Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, November 2006, pages 61-62

Arab-American Activisms

Illinois Governor Addresses Arab Americans

ILLINOIS GOV. ROD Blagojevich spoke to the Arab-American community on Sept. 12 in the southwest Chicago suburb of Bridgeview, IL. Blagojevich, who is running for a second term, was invited to address a dinner sponsored by the Arab American Democratic Club.

The dinner included mayors of surrounding cities; Todd Stroger, a candidate running for board president of Cook County, one of the largest in the Chicago area; and other Democratic politicians from Illinois.

Governor Blagojevich was greeted with a standing ovation as he took the podium. He began his remarks by recapping his administration’s achievements over the past four years. Confronted with a $5 billion deficit when he took office, Blagojevich pointed out, he combated that without raising taxes or cutting jobs. His educational reforms, he said, have made pre-school affordable for the parents of every 3- and 4-year-old child, and he has made child health care more affordable.

Reaching out to the audience, the governor pointed out the similarities between his upbringing and the experience of Arab Americans. He spoke about growing up as a child of an immigrant Serbian father and a mother who is also a daughter of immigrant parents in America. Describing the challenges he faced before running for governor in 2002, he recalled that he was told he didn’t have a chance to win because he had a Serbian last name and that voters would remember the U.S. war on Serbia in 1999. Nevertheless, he won.

“Do not ever let anyone make you think you’re any less American,” emphasized Blagojevich, encouraging Arab Americans to take part in the democratic process. If re-elected, he added, he will continue to work with communities like the Arab Americans.

Although Blagojevich spoke positively about the Arab-American community, he failed to directly address the three issues he was asked to focus on by the Arab American Democratic Club, one of which was modifying the PATRIOT Act so that it doesn’t take away basic civil rights granted all Americans by the U.S. Constitution. According to Miriam Zayed, executive board member and secretary of the Arab American Democratic Club, Blagojevich was sent the list of issues days in advance, but said he never received them. He did promise to get back to the club soon with some answers, however.

Governor Blagojevich’ opponent in the Nov. 7 gubernatorial election is Republican Judy Baar Topinka.

—Leen Jaber

< Prev		Next >