(Gulf News) James Zogby - Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney's loss and that of Congressman Earl Hilliard earlier this summer provide a great deal for Arab Americans to think about. Most importantly, Arab Americans should not feel ashamed of their efforts in these two elections. The community did what they had to do - they performed well. Despite the fact that very few Arab Americans live in either congressional district, hundreds of thousands of dollars were raised and volunteers worked hard and gained rich political experience in both efforts. What Arab Americans could not do was overcome the real objective disadvantages faced by both candidates. Just as politicians must be careful and responsible, community leaders must be as well. The Muslim American leader who stood in front of the White House and said, on national television, "We are all Hamas, all Hizbullah and all Jihad" should have known that he put at risk himself, his community and all those elected officials to whom he sent campaign contributions.
2002-08-27 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive