Posted on 10/17/2004 2:19:22 AM PDT by conservative in nyc
In the tight race for battleground state Michigan's 17 electoral votes, President Bush's fortunes may rest in the hands of Iraqis.
These Iraqis, however, are not in Baghdad. They're 150,000 politically active immigrants clustered in suburbs of Detroit.
Iraqi-Americans make up almost a tenth of the 1.2 million residents in Oakland County, north of the city, where political analysts say Bush faces his only chance at winning the state. The discontent of the Iraqis, a Christian sect known as Chaldeans, is a huge worry for the Bush campaign.
"It is incredibly ironic," said David Bonior, the ex-Democratic House majority whip who represented Michigan for 26 years. "They're very disappointed with the President."
In 2000, Al Gore narrowly beat Bush in Michigan 51% to 46%. This year, John Kerry holds a slight edge on him in a state that is a must-win for the Democrat to secure the presidency, according to pollster John Zogby.
The Chaldeans of Oakland County are well-to-do Catholics who traditionally vote Republican, but support for the President among many has turned like the orange leaves falling on the streets.
Bush supporters worry about Republicans such as Ramadi-born dentist Shakib Halabu, 55, of Orchard Lake.
"We tried Bush and now we have chaos in Iraq," said Halabu, who fears for the safety of Iraq's Christian minority. Just yesterday, five Baghdad churches were bombed in a string of predawn attacks. No injuries were reported. Similar bombings two months ago left 11 dead. "I would rather try somebody else who might make it better." Chaldean leader Adhid Miri, 55, backs Bush but is inundated with calls from Iraqis worried about kidnapped relatives.
"Many of my Republican friends say they're not voting for Bush again," Miri said. "Chaldeans are not in his pocket."
Beyond the Chaldeans, Oakland County's most contested precincts are working and middle-class white neighborhoods where most blocks have as many lawn signs for Kerry as for Bush.
All the candidates on the national tickets have campaigned here in recent weeks. Even households are split over the choice, said Kristina Andreski, 14, as she knocked on neighbors' doors in Royal Oak to charm them into backing Kerry.
On Hawthorn Ave., Henry Vasquez, 38, said he's voting for Kerry because he opposes the war - but his wife backs Bush.
"I'll never vote for Kerry," bellowed veteran David Parr, 70, from his doorway. "He's a flip-flopper, and he lied about Vietnam."
Bush still has major Oakland allies, such as Yahya Basha, a Syrian-born doctor with close ties to the White House, who says the war and FBI scrutiny of Muslims are tough issues for the President to overcome. "My support for Bush is 100%, but I have more to answer for in the Muslim community now," said Basha, a Sunni Muslim.
Though Arab and Muslim-Americans are only 1.2% of Michigan voters, they are an organized and powerful constituency. Their symbolic center is Dearborn, west of Detroit, where 76% backed Bush four years ago. Recent Zogby polling show most now blame him for what they consider the excesses of the Patriot Act, the worsening Arab-Israeli conflict and Iraq insecurity.
Among Sunnis, who adhere to the same branch of Islam as Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein, ceaseless visits by nosy FBI agents have alienated voters.
"After 9/11, they suspected every Muslim-American," said influential cleric Mohamad Mardini, as he drew five FBI agents' business cards from his wallet and spread them across a table in one of Dearborn's Arab cafes.
"I voted for Bush, but now Muslims are not supporting him at all," Mardini said.
A Shiite leader in Dearborn, Imam Hassan Qazwini, 40, once strongly supported Bush and attended a private meeting with Vice President Cheney last month during a campaign stop. Asked whether Cheney was able to woo him back, the bearded and black-turbaned Iraqi smiled coolly and said, "He was gracious."
Around the corner at the Karbalaa mosque, Imam Husham Al-Husainy, 50 - a confidant of Iraq's Shiite leader Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani - also was a Bush man in 2000, who now "leans toward Kerry."
"There is sadness and bitterness here - the liberation of Iraq has died," said the Iraqi.
During World War II Japanese Americans joined the military and fought bravely and with great distinction in Europe, proving their loyalty to this nation and proving beyond that, that Americans regardless of skin and creed, would defend this country. Against all the suspiciouns leveraged against them, and internment camps, they went and fought anyway.
Now we have no internment camps, we have no infringements. We give exceptional deference to those who have common backgrounds with the enemy... and instead of joining their fellow Americans to fight the evil ideologies that hijacked their religions, their governments, and other things... They choose to criticize our efforts and undermine the war on terror.
Maybe we started off with too much pampering?
The ugliness is inherent to those who are liberals for life. It is genetic. These people have no choice.
I have an idea...
A citizen exchange program with Cuba. We let liberals emigrate to Cuba, and for every liberal we send to Cuba, we get a family of hard working Cubans looking for freedom.
We never needed MI and there was never really any realistic chance of getting it (perhaps close, but out of reach). Too many auto-worker and teacher unions, post Sept 11 Muslims and now these anti-Bush Iraqis, as well as all the assorted oddball, loony lefties.
From what I remember, many MI Iraqis were anxious to return home after the liberation.
They are believing the MSM. Are they hearing bad reports from their relatives in Iraq too?It is amazing how people want results with no sacrifice. They think everything can be done instantly and perfectly. Where is their grip on reality?
I guess he prefers, repression, torture, and death to chaos.
How about getting your sorry butt over there to do something about it like I did, you coward.
Bingo!
A terrorist attack emanating from Dearborn before the election is a real possibility IMO.
Forget this stuff. The writer lost all credibility when he interviewed Bonior. One, he's a loser, extreme left liberal democrat who hates Bush.
Two, he never in his life represented one square foot of Oakland County. Of course, he never really represented his own district of Macomb and St. Clair Counties either. I had the extreme misfortune of having that swine as my Congressman for many years. Course, now I'm stuck with Sander Levin.
What "advice" did I give?
Granholm, Levin, Stabenow, Unions, Rinos.
A congregation of collectivists and their whining enablers.
Boy, talk about your all-time 'missing the point' moment. They clearly do not understand the overall picture of what happened in Iraq. I'm curious how many have gone back to help, as many said back in 2003 when Saddam was bounced.
This makes me very, very angry. I hope the article is spin.
Complied by Rob Moll | posted 12/15/2003
In Chaldean communities near Detroit and San Diego news of Saddam Hussein's capture spread quickly. "I spoke with my sister in Iraq first thing, and she said the gunfire I heard in the background were coming from the people who are happy," Kinaya, a deacon at Mother of God Chaldean Catholic Church in Southfield, Michigan, told The Detroit Free Press. "The Iraqi people are a democratic people who are now celebrating their freedom."
The Detroit area is home to about 100,000 Chaldean Christians, who saw Saddam's capture as a fitting gift as the church enters the Christmas season. "This is a great Christmas present," said Joseph Kassab, director of the Michigan chapter of the Chaldean National Congress," according to The Detroit News. An Associated Press story, which ran in several California papers reported on Chaldean reactions there. "It's a great joy for all the Iraqi people on this day, especially for Christians," said Noel Gorgis, pastor of St. Paul Assyrian Chaldean Catholic Church in North Hollywood, which has a large Iraqi congregation. "We prepare ourselves for joy on Christmas, and now that joy is complete."
I knew this article was hogwash. I remembered too many Iraqi's dancing in the street up there in michigan. They were thrilled that saddam was taken out.
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2003/150/12.0.html
Link to other story above
Wouldn't it be interesting to get some of these interviewees on air with Limbaugh?
Maybe these Iraqis would like Saddam back in charge. Maybe Kerry would oblige them.
The Chaldeans are okay. Most I know who talk about politics still support the President. The Muslims, that is a different story.
I think the article is hogwash too.
So they found a couple of uninformed and misled Iraqis.
Kansas City Star (October 13, 2004)
One might expect to see a Baghdad city councilman at the United Nations, but in Raytown? That's exactly where Councilman Abid Khalid and an Iraqi doctor, Hayder Abdulkarim, were last week, meeting with Raytown city leaders and *spreading news of progress in their country.
http://www.untoldiraq.org/
Castro may be crazy, but not stupid!
Who would do the hard work?
After too many trades like that , who would be left to work?
Should have made it clear..........Arabs leave SE Mich and go back to Iraq, all party stores close...........IMO they own all the Beer & Wine stores to facilitate tax evasion and send money back to the Middle East.
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