Trump and The Arab American Community; What Has He Done For Them?
By: J. Michael Springmann/Arab America Contributing Writer
On October 25, 2016, just prior to the presidential election, James Zogby released a poll showing Arab -American dissatisfaction with candidate Donald J. Trump. Zogby’s Democrat-leaning Arab American Institute (AAI) noted that 60% of those questioned favored Hillary Clinton for president while just 25% supported Trump.
Why?
Be shocked. According to the Middle East Eye, a Brookings Institution survey showed that candidate Clinton’s backing came from her toeing the Neocon-Zionist line in the region. Trump, as Brookings noted, either opposed or weakly supported or had no clear position on the Neocon-Zionist issues.
More substantively, Arab-Americans, especially those professing Islam, expressed their concerns about facing future discrimination. This came after Trump “was accused of fueling Islamophobia.”
Since November 6, ArabAmerica.com has asked its readership in a poll, “Do you approve or disapprove of Trump’s performance as President of the U.S.?” The unbiased result was clear: 71% of the respondents disapproved while only 29% favored it.
One knowledgeable Arab-American this author contacted had little positive to say about President Trump. In conversations with this writer, others, including people with long US-government service, echoed that view. Another, a legal permanent resident, commented: “ All that I think of and wish for [with Trump] is a fair policy when it comes to the Palestine/Israel conflict. And believe me, this means a lot for the Arabs in America.” However, this may not happen, given President Trump’s coterie of Zionists.
According to The Nation, there are other people who firmly express their dislike of Donald Trump, but again, more in generalities:
Donald Trump finally pushed Rev. Khader El-Yateem, a Palestinian-American running for New York City Council, to decide it was “time to take a bigger role, for us all to make ourselves seen.” He recalls November 8, 2016, as a “nightmare,” remarking that Trump’s anti-Arab, anti-Muslim rhetoric was “something different than even all the bigotry we faced after 9/11.” And Arabs are not alone, he says repeatedly, as we chatted in his campaign office: “People of color everywhere, and LGBTQ people, and immigrants, we’re all targeted. But this made me realize, it was time for me to step up. Here I am, an immigrant, a man of color, an independent, running for office. I want to be Trump’s worst nightmare.”
One reliable observer commented that many Arab-Americans feel as if they never left the Middle East. Donald Trump’s decisions and statements resemble the mercurial pronouncements of Arab politicians, changing with the time of day or phase of the moon. He makes one remark and contradicts it almost immediately. Our interlocutor told us that, because of this, Arab dictators feel at home in dealing with President Trump, The Donald is often never clear on anything, much like they are. Yet, some Arab-Americans such as a Palestinian fund-raiser for various causes support Trump, he said. A virulent Assad-hater, the money-man announced that Trump was HIS president when the Chief Executive fired 59 Tomahawk missiles at Syria.
One contact opined that Trump does not distinguish between Arabs exhibiting civic virtues and crazies. He remarked that the President stereotypes and generalizes; he discriminates and does not recognize America’s cultural diversity. He’s set himself against US values. Trump appears, sometimes, to encourage hostility towards Arabs and Muslims, tapping a wellhead that might have long existed in US society. Additionally, the source remarked that President Trump appears to be playing politics with his statements, although he added that some Arab-Americans are optimistic since the country does have laws that could check the worst Trumpisms.
Our connection, initially hesitant to remark on the topic since he hadn’t been long in this country, observed that some of The Donald’s actions and words did appear to harm the Arab-American community, to wit:
- Migration, especially from Syria
- Religion, enabling people to play up divisions among different Christian and Muslim sects
- Controls on immigration (such as his travel ban) that divide families and complicate events, such as marriages
In touching on the Arab-American community, our interlocutor commented that not all Arabs are Muslim or heavily-invested in politics. Not all, he noted, are “just waiting” to criticize Trump en masse. Many here, he said, simply want to take advantage of the door that has been opened to them, to work hard, save money, and build a house, like Swabians in Germany. The Arab-American community still sees America as the Land of Opportunity and wants to make use of all that is available especially education. These people, he continued, feel they have a chance for a new life that provides security and safety. They don’t need a handout, just an unlocked gate.
Arab America posted an article on November 11, 2016, in which Omar Kamel’s Medium.com article put things in perspective in one of the best analysis of President Trump and his election. In addition to this country’s choices and views, noting that “Trump is an egotistical racist misogynist who, in a rational world, shouldn’t be in any position of power. Then again, neither should Hillary Clinton.” Kamel said that “… Clinton plays ball with human rights offenders (Saudi Arabia and Israel, for example) and relies on their financial and political support.
Continuing, the article remarked Clinton supporters “… were more horrified by what Trump may do than what Clinton already has done.”
In Kamel’s view, the Americans, including Arab-Americans, are to blame, not Trump:
“Lay bare the racism….. and the arrogance…..
Face yourselves, see yourselves, and then maybe, maybe, things will change…”
You can vote to Agree or Disagree with Trump’s performance by clicking the Arab America Poll here.
J. Michael Springmann is an attorney, author, and political commentator. He has written Visas for Al Qaeda: CIA Handouts That Rocked The World, and his second book, Goodbye, Europe? Hello, Chaos? Merkel’s Migrant Bomb. Both are available from Amazon. The books’ website is: www.michaelspringmann.com
