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Emanuel Calls ADC to Repudiate Negative Comments About Arabs
Washington, DC | November 13, 2008 | www.adc.org | Today, Congressman Rahm
Emanuel, recently appointed White House Chief of Staff to President-Elect
Barack Obama, called American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC)
President Mary Rose Oakar to repudiate negative comments about Arabs made by
his father Benjamin Emanuel .
In the phone call, Congressman Emanuel said, “From the fullness of my heart, I
personally apologize on behalf of my family and me. These are not the values
upon which I was raised or those of my family.” During the phone call, Emanuel
added, it is unacceptable to make remarks such as these against any ethnic or
religious group.
ADC President Mary Rose Oakar said, “We cannot allow Arabs and Muslims to be
portrayed in these unacceptable terms. I welcome Rahm’s apology and his pledge
to meet with our Community. I also thank our members and friends who responded
who expressed concern about this matter. ”
MEDIA COVERAGE:
NEW YORK TIMES: Emanuel Apologizes for Father’s ‘Arab’ Comments
TIME: RAHM EMANUEL'S FATHER PROBLEM
ABC NEWS: AMERICAN-ARAB ANTI-DISCRIMINATION COMMITTEE ASKS RAHM TO REPUDIATE
HIS DAD'S COMMENTS
JEWISH TELEGRAPH AGENCY: ARAB-AMERICAN GROUP BLASTS EMANUEL’S DAD
TEXT OF NOV. 11 ADC LETTER TO CONGRESSMAN EMANUEL
View letter online at: www.adc.org/PDF/rahm.pdf
Dear Congressman Emanuel:
I am writing to you on behalf of the largest American‐Arab Civil Rights group
in the United States, with members in every State of the Union, founded in
1980. We work in coalition with all civil rights organizations.
This has been an historic election, one which energized our Country and gave
many people the reason to vote for change. I know the Arab‐American community
was very involved in this presidential election, and voter turnout in the
community was exceptionally high. We wish to congratulate you on being named,
by President‐Elect Obama, White House Chief of Staff. We were, however, deeply
disappointed by comments made by your father, Mr. Benjamin Emanuel, on the
momentous occasion of your announcement as Chief of Staff. According to
numerous news stories in the U.S. and in Israel, he made the following comments
in an interview with Ma’ariv, “Obviously he’ll influence the President to be
pro‐Israel. Why wouldn’t he? What is he, an Arab? He’s not going to be mopping
floors at the White House.”
The American‐Arab Anti‐Discrimination Committee (ADC) views this
characterization of an Arab as an unacceptable smear. One can readily imagine
the justifiable outcry if someone made a similar remark about
African‐Americans, Jews, or Hispanics, concerning cleaning the floors of the
White House. Do the normal standards of decency and civility not apply when
talking about Arabs? ADC asks you to disavow and repudiate these remarks
publicly. We sincerely hope you will distance yourself from any demeaning
characterization of any ethnic, religious, or racial group. President‐Elect
Obama pledged a respect for the diversity of this Nation, and Arab Americans
certainly add, in a positive way, to our Country’s diversity.
Sincerely,
Hon. Mary Rose Oakar, ADC President
Kareem Shora, JD. LLM., National Executive Director
Cc: President‐Elect Barack Obama
# # #
NOTE TO EDITORS: The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), which
is non sectarian and non partisan, is the largest Arab-American civil rights
organization in the United States. It was founded in 1980, by former Senator
James Abourezk to protect the civil rights of people of Arab descent in the
United States and to promote the cultural heritage of the Arabs. ADC has 38
chapters nationwide, including chapters in every major city in the country, and
members in all 50 states.
The ADC Research Institute (ADC-RI), which was founded in 1981, is a Section
501(c)(3) educational organization that sponsors a wide range of programs on
behalf of Arab Americans and of importance to all Americans. ADC-RI programs
include research studies, seminars, conferences and publications that document
and analyze the discrimination faced by Arab Americans in the workplace,
schools, media, and governmental agencies and institutions. ADC-RI also
celebrates the rich cultural heritage of the Arabs.
____________________________________________________________
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee | www.adc.org
1732 Wisconsin Ave., NW | Washington, DC | 20007
Tel: 202-244-2990 | Fax: 202-244-7968 | E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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