Email sparks debate on racism Sharmila Devi, Foreign Correspondent Arab American Heritage Week in New York is an example of efforts to change attitudes. Joe Tabacca for The National NEW YORK //
"The Muslims have said they plan on destroying the US from the inside out. What better way to start than at the highest level - through the president of the United States, one of their own." So reads an email widely distributed in the US from unknown senders as part of a smear campaign, satirised with mixed results by The New Yorker magazine last week, against Barack Obama, the presumed Democratic nominee. The liberal weekly might have been making a joke when it pictured Mr Obama as a Muslim terrorist, his wife, Michelle, as an armed radical, and the US flag burning in the fireplace in the Oval Office. But some Americans actually appear to believe it, according to opinion polls. Nearly seven years after the September 11 attacks, American Muslims find themselves on the defensive in the face of the most extreme misconceptions, while community leaders say it will take at least another generation before discrimination disappears. Mr Obama slammed the bogus emails as an insult to American Muslims. He repeated that he was a Christian and was not raised in a Muslim home. "You know, this is actually an insult against Muslim Americans, something that we don't spend a lot of time talking about. And sometimes I've been derelict in pointing that out," he said on CNN. "There are wonderful Muslim Americans all across the country, who are doing wonderful things. And for this to be used as sort of an insult or to raise suspicions about me, I think, is unfortunate. And it's not what America is all about." His remarks were welcomed by US Muslims. "He's finally raised the issue of bigotry," said Salam al Marayati, executive director of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, which aims to increase the political participation of US Muslims. "I don't care what his religion is. Religion should not be a litmus test. We've seen an increase in political rhetoric that's exploiting people's fears, and it's very disturbing." An opinion poll conducted by the Pew Research Centre after the controversy over The New Yorker cartoon broke - and despite widespread media coverage pointing out Mr Obama's Christian beliefs - showed that 12 per cent still think he is a Muslim, up from 10 per cent in March. One-quarter said they did not know what Mr Obama's religious beliefs were, with 10 per cent saying they did not know enough about him but had "heard different things about his religion". Democrats who believe he is a Muslim were significantly less likely to support him. "It's a shame Obama has decided not to visit an Islamic institution or mosque because of all the perceptions about him," said Chip Berlet, a senior analyst at Political Research Associates, which analyses right-wing networks. "We need leadership by all religious leaders, who should get together and forcibly speak out against the prejudice we've seen." After the September 11 attacks, a plethora of Muslim and Arab groups in the United States expanded their activities, including grassroots outreach and interfaith dialogue, but with mixed effect on reducing ignorance. It came as little surprise to them when congressional leaders revealed to a journalist they did not know the difference between Sunni and Shia Islam and other key facts about the Middle East in late 2006. "The Sunni are more radical than the Shia. Or vice versa. But I think it's the Sunnis who're more radical than the Shia," said Jo Ann Davis, a Republican who was on a congressional intelligence committee. Corey Saylor, who is often be found in Congress lobbying for Muslim civil liberties for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said the legislature "needs to improve their education" but in general he was beginning to see a more "nuanced" understanding of Islam. "There are people who lump Arabs, Muslims and even Sikhs all together, but a broader understanding is beginning to trickle down," he said. "September 11 was a horrible introduction for many people." Arab American Heritage Week in New York takes place each July and is one example of efforts to change attitudes. The festival was proclaimed by Michael Bloomberg, the New York mayor, five years ago, and groups representing diverse regions in the Arab world put on concerts, bazaars and film screenings across the city. Thousands of people wandered along Bond Street in downtown Manhattan two weeks ago and sampled an outdoor shisha cafe and Middle Eastern food while watching belly-dancing and live Arabic music. Children of Arab descent, and some adults, had different Arab national flags painted on their faces. The street festival was organised by the New York chapter of the Network of Arab American Professionals. "It's a great gathering of people from lots of different places, a fun day for the family and a great way to educate people about our heritage," said Jumana Bishara, a Palestinian American, who runs the Tamoreen restaurant in Bay Ridge, a predominantly Arab part of Brooklyn. "People ask me every day about what it means to be Arab American, and this is a great way of showing our heritage." In the quest for further integration, Sam Rasoul, a Muslim, is standing as the youngest congressional candidate in elections this November. The 27-year-old, US-born child of Palestinian parents, who moved to the United States in the 1960s, represents the Democratic Party in Virginia. "I believe September 11 started a cycle, and we now have a search for truth and understanding and a fight against ignorance. Racism as a whole is still evident, and it will take several more generations to eradicate it," he said. Mr Rasoul is battling against Robert Goodlatte, who has been Republican representative for 16 years and is a Christian Scientist. "The reality is that my religion is not as much of an issue in this district given that the incumbent belongs to an even smaller minority [Christian Scientists] and his predecessor was Unitarian [another Christian denomination]." Although some right-wing bloggers have taken aim at Mr Rasoul, who goes to mosque several times a year, he said the reaction to his religion had been fairly muted, and he would continue to campaign on issues pertaining to the welfare of his country and not, for example, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. "I'm applying for a job in the House of Representatives, which does not have much to do with foreign policy, that's left up to the executive branch of government," he said. "I hope to serve the American people." The bitter "cultural wars" of a few years ago that pitched pro-Israeli groups against Palestinian sympathisers appear to have subsided a little, said John Esposito, Islamic scholar and director of the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Centre for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University in Washington DC. In 2002, at the height of the Palestinian intifada, Mr Esposito topped a list of academics, compiled by Campus Watch, a pro-Israel group, accused of exaggerating Israel's faults. Soon afterward, about 100 other academics asked to be added to the list in solidarity. "The ideologues' idea of moderate Muslims are people like Salman Rushdie [the novelist] or Ayaan Hirsi Ali [a Muslim-born critic of Islam]. The bottom line is they are no longer practising Muslims," Mr Esposito said. "The fact that Obama has done as well as he has is a hopeful sign. There is a certain desperation on the part of the right-wing ideologues because more people are getting sick and tired of their rhetoric, but there is always the danger they will get more rabid." [EMAIL PROTECTED]
