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By Dina Rashed CHICAGO (Islam Online) - The United Muslim American Association (UMAA) hosted a candidates' night on Sunday evening for Arab and Muslim candidates running in the coming November elections. Non- Arab and -Muslim candidates running in districts with a concentrated Arab American population in southwest Chicago area were also invited. The event took place at Al-Aqsa School in the Chicago suburb of Bridgeview and attracted more than 400 people. "For the first time we are coming as one front. Together we stand, apart we fall," said Dr. Abdelazim Elsiddig, chairman of UMAA in his opening remarks. UMAA is a grass roots organization founded in 1998 to serve the Muslims in the greater Chicago area and advocate Muslim Americans human and civil rights concerns. Dr. Sabri Samirah, president of UMAA's executive committee, said that the organization is trying to make the voice of Arabs and Muslims heard through educating the public and introducing them to election candidates. The night hosted a wide array of community leaders who all stated the importance of Muslims and Arabs utilizing the vote and being involved in America's political choices. A prominent issue on the candidates' political agendas and at the forefront of the event was education. They also spoke about discrimination, particularly ethnic profiling and secret evidence; more partnerships with one another; the significance of including the Arabic language in American school curriculums; supporting school vouchers to Islamic schools; and employing more Arab American educators. Dr. James Zogby, director of the Arab American Institute (AAI) in Washington, gave a historical overview of the Arab American fight to be recognized within the American political arena. "We are not playing the same game we played 20 years ago. We are now recognized," he said, adding that in this year's election, the issues of Arab and Muslim Americans are also America's issues. "When we talk about peace we want to save lives of Arabs and Americans alike," said Zogby. Another panelist, former Chicago CLTV television news anchor and reporter, Mike Monseur, who introduced speakers, stated that he was a victim of discrimination. He shared with the guests at the event how he was fired from his job, even though he was one of the prominent reporters of the station, simply because he is of Arab descent. In December 1999, the Chicago Sun Times, which is owned by the Jerusalem Post, published a profile on him that merely mentioned his Arab descent. Immediately afterwards, he was demoted. As a reporter doing his job, he asked his station to cover Arab and Muslim related events, and was later fired from the station which said its decision was based on his prior involvement with union activity. This brief involvement with the union had taken place more than 18 months before his firing. Representatives from the Pat Buchanan, George W. Bush and Ralph Nader campaigns touched on major issues of concern to the Arab/Muslim communities, such as secret evidence, racial profiling and the Iraqi people's crisis under economic sanctions. Other speakers included: Sheikh Jamal Said, Imam of Mosque Foundation; Abdullah Mitchel, attorney and President of Muslim Civil Rights and Legal Defense (MCRLD); Dr. Bassam Joudeh, President of the Mosque Foundation; Dr. Talal Sunbuli, Chairman of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago; Raeed Tayeh, Executive Committee member of the Islamic Association for Palestine (IAP); Saffiya Shello, Chicago Director of AAI; and Ray Hanania, Arab Civil Rights Activist and Journalist. Candidates who attended included: Paul Bonilla, Republican candidate for Illinois State House; Dennis Driscoll, Republican candidate for U.S. House of Representatives 9th Congressional District; David Gaughn, Republican candidate for Office of State's Attorney; Karl A. Groth, Republican candidate for U.S. House of Representatives 3rd Congressional District; Eugene Moore, Democrat Recorder of Deeds seeking re-election; Nancy Mynard, Republican candidate for Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court; Christine Radogno, Republican Illinois State Senator District 24 seeking re-election; Rick Ryan, Democratic candidate Illinois State Senate District 19; Darrell L. Sanders, Democratic candidate Illinois State Representative District 38; Vartan Seferian, Republican candidate Cook County Commissioner; Arthur Sutton, Republican candidate Office of Recorder of Deeds; Scott Sypolt, Republican representative of the Illinois Attorney General; Jim Ryan, Assistant Illinois Attorney General; and Anne Zickus, Republican Illinois State Representative District 47 seeking re-election. |
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