[WCUSP] August 16 lobby day

Sat Jul 29 19:04:44 CDT 2006

Join with your Arab American sisters and supporters for Arab American  
Lobby Day on August 16.  Info below.

=====================
From: Nidal Ibrahim <nidal at aaiusa.org>
Date: 2006/07/29 Sat PM 12:01:03 CDT
To: Libby Frank <lmfrank1 at verizon.net>
Subject: Arab Americans Lobby Reps Across Country on Lebanon Crisis

         Arab American Institute (AAI) activists across the country have  
responded to our call for the community to engage their representatives  
at the grassroots level regarding the crisis in Lebanon and Palestine  
as a follow-up to our July 19th Emergency Summit on the Crisis in the  
Middle East in Washington DC. We continue to hear from members who have  
arranged or are in the process of setting up meetings urging their  
Congressional representatives to voice concern about the violence in  
the Middle East and to call for a ceasefire and a humanitarian action  
plan.
 We now ask that you request a meeting with your members of congress on  
August 16th, which AAI has designated as “Arab American Lobby Day”.    
Please contact AAI Community  Relations Associate Jason Assir at  
jassir at aaiusa.org to sign up for this coast-to-coast effort, and check  
out AAI’s “How to…” guides for advice on conducting personal visits to  
your member of congress’ office, and/or setting up an Emergency Summit  
meeting in your congressional district.  Once you let us know you are  
planning a meeting, we will provide talking points, guidance on  
specific “asks”, resources for packets to leave with the members of  
congress, and assistance in connecting with other AAI members in your  
congressional district. 
 Here are a few examples of meetings arranged by AAI members across the  
country:
Southern Californians Thank Congresswoman Sanchez
 In Southern California, AAI NPC member Rima Nashashibi meets regularly  
with Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (D-47th District). Those joining her  
on this occasion to thank Congresswoman Sanchez for not voting on the  
one-sided H. RES. 921 supporting "Israel's right to defend itself" and  
share their perspectives on the situation in Lebanon included  
<strong>Dr. Lina Kreidie</strong> of UC Irvine, who recently returned  
from Lebanon and had written her doctoral dissertation on Hezbollah;  
<strong>Lina Yashrupi</strong> who is in the U.S. with her children  
while her husband – who is a U.S. citizen – remains in Lebanon;  
<strong>Belal Dalati</strong>, President of Arab-American Broadcasting;  
and <strong>Hussam Ayloush</strong>, Executive Director of CAIR-LA, who  
also brought in two other constituents of Lebanese ancestry with U.S.  
citizen family members still in Lebanon.  </p>    <p  
class="MsoNormal"><strong>Dina Duemla</strong>, Field Director for  
Congresswoman Sanchez, noted that the office had been receiving calls  
from many constituents of all ancestries thanking Congresswoman Sanchez  
for not voting for this bill. The group also expressed their  
appreciation for Congresswoman Sanchez's remarks at AAI’s Emergency  
Summit meeting.
Rima's next local meeting with Congresswoman Sanchez will be in  
mid-August,  coinciding with AAI's National Arab American Lobby Day.
* * *
Relatedly, kudos to Rima Nashashibi, who serves as Vice-Chair of the  
Democratic Party of Orange County, for her instrumental role in  
the 26-6 passage of a resolution calling for a cease-fire in Lebanon,  
Israel and Gaza. Rima encourages all AAI members active in the  
political party of your choice to introduce this or a similar  
resolution in your county. She also encourages everyone to call the  
Orange County Democratic Party Headquarters at (714) 835-5158 to thank  
them for their moral courage. Here is the complete wording:

WHEREAS the current Middle East crisis has resulted in the deaths of 
hundreds of innocent children and people in Lebanon, Israel and Gaza; 
and
 WHEREAS each day that the crisis continues, more and more innocent 
civilians are killed, and
 WHEREAS the only peaceful solution is a cease-fire wherein all parties 
to the conflict are required to discontinue all use of force;
 THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Democratic Party of Orange County 
calls for an immediate cease-fire in Lebanon, Israel and Gaza; and
 THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Democratic Party of Orange 
County calls for the United States government to back the cease-fire 
and for the United Nations to enforce it and for this resolution to be 
sent to all Democratic members of the Congressional delegation. 
Congresswoman Lofgren Seeks More Information on Palestinian Christians
 In Northern California, AAI Supporting member Joe Louis and new member 
John Mogannam met with Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D-16th District).  
They discussed her "yes" vote on the unbalanced H.Res. 921 "Condemning 
the recent attacks against the State of Israel, holding terrorists and 
their state-sponsors accountable for such attacks, supporting Israel's 
right to defend itself," the difficulties that American citizens are 
having getting in and out of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip to visit 
family and friends and/or return to work, and their concerns about a 
proposed bill concerning the Palestinian 
Christian community's supposed "persecution" by the Palestinian 
Authority.
Congresswoman Lofgren indicated that she would be interested in having 
more information on Palestinian Christians. For AAI's Action Alert and 
talking points on that topic, <a 
title="http://capwiz.com/arab/callalert/index.tt? 
alertid=8856416&type=CO." 
href="http://www.aaiusa.org/page/m/d84yqj7culi/Uz2ay0">click 
here</a>.  <div 
align="center">Representative Jackson-Lee Responds Positively 
to Community Concern</div>  In Texas, 
 AAI Board of Governors member  Dr. Abdel-Kader 
Fustok, along 
with Dania Dadashly (ADC Houston),  Dr. Usamma 
Makdisi (Professor of History at Rice University), Dr. 
Shaban, Jamal Marzuki, and Marhaf 
Sabouni met with Representative Sheila Jackson Lee 
(D-18th District) to discuss her vote on the Palestinian Aid Bill and 
the community's concern for the crisis in Lebanon and Gaza. Soon after 
this meeting Rep. Jackson-Lee signed on as a  co-sponsor of H.CON.RES. 
450, and also submitted a bill of her own, H.RES. 945, which calls for 
the cessation of the targeting by any side of infrastructure vital to 
non-combatants,  a secure humanitarian corridor to alleviate the 
unnecessary suffering of the people of Lebanon, an immediate 
cease-fire, and a comprehensive and just solution to the Arab-Israeli 
conflict.

Congressman Leach Calls for Appointment of Peace Negotiator
 In Iowa, AAI Charter member Joe Aossey and AAI National Policy Council 
(NPC) member Newman Abuissa arranged a meeting with the District 
Director for Congressman Jim Leach (R-2nd District). Joining them for 
the meeting were AAI Action Team members Laila Aossey and Miriam Amer 
(also with the Muslim American Society of Iowa), Colette Broderson 
(Rachel Corrie's aunt) plus several other members of People for Justice 
in Palestine and the World Council of Churches. They felt they were well received, and were assured 
that Congressman Leach would consider signing on to House Con.Res. 450, 
which calls for an “immediate cessation of violence” and asks the 
President to “commit United States diplomats to multi-party 
negotiations with no preconditions.” The 
AAI Iowa Action Team was even more pleased when, in a <a 
title="http://www.house.gov/leach/July06PR.htm" 
href="http://www.aaiusa.org/page/m/d84yqj7culi/Hw4Dwi">speech on July 
23</a>,  Congressman Leach called on the Bush Administration to 
establish a peace negotiator for the Middle East, a key request AAI has 
been asking members to push for across the country, saying "The U.S. 
must either lead or cede leadership to others... at immediate issue is 
the war in Lebanon, but there is no chance for peace in the Middle East 
until the Palestinian issue is settled." Those who were at this meeting plan to encourage 
others to join them to participate in Congressman Leach's regularly 
scheduled Town Hall meeting on August 16, which coincides with AAI's 
planned nationwide "Arab American Lobby Day", and have requested a 
private follow-up meeting that day as well.

Rep. Johnson Calls for Humanitarian Relief Corridor
In Connecticut, State Senator and AAI Supporting Member  David  
Cappiello (R-24th Dist), State Representative  and AAI NPC member   
William Hamzy (R-78th Dist),   Danbury Councilman and AAI member Tom  
Saadi, and Joseph Macary of Waterbury met with U.S. Representative  
Nancy Johnson (R-5th District), urging her to support a cease fire and  
a corridor to transport humanitarian aid.   Congresswoman Johnson spent  
nearly an hour listening to the concerns expressed by the  
officials, and assured the delegation that she sympathized with the  
plight of Lebanese civilians.  Mr. Saadi  was pleased that the  
Congresswoman understood  their  concerns and thanked  her for sending  
a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice  calling for a corridor  
for humanitarian relief .    Read  more about this meeting in Danbury’s  
local newspaper  .    
Virginia Arab Americans Engage Reps and Senator
In Virginia, AAI National Policy Council member Marwan Burgan organized  
a series of meetings. Joining him were AAI President’s Circle Member  
Sam Assi,  Mona Hamoui (ADC-DC Area Chapter board member), Mohammed  
Abdel–Kader (Chair, Egyptian American  Alliance of Youth),  Nadeen Al  
Jaijakli (NAAP member),  Waled Abdel Jawad (President, Global Town  
Media),  Sami Khalifah  (Businessman), and Rouane  
Itani  (documentarian).
The group met Congressman Jim Moran’s (D-8th District) Foreign Affairs  
Legislative Assistant, expressing their thanks for Congressman Moran’s  
leadership as one of the original co-sponsors of H.Con.Res 450. They  
also met with a representative from Congressman Frank Wolf’s office  
(R-10th District) and with Congressman Thomas Davis (R-11th District),  
who noted that he had visited Lebanon last year, gave them a copy of  
his July 21 statement for the Congressional record regarding H.Res.  
921, explaining that the primary concern at that point should be to  
evacuate all U.S. citizens who wished to leave Lebanon as quickly and  
safely as possible,  and indicated that he would be writing letters to  
Lebanese American families in Virginia, expressing his sympathy.
Separately, in a meeting with Senator George Allen’s (R) Deputy  
Legislative Assistant, the group discussed the importance of  
understanding the history of the region, and were assured that Senator  
Allen would further explore it.   They also stopped by Senator Warner’s  
(R) office to thank him for his July 17 statement on the Senate floor  
that  “our support  for Israel is very strong, but it can not  
be unconditional."

Join the growing list of AAI members meeting with their Members of  
Congress on Arab American Lobby Day - August 16th  !  E-mail  
jassir at aaiusa.org to sign up. 
Be sure to include your phone number, state, and congressional district.

Don’t know your district?  Click here   
To see the full text, list of co-sponsors, or current status of any  
bill listed above, visit www.thomas.gov.

  Do you have news of your involvement in your party, in a candidate’s  
campaign, etc.?
Want to know what else you can do to strengthen Arab American political  
power?
Contact AAI’s Community Relations Staff liason for your state:
Jason    (AZ, FL, MA, PA, TX)   jassir at aaiusa.org   
x28                          
Maram (IL, OH, NJ, NY, VA)     mabdelhamid at aaiusa.org   
x13                   Valerie (CA, IA, MD, MI and all other states)      
 vsmith at aaiusa.org, x14       

Arab American Institute
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Washington, DC 20006
www.aaiusa.org