KABOBfest Homework: Listen & Discuss
During his keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, Senator Barack Obama stated…
If there’s an Arab American family being rounded up without benefit of an attorney or due process, that threatens my civil liberties. It’s that fundamental belief — I am my brother’s keeper, I am my sister’s keeper — that makes this country work. It’s what allows us to pursue our individual dreams, yet still come together as a single American family. “E pluribus unum.” Out of many, one.
These days he won’t so much as let a hijab wearing girl sit behind him (Hell, even Wahabis let hijabies sit behind them!). So let’s bust out our Q-tips, clean our ears, and give tonight’s presidential nomination acceptance speech a good listen.
Maybe he’ll resort to his old ways and call for the strengthening of Arab/Muslim-American Civil liberties. Or, maybe he’ll continue on his current path of disassociating from anything and everything Arab or Muslim. After all, today’s Arab/Muslim sympathizer is like yesterday’s “nigger lover,” no?
Who knows, maybe he won’t even mention us at all. Things are just safer that way… or are they?
Let’s wait and listen. Tomorrow we can discuss in what light (if at all) he mentions our community.
