Contentious Debate Between Trump and Biden Leaves Little Hope for Civility, Let Alone Insight

Will there really be two more debates after this?

CLEVELAND, OHIO – The first debate between President Donald Trump and former Joe Biden, the Democrat presidential candidate, quickly denigrated into a vociferous food fight. Trump came out swinging hard for the fences, often interrupting and badgering Biden, who at one point told the president to “shut up,” quickly making hopes of a healthy issues-oriented discussion a foregone conclusion.

The issues scheduled to be discussed –the potential filling of a Supreme Court vacancy, street violence, the economy, climate change, and the novel coronavirus –were all brought up. But they were quickly overshadowed by the clamor, insults, name-calling and downright bad blood that engulfed the debate venue at Case Western Reserve University. 

Biden, who’s been known to exhibit a short fuse in past contests, was straining hard to remain steadfast and focused whenever Trump volleyed his usual red meat commonly mentioned by conservative media outlets; Biden’s son getting a windfall from a Ukrainian oil company, the former vice president’s subservience to the liberal wing of the Democrat Party, and his supposed disregard for law and order and the military.

At times, Trump’s berating proved overwhelming for Biden, who called the president a “clown” a few times and said Trump’s “the worst president America’s ever had.”

The fracas also appeared to have made the moderator, Fox News’s esteemed journalist Chris Wallace, feeling in over his head as he frequently struggled to maintain any semblance of order. 

Supreme Court

The recent death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg created a vacancy on the United States Supreme Court. Trump has nominated a federal judge, Amy Coney Barrett, for the position and the Republican-controlled Senate is scheduled to hold hearings very soon. Trump defended the nomination and its timing, saying that unlike in 2016, when the Senate and presidency were controlled by different parties, both branches are controlled by the Republicans.

But Biden said the American public should have a say on the lifetime appointment by voting in the presidential election. He said so many issues are at stake through the justice appointment, including the fate of the Affordable Care Act (commonly known as Obamacare), abortion rights, environmental mandates, etc. He said the court’s decisions could lead to some 100 million people with preexisting conditions losing their health care. Trump said that’s false.

Covid-19

More than 205,000 people have succumbed to Covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus that has upended several aspects of daily life in the U.S. more than six months ago.

Biden accused Trump of having no plan to address the pandemic, months after admitting privately to famed journalist Bob Woodward that the virus was extremely serious. Biden said he would provide the gear and “wherewithal” necessary to keep citizens and frontline workers safe. He added that while the U.S. has 4 percent of the world’s population, the country accounts for 20 percent of the world’s Covid-19 fatalities.

Trump, however, congratulated his own administration, saying “we’ve done a great job,” securing the necessary gowns, masks and ventilators. He added that Democratic leaders praised his leadership, a statement at which Biden scoffed.

Trump also defended his holding of large outdoor rallies filled with supporters who often forego wearing masks, which most public health officials have recommended to prevent community spread of the virus. He made fun of Biden wearing masks frequently, and how large they were.

Economy

The economy has started recovering after its low point in the spring, when some 22 million jobs were lost due to a coronavirus-stemmed shutdown, impacting businesses, people’s work schedules, schools, recreations, among other aspects of life.

Trump has called for states to start reopening their economies more swiftly, saying that the shutdown has lead to a substantial uptick in lifestyle diseases. He credited himself with Big-10 football resuming its fall schedule.

He said if Biden is elected president, “he will destroy the economy.”

Biden said you could only open up the economy substantially when the pandemic is under control. He added that Trump hasn’t done enough to provide the resources need to get schools and businesses humming again. He said one in six small businesses have failed.

The former vice president said he and Obama “handed [Trump] a booming economy” and “he blew it.” Biden also took credit for helping save the auto industry, preserving jobs in swing states like Michigan and Ohio.

Trump’s trade policies, such as increased tariffs for Chinese goods, have backfired, according to Biden.

“He talks about the art of the deal, China’s perfected the art of the steal” Biden quipped.

Other takeaways from the debate:

*Biden said he believes in law and order and that the rioting in places like Portland, Oregon, should be addressed and treated as such, as opposed to peaceful protests

*Trump refused to condemn the Proud Boys, a white supremacist group also stoking violence in Portland; he only said they should “stand back and stand by” (within an hour, that expression was emblazoned on their social media pages)

*Biden calls for having electric vehicles in federal government fleets, weatherizing 4 million buildings, and rejoining the Paris Climate Accord, an international pact that calls for reducing greenhouse gases;

*Trump said forest fires in West Coast states could be better managed with better forest management (forests, however, are federal government property, not states);

*Biden called Trump “Putin’s puppy”

*Trump said he expects the United States Supreme Court to review the votes; he continued to cast doubts on the legitimacy of mail-in ballots, calling them a fraud;

*Biden said Trump has been “disastrous” for the Black community, adding that he uses race only in the form of dog whistles.

*Biden supports a public option, a government-run health insurance plan that would be available to people who’d normally qualify for Medicaid; he vowed to not replace people’s private health insurance with government-run, single-payer health care, a subject that was frequently discussed in last year’s Democrat presidential candidate debates.

Bloomberg Pummeled by Fellow Democrats in His First Debate on Stop-and-Frisk Policy, Sex Harassment Accusations

Who called women “fat broads” and “horse-faced lesbians?

If you said President Donald Trump, it would be understandable given his past vulgar statements about certain females. However, you would be wrong.

The answer is Michael Bloomberg, who participated in his first Democratic presidential debate on Wednesday, February 19, after kicking off his campaign 10 weeks ago.

The multibillionaire, who’s already spent some $400 million in staffing and advertising in Super Tuesday states, was given more of a rude awakening than a  welcome hug. He was immediately inundated with criticism on his controversial criminal justice policy from his days as New York City mayor, commonly known as “stop and frisk.” That policy disproportionately impacted young black men. He also made some insensitive comments on a little-known radio show in 2015, about how a majority of crimes in the Big Apple were committed in minority neighborhoods. 

In the last couple of weeks, Bloomberg had also came under fire for sexual harassment allegations during his time as head of his media company. That conduct resulted in several nondisclosure agreements (NDAs).

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a once exciting progressive favorite who’s been fading in recent polls, vigorously attacked Bloomberg, describing stop and frisk was a racist policy.

“It unfairly targeted minority communities,” he said.

Bloomberg said when he was elected mayor, the city had some 650 murders and he felt it was his responsibility “to give people the right to live.”

He added that as time went on, he realized the program “got out of control.”

But former vice president Joe Biden pointed out that Bloomberg was against the Obama Administration’s monitors that were sent to review the policy.  He described the policy as “abhorrent.”

Sen. Bernie Sanders, who’s been surging in recent polls, said support for policies like stop and frisk “is not a way you’re going to grow voter turnout.” 

Sex Harrassment Claims and Non-Disclosure Agreements

Regarding his treatment of women, Bloomberg said he’s had several women work for him in his company, philanthropic foundation, and administration.

But Warren said that response left a lot to be desired.

“His defense was, I’ve been nice to some women,” she said, a remark that received applause from the packed auditorium in Las Vegas, Nevada, the state where the caucus will take place on Saturday. “We are not going to beat Donald Trump with the drip-drip-drip of sexual harassment claims.”

She also called on Bloomberg to release the women from their NDAs “so we can hear what they have to say.”

But Bloomberg said the NDAs were consensual. He admitted, though, there were a few women who “maybe ….didn’t like the joke I told.”

Biden said Bloomberg simply needs to say yes to release them from the NDAs.

“This is about transparency,” he said.

Electability

When it comes to electability, Bloomberg said if Sanders is the nominee, expect four more years of Trump.

“I don’t think there’s any chance (Sanders could defeat Trump),” he said.

But Warren said Bloomberg isn’t the white knight that his ubiquitous ads may indicate, adding that the Democrat Party isn’t setting a good example “if we substitute one arrogant billionaire for another.” 

Bloomberg said he is the most well positioned candidate to take on the current president.

“I know how to take on an arrogant con man like Donald Trump,” he said.

However, Buttigieg pointed out some basic prerequisites need to be met first.

“Let’s put forward someone who’s actually a Democrat,” Buttigieg said to thunderous applause. “We have one person who wants to burn the party down and another who wants to buy the party out.”

Bloomberg was a Republican for many years, and Sanders, who almost always caucuses with the Democrats, is technically an independent and a self-proclaimed “Democratic socialist.”

Toward the end of the debate, none of the candidates except Sanders would say they would commit to supporting the candidate with the most delegates at the convention.

This question was especially pertinent given that with the large field of candidates, no single candidate is expected to reach the majority threshold of nearly 2,000 delegates. Many pundits are predicting a brokered convention, which involves a lot of wheeling and dealing and movement of delegates from one candidate to another.

Health Care

Bloomberg was also taken to task for his support—or lack of support—for the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as “Obamacare.” Biden pointed out that Bloomberg initially called the ACA a “disgrace.”

But Bloomberg said he supports the health care act overall. He admitted that he initially thought the law didn’t go far enough, since it didn’t include a public option. He, along with fellow candidates Biden, former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota), support the addition of a public option, which is a far contrast from the much more ambitious—and expensive– “Medicare for All” plan that Sanders has made the cornerstone of his campaign.

Some of the other issues discussed in the debate include:

*All candidates believe more must be done to deter climate change/global warming, but not everyone embraced the so-called “Green New Deal,” championed by Sanders. They called for lifting fuel mileage restrictions, shutting down coal-fired plants, and putting limits on mining and drilling on public lands.

*Sanders proposed allowing employees to have ownership stakes in the companies they work for, and to be able to serve on the boards

*Warren slammed health care proposals put out by Klobuchar and Buttigieg, describing them as “a Post-It Note” and “a Powerpoint” respectively.

*Klobuchar admitted she did not know the name of the president of Mexico. However, she attributed it to a momentary lapse, adding she knows much about  trade policy in Latin America. She pointed out she supported the recently enacted United States Mexico-Canada Act, a successor to the much-maligned North American Free Trade Agreement.

Democrat Presidential Candidates Debate The Issues Straightforwardly, Pull Punches

DES MOINES, IOWA – With the exception of an increased focus on foreign policy, brought to the forefront from the escalating tensions with Iran, it was business as usual in Tuesday night’s CNN Democrat presidential debate, the final televised debate before the Feb. 3 Iowa Caucus.

While some fireworks were expected between the top progressive candidates, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, after CNN reported on Monday that Sanders allegedly told Warren in a private meeting a couple years ago that a woman could not be elected president, none took place (at least publicly). Sanders denied he made that comment, and Warren went so far as to say that “Bernie is my friend and I’m not here to attack Bernie.”

After addressing it briefly, they and the rest of the candidates stuck with the pressing issues.

The candidates — who made up the smallest field yet after several other candidates either dropped out or failed to meet minimal eligibility requirements for the debate — were united in saying Iran must be prevented from having a nuclear weapon. They all called for more negotiations and greater diplomacy.  

Iran

Candidates were asked on how best to diffuse the current situation with Iran, which has long had an adversarial relationship with the United States, dating back to at least the 1979 embassy hostage crisis

Tensions ramped up more after President Donald Trump ordered the killing of a popular Irani general, Qasem Soleimani, who has been linked to the killing of hundreds of American troops during the Iraq War and was believed to have been plotting more attacks when he was killed by a drone near Baghdad Airport in neighboring Iraq.

Some Democrats have criticized the Trump Administration, questioning if the killing (Sanders previously labeled it an “assassination”) was necessary at the risk of adding proverbial fuel to the fire, and if the general posed an “imminent” threat. At least two Republican senators, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Mike Lee of Utah, have also questioned the administration’s rationale.

Many of the presidential candidates called for re-entering the United States into the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement, which was negotiated under former President Barack Obama and helped restrict the Iran’s nuclear capability through inspections and various carrots and sticks.

President Trump pulled out of the agreement shortly after entering office, and Iran announced shortly after Soleimani’s death that it has restarted its uranium enrichment program. The U.S. responded by applying additional sanctions, which are believed to have already constricted much of Iran’s economy.

“It was working,” former Vice President Joe Biden said about the agreement. “We have lost our standing in the region.”

“By gutting that, they have made the region more unstable,” said former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg about Trump’s pullout from the Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). “Our security depends on Iran not having a nuclear (weapon).”

Troop Levels

Both Biden and Sen. Amy Klobuchar have called on leaving a limited number of troops in Middle East for security purposes.

However, Sen. Elizabeth Warren said it’s time for combat troops to come home, adding that the defense industry must stop “calling the shots” on the military interventions.

“No one has a solution and an end point,” she said about military strategy in the Middle East.

Sanders said he was current concerned the current crisis with Iran is a product of Trump’s lies. He added that the last two prolonged wars the United had been involved in Vietnam and Iraq were based on lies.

“The American people are sick and tired of endless wars,” he said.

All of the candidates agreed the president must seeking Congressional approval before taking military action. Both Trump and former President Barack Obama have signed off on various military actions without getting the green light from the legislative branch.

Trade

Trump had pledged to scrap the controversial North American Free Trade Agreement, which he, among others, have claimed caused many good-paying manufacturing jobs to be outsourced. His administration negotiated with House Democrats a replacement treaty, the United States Mexico-Canada Agreement. It enjoys bipartisan support and Congress is expected to pass it.

However, Sanders said he won’t support it because it does little to address environmental protection.

But many other candidates said it makes modest improvements over NAFTA, which is better than nothing.

Warren added that if elected president, she would repeal Trump’s tariffs that he imposed via executive order, which she said has devastated many Iowa farmers’ income.

Electability

Not surprisingly, all of the candidates believed they were the most electable. Sanders said he has the strongest grassroots movement. Biden said he has the “broadest coalition.” Buttigieg and Klobuchar both said they understand the needs of voters in the industrial Midwest, a region that helped deliver Trump the presidency.

Health Care

On the subject of health care, the candidates repeated stances from prior debates. Both Sanders and Warren support a single-payer, Medicare-for-All plan that calls for ending private health insurance and is projected to cost trillions of dollars.

The other candidates called for strengthening the Affordable Care Act (ACA) by adding a non-profit public option, or a government-run health plan. They also said the individual mandate, which was scrapped under the 2017 Tax and Jobs Act, should be restored.

Sanders was pressed about the specific cost of his plan. Outside of one detail — that a 4 percent tax would be applied on all income outside of the first $29,000 — he stuck to his general answer (it would cost less than the deductibles, co-payments and premiums policyholders currently pay).

“Health care is a human right. The time is long overdue.”

But Biden said Sanders’ s proposal “doesn’t even come close” to the actual cost of Medicare-for-All.

Klobuchar, who also favors an incremental approach, called for health insurance to cover long-term care, which most medical insurance polices don’t presently cover.

Warren added that she would reduce the cost of insulin, something that a president could do unilaterally.

Many of the candidates also called for the federal government to negotiate drug prices.

Tom Steyer, a billionaire climate change activist, opined on the current problem with the U.S. health care system.

“We’re spending too much because corporations own the system. This is cruelty for money.”

Other takeaways from the debate:

*Candidates agreed more action is needed to provide affordable childcare. Warren mentioned her 2 percent wealth tax for those with at least $50 million in wealth and providing higher salaries to child care workers. Biden proposed an $8,000 child tax credit and spending more on afterschool programs.

*Free college is not a concept that’s popular outside of the progressive circles. Buttigieg said the proposal would unintentionally benefit kids from wealthy families at the expense of kids from lower-income households. Klobuchar said it’s more important to make education compatible with the jobs that are out there or in demand, particularly those in the trades.

*Several candidates are U.S. senators and are expected to participate in the U.S. Senate impeachment trial focusing on Trump’s alleged collusion with Ukraine. That is expected to take them off the campaign trail. Just about all the affected candidates said that it was worth having the trial, even if the Republican-led Senate is not expected to vote to impeach and remove the president.

“Some things are important than politics,” Warren said.

Klobuchar added that if Republicans don’t allow witnesses to be called, they “might as well hand Trump a scepter and a crown.”

“Last I checked, the American people did not want a king.”  

Democrat Debate Highlights Differences Between Factions On Major Public Policies

DETROIT – Ten of the 20 Democrat Party presidential candidates discussed health care, immigration policy, and other hot-button issues at the CNN debate at the Fox Theater, Tuesday evening, where the candidates from the progressive wing came under fire from the lesser-known — and mostly low-polling — moderates.

From the outset, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, both Northeastern liberal senators (Vermont and Massachusetts, respectively) were criticized for proposals like Medicare for-all, college loan forgiveness, decriminalizing illegal alien crossings on the Southern Border, and protectionist-like trade policies.

Former Maryland Congressman John Delaney called their ideas “bad policies,” and he described “Medicare for All” as “political suicide.”  Montana Gov. Steven Bullock, who made his first debate appearance, said Sanders’ and Warren’s policies were examples of “wish-list economics.” Sen. Amy Klobuchar who has frequently stressed her “Minnesota nice” sensibility toward policy and style, took a subtle swipe at Sanders and Warren by saying she was proposing bold ideas that are “grounded in reality.” And former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper said that while he shares Sanders and Warren’s progressive values, “I’m a little more pragmatic.”

But Warren, for one, was not having any of it, saying that you don’t solve the country’s pressing issues — and more importantly, defeating President Donald Trump — with “small ideas and spinelessness.”

“Donald Trump disgraces the office of president every single day,” she said. “I know what’s broken. I will fight to fix it.”

Sanders concurred with Warren regarding Trump’s character.

“We have to take on Trump’s racism, sexism, xenophobia.”

Warren also dismissed the ideas of resisting proposing big-government ideas, saying “we should stop using Republican talking points.”

Both Sanders and Warren support a Medicare for-all plan that would require people to give up their employer-provided, private health insurance plans. Some 150 million people receive their medical benefits through their jobs.

But many of the moderate politicians took called for less drastic options. They called for strengthening the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare after the former president, Barack Obama. Many of them called for adding a public option, shorthand for government health care.

Klobuchar said the public option “is the easiest way to move forward quickly” on improving health care affordability and access.

The ACA originally included a public option when proposed in 2009, but was ultimately scuttled after some moderate Democrats, such as former Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Nebraska), objected to it.

But Sanders said Medicare in its current form isn’t comprehensive enough and Medicare-for–All would cover things like hearing aids, dental, and vision.

When Ohio Congressman Tim Ryan — who is against Medicare-for-All but supports offering Medicare to people as young as 50– said to Sanders that the senator doesn’t know for sure if  Medicare for All would cover these things, Sanders snapped, “I do know that … I wrote the damn bill.

Neither Sanders or Warren would respond directly if taxes would increase on middle class resident o provide universal health care.

Warren said there would lower out of pocket costs and Sanders said there would no longer be no deductibles or premiums. Medicare for All would save some $500 billion a year, mostly due to streamlined administrative costs.

Immigration policy

Both Sanders and Warren called for decriminalizing illegal  border crossings in the Southern Border.

“In my view they’re not criminals,” Sanders said about the aliens. “They’re people  fleeing violence (from the Northern Triad countries of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador).” 

He also called for rebuilding those nations and providing health care and education to undocumented immigrants. He said that policy will not encourage more illegal border crossings because there will be strong border protections.

Sanders also called for adding more administrative judges.

Warren called for a pathway to citizenship.

Gun Control and Gun Violence

Many of the candidates called for background checks, smaller magazine capacities, red-flagging certain individuals from obtaining firearms, and standing up to the National Rifle Association.

Klobuchar, for one, said Trump folded to the NRA even after telling her and other members of Congress he would support background checks.

This past week, there were three mass shootings, including one at a food festival in Gilroy, California, that killed a 6-year-old boy, among others.

Trade Policy

Delaney attacked Sanders and Warren for not signing on to the Trans-Pacific Partnership Act, which Obama supported. He called Warren’s trade policies “extreme” that risk isolating the United States.

But Warren said too many past trade pacts have benefitted multinational companies and countries selling products to the U.S. often had poor policies concerning working conditions, the environment , among other areas.

Most of the candidates said the tariffs issued by Trump on various goods from countries like China have been counterproductive.

“Tariff wars don’t work,” said Hickenlooper. “They’re for losers.”

Other highlights of the debate included:

*Marianne Williamson and former Texas Congressman Beto O’Rourke calling for reparations, not just a commission to study the idea

*Mayor Pete Buttigieg called for unionization of gig workers

*Warren called for student loan forgiveness and free college which would be supported by the implementation of her “wealth tax” on people with a net worth at least $50 million

*Ryan called for a chief manufacturing officer that would look into creating more jobs in the electric car industry, especially given that many traditional auto plants are shutting down.

*Both Hickenlooper and Delanay slammed the “Green New Deal” as unrealistic, especially the provision that calls for providing government jobs to whoever who wants one.

Parker Flag’s Files condemn President Trump’s retweets of videos

Parker Flag’s Files, which includes Muslims on its staff, issued the following Tweet regarding the president’s retweets of videos that showed individuals he described as Muslims committing violent acts.

“We believe the President’s retweets are counterproductive to developing a healthful relationship with the Muslim population. They do nothing to dispel the negative and extremely misleading perception these videos convey. The video are an unfortunate and desperate attempt by a fringe group to conflate extremist, sadistic individuals with a population that is giving, empathetic, and looks to bridge gaps instead of creating or expanding them. It’s sad that of all the videos and articles the president could have sent through his Twitter account, such as ones that show the good work and acts Muslims do around the world, he chose to tweet these, creating greater fear and unease. There’s only one word to describe his actions and it’s a word he knows well: deplorable.”

DISCLAIMER: The preceding statement is a view of the editorial board and not of the reporters who’re committed to covering Trump Administration objectively and fairly. 

 

Muslim journalist accuses mainstream media of distorted coverage of Middle East conflicts

Mehdi Hasan wishes the mainstream media would get it right about the current conflicts and wars taking place in several predominantly Muslim Middle Eastern nations: they are not stemmed by major differences between Islam’s two major sects: Sunnis and Shias.

Contrary to what’s frequently reported about Islamic State and other terrorist groups who claim to be fighting in the name of the religion ­­- and that the roots of these conflicts dates back to the sects’ major differences on the succession of Prophet Muhammad following his death in 618 A.D. – Hasan, a journalist for Al Jazeera, said nothing could be further from the truth about these groups’ real motivations.

“It isn’t an ancient conflict. The conflicts today have nothing to do with religious views,” Hasan said before a gathering of more than 300 people at an event organized by the Ahle Bayt Student Association of Rutgers University. “This is not about religion. It’s about power.”

Yet, for various reasons, the media and political elite continue to portray the wars in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen, among other nations, through “an increasingly simplistic lens,” Hasan noted, and virtually ignore the history of shifting alliances between predominantly Sunni nations (Saudi Arabia and Qatar, for example) and Shia-dominant countries (Iran) — and the groups that have been historically allied with each nation.

For example, in 1999, then-President of Iran Mohammad Khatami visited Saudi Arabia. In 2007, then Iran President Ahmadinejad held hands with a Saudi prince during a Gulf Leadership Council meeting. Also, Qatar has been known to support Hezbollah, which is predominantly Shia, and Iran has supported Hamas, a majority-Sunni group.

Despite this history, it almost never gets mentioned, and basically “tossed down the media memory hole,” he said. This reporter, however, found with a single Google search a May 17, 1999 article in the New York Times (undoubtedly a mainstream media publication), titled “On Trip to Mend Ties, Iran’s President Meets Saudi Prince.”

The current conflict in Yemen is also painted as a sectarian proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. However, he pointed out that the Zaidi Shias (commonly referred to as Houthis) aren’t much different from Sunnis.

“It (the war) has far more to do with tribal splits. It has little to do with theological splits,” he said.

It’s not that the leaders of the countries home to each sect are innocent. In some instances, they’re to blame for ratcheting up tensions between the different sects or for being so ineffective that it creates political vacuums, creating opportunities for extremist groups to flourish and conveniently stoke sectarian flames, Hasan said.

When this happens, it will only enable Islamophobia to grow and give more reason for outside Western powers to justify wars in predominantly Muslim nations, he said.

Nonetheless, the mainstream media contributes greatly to the negative image, producing “nonsensical alarmist coverage,” he said. There are deleterious consequences for the community at large if the media is left unchallenged.

“If media avoids nuance, we’re not just doing an injustice; we’re also pushing a very dangerous narrative,” he said. “This is about power and politics. We need to be clear-eyed about that. We’re talking about hatred by another name.”

At the same time, he stressed that Western Muslims also need to get past their own prejudices and biases against other sects. He found it ironic that “Islamophobes find more unity in our communities than we see ourselves.”

“We allow geopolitics to blind us. Isn’t that a modern tragedy,” he added.

He said it’s time people of both sects realize they’re both suffering and they need to pull together and have mutual respect and greater tolerance.

“Our compassion has to be universal. It can’t be selective…regardless of whether the victims are Sunnis or Shias.”

He called for greater organization and savvy in media relations to help spread greater awareness and a positive image.

Building strong relationships and faith are the keys to combatting the ‘fire’ of bigotry, hatred and racism

PISCATAWAY, NJ – Speakers delivered the themes of unity, greater interfaith dialogue, and taking action with great conviction and passion at Muslim’s For Peace’s 1o^th annual Prophet Muhammad Day, held on Sunday afternoon at the Busch Campus of Rutgers University.

However, not everyone in the audience shared the sentiments of this year’s keynote speaker, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), who apparently raised more than just eyebrows when she met last month with Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad, whose country has descended into chaos during the last six years of a bloody civil war that has included extremist groups like ISIS and Al Nusra. More than a half-million people have been killed and millions more displaced.

Shortly after she took the podium, a few protestors from the crowd of some 800 people who packed the multipurpose room yelled “Shame on you!” and “Is it OK to see 500,000 individuals killed?” Others claimed that al-Assad’s brutal regime killed some of their own relatives.

It didn’t take long, though, before several other individuals stood up and started chanting “Tulsi!” “Tulsi!,” Tulsi!” The protestors were quickly escorted out by Rutgers Police and others who volunteered in the event’s security operations.

Not all Syrians were opposed to Gabbard, though. After he remarks, one Syrian family in the audience approached the three-term congresswoman and thanked her for her efforts in ending funding for ISIS. The family said they had lost four of their cousins to ISIS.

During the brief protests, Gabbard remained resolute. Later in the program, she said that the United States, financially and principle-wise, cannot afford to fight additional “counterproductive regime-change wars.”

Rather, she said the United States must be serious about devoting its resources to strengthening and rebuilding its own communities.”

She said “the dark cloud of religious bigotry” can only be eradicated through love and great respect and tolerance among different faith communities. Gabbard, who is Hindu, said that it’s only through that mutual respect that people who value peace can defeat the extremist groups, who are driven by fear and insecurity.

“Anyone who does not know love does not know God because God is love,” she said. “God is one, no matter what we call him.”

“Everyone has a right to follow their own spiritual path. If not, there can’t be a foundation for peace,” she added. “Religious leaders must stress that a loving relationship with God can only happen by freedom of choice.”

Gabbard said that when societies fail to cultivate the idea of love, they descend into great darkness and suffering. She cautioned though that even in a free society, people are not immune to religious bigotry. She called for embracing the concept of “Aloha!”

“The dark cloud of religious bigotry can only be eradicated by love,” she said. “We must act. We must stand with these brave souls for peace.”

“Let us be inspired, and live in peace and freedom from fear. Let us truly be aloha, with our words and actions.

“Your gathering here today bolsters this effort!”

Her remarks received great applause and adulation, as they started chanting her name again.

PRESIDENT GABBARD?

When a question came up about rather she’d run for president, Gabbard was coy, saying only, “I’m so grateful to the people of Hawaii, to be their voice in Washington.”

However, a reporter spotted a few “Tulsi 2020” bumper stickers in the lounge area outside the Multipurpose Room.

She also opposed Donald Trump’s executive order of a Travel Ban from six predominantly Muslim countries.

“We should be looking at whether they share the commitment to the principle of religious freedom. We should denounce a blanket ban.”

She said it’s more important than ever to have an “interfaith unity based on intrinsic respect for one another.

“It’s powerful and necessary, especially in these challenging times we are facing.”

MEHDI HASAN

Another speaker at the event, Al Jazeera journalist Mehdi Hasan provided a powerful pep talk to the community, urging them to not become complacent or demoralized with President Donald Trump in power.

The harshly critical views of Muslims by Trump, members of his Cabinet and his supporters have become known in recent months. Embattled Attorney General Jeff Session called Islam “a toxic ideology.” State Department Secretary Rex Tillerson was on record for saying that he has no problem with creating a registry that would track Muslims, something Trump had called for in his campaign. And, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich called for testing every person who’s Muslim and have him or her deported if they believe in Sharia, or the system of Islamic laws.

Earlier this month, Oklahoma lawmaker John Bennett, a Republican, handed out a questionnaire, asking Muslims, “Do you beat your wife?” He distributed the questionnaire after a Muslim group asked to meet with him at his district office.

Hasan said it’s during these difficult times that the community must rise up and recognize this as an opportunity to inform or enlighten the skeptics and cynics.

“It is in our darkest moments we must work hardest to see the light,” Hasan said, citing similar quotes from Martin Luther King Jr., Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

“We have a chance to explain what Muslims really believe. People want to know more about Islam,” Hasan said. “It’s our job to show them the real Islam…to stand with truth, equality and justice.”

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

The most effective way in instilling greater tolerance and broadening the views of skeptics is not by unleashing a series of facts and figures. Rather, Hasan advocated for fostering and nurturing strong personal relationships. It is what sociologists call “the Contact Theory,” he said.

“I’m not saying it’s going to be easy, but don’t despair.”

Another speaker, Imam Mustafa El-Amin, urged a similar approach.

“Build good loving relationships,” he said, adding that relationships and a strong faith in God are the only ways to extinguish the “fire of bigotry, hatred and racism.”

Hasan quoted Mahatmas Gandhi, who once said “the way you make a difference is to engage in the world around you.”

“SPHERE OF INFLUENCE”

While journalists can play a role in shaping views and opinions, Hasan believes that for the part, they’re not as influential as some many think.

He believes the bigger sources of influence are arts and culture, areas which few Muslims in general pursue, and are often discouraged to do so by their parents. He called for instilling a greater appreciation for the liberal arts.

“We don’t have enough novelists, architects and playwrights.”

Hasan said there have been some bright spots during this seemingly discouraging period. There was greater voter turnout among Muslims. There have been signs of greater tolerance and respect for different faiths, such as when the Jewish community helped Muslims in Texas whose mosque was torched. He also mentioned progress in politics and government, such as the ascension of Rep. Keith Ellison and a Somali state lawmaker, both from Minnesota.

Before we expect the world to respect Muslims in general, Hasan cautioned we must work on ourselves to make sure we don’t prejudice or discriminate against others and that we don’t just blindly support one group of people over another for sectarian purposes.

“We demonize other people. We need to check our biases.”

Another speaker, Rabbi Marc Aaron Klein, also called for continuing dialogue amongst the different faiths.

“We share one soul and that’s why we’re here today,” Klein said.

“We believe in the power of prophecy. If one is in need, it is in our need to give.”

He was grateful for the support the Muslim community has shown toward the Jewish community in the wake of the desecrations of several Jewish cemeteries.

“You can’t have peace for one unless you have peace for all.”

Time to rethink U.S. relationship with Saudi Arabia, activist says

SOMERSET – On the 15th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, a prominent peace activist speaking at a Muslims For Peace Interfaith event called on the United States to end military interventions and reevaluate its relationship with Saudi Arabia, a country whose repressive policies and support for terrorism is antithetical to American values and interests.

“There was a deal made with the devil,” said Medea Benjamin, who recently wrote a book entitled “Kingdom of the Unjust: Behind the U.S.- Saudi Connection,” and is a co-founder of Code Pink, a women’s peace organization. “What kind of ally is this that the U.S. has?”

Benjamin spoke at an interfaith event at Masjid-e-Ali in the Somerset section of Franklin Township. The event was organized by Muslims 4 Peace. Some 150 guests attended, hearing thoughts and ideas from leaders of the major faiths.

Benjamin, who is Jewish, said that throughout much of its history, the United States has, and continues to, turn a blind eye toward Saudi Arabia. The U.S. has yet to strongly condemn the Middle Eastern kingdom for its apparent support of, or at the very least, its duplicity toward, terrorism networks. This remains the norm, even though 15 of the 19 individuals involved in the jetliner attack on the World Trade Center Twin Towers on Sept. 11, 2001, were Saudis.

“We don’t question why they’re a U.S. ally with a repressive form of Islam…We should go after the people who attacked us. Instead, we were talking about invading another country,” Benjamin said, referring to the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

She said Wahabbism, a strict interpretation of Sunni Islam, is the basis of the Saudi state and described the sect as dangerous. Wahabbis, or a similar group known as Salafis, have attacked Shia mosques and gatherings in several countries, such as Iraq. In Saudi Arabia, Shias, along with women and migrant workers, are frequent targets of repression and persecution. Gross human rights violations are common, and the kingdom leads the world in the number of executions, many of which are done through beheadings.

Even though Congress passed a law in 1998 that would place sanctions on nations that openly practice religious intolerance, Saudi Arabia was issued an “indefinite waiver” from that law in 2004, according to Benjamin.

On top of that, the U.S. continues to sell weapons to the kingdom, some of which were used to repress uprisings in countries like Bahrain, a Shia-majority country ruled by a Sunni royal family, and Yemen, an impoverished country where the Houthis, an offshoot of Shia Islam, are fighting for power. Saudi Arabia also funds several Sunni rebel groups opposed to the Syrian regime led by Bashar al-Assad, a Shia Alawite.

“They are propping up the military industrial complex of our country,” Benjamin said.

Recently, two senators, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut) and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky), sponsored a resolution opposing a proposal to sell $1.15 billion worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia. Sixty-four members of the House of Representatives also support a similar resolution. Yet, President Barack Obama threatens to go ahead with the sale, and he also intends to veto a bill that would allow families of 9/11 victims to sue the kingdom.

Benjamin, who supports Green Party candidate Jill Stein for president, said she believes the dynamics of the U.S.-Saudi Arabia relationship will remain unchanged if either of the two major party presidential candidates – Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton – is elected. Both candidates continue supporting massive militarization, she said.

“We need to cut the military budget. (We need) a massive reorientation of how we spend the money and how we act internationally,” she said.

The longtime peace activist and author said countries are liberated not through bombing campaigns, but by the will of the people and them rising up to autocratic regimes. She said Tunisia, which launched the promising but largely unsuccessful Arab Spring, is a relatively successful example of a country that did just that. And, Benjamin pointed out, the United States wasn’t involved a lick in that fight

In countries where the U.S. has intervened in some military capacity – Iraq, Libya, Syria, Yemen, etc, – the results have been chaotic.

“Look where we are today,” she said.

The U.S. military interventions have only bred new terrorist networks, according to Benjamin. “It’s only grown. The U.S. military response is not the solution. When are we going to learn?”

Other guests at the event also stressed that spreading peace and hope, not bombs, is the solution.

Rabbi Debra Smith, or “Reb Deb” as she is known, recalled how Sept. 11, 2001, started out as a cloudless morning that was abruptly disturbed and humanity was shaken.

“The blow was sudden, swift, and beyond understanding”

Still, Smith was optimistic. “People will gain strength through prayers. Your suffering will heal, your prosperity will return.”

She then said her own prayer: “Eternal One, we call out to you…Let them play where bullets don’t fall like rain…Stop the rivers of blood in our street.”

Franklin Mayor Phil Kramer said he had a simple reason for attending the Muslims for Peace event.

“I wanted to spend the day with loyal patriotic Americans. So, I chose to be here,” he said before taking his seat. His remark was met with thunderous applause.

Rev. Robert Moore, who heads the Coalition for Peace Action, said the terrorist groups fighting in the name of Islam are anything but Islamic.

“They were motivated by ideology and hatred. Their actions should not be construed as Islamic,” he said.

He said the best antidote to such groups and their dark way of thinking is to have groups that counter such thinking, such as Muslims for Peace.

“That’s what authentic Islam is about,” he said.

Moore added: “We are all precious…Muslim, Christian, Jew, gay, straight. Every human being is precious. Pray for unity and love and peace.”

Dr. Pervez Hamdani, president of MFI, urged people to “pray to God for those who’re misguided” since “they are also the victims of what they’re practicing.”

“Ideologies do not have boundaries…They’re just like viruses,” the physician added.

Hamdani said the solution is to provide education to people around the world. He expressed disappointment at President Obama for not being more aggressive in holding Saudi Arabia accountable.

“Mr. President, with all due respect, you knew who was doing all this. I wish you would have stopped this. ”

All of the speakers extended condolences to families of the victims of the 9/11 attacks.

As Dr. Alex Khirazi said: “Victims’ pain is our pain. Let us pray there’s peace and brotherhood in the world.”

Pakistan Independence Day Parade Attracts Hundreds

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Al Jazeera America’s impending exit a sad commentary on state of cable news

There will be few hankies being pulled out to wipe off tears over the news that  a cable news network is going off the air tonight. Heck, most people probably didn’t know or hear of it, largely because it just wasn’t available in most markets. 

Some would say viewers would not mind with one less cable news outlet, given those networks’ propensity and reliance on often banal punditry and “analysis” that any non-journalist and non-consultant could surmise. And, I would agree with that sentiment.

The problem, though, is that the cable news channel that is going dark — Al Jazeera America — was nothing like the previously mentioned description. It was an actual news channel, and a pretty darn good one. It was a serious news network, similar to what you would find on BBC or PBS — straight-up, just-the-facts, bread-and-butter, meat and potatoes new stories and features. Throw in you adjective. 

Its quality of storytelling was built on solid reporting and little reliance on visual gimmickry and Tweets. In many ways, it was a welcome throwback for viewers long frustrated with the tenor and tone – and priorities – of the programs that populate much of the schedules at the much higher-rated and lavishly-budgeted cable news networks. Unsurprisingly, and expectantly, its coverage of the strife and politics of many Middle Eastern and North African nations (Burundi anyone?) was first rate and it gave the extended attention and coverage that would make the eyebrows of executives at other channels furrow. It also featured informative and insightful reports on investigations into various subjects, such as sweatshop workers in Bangladesh, the faulty American health care system, Ferguson, fracking, even a peek inside the “hermit state” North Korea. 

However, Al Jazeera America never found an audience that would give one the impression it wasn’t on life support, let alone healthy. It’s no secret in television, that quality and ratings don’t always have a direct relationship. Often, and unfortunately, it is an inverse connection. To say Al Jazeera America was a low-rated network would be a severe understatement, somewhat similar to a pronouncement that Bernie Sanders leans left. 

There are many possible reasons why Al Jazeera America didn’t take off. The official reason is that the current glut of crude oil has driven prices down so much that the “business model” the network relied on (read: oil revenue) was just not sustainable. Qatar, the oil-rich Middle Eastern nation where parent channel Al Jazeera is based, bankrolled Al Jazeera America.  

But the more interesting question is why did the network struggle to gain viewer traction before the freefall in oil prices? Part of the problem was logistics. Few cable providers included the channel in the packages offered to customers. Al Jazeera America replaced the channel that previously held Current TV, whose co-owner was former Vice President Al Gore.  Al Jazeera bought Current TV for $500 million and was going to use that space to set up Al Jazeera America. But Current TV itself was available in few households. Thus, when an Arabic sounding TV network took over, you could imagine the sheer steepness of the mountain it had to scale. Not having much of a digital presence only exacerbated the challenge. 

Ultimately, Al Jazeera America’s failure is a reflection of the typical American news viewer’s tastes and interests. Deliberately, or subconsciously, they watch cable news to be entertained, to have their opinions reinforced. The TV watching experience has little to do with being enlightened. We are looking for broadcasts that conform to our opinions and preconceived notions, that fall in line with what we heard and believe. Alternate sources need not occupy one’s channel listings Favorites menu. 

Still, the question for journalists who are serious about their craft and want to hone their skills at quality storytelling is where can one go to do their job without the need to double as a celebrity or a social media haven or a marketer?  Where can they go where they don’t have to develop infotainment on the latest Twitter reporting by telegenic personalities whose main objective is more about getting a rise and stirring up ideological flames and rabble rousing than to inform and educate?

The unfortunate reality is that much of news resembles “Entertainment Tonight,” “Extra” and “The Insider” and less like the Walter Cronkite Report, Bill Moyers or Jim Lehrer. While viewers say they want real news, they are not tuning in in droves. 

News is too entertainment- and food-fight oriented. This has long been a reality, and networks that want to stay relevant must cater to their viewers’ penchants. Like the NFL, it’a results-oriented business.

Al Jazeera America was that outlet that challenged the current status quo by offering its sober, old-fashioned brand, and some seasoned journalists and anchors from the Big 3 networks and various cable news networks were attracted to it and migrated there. Now they will have to look for work elsewhere. 

Let’s hope they don’t have to pander their news judgment for  sensationalist, ratings -driven stories. Whether the viewers know it or not, Al Jazeera America extinction is a sad day for broadcast journalism. That’s probably a fact.