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Arab-American leaders clear air with Corzine
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
By MITCHEL MADDUX
TRENTON BUREAU
A group of frustrated Arab-American leaders complained to Governor Corzine on
Tuesday that he has shut them out of state government and promoted negative
stereotypes of New Jersey's Muslim community.
In a private session with Corzine in the governor's Trenton office, the
delegation said relations with the new administration have steadily
deteriorated. The Arab-Americans said Corzine's recent positions -- on such
issues as the Dubai port deal and the treatment of a prominent Arab-American
politician in Passaic County -- have demonized Arabs and Muslims in New Jersey.
"He's definitely in trouble with our community," said Aref Assaf, president of
the American Arab Forum, based in Paterson. "I think it's definitely a crisis."
The delegation requested the State House meeting after Corzine withdrew support
last week for an Arab-American and fellow Democrat running for the Passaic
County Board of Freeholders.
The jettisoning of Sami Merhi by Corzine and other leading Democrats because of
Merhi's controversial remarks about Palestinian suicide bombers, Assaf said, was
nothing short of "political lynching."
It was not clear Tuesday evening what the Arab-American delegation asked of
Corzine, or whether the governor made any substantial concessions.
The governor's office said the meeting was "private" and declined to offer
detailed comments. Members of the Arab-American delegation, also declining to
discuss specifics, labeled the talks "fruitful" but reserved judgment on
Corzine's commitment to their cause.
Ivette Mendez, a Corzine spokeswoman, said after the meeting that the governor
felt the exchange was useful. She declined to elaborate.
"It was a good dialogue, a productive one," Mendez said. "We plan to continue
the discussion."
That message was echoed by several community members involved in the meeting,
including Maha Munayyer Kabbash, a board member of the Arab-American
Anti-Discrimination Committee's New Jersey chapter.
"We'll see where it goes from here," she said.
At the closed-door meeting were Corzine, Merhi, a half-dozen other community
members and Assemblyman Joseph Cryan, chairman of the Democratic State
Committee. Nidal M. Ibrahim, executive director of the Washington-based Arab
American Institute, also attended.
The decision by Corzine and fellow Democrats to abandon Merhi has sparked an
outcry from Arab-Americans across the country.
"This is an extremely important issue because the ramifications have
reverberated far beyond Passaic County and New Jersey," Ibrahim said. "We have
detected a tone in some circles where Arab bashing has become acceptable
political dialogue."
The Merhi incident was the latest in a series of perceived administration
missteps that Arab-Americans -- both Democrat and Republican -- say have deeply
hurt their community.
Another occurred last month, when Corzine attacked a proposed merger that would
have placed management of six U.S. seaports, including Newark, in the hands of a
firm owned by the United Arab Emirates. Arab-Americans said Corzine's stance on
the now-scuttled port deal amounted to "racial profiling."
Community leaders also say they are disappointed by Corzine's failure to appoint
an Arab-American to a high-profile administration post, or to any of dozens of
less-prestigious state boards or commissions.
Census figures show that 80,000 Arab-Americans live in New Jersey, but some
Arab-American groups estimate the population actually ranges as high as 240,000
to 300,000.
The issue surrounding Merhi's aborted candidacy dates to an April 2002
fund-raiser for Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-Paterson. In a published report about
the fund-raiser, Merhi commented that he could not "see the comparison" between
the Sept. 11 attackers and Palestinian suicide bombers.
Merhi, who lost a godson in the World Trade Center attack, has since said his
comments at the fund-raiser were taken out of context. He claims to have also
said that Palestinian suicide bombers do not kill thousands of people and have
not invaded the United States.
Democratic Party leaders, however, balked at his published remarks and decided
not to endorse him for freeholder.
Critics in the community say Corzine failed an early litmus test when he did not
appoint an Arab-American to the state Civil Rights Commission to replace another
Arab-American who had left the panel.
Sherine El-Abd, chairwoman of the Arab American Republican Caucus in New Jersey,
said she gave the administration a list of prominent Arab-American Democrats.
She said she received no response, and Corzine eventually appointed someone from
outside the Arab-American community.
"I think in the post-9/11 era, it is very important to have someone from the
community on the commission," El-Abd said. "True leadership dictates that every
citizen is entitled to a seat at the table. This is what makes our country
great."
Copyright © 2006 North Jersey Media Group Inc. |
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