25 June 2009
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee Holds Annual Meeting
Group defends the rights of people of Arab descent
Washington — “Home is not where my grandfathers were buried, but home is where my grandchildren are going to live,” said Salam Al-Marayati, who received the “Excellence in Advocacy” award at the annual convention of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC).
ADC held its 29th annual convention in Washington June 12–14. ADC is a nonsectarian, nonpartisan civil rights organization committed to defending the rights of people of Arab descent and promoting their cultural heritage. It was founded by James G. Abourezk in May 1980, and currently works to make the concerns of 3 million Arab Americans heard. Abourezk is a former U.S. senator from South Dakota.
The conference theme was “From the Grassroots to the Nation’s Capital: Change for Our Future,” meant to underscore the partnership that ADC hopes to build with the Obama administration. Obama's recent speech in Cairo to Muslims around the globe energized this year's convention attendees.
Homeland Security Department Deputy Secretary Jane Holl Lute, in remarks during the convention’s civil rights awards luncheon, said: “Obama's Cairo speech set the tone and the direction and the intent of this administration in turning a new page, and starting a new chapter in our relationship. One that is built on mutual respect, mutual regard, committed to listen and learn from each other.”
Former President Bill Clinton accepted the ADC Global Leadership Award and delivered the keynote speech at the convention. His speech was the centerpiece of three days of workshops on such topics as civil liberties and U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East.
Clinton told the more than 1,000 attendees that most conflicts in the world are driven by identity: “It's all rooted in a sense of identity. ... I hope you will tell everybody that your vision of America is one where you are deeply proud of who you are. And teach your children their ethnic heritage, their religious heritage, their cultural heritage, with no negative reference to anyone else. Because it's the only shot we've got to make the most of our interdependent world.”
The former president praised the new administration’s efforts to achieve peace between Israelis and Palestinians and urged the audience to “push government leaders for a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”
Representative John Dingell (Democrat from Michigan) and White House press corps dean Helen Thomas were honored with lifetime achievement awards. “We have to help the president achieve his goal of peace in the Middle East,” Dingell said, “and do a lot to help the people of Lebanon and Gaza, and the refugees in Iraq and out of Iraq. We have got to continue our effort to see to it that we preserve and protect all of the nations there and that we come to a two-state conclusion to the problems that exist with regard to Israel and Palestine.”
Mary Rose Oakar, president of ADC, said: “For 29 years, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee has been dedicated to the mission of protecting and promoting the rights of Arabs, Arab Americans, Muslims and all those perceived to be Arab or Muslim from all forms of discrimination, bias and hate, wherever it is practiced. We have evolved into the nation’s premier grass-roots Arab-American civil and human rights organization with members and chapters across the United States. Our National Heritage Center in Washington, D.C., has been significant in hosting many activities such as legal forums, cultural displays, lectures and entertainment evenings.”
Some of the convention’s other featured speakers were Representatives Donna Edwards (a Democrat from Maryland), Keith Ellison (Democrat from Minnesota) and John Conyers (Democrat from Michigan).
