Jews for Racial & Economic Justice

Greetings,

Although this comes to us after the elections it nonetheless
is always welcomed.  If you can spare a minute of your time,
please respond to this group and offer them some kind words
for their courage.  E-mail address is availabe below. -- KS
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Statement from Jews for Racial & Economic Justice

On Anti-Muslim Bias in the New York U.S. Senate Campaign

November 3, 2000

Contact: Andrew Stettner, Executive Director, 212.647.8966, 
jfrej@igc.org 140 West 22nd Street, New York, NY 10011 

While many issues are at stake in this Tuesday’s election, we at Jews 
for Racial & Economic Justice feel particularly compelled to respond to 
harsh anti-Muslim rhetoric in the New York State U.S. Senate 
campaign.   

Last week, the Hillary Clinton for Senate campaign decided to return a 
$50,000 donation raised at a Massachusetts fundraiser from the 
American Muslim Alliance. And, this week the Rick Lazio campaign 
launched a campaign of paid phone call recordings linking the donation 
to the recent tragic bombing of the U.S.S. Cole in Yemen.  

The actions by these two campaigns and the media response have 
tacitly stated that American Muslims do not have the right to engage in 
the civic and political process, because of their political positions on 
foreign policy. These actions smack of the worst in anti-immigrant bias 
present in American politics, as demonstrated in the criticisms directed 
at Asian-American donors in the 1996 Clinton/Gore Campaign. Rep. 
Lazio's attempts, in particular, to smear a mainstream muslim 
organization with the stain of terrorism, is blatant Anti-Arab racism.  

As Jews involved in building bridges between communities in the effort 
to eradicate all forms of racism in New York City, we are deeply 
disturbed. With events in the Middle East already putting strain on 
Jewish-Arab relations in New York, these actions serve to inflame 
sentiment against New York muslims. As Jews, we should understand 
from our history—from McCarthy era scapegoating to paranoid 
statements by the Radical Religious Right--the danger of being labeled 
immigrant agitators in American politics.  

We are frustrated and ashamed that these campaign tactics are being 
employed to try to turn out the Jewish vote in New York. We express 
deep regret to our Muslim neighbors about the scapegoating being 
carried out in the name of the Jewish community. We affirm the right of 
each of this nation's communities to fully participate in the political 
process, including making donations to support the candidates of their 
choice. And, finally we call on all Jewish New Yorkers to vote on the 
real issues at stake in this campaign from racial profiling, to public 
education, to health care to Middle East peace.  

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