalla Vote KaboBBQ

As I had mentioned in an earlier post, I met with the Lakewood Democratic Club a few weeks ago to let them know about Yalla Vote and are initiative to get more Arab Americans involved in the political process. Today I had the opportunity to meet with the Rocky River Republican Club, another suburb of Cleveland that has a high Arab American population. I was given the opportunity to speak to the entire group about the mission of Yalla Vote, the importance of the Arab American vote, and the need for both parties to actively reach out to the Arab American community. Everyone in the group was very receptive and interested in what we’re doing not only in Ohio but throughout the country and very curious about the roles that Arab Americans have played in politics. I even met representatives for a few candidates for local office in Cuyahoga County as well as some of the candidates themselves who came to the meeting to speak to the group. Overall it was a very positive experience and I hope to encourage members of the Cleveland area Arab American community to get involved in both parties this year when it is most important.

Yalla Vote!

This past Thursday, I had the amazing opportunity to go to the World Council Affairs Meeting which took place in the heart of Los Angeles. The main topic of the night was on the Arab-Israeli conflict, why peace hasn’t occurred, what needs to be done, and the problems on both sides. As in any discussion about Palestine and Israel, things got heated and people were voicing their opinion about the problems. The highlight of the dinner was Marwan Muasher who is the former Jordanian ambassador and currently serves as the senior vice president for the World Bank In External Affairs. Mr. Muasher spoke about the problems currently impeding progress on the peace process in the Middle East and promoted his new book, “The Arab Center”.

Overall, the event was a success and I was able to mingle with diplomats and network for the “YALLA VOTE ” campaign. I got a chance to meet the president of the Jordanian Embassy in Los Angeles, and was able to talk politics with people on both sides of the issue. In the end, despite all the heated debate and arguing, the sentiment was one of Peace. Everyone wants the conflict to end and this is the reason why we all gathered for this event. I talked to Marwan Muasher about the Yalla Vote Campaign and he was really happy to know that a movement was on the way to get Arabs more active. I also met people who were donors to AAI , and they were happy to know there money was put to good work. The night was great, I heard an informative speech, met many people, networked, introduced people to the Yalla Vote Campaign… So until the next adventure… The best field organizer in the United States will be off…

Salam

Samar Alhinnawi

With all the media attention on Obama and McCain, sometimes we forget that voting means more than just selecting our next Commander in Chief. In the American three branch system, who we elect to the legislature is just as important as the executive and judicial branches. They all have to work together to make changes. Moreover, for many Americans, your local representatives have just as much of an impact on their lives as those at the top.

Although the Presidential Preference Primary in Florida has passed, there are still other candidates to choose in many Congressional Districts throughout the state. In the eighth district, there are seven candidates: five democrats and two republicans. Many other districts throughout the state also need to decide who their candidates for the General Election will be.

If you are not registered to vote in Florida, or you would like to change your party affiliation to vote in the Primary Election, the deadline to do so is July 28. The Primary Election will be held on August 26, 2008.

Between now and then, I recommend checking out the Florida Division of Elections’ website to check out the candidates in your area. And remember, this is OUR voice, OUR future.

-Mia

Last week writer Gregg Krupa for The Detroit News, one of Michigan’s two major daily publications, came to our office in Dearborn to interview AAI intern Jana Musleh and former Yalla Vote Michigan Field Organizer Hassan Abraham for a story on the Muslim community’s reactions to the current presidential election campaigns. Krupa writes that many Muslims in the Metro-Detroit area have expressed the similar concern that both John McCain and Barack Obama have not reached out to local Muslim leaders, although candidates have done so in past elections. As a consequence, both Arab and Muslim community members are changing their minds about who they might vote for in November, while others express anger and apathy. Jana breaks it down: “McCain and Obama are not saying anything about Muslims and Arab Americans, and we are being discriminated against every day…They are not saying anything about our issues.”

Read the rest of the article at http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008807050354.

We’ve been out-and-about here in Michigan, spreading the Yalla Vote initiative to get out the vote and unite our voices under one declaration. This past weekend, we attended the American Federation of Ramallah’s 50^th Annual Ramallah Convention at the Dearborn Hyatt Regency. The huge event gathered some 2000 Palestinian Americans, many of whom trace their roots back to one of the seven major families of the Palestinian town of Ramallah, in the West Bank. Many of the attendees responded to the Yalla Vote campaign with enthusiasm and signed our National Declaration. On the Fourth of July, AAI’s Midwest Director Valerie Smith addressed the convention and explained how the Internet is revolutionizing grass-roots political activism, particularly in regards to the Yalla Vote campaign.

Meeting so many Arab Americans from all over the country on a monumental occasion such as this, and with many expressing great interest in this fall’s elections, it seems that it’s not too late for the larger Arab American community to make its voices heard come November.

As an American Expatriate it is important for you to stay engaged in the electoral process. Globalization turns local matters into global concerns. The issues we will address in this election will not only affect you upon your return, but affect your life while still abroad.

As an expat, you will need to request an application for an absentee ballot, known as the “Federal Postcard Application.” It also serves as a voter registration card for U.S. citizens who have not yet registered. There are three ways to apply for an absentee ballot:

• Download the application at the Federal Assistance Voting Program Web site: http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/fpca.html
• Get this form by visiting the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in your host country
• E-mail your request for the Federal Postcard Application to: vote@fva.ncr.gov

Registration deadlines vary by state; to be safe, register to vote at least 30 day prior to the election. For information on registration in your state please visit the AAI’s CapWiz site, which will help you through the process.

For more information about Absentee Voting please visit theAbsentee Voting Assistance Program at http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/fpca.html.

This afternoon I had an amazing opportunity to be interviewed by Al Jazeera English, for a story on Arab American voters in this year’s election. They were interested getting some video footage of me doing my work as an AAI Field Organizer. So with the permission of the owners, I took them along with me to a local store, Sahara Supermarket on West 117^th Street in Cleveland, where they filmed me talking to customers as they came in about Yalla Vote and about our National Declaration.

Although the store was not very busy so early in the day I was able to get a few signatures for the Declaration and even spoke to a man, who although he is not a citizen and cannot vote in the upcoming election, understands the importance of what we were doing and is going to get his wife involved. I also got the opportunity to speak about Yalla Vote by answering questions about the goals of the campaign, the importance of Arab American involvement in the political process, and how I am working with local organizations to make these goals a reality. I also emphasized that this upcoming election is going to be one of the most important we will ever see and that the issues that concern Arab Americans also concern Americans as a whole. And because these issues are at the forefront of our national debate, it’s even more important to make our voices heard. It was really a great experience for my first time speaking to the media and I hope to get another opportunity to spread awareness about Yalla Vote and get more and more Arab Americans involved.

Yalla Vote!

-Nadia