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Arab-Americans bring own agenda to rally, receive mixed reaction

by SAMANTHA YOUNG, | Monday, May 1 2006 5:15 PM

Last Updated: Monday, May 1 2006 5:15 PM

Waving a Palestinian flag, a group of Muslims and Arab-Americans on Monday joined thousands of demonstrators in the state capital participating in the national boycott to support immigrant rights.

While their presence was welcomed by the predominantly Hispanic crowd, their message received a mixed reaction.

During speeches at a downtown park and on the steps of the Capitol, 25-year-old Lara Kiswani spoke about amnesty, the rights of workers and other issues important to immigration advocates. But she also used her speeches to criticize the war in Iraq, denounce the U.S.A. Patriot Act and rail against Israel's policies in the Middle East.

"No to the U.S. occupation of Iraq. No to the Israeli occupation of Palestine," shouted Kiswani, program director for the National Council of Arab Americans in Sacramento. "Yes to the return of Palestinian refugees to their homeland."

Some in the crowd felt that message was a bad fit for a national day of protest designed to highlight the importance of immigrant laborers.

"I like the support; everybody is welcome. But I don't like the side issues being brought in," said Luis Rios, a 39-year-old Intel employee from the Sacramento suburb of Folsom. "If you bring in other issues, it dampers the movement."

John Batarseh of Sacramento, compared the Hispanic fight for immigration rights to the Palestinian cause for an independent homeland. He wore a traditional Kufia scarf around his shoulders as a sign of resistance to the Israeli occupation of Palestine.

"California is Mexican land; our land was stolen from Israel," said Batarseh, 43, a member of the Free Palestine Alliance, an activist group that promotes an independent Palestinian state.

Jamil Ibrahim, 30, a member of the National Council of Arab Americans in Sacramento and a rally participant, said Arab-Americans have just as much of a stake in the debate over immigration as other groups.

"With the heightened security after 9/11, there has been targeted discontent against Arab-Americans in the U.S so it's important for us to stand up against injustice," he said.

Fatima Castaneda, part of a group that helped mobilize Hispanics to Monday's rally in the capital, said Hispanics should empathize with Arabs, even when their message is politically sensitive.

"Anytime there's an injustice, there's controversy when you speak against it," said Castaneda, 30. "These people also have injustices, and it's important we stand with them."

But other Hispanics participating in the rally said marchers should not stray from messages related to the plight of immigrant workers.

Fidel Rodriguez, 23, a Sacramento plumber who took the day off from his job, said speeches about Iraq and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict were inappropriate for the theme of Monday's demonstrations.

"I don't think that's what we're here to talk about," he said.