Posted on 10/26/2004 9:46:01 AM PDT by crushelits
Instead, Chedid, 42, and fellow Arab-American Bassam Khawam, 44, flipped on a big-screen television in a Cleveland home overlooking Lake Erie on a recent afternoon and watched a discussion of the U.S. elections on the Arab-language satellite channel Al Jazeera.
"The newspapers here don't tell you everything," said Chedid, a convenience-store owner from Cleveland Heights. "There are issues that concern us, and this show addresses those concerns."
Part "Crossfire," part "Hardball," the show titled "Sibaq al-Ri'asa al-Amriki"--or "The American Presidential Race"--has been giving an Arab perspective on the candidates' spin since it began airing on the controversial satellite channel last January.
Beamed into Arab homes from California to Riyadh, the show informs thousands of Arab-American voters about candidates' positions on issues from immigration to Iraq (news - web sites), helping to sway opinion in key swing states such as Ohio, where the Arab-American vote is leaning heavily toward Kerry, according to a poll being released Tuesday. The poll by Zogby International, a New York-based organization, found Kerry ahead of Bush 57 percent to 29 percent, with 14 percent undecided.
The show also offers residents of the Middle East an intimate view of American democracy at work. And "Sibaq al-Ri'asa al-Amriki" is not alone: Shows about the U.S. campaign also air on Abu Dhabi TV, Dubai-based Al-Arabiya and others, including an Iranian-American show broadcast from California.
"Viewers are hungry for the filtering of U.S. news through the Middle East prism," said Shibley Telhami, a Middle East expert and author, whose forthcoming book is titled "Reflections of Hearts and Minds: Media, Opinion and Identity in the Arab World."
"A speech by [President] Bush or [Sen. John] Kerry on the campaign trail--little bits and pieces might not get covered in the mainstream press," Telhami said. "Arab media focuses on what the candidates are saying about the Middle East."
The shows' popularity abroad underscores the importance people in the Middle East attach to the outcome of an election that many believe will directly affect their lives, Telhami said, whether they are Iraqis looking for peace and stability, or Palestinians hoping for an independent state.
But determining the impact on U.S. voters is anecdotal at best. There are no ratings for specific programs and even the number of Al Jazeera viewers in America--estimated at as many as 1 million--is a guess based on the roughly 200,000 Arab-language satellite subscribers nationwide.
Numbers reached unclear
Similarly fuzzy numbers apply to shows such as "Viewpoint" with James Zogby, which airs on Abu Dhabi TV and other channels including Link TV. Link TV beams into about 23 million American homes, according to Jamal Dajani, director of Middle Eastern programming at Link; he didn't know how many subscribers tuned in "Viewpoint."
Arab-Americans say such shows can provide detailed analyses of a candidate's stance on crucial topics, ranging from civil rights and the USA Patriot Act to the war in Iraq and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
"It sharpens the issues," said Zogby, who described his show, which airs in English, as a "combination of C-SPAN and `Meet the Press.'"
"It'll help shape thinking about what a new administration will do," said Zogby, the president of the Arab American Institute, whose brother owns Zogby International, the polling organization.
"Sibaq al-Ri'asa" moderator Mohammed Alami said the show is enormously popular if the amount of phone calls and e-mails he receives is any indication.
"The whole world is watching, but the Arabs are watching even more," said Alami. "They know their daily lives could be affected by the results."
In Ohio, where an estimated 85,000 Arab-Americans are likely to vote, such coverage could sway enough voters to tip the balance. Bush and Kerry are statistically tied in the Buckeye State, according to several recent polls, so every vote counts.
And in Ohio, one in seven Arab-Americans remains undecided, according to the Zogby poll--even as major Arab and Muslim organizations throw their weight behind Kerry. Last week, the American Muslim Task Force Political Action Committee, a national Muslim lobby group, called on members to cast a "protest vote" for Kerry.
The call is unlikely to sway Muslim-Americans from Iran, who remain solidly pro-Bush because they trust he will not make diplomatic overtures to Iran, said Zia Atabay, director of California-based National Iranian Television that airs a talk show titled "Iranian American Vote 2004."
While many Iranians remain united behind Bush, the rest of the picture is not so clear. While U.S. Muslims overwhelmingly back Kerry, Arab-Americans are far from unanimous in their opinions, polls show.
Divided by religion--about 75 percent of Arab-Americans are Christian--country of origin, and the length of time lived in America, the community is spread across the political spectrum, pollsters say. Even amid calls by leaders to support Kerry, a large chunk is solidly Republican and as much as 12 percent supported Ralph Nader (news - web sites) in a September Zogby poll.
Religious, party divide
The guests on "Sibaq al-Ri'asa" reflect this divide. On a recent show, Arab-American Democrats, Republicans, Nader supporters and independents sparred over Bush's handling of Iraq, his civil rights record and whether Kerry could do better.
One guest lauded Bush's performance in Afghanistan (news - web sites). Another predicted Kerry would better safeguard Arab-Americans' civil rights.
"A lot of Arab Republicans are defecting to the Democrats to protest Bush and his record on things like immigration and the Patriot Act," said Abed Awad, a New Jersey lawyer and frequent guest on the show.
The myriad of opinion often leaves Arab-American voters undecided. Amal Wahdan, editor of the Cleveland-based Arab Gazette, has yet to endorse a presidential candidate in her newspaper.
"To endorse someone you have to be really convinced about what they are doing," said Wahdan, a Nader supporter. "And I'm not really convinced."
Opinions multiply when Arabs from the Middle East weigh in during call-in segments of the shows. But too much information also can leave Arab-Americans feeling that neither Bush nor Kerry will address their concerns.
Back in Cleveland, at the Beit Hanina Social Club, Palestinian immigrants playing cards and smoking cigarettes said they planned to vote for Bush because they believed an incumbent who wasn't worried about winning another term was more likely to work for Middle East peace.
"When they get a second term, that's when they start doing something," said Musa Assad, 34, a grocer, citing President Bill Clinton (news - web sites)'s push for peace during his second term in office.
In Khawam's living room with the big-screen TV, differences among a show's guests over Iraq sparked a friendly argument.
"We got it all wrong in Iraq and we should hold somebody liable," said Khawam, who is voting for Kerry. "[Bush] should not be rewarded with four more years."
Chedid politely disagreed.
"Bush put us in the mess in Iraq," Chedid said. "Now he knows what he is doing there. He can get us out."
When Alami, the show's moderator turned to the Patriot Act, the friends' disagreement continued.
"It keeps us safer," Chedid said of the act.
"It shouldn't have been passed," Khawam countered.
"It's good to discuss the issues," Chedid said, smiling. "Watching Al Jazeera is a big help for us."
We have hordes of illegal arabs on the west side. It's a mess.
Arab delusion immigrated with them.
Arabs are weird, they believe lies and disbelieve the truth.
"Arabs are weird, they believe lies and disbelieve the truth."
The islamic "religion" allows lying, to further islam.
The name for it is "al Taqiyah."
So if religion is the basis for social organization, morality, government, and it endorses lying, it shouldn't surprise us.
These people live in a world of deceptions. Deception is valued. The liar is seen as clever and successful.
America laughed at Baghdad Bob. Arabia believed him.
Think of it as yet another gilded thread in the rich tapestry that is the cultural diversity of our great nation. We are indeed blessed.
This is old news for some of us.
Arabs sound like Democrats
I wonder why the U.S. government doesn't jam Al Jazeera broadcasts in the U.S.? I assume this is coming over satellite feeds.
Because, thankfully, the First Amendment doesn't permit such Stalinist style censorship.
You see, here in America, the Founding Fathers assumed that the people were wise enough to read a multitide of opinions provided by a free press, and then make up their own minds about issues of the day.
Al Jazeera isn't protected by 1st Amendment freedoms because it is broadcast from the Middle East, not from the U.S. This news network appears to be a mouth piece for terrorists, considering the fact that it consistently broadcasts messages provided to it by terrorists.
Thank you!
Good one,Skeeter!
They should give me a column in our local paper. I can speak their language.
Al Jazera is a terrorist organization. Where is FCC?
Clock is ticking for Arabs in USA too.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.