Anger always high in Arab community on any issue

Anger always high in Arab community on any issue

No matter what the topic, Arabs in America and the Middle East always react to stories with a heightened level of emotion and anger.

Worse, they hate when you point it out.

The recent controversy in Detroit involving the explosive accusations against Imad Hamad, the longtime director of the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee's (ADC) largest chapter in Detroit, that he engaged in sexual harassment in 2007 and even before "15 years ago" has become the focus of much of the local activism rhetoric and discussion.

The story has been covered by the mainstream news media in Detroit and even by some national media, and has become fodder for hate from groups at FOX News and other rightwing anti-Arab hate sites online and in the media.

But some Arabs don't like it when you don't agree with them. And they get belligerent and call you all kinds of names, attacking the writers personally, usually, and ignoring the issues at hand. And that suggests there is something wrong with the issues.

The primary accuser of Mr. Hamad is Rashida Tlaib, a very successful elected official who is now a state representative in a district in Michigan that is only 2 percent Arab.

Some writers didn't like the fact that I pointed that out in my columns, noting that she might not have been elected in a heavy Arab district because the fact is the Arab community as a whole, not simply focusing on Imad Hamad, has a problem with women. Arabs discriminate against women and even oppress them. Not all Arabs but it is cultural. They know it exists but they don't want to talk about it.

What they want is for the issue to go away by having Imad Hamad tarred and feathered and denied any right to defend himself.

The media in Detroit's Arab community has seemed to split on the issue. It's more than a news story to them with the Arab News, the leading Arab newspaper in the Arab community, taking a confrontational tone against Hamad, a former ally. That's because some of the accusers worked at that newspaper -- though they never said anything about harassment until recently.

Here's my 2nd Column   Click here

Here's the first column Click here

Here is Tlaib letter to ADC Click here

Here is ADC's statement on the controversy Click here

Here is a perspective from writer Ihsan AlKhatib questioning the motives of some of those making charges against Imad Hamad Click here

Ihsan alKhatib's blog has many stories about the controversy ... click here

Most of the responses from one of three groups. The first include the fanatics, extremists and haters who are using the accusations to destroy ADC and continue their campaign against Moderate Arabs. These fanatics include Ikhras and others.

The second group includes members of the general public who have no real knowledge about the issues except for the limited things that have been published. They are divided between those who feel strongly about sexual harassment and defending women victims, and those who believe men have no way to defend themselves against women who fabricate accusations.

And the third group includes people who believe that the sexual accusations are being exploited for political reasons. They believe the fanatics don't care about sexual harassment but are arsonists who will use anything to destroy whatever they can in the Arab community.

The tragedy of the Arab Community is that we are held hostage by the fanatics and extremists like and Ikhras and their ilk. The majority of the community is afraid to stand up to these extremists and fanatics fearing they will be viciously and personally attacked. (That's what Ikhras does best). But the majority of the community are moderates and while they are afraid to speak up, they do not support the fanatics who exploit Palestine, conflict and suffering to keep our community in a headlock of hatred.

I'm not afraid of them and will not allow their continued threats and personal attacks to silence me.

-- RAY HANANIA
www.TheArabDailyNews.com