Moving, powerful blog entry about the Muslim conference speakers...Dean, Cegelis and Kaptur.

[madfloridian]

We were talking about some of the races lately in which the DCCC interfered. Christine Cegelis was one who was mentioned in the Truth Out article, as well as Lutrin.

Mahoney vs Lutrin....what was done in FL 16th by Rahm and Thurman.

With mentions of Cegelis as well. I take interest in her because we supported her as a Dean Dozen in 04 and with DFA in 06.

There has not been much mentioned about this event with the Muslim community, especially since Governor Dean told Muslims to "stand up - say who you are and be proud of it. That’s how you achieve your goals” and " “Run for office. We need you to get fully into the American political process.”

The right wing is flipping their lids over that, and of course nothing from the Democrats.

This is a very nice write-up of the event. There has been almost nothing else about it. I believe there were an estimated 40,000 in attendance at the various events.

Blog about the ISNA convention..Cegelis, Kaptur, and Dean

"This room full of people, seated in their chairs, on the floor in the aisles and the walls lined up with standing audience members rose to their feet, cheered and applauded as a smiling delegation consisting of Chris Cegelis, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur and Governor Howard Dean entered through the doors waving and smiling. For a few moments longer I was able to watch the enthusiasm of the younger generation and their fidgetiness, their little glances at one another expressing their excitement but when the moderator took the stand the crowd became silent and all of the fidgetiness was gone. The room took on a new found seriousness, focus, attention."

...." The first speaker would be Chris Cegelis, Leader of the Greater Chicago Caucus. Chris Cegelis told us of the of marches and prayer vigils and how much she rallied against the Iraq war. She spent much of her time talking to people who went into this war and who were informed on the matter. Chris’s words: “I knew there were no wmd. If I knew this and my congressman didn’t know this - he needed to be replaced” brought the room to a roar of applause."

..."Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur took the podium next and greeted us all with Assalamu Alaikum with an Alaikumu Salam returned in unison by the audience. She spoke about “the god we all trust” and how we are all here in the interest of America, in the world. She quoted George Washington on stamping out tyranny in the world and reminded us that “Liberty must be won by every generation anew. It is not free.”

The moderator began his introduction to Howard Dean by stating that when he offered to help him with transportation... "Mr. Dean had preferred to take the L - to which the audience laughed and clapped - knowing, excited looks were exchanged by those that were aware of this aspect of the governor and there seemed to be a certain pride in that, a rightful one of course."

This was an interesting part:

Turns out our fidgety hope (those under 30) have been increasing in participation. In 2004 their generation showed a boost of 20% at the polls. 53% of their generation voted. In 2006 another 20% jump at voter turn out from their generation and most of this generation is registering as “no party” affiliation. “Their vote needs to be earned. This generation is much more comfortable with race and ethnicity. They want to deal with poverty, ecology and national healthcare. And while the older generation mobilized 800,000 people and would block an area; today’s generation mobilizes 800,000 emails and shuts down the server.” said Howard Dean.

I was glad to see this about Christine still being active in the party after she was treated so shabbily.

I want to add this amazing perceptive comment by the blogger. This community must be feeling pain at the intimidating tactics of George Bush and his administration. And I don't think our Democrats are really that good at dispelling fear yet. But they do try.

It was quite interesting watching these fidgety late teens and twenty-something year olds turning their heads, looking towards the door anxiously awaiting Howard Dean. This was it - this right here, this vibrant young enthusiasm was what differentiated my generation from theirs. Not because they are Deaniacs, mind you, but because within these wide eyes you can see hope. You can see the innocence and yes the good naivety that none of us should ever have lost. You can see in their eyes the hidden solutions that they all carry to all of the problems of the world. You can see the simplicity of it all but somehow, somehow you just can’t see far enough to be able to touch it or grasp it, to feel it again.

I think some of us are losing hope, perhsps those of us older. We need that "simplicity" of hope that the blogger saw in those eyes.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

1. I wonder if Cegelis is thinking of running in the IL 6 again...

I think Duckworth said she wouldn't.

[madfloridian]

2. The way Cegelis was treated, I doubt it.

I hear she will work to get others elected though. Glad to see her still active.

[dansolo]

4. So am I

I used to live in IL-06, and I supported Christine Cegelis in both '04 and '06. I'm really glad that she is following in the footsteps of Howard Dean, and devoting herself to the betterment of the Democratic Party, even after being treated so shabbily.

[xxqqqzme]

3. Thanks for that MadFL.

Although many years older,I remember feeling close to that the first time I saw/heard Gov. Dean. A very short presentation, then questions from the gathering - there were about 150 people @ a brunch sponsored by the Orange County (CA) Democratic Foundation. He answered the questions w/o hmm-ing & ah-ing; didn't evade;spoke his mind & wasn't the least little bit hesitant. My respect for the good doctor started then and hasn't waivered.

[madfloridian]

9. Most welcome.

I am giving it a late night kick because I think most are hesitant to talk about the fact that Dean is meeting with Muslim groups. That's a shame. They have been made to live in fear here too long.

[I Dreamtoomuch_2]

5. Anyone trusting what Kaptur says

is a Fool.

[madfloridian]

6. You need to explain that statement.

.

[madfloridian]

8. I still think you should explain it.

.

[madfloridian]

7. Huff Post blog on this group and Dean's meeting with them....most interesting.

Howard Dean Parties with American Muslims

"Almost every American-Muslim youth has been to the Islamic Society of North America's annual convention in Chicago which takes place on Labor Day weekend. The organization is one of the oldest Muslim groups in the US and its evolution affects the Muslims of this country. At one point in the early 1980's it was a battleground for religious conservatives from Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Over the next few decades it underwent a slow change so that today it is headed by a white-convert woman named Ingrid, has placed numerous African-American Muslims in positions of power, and this year welcomed Howard Dean and Congressman Keith Ellison to its convention in Chicago.

Dean made quite an impression with Muslims at ISNA, and it marks the first time that a major political leader has made outreach to the convention, which usually brings together somewhere between 30-50,000 Muslims from around the country, most of them of voting age."

The blogger then explains why the Republicans do not outreach to this very large group.

There is a reason that Republicans do not outreach to ISNA. In a case involving a charity with alleged links to Hamas currently going on in Dallas, the complaint listed ISNA (along with 300 other Muslim figures and organizations) as "unindicted co-conspirators." Conservatives use ISNA's appearance on such a list to smear it as an enemy to America.

Reality is that the unindicted co-conspirator category has been part of American law for a very long time -- Richard Nixon was named as one, so was L. Ron Hubbard, and it was used in the Whitewater case. Not only that, but it is really a legal fiction, a way to get around traditional rules of evidence, and has no bearing on anyone's innocence or culpability

..."ISNA, with help from the National Association of Muslim Lawyers, has asked the Department of Justice to remove it from the list of co-conspirators. There is really no reason for ISNA to be on this list. The fact of the matter is that the Department of Justice actually had a booth at the ISNA convention this year. So did the Department of Homeland Security -- in fact, in an amusing twist, see this picture where they sat right next to an organization which stupidly but peacefully agitates for an international caliphate and didn't make any arrests. A DOJ official calls ISNA "the big tent event of the year for the American Muslim community." The Washington Times, meanwhile, said that the DOJ was a co-sponsor of the ISNA convention. Does that mean that the DOJ should be an unindicted co-co-conspirator?

This is one more reason hubby and I so much admire Howard Dean,and what got our attention early in 2003. He will stand with those who are ridiculed and attacked by the right wing, and not fear the consequences.

The blogger then referred to the blog I posted above. Seems he appreciates it as much as I do.