Talking Points: The Long Road to Tolerance

Will we work toward understanding or build walls?

Muslim views on Americans:

Gallup Survey:

From 10 predominantly Muslim Countries, representing more than 80% of the Muslim population worldwide

• When asked what they admire most about the West, Muslims frequently mention political freedom, liberty, fair judicial systems and freedom of speech.
• In critiquing their own societies, Muslims’ grievances were inadequate adherence to Islamic teachings and extremism
• The survey results say Muslims admire freedom and an open political system but do not need to choose between Islam and democracy.

World Public Opinion Poll Data (4/23/2007)

• Poll of Morocco, Egypt, Pakistan and Indonesia has found that a majority of all four predominately Muslim countries believe that undermining Islam is a goal of US foreign policy.
• Strong support in all four countries for Sharia Law, but most also view globalization positively and favor democracy and freedom of religion
• Large majorities across all four countries believe the US wants to “weaken and divide the Islamic world”.

World Public Opinion poll data: “How Muslims and Americans View Each Other”

• The US is viewed negatively in nearly all Muslim countries.
• In all Muslim countries polled, majorities said that the US is having a mostly negative influence in the world.
• According to a majority of Muslim countries polled, US military presence in the Middle East provokes more conflict than it prevents.

Treatment of Muslim Americans:

• In 2005, the Council on American-Islamic Relations processed a total of 1,972 civil rights complaints, a 29.6% increase from 2004.
• 46 States in the USA do not have protections against religious or religion based profiling
• Ahmed Ahmed, a comedian, has a name that matches one of Osama Bin Laden’s henchmen. He is repeatedly arrested in US airports.
• Taleb Salhad and his wife were dragged away in handcuffs at the border crossing in Port Huron, Michigan, and then discharged after four hours of questioning, with no explanation from customs officers.
• 6 Imams were removed from a flight on their way home to Arizona and California, and not allowed any other flights after praying in the terminal before about 45 minutes before boarding.
• Tom “Hassan” Kubbany was denied a home loan in California because his middle name matches that of a suspected terrorist, a “Son of Saddam”.
• See the CAIR Annual Report 2006

Americans views on Muslims:

March 2006 Washington Post Poll

• Nearly half of Americans, 46%, have a negative view of Islam (7 points higher than in the months after 9/11).
• The proportion of Americans who believe that Islam promotes violence against non-Muslims has more than doubled since 9/11.
• One in three Americans had heard prejudiced comments about Muslims recently.
• One in four Americans admitted to harboring prejudice toward Muslims.

2006 Council on American-Islamic Relations report

• A CAIR poll showed that one-fourth of Americans consistently believe Muslim stereotypes, like “Muslims value life less than other people” or “The Muslim religion teaches violence and hatred”.

Potential for building bridges and common ground:

World Public Opinion Poll 4/23/2007

• Although wary of Western values, a majority in all four countries said it is a good thing that the world is becoming more connected and that a “democratic political system” is a good way to govern their country.
• 82% agree that in their country, people of any religion should be free to worship according to their own beliefs.

CAIR has launched a year-long "Islam in America" advertising campaign designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter a rising tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.

CAIR is lobbying for HR1592, the “Hate Hurts America” Act of 2007, that would allow the Attorney General to provide federal assistance to local law enforcement to aid investigations of crimes motivated by “…prejudice based on the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin…” of the victim.

CAIR has long condemned the acts of 9/11 as vicious and cowardly acts of terrorism.

Other Resources:

ACLU’s page on racial profiling

The Hala Salaam Maksoud Foundation for Arab-American Leadership

American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee

The Enemy Combatant: My Imprisonment at Guantanamo, Bagram and Kandahar, by Moazzam Begg (The New Press, 2007)

Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University

Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation

Whetstone Productions and Anisa Mehdi’s work

Search for Common Ground

Arab American Association of New York

Americans for Informed Democracy

Tom and Nancy Kubbany’s story

Beliefnet

Illume Media and Illume Magazine

Council on American-Islamic Relations

Talking Points: Looking Up from the Table

Where does my food come from?

• Currently, 1.2 million acres of farmland are lost every year (about 2 acres/minute)

• Commodity subsidy programs only supported about 39% of farms in the U.S. in 2003. The bulk of commodity money goes to a small number of large farms that do not grow a diversity of crops. This encourages consolidation of farms instead of diversification and support of medium sized family farms.

How come smaller farms are disappearing from the American landscape?

• Almost 80% of counties that are dependent on farming have lost population in the United States between 2002 and 2005, due to a lack of employment opportunities and education and health services.

• There are more than twice as many farmers over 65 than there are under 35.

• Three out of five farmworker families are living below the poverty line in the U.S.

• Some people criticize federal farm subsidies and programs as being too expensive to the tax payer. However, the Farm Bill Makes up less than 1% of the Federal Budget

Does everyone have access to healthy, affordable food?

• Over 35 million Americans live in households that cannot afford the food they need throughout the year

• In West Oakland, California, the number once cause of mortality in 2000 was all types of cancer, number two was heart disease.

• Recently in March, the last grocery store in West Oakland closed, leaving only corner markets with little to no fresh produce.

• Childhood Obesity and childhood diabetes are serious national concerns. Children lack access to healthy food in schools.

• Obesity health care costs range from $98 billion to $117 billion annually.

Recommendations for Change

• Establish a fair market price floor so that food companies, not taxpayers, pay their fair share to farmers.

• Develop a renewable energy program that prioritizes rural development, supports local ownership and promotes sustainably produced feedstocks.

• Develop programs that reward farmers for conservation efforts and healthier crops.

• Protect the rights of farm workers and food industry workers in meat and poultry packing plants.

• Promote local food systems

• Reform subsidies program to support diverse crops and a larger percentage of farmers

• Promote, protect and help communities develop more farmer to consumer programs, like Farmers’ Markets and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA).

• Develop an easy to implement farm-to-school program to support children’s health, rural economy and entrepreneurial farmers.

• Farmers are stewards of half the nation’s lands. However, conservation programs designed to address water, air and wildlife challenges are not available to 75% of farmer applicants.

• The federal government’s farm and food policy must better support organic farming and sustainable alternatives. The organic food market in the U.S. is projected to reach $30.7 billion in 2007.

• Allow federal food aid program to phase out the sale of food aid, like food stamps, and allow a cash-based system where food can be bought from local farmers’ markets and health food stores.

Trends seen in farming practices and issues related to food quality are not inevitable, but are the result of a series of public policy choices.

“A Fair Farm Bill for America”, from the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy

“Seeking Balance in U.S. Farm and Food Policy”, from the Farm and Food Policy Project, 2007

The People’s Grocery, West Oakland