AYOOB: Anti-Arab sentiment

Both campaigns must stop stereotypes
By Edward Ayoob

OP-ED:

When I learned that Sen. Barack Obama's middle name was Hussein, as an Arab-American, I feared that this presidential campaign was going to result in more anti-Arab bigotry than any election I have ever seen.

Republicans, I thought, would use fear and ignorance to exploit the senator's middle name for political advancement. Democrats, on the other hand, would do everything possible to distance themselves and the party's standard bearer from any Arab affiliation or cause.

Unfortunately, I was right. Recent rallies for Mr. McCain have invoked the phrase "Barack Hussein Obama" and have seen a sweet-sounding elderly woman from Minnesota tell the audience and Mr. McCain that she doesn't trust Mr. Obama because "he is an Arab." And we have all heard about those e-mails that declare Mr. Obama is Muslim even though it is well-established that he is Christian.

As for Mr. Obama and his campaign, women wearing Arab or Muslim dress have been moved out of camera shots. Arab Americans working for the campaign were summarily dismissed without cause or any proof of wrong-doing when challenged by Arab-haters.

These developments made me and many other Arab-Americans angry, but, sad to say, we were not surprised.

[posted by Ida Micaily]