November 1, 2005

The Arab American  Forum will now  have a regular editorial column in the Sunday edition of the Herald News. AAF has concluded an agreement  with the editors of the paper and its owners, North Jersey Media (which  owns over 12 daily and weekly papers)  in which President Aref  will contribute  and on a monthly basis an editorial speaking to and about the Arab American community. The agreement stipulates no editorial control over content or views expressed notwithstanding the all important requirement of journalistic integrity, credibly and ultimately news of interest to the general readership.

We believe this is  milestone achievement which not only confirms AAF's core mission but also mainstreams our views and concerns. We are no longer a marginalized , irrelevant community but a positive and proactive one.

I recall a conversation with Mr. Frank Scandale, Editor-in-Chief of the Bergen Record,  in which I asked him why the media seems to be interested only in our views on a suicide bombing or a beheading some thousands of miles away and not on how property tax issues affect us, or  how a our tax money is being spent without accountability etc. His frank answer was that they truly never saw us as an American community which is affected by these seemingly mundane issues. Our only obsession, he assumed, was the foreign policy of our US government.   True we do care about foreign issues but this concern cannot possibly overshadow or replace our interest in domestic issues which affect our daily lives as citizens and residents of the US.

 We are no longer cocooned nor do we feel as outsiders but a community with objective views  of what ails us and what needs to be done to emancipate us. We welcome your suggestion on what issues to cover. While we may agree with you on some issues, it is possible that you will disagree with us on others. We hold no claim to owning the one and only right views or ideas. Yet AAF is the only Arab American organization in NJ which constantly promotes and defends our issues.

While we have had several op-ed columns in the Herald News, the one below is the first representation of our new relationship with the paper. I urge  you to write to the paper thanking them for this important move. Assuredly, our foes will shower the paper with scornful letters.  Send your comments to  HNletters@northjersey.com . AA

 
"Stoning your own glass house", Sunday, December 4, 2005, By AREF ASSAF
SPECIAL TO THE HERALD NEWS

It is a fact that more suicide bombings by Muslim terrorists have killed more Muslims than non-Muslims. It is this realization, I believe, that may soon emerge as the rallying point for most Muslims who oppose suicide bombings. It should also send a wake-up call not only to Christians, but also to Muslims worldwide that the extremism of al-Qaida is an equal opportunity murderer. To them, if an innocent Muslim dies in these horrific attacks, he dies a martyr; if a Christian dies, he dies an infidel not worthy of sorrow or compassion.

While the entire world must respond to suicide bombings, Muslims must particularly confront it not only because they are its primary victims, but because their entire cultural and religious traditions are being castigated. Read the full editorial