Arab American National Museum Seeks to Dispel Stereotypes

By Mohamed Elshinnawi Dearborn, Michigan 03 October 2007 There are scores of museums in the United States, to educate the public about specific ethnic groups, but not until two years ago was there one devoted to Arab Americans. That is when the Arab American National Museum opened in Dearborn, Michigan, near Detroit. VOA's Mohamed Elshinnawi recently toured the museum and has this report. The Arab American National Museum is in the heart of Dearborn, Michigan The Arab American National Museum sits across the street from Dearborn City Hall, indicative of how Arab Americans are an integral part of American society. Museum Director Anan Ameri told us, "When people come and visit the exhibits, they say, if they are Latin Americans or Italian Americans: 'Oh, this is like my father's story, my grandmother's story.' And in the bottom end of it, the Arab American story is really the American story, the story of immigrants coming to this country from all parts of the world to create better lives for themselves and for their children." Anan Ameri Muslim civilizations in medicine, architecture, science and music. Visitors then are introduced to the Arab world today before they start their tour of exhibits that tell the Arab American story. Celine Taminian is the director of educational programs. "On the second floor we have three major exhibits or galleries: Coming to America, Living in America and Making an Impact,” she says. "Through these exhibits we teach students who live in America about the Arab culture and Arab Americans who live here in the U.S., about their lifestyle, about the work they do, how they came to the U.S. and what their impact is on this culture and on this country." Celine Taminian She says the most fascinating exhibit for most visitors is "Making an Impact." She says they are amazed by how many faces they know -- in politics, former Senator George Mitchell and former Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham; in science, Nobel Prize winner Ahmed Zowail; in sports, former football star Doug Flutie; and in entertainment, actors Kathy Najimy and Tony Shalhoub. Museum visitors often find it an eye-opener on Arab culture and Arab Americans. Barbara Aswad is a professor of anthropology at University of California. "Americans absolutely do not know enough about Arabs, and certainly about Arab Americans. They do not know their history, and I hope eventually they will get more history in this museum." The museum has numerous displays of the contributions of Arab Americans in the arts, sciences, and other aspects of society And one young visitor finds something else. "I think it is nice because it has all these details you know, stuff about Muslims and all that." Ralph Valdez is the museum's director of cultural programs. He says the museum organizes a multi-cultural music series to demonstrate the common ground that different cultures share. "They can see in the art, similarities of themes of love, family and devotion and very many things that people of all nationalities and ethnicities celebrate in their art,” he said. “They see the commonalities and that helps them to open their understanding and get away from the stereotypes." Since its opening two years ago, more than 80,000 people have visited the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn, and it has become a well known resource for documented information about Arabs and Arab Americans . http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-10-03-voa55.cfm

Iraq blast wounds Polish ambassador

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/E2E92F8B-EDEF-4230-9F3F-6F20C50344D6.htm Two people died in the attack which targeted the Polish ambassador [AFP] Poland's ambassador to Iraq has been wounded in an apparent assassination attempt after a roadside bomb exploded in central Baghdad, killing two people, Iraqi and Polish officials have said. One bystander and one of the ambassador's bodyguards died in the blast, while 14 people were wounded, including ambassador Edward Pietrzyk, officials said. Sources told Al Jazeera three diplomatic cars were struck by the blasts on Wednesday shortly after leaving the embassy compound in al-Arasat. "The ambassador was injured, but was able to leave the scene," Robert Szaniawski, a Polish foreign ministry spokesman, said from Warsaw, Poland's capital. "Three cars in the Polish convoy were destroyed in the attack," he said. 'Assassination attempt' Officials described the attack as an assassination attempt. Bartosz Weglarczyk, the deputy foreign editor of Gazeta Wyborcza, told Al Jazeera that the attack was "well planned". Your Views "Iraq is still under foreign occupation and Iraqis continue to die in great numbers" albaghawy, Luxembourg Send us your views "It was just two or three blocks away from the Polish embassy in Baghdad," he said. "It means the attack [had been] planned for a long time. The attackers knew who was in the convoy and what their target was." Reuters Television pictures showed a European-looking man with his head, leg and hands bandaged being evacuated in a helicopter which had landed in the street. Iraqi soldiers said the man, who was surrounded by security guards and troops, was the Polish ambassador. They said other wounded people had been taken to the so-called Green Zone for treatment. Pietrzyk was being treated for burns, Waldemar Figaj, the deputy ambassador, said later. "He is going to be fine," he said. 'No withdrawal' Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the Polish prime minister, said that Poland would not withdraw its troops from Iraq in response to the attack. "Desertion is always the worst option," Kaczynski said. "This is a difficult situation, but those who became engaged and were there for years and then withdrew are making the worst possible mistake." Poland backed the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 which toppled Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi president at the time. At the height of its involvement, Poland had 2,500 soldiers in Iraq, though it currently has about 900 troops in the country and the mission has lost popular support at home. Poland's ruling party, which faces a snap election on October 21, supports extending the Iraq mission beyond the end of the year even though a majority of Poles want the the soldiers to return home. Diplomats killed Some opposition parties are also calling for an end to the mission. Weglarczyk told Al Jazeera: "What happened in Baghdad today will change nothing. "Poles don't like to be pushed to do something and we don't like to be threatened ... I don't think it will change the attitude of Polish society toward the Iraq war." A number of diplomats have been killed in Baghdad since the invasion began. Last year four Russian diplomats were abducted and killed and in 2005 fighters said they had killed Ihab el-Sherif, the Egyptian mission chief. In the same year, Bahrain's envoy was also shot and wounded when fighters opened fire on his car. Source: Al Jazeera and agencies

Iran Instead of America…Samarra Instead of Baghdad

Dhia al-Hashimi - translated by AMSI Press Department.

Wednesday, 03 October 2007

Within the tension in the Arabian Gulf prior to the failure of the US occupation to reach its aims starting from Iraq and having a big casualties and lose in equipments caused by heroes of the Iraqi resistance. It seems that the American Administration started to work on the plan "B" in the region.

America thinks that by this alternative plan it could reach to its aim… The mean pivot in this plan is Iran…It is more preferable to US to support big role to the Iranian regime in order to perform things which America couldn’t do along the passed four years.

US and Iran are considered the same face of a currency... "Islamic Republic" didn’t have any difficulties to declare in many occasions that the US forces could not occupy Iraq or Afghanistan in the absence of Iran.

This words are 100% true... Because the Iranian regime is considered as the policeman of the region to protect the American and Israeli benefits, Iran is also the stick of American Administration to intimidate the Arab leaders in the region in order to keep them away to turn over against the exhausted "Lord of the world"!!!.

A stage of American plan is threatening the Arab countries in particular the Gulf by the Persian extension in the region to be capable to destroy any state … as Hussein Shariatmadari who is the head editor of "Kayhan" newspapers says: "the Iranian is despising the latest American "cartoon" to Tehran." He expresses that in case of war to be started it will not remain in Iran only, many Arab regimes will fell down. In particular Iran has an old cupidity in the region trying to realize it even on account of her nuclear program. This assures the truthful of our words that America will go on to the Plan "B" through pushing Iran to occupy the region after the comedy American attacks to the territory of Iran !! Yes, if USA attacks to Iran, the reason will be to set the rage fire among the Shiites in the Gulf States. It is only an awful mission without thinking negative results of it. The strikes will be artificial on Iran and it will not damage her as it had done in Iraq.

Prior to the American strike an Kurdish – Arab armed conflict will be set out for the City of Kirkuk, which will be turned to war that Iran and Turkey will participated in. The aim is not controlling Kirkuk City as somebody thinks; but it is a part of the plan that we are talking about. The recent declaration of Ammar Al-Hakim about their objection to divide Iraq is only a mediatic disinformation and "avoidance". They only want to keep out of the responsibilities that will borne upon the condition of Iraq after the Arabs and Kurds conflict.

Because the world is following the Iraqi event and what will be prepared behind the backstage will easily be seen such as cooking the new "food" for Iraq... Before a couple of days a new map of Iraq were discovered in the map. Iraq is divided into three regions, and they are not the places of everyday talk. It is a different Iraq than we used to… The map shows a Kurdish independent state situated in the North and northeast of Iraq… i.e the places were where they had controlled while the occupation was and which is called "the securitized place". The map also shows that the City of Kirkuk will remain out of Kurdish control... The remainder of the Iraqi territory – mid, South and northwest – will turned to be called Iraqi Federation between Shiites and Sunni’s. Baghdad will be the midpoint neither Shiites nor Sunnis; it is neutral. The capital city will be Samarra instead of Baghdad according to the plan… The current government will agree for the requests of "reconciliation front" as the Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki used to call, because it doesn’t represent all Sunnis.

With these new dangerous plans there are no other choices in front of the Arab countries unless otherwise working hard to oppose these plans through unification, strengthen and spending all materially and spiritually possibilities to support the Iraqi resistance. Because the resistance is the only foundation that has stood in front of both the American and the Iranian occupations. We believe in Allah (swt) that He will assist us, He is the conqueror; however we should plan our path according to the effects of the enemy plans. The resistance is resistance so the Arabs must be aware… Otherwise everything will go up side down.

Written by Dhia al-Hashimi and translated by AMSI Press Department. © 2007
http://uruknet.info/?p=m36882&s1=h1

Revenue Canada's counter-terrorism abilities limited

Kim Bolan , CanWest News Service

Published: Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Officials from the Canada Revenue Agency say they are doing what they can to fight terrorist financing across the country.

But they told the Air India inquiry that they are limited to their specific mandate governing Canada's 83,000 registered charities.

The trio of senior officials testifying in Ottawa Wednesday agreed with the assessment of Air India Commissioner John Major that they are not "the first line of defence" against terrorism in Canada.

Donna Walsh said that in the last five years, the CRA has refused to give 14 organizations applying for charitable tax status numbers because of their suspected links to terrorism.

"These are cases where we had a concern about some element of support for terrorism," Walsh explained. "In most cases . . .we will have raised that."

Lawyer Richard Quance, who represents families of the Air India victims, asked Walsh specifically about groups that had floats in a recent Surrey Sikh parade glorifying Air India mastermind Talwinder Singh Parmar and other assassins.

One of the floats covered with photos of the so-called martyrs was sponsored by Sikh Vision, a registered non-profit society in B.C. that does not have a charitable tax number.

"There was a non-profit organization that had a float in that parade which was supportive of certain terrorists including Mr. Parmar," Quance explained. "If that had been a charity, would that have been a use of resources to support terrorists that would have fallen within the definition of where you could act?"

Walsh said she couldn't really speculate.

And Major said the question was based on hypothetical upon hypothetical.

"What we know, Mr. Quance, is that there was a float and it was offensive to a number of people because of the beatification of some of the known terrorists including Mr. Parmar," Major said.

Walsh confirmed that not a single "security certificate" has been issued against a registered charity since the Canada Revenue Agency got the power to do so after the Sept. 11, 2001 U.S. terrorist attacks.

"It is a reserve power," she said of the certificates.

Sometimes other measures are taken using lesser powers within the act to deal with suspect charities, she said.

"To this point we have had success with dealing with matters without having to resort to that," Walsh said.

The CRA presentation before Major, a retired Supreme Court of Canada judge, was short on specifics.

Anecdotal examples of cases in which charitable numbers were denied were void of names of suspect causes or terrorist affiliations.

In one case, Walsh said one Canada-based organization dubbed "A" applied for charitable status and was to provide funds to a second organization, identified only as "B", in a foreign country.

The CRA ruled "that controls were inadequate to prevent A's resources from falling into the hands of terrorists or terrorist-allied organizations via organization B, due to the latter's relationship with a listed terrorist entity."

Walsh told Quance that the information about the unnamed group was passed on to law enforcement agencies.

But she said that until a few months ago, her agency was prevented from sharing data with the RCMP, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service or FinTRAC, the government agency charged with gathering intelligence on terrorist financing and money-laundering.

"We are now permitted to do so," Walsh said.

FinTRAC's last annual report said $256 million was identified in a 12-month period as being suspected terrorist financing - a portion of which was linked to charities or non-profit organizations.

The inquiry into the June 1985 Air India bombing plot that claimed 331 lives is looking at the extent of terrorism financing in Canada and what is being done about the problem.

But Major does not have the mandate to specifically probe the individuals or agencies that financed the unprecedented act of terrorism.

Vancouver Sun

© CanWest News Service 2007

from
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=4897703b-439c-491d-92b3-ad1ff2062e65&k=9695

Morocco: Call to Release Human Rights Defenders

PRESS RELEASE
2 October 2007
Posted to the web 2 October 2007

Eight members of a human rights group in Morocco are in jail for "undermining the monarchy" through their protest slogans. Amnesty International is asking you to appeal to the Moroccan authorities for their release.

Seven of the men, all members of the Moroccan Human Rights Association (AMDH), were peacefully protesting on 1 May in the cities of Ksar El Kebir and Agadir to mark International Workers' Day. They were accused of "undermining the monarchy" for their anti-monarchy protest chants, such as "no more taboos, no more freedom". The men got two- to four-year jail sentences and fines of 10,000 Dirhams (US$1,300).

Following a sit-in in solidarity with the seven men, 10 further AMDH members were arrested in June in Beni Mellal and charged with the same offence. One of them was sentenced to three years in prison, while the other nine were given a year in jail but remain free pending appeal.

Amnesty International urges you to write to the Moroccan authorities, and demand them to immediately and unconditionally release the eight prisoners of conscience.

Send appeals to:

His Excellency Mohamed Bouzoubâa, Minister of Justice

Ministry of Justice

Place Mamounia

Rabat, Morocco

http://allafrica.com/stories/200710021196.html