In New York, the voter registration deadline was October 10th, which got me thinking…If I know my community, I’m guessing there are a whole bunch of potential Arab American voters running on “Arab time” who just never quite got around to registering to vote. With that in mind, Yalla Vote teamed up with some of our sponsoring organizations for a little last minute voter registration drive in the streets. Volunteers from NAAP, and AAA of Bay Ridge held down the Brooklyn side of things, while the American Mideast Leadership Network, AAI, and ADC teamed up to take on Queens. I organized a team of volunteers, and we were able to squeeze a little over 30 more voter registrations out of Steinway St. in Queens. We had some good conversations with newly registered voters, and educated well over 100 passerbys by about voting procedures, and regulations. We even sat back and enjoyed the sunshine and sights of Steinway St. while engaging in some spirited political discussions with local residents and those just passing by.
Jeff from AMLN and AAI Field Organizer Matt Ellias awake way too early...
In other news, preparations for the candidates night are in full swing and excitement is mounting; volunteers from various student groups are clamoring for a chance to help out with AAI’s phone banking project, and yours truly is up to his neck in midterms and law school applications.
‘Til next time- This decent family man/ Arab American (yes you can be both) is signing off…
Now, if we just had a sane commentator on every channel in this country…
“We can’t tolerate this ignorance; not in the media, not on the campaign trail.” — Truer words, Ms. Brown. Truer words.
Below is the article as it appeared on Saturday on Huffington Post. Please click here to visit Dr. Zogby’s column there and read the comments that were left in response; you will be inspired and encouraged by the support our community is receiving. Perhaps, finally, we’ve reached the tipping point, where enough is enough. We hope you are inspired to continue the conversation, here at Yalla Vote.
Washington D.C. - October 11, 2008 -We are disturbed by the degree to which ‘Arab’ has become the metaphorical mud to sling against your opponent. Last week, for example, the Republican Jewish Coalition released a document in which they use the term Pro-Arab as a pejorative accusation. For his part, Rush Limbaugh has joined in by declaring that Obama is in fact an Arab American. Then, last Friday, after a supporter called Senator Barack Obama “an Arab”, Senator John McCain came to the defense of of his political opponent by saying, “No, ma’am. He’s a decent family man and citizen…” From this we are left to infer that an Arab man is less then a “decent family man.”
Dr. James Zogby, President of the Arab American Institute, says, “Enough is enough! From the beginning of this campaign there have been those who have used ‘Muslim’ and ‘Arab’ in an effort to smear Barack Obama. This exploitation of bigotry and the stoking of racist fires to forward an agenda is reprehensible. This is not only offensive to Arab Americans, but to all Americans. As any ethnic group who has ever been used to scare the electorate knows, this is a dangerous game that, tragically, can get innocent people hurt.
“And while we are pleased to see that the senator is trying to dispel rumors about Senator Obama, we feel the need to point out that Arab Americans are also decent men and women with full rights of citizenship as enumerated under the Constitution. Arab Americans are part of the great melting pot that is this country’s strength. We work towards peace in the Middle East along side our Jewish partners. We raise our sons and daughters to be model citizens of this nation. We serve this country with honor. The suggestion that any ethnic group is treacherous and Anti-American is unacceptable, dangerous, and unbecoming of such a great nation.”
As we all gear up for our last push before the election, we’re asking you to help us find volunteers to make calls this month, using an exciting, new on-line tool that makes it easy for us to get out the Arab American vote.
Yes, we’re all really busy, but the Yalla Vote Virtual Phone Bank makes it simple to reach out to registered Arab American voters across America.
Here’s how the Yalla Vote Virtual Phone Bank works:
You will receive an e-mail with details of how to log onto the Yalla Vote Virtual Phone Bank and get started.
Set aside an hour or two between 10AM and 9:00PM on days of your choosing to call registered Arab American voters and remind them to vote on November 4th.
We’re asking for just an hour or two of your time to give this easy, convenient system a try. Call registered Arab American voters and remind them to vote on November 4th. If you like the system, you can make as many calls as you like.
It can’t be simpler-and it couldn’t be more important. The stakes have never been higher. It’s our voice. It’s our future. Click here now and make a difference.
Last Friday, Yalla Vote was present at an Eid Al-Fitir celebration at the Bint Jbeil Cultural Center in Dearborn, Michigan. The event was hosted by US Chaam Media and Arab American Writers Union. It consisted of speakers ranging from Dr. Jack Shaheen, Rashida Tlaib, Obama Representative, Axil of Evil comedian, Aron Kader, and traditional music singer, Karim Jaber. Dr. Shaheen introduced his documentary “Reel Bad Arabs” and encouraged the attendees to vote. The guest of honor was Syrian actor, Nizar Abu Hajar. He is well-known to play the villain in the popular Syrian show “Bab Al-Hara.” Yalla Vote was there to register more people to vote and recruit volunteers for our new call tool. This new call tool will enable us to call Arab American registered voters in battleground states. If you are interested in volunteering for this new and exciting phone bank, please sign up here or you can e-mail me at aai-michigan@yallavote.org and let us know!
The Arab American community in Virginia hosted its 20th annual Candidates Night on October 5th, 2008 as part of AAI’s Yalla Vote Campaign. The evening was a testament to the community’s concerned interest and dedication to political participation.In addition to a delicious dinner, those who attended also had the opportunity to visit candidate booths and learn more about candidates’ campaigns and stances on key issues.
The first Candidates Night sponsored by the Arab American Institute was held in 1987 and was the embodiment of an effort to find “a formula to launch community involvement in party /electoral politics that would bring together people who otherwise had not met before or had no reason to meet.” Two decades later, the Virginia Candidates Night continues to function as the political venue for the Arab American community to convene and discuss politics.
This year’s event included Helen Samhan, Executive Director of the AAI Foundation, serving as master of ceremonies. First to address the audience was Dr. James Zogby, who spoke about the importance of voting and how the Yalla Vote initiative has relayed that message nationwide. Several candidates, including Candidate Mark Ellmore (VA-8th), Congressman Jim Moran (VA-8th), Candidate John Reeder (Arlington County Board), Candidate Barbara Favola (Arlington County Board), and Candidate Judy Feder (VA-10th) addressed the issues of greatest concern to Arab Americans in Virginia and stressed the importance of participation in the campaigning and election process. Serving as the surrogate for the McCain Campaign, Congressman Tom Davis (VA-11th) took the stage soon after Governor Tim Kaine stepped in as the surrogate for the Obama Campaign. Both surrogates shared their views on the presidential election and explained their candidate’s position on issues regarding healthcare and the economy.
Recognized for outstanding service to their communities, three prominent individuals were honored by AAI and the Virginia Candidates Night Committee. Accepting a Lifetime Achievement award was Ali Hossani. In addition to being a founding member of AAI, Hossani has dedicated his life to community service and empowering fellow Arab Americans in Virginia to become involved in the political process. Honored with the Outstanding Service Award, Dr. Hanna Hanania has served on the Candidates Night Committee for several years and is the Founder of the Network of Arab American Professionals, an organization dedicated to promoting political involvement as well as community service. This year’s Most Distinguished Public Servant Award was given to Congressman Tom Davis in recognition of his years representing fellow Virginia citizens in the United States Congress; his district will greatly miss him upon his retirement at the end of the year.
If you live in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, DC, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington…you only have a few days to register. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER TO VOTE!
On Tuesday, September 30th, 2008, the Islamic Center of Detroit held a big Eid celebration at their mosque. Of course, Yalla Vote was there to register more voters and give them all the information they need to know to vote in this election. Rashida Tlaib, Arab American and Muslim Outreach person for the Obama Campaign, was also there showing a strong presence and registering more people to vote. Since the beginning of Ramadan, Yalla Vote has been at a different mosque each week working to register more people to vote and letting Arab Americans know how it is important to let our voices be heard in this election! Election time is nearing and voter registration deadlines are almost here in states around the country. Especially here, in Michigan, THE VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS OCTOBER 6th.If you haven’t already registered to vote, do it now before it’s too late!
Last Sunday, we had another voter registration table at a church in Farmington Hills, Michigan. St. Toma Syriac Catholic Church was glad to have us there after their mass. Leaders of the church announced that we were there and if people were not registered to vote, they could register and find out more information at our table. It was great and many of the people were very familiar with AAI and the Yalla Vote campaign considering many of them attended previous festivals where we showed a strong presence in. More people were registered and we were very much welcomed at their church. Remember the voter registration deadline, Michigan. This is your last week to register to vote!
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