AP: Arab-American pulled from N.J. ballot ticket

[question everything]

Arab-American pulled from N.J. ballot ticket

ASSOCIATED PRESS

March 26, 2006

TRENTON, N.J. – Democrats pulled an Arab-American candidate from their election ticket yesterday amid a furor over comments he made four years ago that some interpreted as sympathetic to Palestinian suicide bombers.

At the urging of state party leaders, including Gov. Jon Corzine and U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, Passaic County Democrats withdrew their endorsement of Sami Merhi for freeholder, a member of the county's legislative body. They chose a school board member to run in his place.

(snip)

The Lebanese-born Merhi made the comments at a September 2002 Democratic fundraiser for U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell where he condemned the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorists “as coldblooded murderers” and “crazy fanatics.” When asked whether he would apply the same label to Palestinian suicide bombers who target Israelis, Merhi said, “I can't see the comparison.”

In an interview last week, Merhi said that while all murder is wrong, the World Trade Center attack was mass murder on an unprecedented scale. It also was an attack in which his godson was killed.


(snip)


Find this article at:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060326/news_1n26arabcand.html

[Tom Joad]

1. Plenty of racism here in the United States. disgusting

[Copperred]

5. ...its good ultimately...the idea we were ever somehow better is dead.

We are unwilling to directly challenge are masters......thus we get exactly what we deserve.

[NorthernSun]

2. Palestinian children

Funny how much more Israeli children are worth than Palestinian children.
Of course, Palestinians don't give much to Corzine's campaign I guess.

[rpannier]

3. I guess I do see the comparison

between suicide bombers and the attack on the World Trade Centers and any other group or country that engages in human slaughter.

[Copperred]

4. sad.

[PsychoDad]

6. So.... If Muslims aren't welcome in the Democratic Party....

And don't seem any more welcome in the GOP, what's left? The Greens?

Big Tent, small door.


Peace.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

7. Don't blame the national party.

Blame the NJ Democratic State Committee. "It needs a lot of work" is a gross understatement.

[Freddie Stubbs]

9. Do you think that Howard Dean or the DNC would embrace this guy?

:shrug:

[Renew Deal]

28. It's the reality of American politics today.

It's definitely difficult to run with a middle eastern sounding name.

[Freddie Stubbs]

8. Muslims are welcome, but people who won't condemn terrorism

are not welcome.

[NorthernSun]

10. Terrorism or resistance

Since when is resisting an invader labelled 'terrorism'. If the the US allowed the Palestinians to have tanks and jets do you think they would be using guerrila tactics? I doubt it.

[Freddie Stubbs]

11. Suicide bombers are targeting civilians

That's terrorism.

[400Years]

17. as if the IDF isn't?

Just because one death comes from a tank and another comes from a suicide bomber, why does one get labeled terror and the other does not?

[Freddie Stubbs]

25. I have yet to see any evidence of the IDF targetting civilains

[question everything]

12. Killing innocent civilians is not guerrilla

as much as you would like to glamorize them. And being paid by Saddam for each suicide bomber is not a selfless guerrilla war.

No, Palestinian children are not more precious than Israeli ones - and I really do not want to slide into an I/P debate. But an act of terror is an act of terror is an act of terror. This is why I have no respect for anyone, including Sheehan, who glamorizes the Iraqis who kill innocent civilians. The number of their own that they kill far surpasses any "invaders" - i.e., Americans.

I hope that Howard Dean and all Democratic leaders do express similar opinions.

[400Years]

18. "an act of terror is an act of terror" hence the IDF engages in terrorism

[Phx_Dem]

13. tell it like it is

If you think suicide bombing is a legitimate form of resistance just say so. I'm sure your not the only one on this board who thinks so.

[Xithras]

24. The point isn't what they're doing, it's who their doing it to.

The concept of the suicide bomber isn't inherently terrorist. Where that bomber is set off decides if it's terrorism. Blowing up a military checkpoint? That's a legitimate target. Targeting a government building? Again, a viable target if you're at war. Bridges, power stations, infrastructure? Again, all legitimate targets in wartime.

But a cafe full of coffee drinking teenagers? A market full of mothers shopping for vegetables? A bus full of people trying to get to work? That's not war, that's murder. The enemy of the Palestinians is the Israeli government and military, not its people. To attack people who have little or no power over the conflict is terrorism, and this party is right to condemn it and throw its supporters out a window.

[question everything]

32. Very well said. Thank you

It is too sad that so many people here, comfortably living in a safe place, with all they have to "risk" is clicking on their keyboards, cannot take a minute to think, or even to take a few more minutes to, first, look at the map of the Middle East and, second, to learn a bit of history.

[IndianaGreen]

22. I don't hear Hillary condemn the terrorism of the Occupation

The fact that the comments were made 4 years ago tells me that this entire incident that is taking place now was triggered by the usual cast of Islamophobes and pro-Occupation shills.

[Freddie Stubbs]

26. I haven't heard Barbara Boxer, Russ Feingold, or Dennis Kucinich

refer to Isreal as terrorists.

[Renew Deal]

29. Islamophobes yes

pro-occupation shills, no. It is difficult to run a campaign in this country with a foreign name as it is. A middle eastern sounding name makes it almost impossible.

[IndianaGreen]

14. Democrats in the back pocket of AIPAC

I don't see any of them condemning the Occupation of Palestine or the terrorism that Israel commits every day of the Occupation.

I suppose Rahm Emmanuel sees nothing wrong with the destruction of olive orchards and the bulldozing of Palestinian homes, but then, he knows which side of his bread the butter is on.

[Freddie Stubbs]

15. Destroying olive trees and buildings is equivalent to blowing up people?

If haveing the scruples to see that there is a difference is between these things is being "in the back pocket of AIPAC," I am glad that virtually every elected Democrat is there.

[IndianaGreen]

16. There are all crimes, particularly when people get run over the bulldozer

the difference is that we only blame the Palestinians for theirs, and excuse the Israelis when they do it.

Dropping a 500 pound bomb on an apartment building to just get at one terrorist, is another form of terrorism.

[Freddie Stubbs]

20. The purpose of dropping the bomb is to kill the terrorist

What is the purpose detonating a suicide bomb at a wedding reception? To kill civilians.

Those who are killed by suicide bombs don't have any warning. If there is a bulldozer heading your way, any able-bodied person with half a brain can simply step out of the way.

[IndianaGreen]

23. The entire building was destroyed with a lot of innocent people in it

When it comes to terrorism, there is moral equivalence between the US and Al-Qaeda, and Israel and the Palestinians. They all kill innocent people!

[Freddie Stubbs]

27. But is their goal to kill innocent people?

An apartment building with a terroist leader in it is one thing. Blowing up random busses without any specific military targets on them is another.

[Terran1212]

31. One is targetted state terrorism; the other is a desperate act by deranged

You're exactly right!

[wordpix2]

21. I agree with you. However:

Have you ever been to Israel or contested territories?

I ask because I wonder how many "experts" on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on Du have been there.

[wordpix2]

19. when the Trade Center was attacked, I saw the comparison b/c I had been

following the suicide bombing news in Israel. 911 looked like Arab extremist-suicide bombers right away to me.

This Arab-American's statement would be an issue in an election campaign, no doubt about it.

[NorthernSun]

30. Bombings

I don't see how pointing out that both sides are using terror is an endorsement of either side. Bombing an apartment building full of civilians is not just targeting the terrorist. You are also targeting the civilians. Also since most Israelis must serve in the military, you could make the same excuse apply to palestinian bombers.