Action Alert

American Arab Forum

Ask the Daily Record to stop defaming Arabs and Muslims. The below cartoon appeared in the Daily Record's op-ed section on Sunday, March 29, 2008.

The cartoon leads the reader to blame high fuel prices on OPEC. It depicts  an Arab-looking man using a gadget to push upwards the gasoline prices. We believe this cartoon misrepresents the economic realties that dictate oil prices and unfairly lays blame on OPEC. We would probably not have taken any action had the cartoon  not appeared in the Opinion page, as this location can only imply an editorial position.

The cartoon is by Steve Breen

Here is what we recommend that you do and keep in mind:  

Please  be polite and respectful. Allow them room to recognize our hurt and reasonable demands. The Daily Record has been a great supporter of our community especially our yet not completed attempt at building a mosque in Rockaway, NJ.

Here are some talking points:

• Stereotyping is very harmful to interracial relations.

• We are respectful of the cartoonist's right to free speech. However the message being conveyed is hate speech disguised as an artistic expression. When an entire culture is reduced to this deplorable simplicity, only hatemongering is nurtured.

• The US buys no more than 10% of its oil from Arab oil producing countries of the Middle East. It buys more oil from Canada and Latin America!

• The best and most sensible solution to  skyrocketing  gas prices is for each one us to use less fuel.

• Price of oil is dictated to large extent by US oil companies which control the worldwide supply chain and more importantly due to the supply and demand imperatives which are manipulated to raise fatten up coffers.

• US oil companies are largely to blame for gasoline price increase and fluctuations; they should build more refineries in the US to alleviate the increasing demand for refined oil in the  US.( 1973 was the year the US had a refinery built!). There is plenty of crude oil in the US; not enough refined gasoline for consumption.

• Oil prices are pegged  to the  deteriorating value of the dollar; the more the dollar loses its conversion ratio against other world currencies, the higher the price of crude oil and ultimately, refined fuel. Oil prices will be reduced if the value of the dollar, whose control is in the hands our Federal  Reserve  not OPEC.

• Arab oil producing countries' national reserves have been devalued significantly because they are invested in US Treasury Bills,  bonds and other financial instruments.

• Blame the greedy American oil companies for their monopolistic an selfish practices which exaggerates world instability if not fuels it to increase it unbelievable profits.

• In their relations with the U.S. and other advanced nations, these companies no longer shun government regulation, because most of the regulations imposed on them are supportive of, and increase the profits of, the companies themselves. The regulations fall more into the area of corporate welfare than into the area of inducing the corporations to become better citizens. In the U.S., the ties of the oil companies with both of the major political parties are close and mutually profitable.  

• Our government ought to aggressively fund large-scale research into safer and cleaner energy sources as alternatives to oil dependency. Instead of waging wars to control the world supply chain which only benefits Oil companies and their lobbyists in Washington, DC.

• Arab and Muslim countries wish for and indeed it is their best interests that the US economy is stable and the economy here continues to grow, without which their only source of foregin remittance, namely the sale of oil, will be harmed.

• Simplifying world issues  by depicting Arab s as bad serves no positive end. It only propagates prejudice and fosters unnecessary animosity. It does not ease our pain at the pump!

• We ask the Daily Record to issue an apology and to be mindful of our concerns.

• Add your own personal thoughts.

• Keep your response to less than 200 words.

• If you do nothing, you will have aided the Record in defaming your community!

Send your thoughts to Mr. Fred Snowflack
Editorial Page Editor,  FSNOWFLA@morristo.gannett.com , And to

Mr. James Flachsenharr, Editor, 
jflachse@gannee.com

And do not forget to send us a copy of your letter, info@aafusa.org

Of interest: