Official Victim Status for Arab-Americans?
The Obama administration may soon classify Arab-Americans as a “socially and economically disadvantaged group” entitled to receive taxpayer-funded goodies and special privileges from the Commerce Department.
The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), founded by the Israel-hating far-left former U.S. Sen. James Abourezk (D-S.D.), petitioned the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) for special status on January 4 of this year.
Business owners of any ethno-cultural background are allowed to seek official victim status from MBDA, a unit of the political pork-dispensing Department of Commerce. Once awarded, that status, ADC acknowledges, would “create a presumption of eligibility” for Arab-Americans “thereby eliminating the need for amassing and producing evidence of social and economic disadvantage” by individual business owners seeking government aid.
This is out-in-the-open vote-buying facilitated by an administration that sprang forth from the bowels of Saul Alinsky’s Chicago. The petition, taken very seriously by the Obama administration, seeks to give Arab-Americans access to a race-based spoils system that seems more appropriate to Apartheid-era South Africa than modern day America.
If the status is granted, Arab-Americans will be able to join what National Review writer Alexander Kazam, an American with Iraqi roots, calls the “already comically long” list of officially-designated racial victim groups feeding at the MBDA trough. Right now the list includes Puerto Ricans, African-Americans, Hasidic Jews, Spanish-speaking Americans, American Indians, Eskimos, Aleuts, Asian Indians, and Asian-Pacific Americans. Some of these groups might be able to come up with a few examples of present discrimination but most would be hard-pressed to do so in 2012.
ADC claims prejudice in the marketplace and legislation such as the PATRIOT Act, whose enactment the group fought, make it difficult for Arab-Americans to compete.
Given that the overwhelming majority of Americans are not racist and aren’t quite certain what the definition of “Arab” consists of –and probably wouldn’t even be able to identify someone as an ethnic Arab unless the person were dressed in traditional garb– it is very difficult to believe ADC’s assertion.
Over the years most Arab immigrants and their children, despite the efforts of multiculturalism cultists, have easily been subsumed in the great American melting pot. Successful people of Arab ancestry abound in every field of endeavor in America.
Were successful Arab-American NFL players Doug Flutie, Jeff George, and Drew Haddad hindered by anti-Arab bigotry?
What about high-octane business leaders of Arab ancestry, including the late Steve Jobs, pollster John Zogby, Morgan Stanley CEO John Mack, Accenture founder George Shaheen, Kinko’s founder Paul Orfalea, billionaire attorney Joe Jamail, former Ford Motor Co. president Jacques Nasser, and former Goodyear CEO Samir G. Gibara?
How about public servants of Arab descent including former National Institutes of Health director Elias Zerhouni, the late astronaut Christa McAuliffe, retired Army General John Abizaid, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, Congressman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), former Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham and current Energy Secretary Ray LaHood, University of Miami president and former Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala, and former New Hampshire Gov. John H. Sununu? And Arab-American journalists Helen Thomas, Jim Avila, and Hala Gorani, and activists Ralph Nader, Mothers Against Drunk Driving founder Candy Lightner, and late United Auto Workers president Stephen Yokich?
How about Arab-Americans such as designer Joseph Abboud, broadcaster Casey Kasem, and “Exorcist” novelist Peter Blatty? How about singers Paula Abdul, Paul Anka, Shakira, and Tiffany? And actors Teri Hatcher, Kathy Najimy, Tony Shalhoub, Wendie Malik, Salma Hayek, Shannon Elizabeth, F. Murray Abraham, Yasmine Bleeth, and Jamie Farr? How about Lebanese-born, Muslim beauty queen Rima Fakih, who was named Miss USA 2010?
Do most Americans even know these successful individuals have Arab roots? And even if they did what evidence is there that they would care?
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