Posted on 04/23/2002 2:55:33 PM PDT by knighthawk
By Neveen A. Salem, IOL Staff Writer
CAPITOL HILL, Washington, April 23 (IslamOnline) - Following a weekend of large pro-Palestinian rallies, about 60 American Muslims continued in efforts to influence their elected officials by lobbying over 70 Congressional Representatives on Capitol Hill Monday to force a more balanced approach to the Palestinian issue on their policy agendas.
The Lobby Day, sponsored by the Washington D.C.-based American Muslims for Jerusalem (AMJ) began Sunday when constituents were briefed by congressional staffers and political activists on the art of lobbying representatives and senators.
The American Muslim staffers were joined by Hasan Abdel Rahman, chief Palestinian Authority Representative to the U.S.; Kate Head, director of public education for the United Nations mission on Kosovo; Graeme Bannerman of the lobbying firm Bannerman and Associates; Eric Gustavoson, executive director of the Education for Peace in Iraq Center (EPIC), Gulf War veteran and renowned lobbyist on issues concerning the lifting of the sanctions on Iraq; and Sami Al-Arian, an American Muslim political activist who almost single-handedly worked to obtain over 100 congressional co-sponsors for H.R. 2121, The Secret Evidence Repeal Act.
"As American citizens, you have a duty to hold members of Congress accountable and demand that they act in America's [best] interests," Abdel Rahman stated. One point of particular concern was how to secure congressional signatures and support for H.R. 394, a bill introduced into Congress late last week by Representative Peter DeFazio (D-OR) advocating implementation of U.N. resolutions calling for an "immediate withdrawal of Israeli troops from Palestinian cities," an end to the violence, recognition that military attacks only escalate the cycle violence, an immediate and meaningful ceasefire and the ensuring of the safety of international human rights observers and aid workers in Israel and the Palestinian territories. The bill currently has 11 out of a possible 435 cosponsors in the House of Representatives.
American Muslims and pro-Palestinian activists hope the bill will counteract the "Middle East Compliance Act", S.R. 1409, introduced by Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), calling for sanctions on the Palestinian Authority for "failing to substantially comply with promises made to the State of Israel." The bill currently has 40 out of a possible 100 cosponsors in the Senate.
While many of the lobbyists were seasoned political activists, some of those participating in the Lobby Day were college and high school students who never before visited their representatives.
Constituents had previously made appointments with congressional staffers and set out in groups to attend the meetings. Prior to the day's events, AMJ provided them with folders to give to each Representative and Senator outlining the current violence being aimed by Israel on the Palestinian people, accounting the massacre at the Jenin refugee camp, an op-ed by former U.S. president Jimmy Carter analyzing the U.S.' ability to persuade Israel to bring about a just peace, U.N., Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch documents concerning the violence aimed against the Palestinian people, and calls for Congress to oppose the Senate resolution calling for sanctions - as well as calling the Senate to introduce a concurrent resolution paralleling the DeFazio bill.
In addition, there was a call for congressional hearings to investigate Israel's use of American supplied weapons in violation of the U.S.’ own laws, the Arms Export Control Act and the Leahy Amendment to the FY 2002 Foreign Assistance Appropriations Act, which prohibit export and use of weapons to be used against civilians.
The constituents headed off to meetings in intervals, some even meeting directly with their Representatives and Senators, and returned to debrief fellow participants on their experiences.
While many participants stated that staffers and some of the Representatives were perceptive to their ideas, others seemed to be more concrete in their unwavering support of Israel. However, all stated that they felt their presence was necessary as "the only way to change laws is to lobby on a systematic basis and remain fully engaged in the political process."
"It was a lot easier than I thought it would be to lobby Congress," Banan Al-Akhras, a college student who came all the way from Columbus, Ohio, to participate, said. "But it needs to be repeated and continued in order to bring about changes."
Several people also commented that the American Muslim community is slowly beginning to realize the importance of voting and lobbying around issues as such efforts are the only ways in which to pass on information and influence elected officials.
"We are on our way," one participant said. "Ten years ago we had no influence and the Israeli lobby had 100% influence…now we have a bit more and they have a bit less, and in ten years we will have even more and they will have even less and so on throughout he decades until there is a balance."
Now if only burqas could become fashionable with Oprahs' large viewers (redundant?).
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