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NEWSMAX
2-23-04

Arabs Raise Funds for Bush

WMDs or no, President Bush's "decisive action" in Iraq has many Arab, Pakistani and Iranian Americans, and even foreign-born Muslims, aspiring to be "Pioneers" and "Rangers" -- as donors are called -- in the effort to re-elect Bush.

Members of the Arab community who have never been politically active are jumping head first into the presidential campaign to show their support for Bush's invasion of Iraq and ousting of Saddam Hussein. Those who raise $100,000 earn the honor of being a Pioneer in the president's campaign; raise $200,000 and you'll be added to the ranks of the Rangers.

"As a Muslim I felt it was wonderful that Saddam Hussein was removed," said Pioneer Dr. Malik Hasan, a Pakistan native and former CEO of Denver's Foundation Health Systems. "The rest of the Muslim countries were standing there doing nothing. Honestly, I wrote to the president and said I adored his accomplishments."

Hasik and his wife are supporting Bush in spite of what happened to their American-born son, who police surrounded and detained at an airport recently. The man's ethnic background seemed to be their only provocation.

Because of the Patriot Act, which Arabs feel singles them out, plus the requirement since 9/11 for Muslim and Arab men to register with U.S. immigration and concern over the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Bush's poll numbers have dropped sharply in the Arab-American community.

A 35 percent drop, says Zogby International, headed by Lebanese-American John Zogby, whose brother James heads up the Arab American Institute.

Still, Bush's call for an independent Palestinian state and his appointment of two Arab-Americans to high levels in his administration -- Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham and Office of Management and Budget Director Mitchell E. Daniels Jr. -- have the dollarrs up even though donor numbers are down.

"He has saved Iraq," said Iranian Mori Hosseini, a Ranger in Daytona Beach. "He's the savior not [only] of Iraq, but also of the other countries around Iraq. They want freedom."

Longtime Republican Party donor Yousif Ghafari, a Lebanese Christian with an engineering company, has raised $350,000 for Bush. Ghafari said, "The 9/11 situation was a bad situation for us," but credited the president for "taking the initiative" in toppling Hussein and believes that Bush is capable of resolving the conflict in the Middle East.