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Gephardt Rescinds Appointment of American Muslim

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American Muslims and Arabs were outraged when news came of House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt's withdrawal of his appointment of Salam Al-Marayati, Executive Director of the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), to the Congressional Commission on Counterterrorism. Al-Marayati's appointment was strongly supported by American Muslim and Arab organizations, as well as Christian and Jewish interfaith leaders, and was seen as a landmark in terms of inclusion of American Muslims and Arabs in the formation of American policy making decisions.

Upon announcement of Gephardt's selection, unrelenting lobbying against the appointment of Al-Marayati followed from the Zionist Organization of America, the American Jewish Committee, the Anti-Defamation League, and the Conference of the Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. According to the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), the groups concocted a smear campaign against Al-Marayati by launching a throng of attacks, to thwart any chances of his future involvement or input in the shaping of any American policy issues. Al-Marayati's words were distorted and manipulated and he was wrongfully accused to be an extremist and supporter of terrorism. Al-Marayati, 38, who emigrated to the United States from Iraq when he was a child, was also questioned about his loyalty to the United States.

Gephardt stated that the reason for withdrawal of his selection of Al-Marayati to serve on a federal counterterrorism commission, resulted from information that a security clearance on Al-Marayati would take more than a year. However, Arab and Muslim groups question why Gephardt's withdrawal came only after strong protests from extreme Zionist and other groups;those determined to block American Muslim and Arab representation and participation in American government and policy making issues.

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee noted that this was not a new phenomenom, saying, `This vicious campaign is not unique. In the last three months only, for example, three Arab Americans and American Muslims appointed to positions either by the Administration or Congress have been on the receiving end of such well-orchestrated attacks that have attempted to establish a pro-Israel litmus test.'

It is becoming evidently clear to American Arabs and Muslims that any criticism of Israeli policies by an American Arab or Muslim can earn one a title of ``supporter' of terrorism, and can hence give rise to an arsenal of attacks by pro-Israel lobbyists. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said of the unfair practice of excluding Muslims from participation in such deliberations, `Those who represent one side of the debate cannot be allowed to establish a pro-Israel `litmus test' for any Muslim who is to be considered for government service.'

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