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Associated Press - October 9, 2006
Anaheim city council race heats up over Mideast politics
By Gillian Flaccus
ANAHEIM – Politics in the Middle East have usurped traffic congestion and job creation as the hot topic in the upcoming municipal election, with a powerful GOP operative accusing one of the city council candidates of pro-Hezbollah and anti-Israel activities.
A letter by former state Republican Party chairman Shawn Steel has been circulating on the Internet for a week, accusing city council candidate and Syrian immigrant Belal “Bill” Dalati of helping sponsor an anti-Israel rally and associating with “zany left wing groups.”
The letter was posted on OC Blog, a politically conservative site, by former state Sen. John Lewis, who is a consultant for Councilman Bob Hernandez, one of Dalati's opponents in the nonpartisan race. The post was titled “Something Scary in Anaheim.”
Steel's comments have generated heated debate in chatrooms and in Little Gaza, the ethnic core for many of Orange County's Arab-Americans, who numbered more than 24,000 in 2000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
The controversy is not the first time the Middle East crisis has spilled over into the local political scene in areas with large Arab-American populations. Most recently, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa apologized to local Muslim leaders who accused him of taking Israel's side in the violence in Lebanon and ignoring invitations to attend Muslim peace vigils.
“There is much more to learn about Bill Dalati,” Steel wrote in the letter. “Dalati would be a poor choice, who focuses on American's (sic) enemies in the Middle East. You have a chance to do something about it.”
Dalati, who became a U.S. citizen in 1987, said the claims were unfounded and expressed hope the controversy would not draw attention away from his campaign platform, which includes more mundane things such as the creation of more jobs, better health care and reducing traffic congestion.
“I'm running as an American citizen, as an American guy,” said Dalati, an insurance agent and registered Republican. “Why are they bringing race and religion into it?”
Muslim leaders accused Steel of trying to exploit prejudice for political gain.
“Mr. Steel has a long history of making Islamaphobic comments,” said Hussam Ayloush, executive director of the Southern California office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. “But for him to bring his dirty politics into our city is not appreciated.”
In his letter, Steel said an organization called the Arab-American Broadcasting Co. helped sponsor an anti-Israel rally in Anaheim at the height of the war between Israel and Hezbollah. The company shares an address with Dalati's insurance business.
Steel accused Dalati, 41, of close associations with “extreme groups.”
“He may very well be promoting a radical agenda instead of fixing potholes,” Steel said in an interview Monday. “I would consider this particular rally ... in the same way as if he attended a Ku Klux Klan rally or a neo-Nazi rally. Those groups and their anti-American rhetoric are fundamentally the same.”
Dalati called the July 29 event an anti-war rally and said the Arab-American Broadcasting Co. was now inactive. Dalati, a former company vice president, produces a weekly Arabic-language cable TV show focusing on Anaheim politics.
Dalati denied ties to Hezbollah or any fundraising activities on their behalf.
“Life has been so generous to me. I'm a married man with four kids and I live comfortably. This country has given me so much and this city has given me so much. I'm trying to give back,” he said. “It's not about Arab-Americans, it's about Anaheim.”
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/state/20061009-2228-ca-councilrace-middleeast.html
CAIR Bulletin – Oct. 10, 2006
CAIR-LA calls on candidates to avoid
anti-Muslim rhetoric
ANAHEIM, CA, Oct. 10, 2006 - The Southern California office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) today called on politicians in that state to avoid "smear campaigns and fear-mongering" to target candidates of Muslim or Arab background or those who associate with the California Muslim community.
"We call on all Californians to repudiate attempts to spread fear of Islam and Muslims by falsely labeling Arab-American and Muslim candidates seeking office as extremists," said CAIR-LA Executive Director Hussam Ayloush. "It is disturbing to see public officials exploit growing anti-Muslim prejudice and bias within by using smear campaigns and fear-mongering."
Ayloush cited the case of Bill Dalati, a Republican candidate for Anaheim City Council who has been the target of vicious attacks by former state Republican Party Chairman Shawn Steel. Steel supports Dalati's opponent, incumbent Bob Hernandez.
In a letter, Steel called Dalati a "Manchurian candidate" and questioned his patriotism for supporting elected officials who have been critical of President George W. Bush's Iraq policies.
Steel also criticized Dalati's participation at a rally this summer. That rally was attended by Christians, Jews, Muslims and people of other faiths, and demanded an immediate cease-fire to the most recent outbreak of war in the Middle East.
Muslims say Steel has a history of Islamophobia. He once claimed Islam is a diseased religion.
In a separate race, 47th Congressional District incumbent Loretta Sanchez has been targeted using similar tactics.
Sanchez's opponent Tan Nguyen has angered local Muslims with his offensive and inflammatory use of a photograph of a Middle Eastern terrorist to link the hot-button issues of illegal immigration and terrorism.
Sanchez has closely worked with all religious groups, including Muslims.
CAIR Bulletin – Oct. 11, 2006
CAIR-Chicago registers record number of Muslim voters
Registration effort part of a campaign to mobilize and empower Muslims
CHICAGO, IL – Oct. 11, 2006– The Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago) announced today that it has registered over 1,000 new Muslim voters through the New Americans Democracy Project (NADP) in partnership with the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR).
“Registering people to vote is only the first step in community empowerment. Once they register to vote, we will educate them on their options so that they are able to make informed decisions at the polls,” said Ahmed Rehab, Executive Director of CAIR-Chicago. “We are working on a project that extends beyond any other political mobilization project that the Muslim community has seen so far. It will create voters as well as active civic participants.”
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