Posted on 07/17/2006 9:18:01 PM PDT by Flavius
WASHINGTON (AFP) - American Muslims chafe at the US government's hands-off approach to Israeli reprisals and worry about countless relatives and friends trapped by violence in Lebanon. 
merican Islamic Congress director Zainab Al-Suwaij, seen here in 2004, had an even more immediate goal, urging the US to actively lobby for an end to violence. "The policy for the US should be stopping the violence, period, and starting to solve the problem through negotiations."(AFP/File/Stephen Jaffe)
US officials say Israel "has the right to defend itself," since its incursion into Gaza three weeks ago and air raids on Lebanon, but President George W. Bush's stance offends Americans who are Muslims or of Arab descent.
Early last week, a coalition of 11 major Muslim organizations publicly called on Bush to forcefully condemn the attacks on Gaza and to designate as "war crimes" the destruction of Palestinian civilian infrastructure.
After the Israeli bombing of Lebanon, the appeals for denouncing Israel have multiplied.
"Once again America's image and interests worldwide are being harmed by one-sided support for Israeli actions," said Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for CAIR, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the largest US Muslim rights group.
"We're urging Muslims in America and other people of conscience to contact their elected officials to tell them that we have to have balanced foreign policy for the Middle East, one that is driven by American interests, not Israeli interests."
American Islamic Congress director Zainab Al-Suwaij had an even more immediate goal, urging the US to actively lobby for an end to violence.
"The policy for the US should be stopping the violence, period, and starting to solve the problem through negotiations."
The American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee announced a rally outside the White House Tuesday to "protest Israeli military action in Lebanon and Gaza."
The committee, founded in 1980 by former US senator of Arab descent James Abourezk, calls itself the largest Arab civil rights group in the United States.
And on Wednesday, leaders of Arab-American communities around the United States plan to meet in Washington to discuss the crisis in the Mideast.
The plight of an estimated 25,000 US citizens in Lebanon, many of whom are dual nationals, has injected a sense of urgency to the gathering.
The Arab American Institute, which says it represents the policy and community interests of US Arab Americans, said 40 percent of the 3.5 million Arab-Americans are of Lebanese descent.
The institute has posted on its website photographs of Arab-American vacationers, children and visitors trapped in Lebanon by the fighting.
"In many cases (there is) no way for them to leave, even if a plan were to be developed, they can't go from one part of the country to the other to get out," said James Zogby, president of the Arab American Institute.
The United States has chartered a cruise ship for evacuations that can carry 750 passengers on each five-hour voyage between Lebanon and Cyprus, beginning Tuesday under protection of a US destroyer.
US helicopters flew 64 Americans from Beirut over the past two days, according to the military, without specifying whether they were embassy personnel, dual nationals or tourists.
Janah El Horr, a 24-year-old Lebanese who has been living in the US for three years, said she had been optimistic about Lebanon's prospects after the end of the country's devastating civil war in 1990.
"We were all happy with how (much) the country was able to achieve -- and in such a short time after the (civil) war and how the Lebanese people always thrive and have the will to overcome their civil war," said Horr, who recently returned from a a visit to her native country.
"It brings chills all over to see what this country is going through, so much destruction and pain and being threatened with a new war," she said.
Here face looks like plastic explosives.
Best post!
hehehe, .... let 'em seethe; that's all they do with their lives anyway, seethe and boil till they die.
Our interests are the same as for the Israeli people. We want our wives, daughters, sons and babies safe from some nit wit who wants to slaughter innocent people for some vision thing.
Of course I can identify myself...this is me, right here. What other information do you want?
President George W. Bush's stance offends Americans who are Muslims or of Arab descent.
All I can say is that if you can't support our Country and our President then you should probably go back and live in the country you came from. You should be more upset with Iran than our President, they started all of this.
-ccm
My favorite one in this vein goes like this:
Two Muslim women are showing pictures and bragging about their children. The first one says, "This is my Abdullah. He's a martyr." The second one says, "Well this is my Ahmed. He's a martyr too." The first one shakes her head and says, "Ah, kids. They blow up so fast, don't they?"
-ccm
The "problem" has been inexistence for over 2,000 years.
Want to really solve it? Recognize Israels right to exist and leave them alone.
The "problem" is on Arab Muslims that would eject Israel from their homeland, not on Israel.
He is Catholic
israel is almost completely in the right on this current conflict. The Palestinians and Hezbollah have started their respective fightings with israel.
May I suggest they take a long walk on a short pier.
These two Moose Limb womyn are in the produce section of the grocery store. They are wearing burkas and doing the weekly shopping.
One of them goes over and picks up two large potatoes, puts them together, and starts giggling.
The other one says, "My sister, why are you laughing?"
The first one says, "It is because these two potatoes remind me of my husband's balls!"
The other one says, "Why, because they are that big?"
The first one says, "No, because they are that dirty."
By the way, has CAIR gotten around to a meaningful condemnation of 9/11?
Are these people really this clueless? Instead of once again beating their chest and clentching their teeth, why don't the American-Muslims call for Hezbollah to stop firing missiles into Israel and to implement the immediate release of the kidnapped Israeli soldiers? Their unprovoked actions is what began all this.
Do they possibly think that the United States is so stupid as to see them as the victims they paint themselves to be!? They need to look to their fellow Islamic brethren and their constant savage deeds worldwide as to why our government and others have taken a hard stand against them.
Whine snivel and always blame others. 100% of the blame goes to the insane death cult.
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