اكبر مؤتمر لدعم الديمقراطية والحرية فى الشرق الأوسط

[yaweeka]

بعد طول انتظار ، وتوحيد الجهود
مؤتمر يجمع جمعيات ومنظمات شرق اوسطية مسيحية "ومسلمة معتدلة" لدعم التغيير فى الشرق الأوسط

For centuries, our people have been oppressed by governments and tyrants of the Middle East, as a step forward towards their liberty, the first Middle Eastern American Convention for Freedom and Democracy will be held on October 1, 2004 in

Wardman Park Marriott
Washington, DC

Starting at 6:00 pm

Guest of Honor: President George W. Bush

The conference, hosted by a broad coalition of pro-democracy organizations, will unite Middle Eastern Americans of diverse ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds to promote a message of democratic progress and reform in the Middle East.

While some vocally anti-U.S. Arab-American, Middle Eastern American, and Muslim American organizations have long claimed to represent the Middle Eastern American community, we believe most Americans of Middle Eastern descent support democratic reform and freedom in the Middle East.

Your attendance at the upcoming Convention is the single most important factor in assuring the Convention’s success. Your presence will contribute to an assemblage of 1,000 like-minded activists and reformers. The more numerous and more diverse our attendees, the more media and public attention will be directed toward our message of freedom and reform in the Middle East. We urge you to join your voice with those of hundreds of individuals and organizations in their call for democracy.

Tickets are available at a cost of $100 (U.S.), including registration fees and dinner.

you can make reservations and buy tickets here

www.middleeastfreedom.org/events/index.htm

we would like to thank you for your support and urges you to attend this unprecedented gathering of organizations and individuals with a unified goal: the equality and liberty of all peoples, regardless of religion, language, ethnicity, or gender, in the Middle East and North Africa.

We look forward to seeing you in Washington on October 1st.


list of the U.S. Officials invited.

President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, National Security Council Advisor, Sec. of State, Sec of Defense, Sec. of Homeland Security, Attorney General

-Other: Paula Dobriansky, Pat Harrison, Paul Wolfowitz, Douglas Feith, William Burns, Elizabeth Dibble

-US Congress:

Majority and Minority Leaders: Bill Frist, Tom Daschle,Dennis Hastert,Nancy Pelosi

Senate: Foreign Relations Chairman, Middle East Subcommittee Chairman

House International Relations Chairman, Middle East Subcommittee Chairman

Other members of Congress: Sam Brownback, Frank Wolf, Eliot Engel

[yaweeka]

The Middle Eastern American Convention for Freedom and Democracy
DATE: October 1, 2004
PLACE: Wardman Park Marriott


The Executive Committee of the Middle Eastern American Convention cordially extend to you an invitation to the Forum-Dinner put together by a group of organizations representing American communities of Middle Eastern ancestry.

For the first time in the United States, American Citizens of Middle Eastern origins and descent will gather to convey their patriotic stance. At these dangerous and critical times in the history of this country we were prompted to act against the false claims of some entities alleging that their anti-American stand represents the mainstream opinion of their communities. It is our purpose to demonstrate that the vast majority of Middle Eastern Americans unconditionally support the United States in its war against terror and applaud the fact that the Middle East has one less tyrant after the fall of Saddam.

As primary victims of the prevailing intolerance in the Middle East we support the effort to democratize its nations. The terrorists who delivered a taste of their barbaric designs on 9/11 are still allowed to thrive in some totalitarian countries of the region. We believe that the Middle East peoples' long struggle against the same virulent enemy incites us to fully support the war to free the world from terrorism. The Middle Eastern communities whom we represent are natural allies of the United States and stand at the forward frontlines of this war.

This convention should be of the utmost importance to every American decision maker. It will offer a unique opportunity to exchange views and ideas with the real veterans of the struggle against fundamentalism and religious tyranny. Despite their diversified origins, the expected participants share a historic and deeply motivated allegiance for the United States and aspire to see a free and peaceful Middle East.

We are hereby inviting you to be a speaker at this unprecedented event. It promises to be a moving and enlightening patriotic experience. We hope your office will provide us with an answer as soon as possible.

The Convention was initiated by the American Lebanese Coalition, the Assyrian American National Federation, and U.S Copts. The convention includes Americans from various Mideast backgrounds: Arab, Kurd, Chaldo-Assyrian, Druze, Sunni, Shia, Christian, Iranian, Turk, Sudanese, Mauritanian, Berber, Aramaic, and others who share our passion for freedom and democracy.

http://middleeastfreedom.org

مابين الواقع والاسطورة


Myth: Democracy in the Middle East is a foreign imposition on the peoples of the region by the West.
Reality: Many indigenous peoples of the Middle East and North Africa have struggled for internal reforms affecting positive change for human rights. The Center for Freedom in the Middle East believes it is all people’s duty to support reform, freedom, and democracy around the world.

Myth: The Palestinian-Israeli issue must be resolved before the region’s other problems are to be dealt with.
Reality: While the Palestinian-Israeli crisis vitally affects regional stability, diverse religious and cultural minorities in the Middle East and North Africa have suffered human rights violations for centuries; their plight has been overshadowed and their suffering overlooked. Freedom deficits have harmed all peoples of the region.

Myth: Most Arabs or Arabic-speakers residing in the United States are Muslim.
Reality: According to a recent study in The Economist, approximately 77% of Arab-Americans are Christian.

http://www.middleeastfreedom.org/reality/index.htm

[knowjesus_knowlove]

approximately 77% of Arab-Americans are Christian

Yaweeka
let's correct this mistake in the coming conference.


it should be >>>> approximately 77% of Arabic speaking-Americans are Christian


We are not Arabs, we are just Arabic speaking people.
The Arabic Languauge was imposed on us by the Arab muslim invaders.

There is only a small minorty of Arab christians who live in Jordan.

[yaweeka]

that's what the magazine wrote

if you noticed , here is what is written in the invitation and the press release

American communities of Middle Eastern ancestry

indigenous peoples of the Middle East

American Citizens of Middle Eastern origins

Middle Eastern Americans

and so on

[knowjesus_knowlove]

Great Yaweeka
It is correct in the conference but not in the study itself.....

So, We should contact the
the Editor of the study in The Economist Newspaper to correct that term too.

[yaweeka]

The conference will be on C-SPAN LIVE between 5:00 to -6:30 PM
Eastren time

Americans of Middle Eastern descent unite to support war on terror, denounce oppression and radicalism

On Friday, October 1, Americans of Middle Eastern descent will gather in Washington D.C., to show their support for the efforts to defeat terrorism and radicalism and to create a free and peaceful Middle East.

“At these dangerous and critical times, we want to provide a forum for all Middle Eastern Americans who support the United States in the war against terror and applaud the fact that the Middle East has one less tyrant after the fall of Saddam,” said Dr. Joseph Gebaily, the convention’s executive director. “As the primary victims of the prevailing intolerance in the Middle East, we strongly support the war on terrorism and efforts to promote democracy in all nations of the region.”

Mohammed Yahia Adam, spokesperson for the Darfur exiled community said: "It is time for the Middle East and North African communities of the US to raise the issues of Genocide and ethnic cleansing that most peoples of the region have been submitted to, from Iran to Sudan."

The convention will allow participants to exchange views and ideas with longtime veterans of the struggle against terrorism and tyranny. Despite their diverse backgrounds, the participants share a historic and deeply motivated allegiance to the United States and aspire to see a free and peaceful Middle East.

[yaweeka]

It's time for Middle Eastern American Christians to speak out

CONVENTION PROGRAM

Middle East American Convention

For Freedom and Democracy

Wardman Park Marriott Hotel
2660 Woodley Road, NW, Washington, DC 20008

POLITICAL FORUM

Moderator: Professor Walid Phares

Starts at 5 pm

Virginia Suite

THE FIGHT FOR DEMOCRACY

*Lebanon *Iran *Iraq

Dr. Ali Attar, Iraq America Freedom Alliance

Reza Bulorchi, US Alliance for a Democratic Iran

Elie Khawand, Lebanese Information Center

MINORITIES AT RISK

*ChaldoAssyrian *Kurds *Copts

Michael Meunir, US Copts Association

Dr. Najmedine Karim, President of the Washington Kurdish Institute

Joseph Kassab, Chaldean National Council

TOTALITARIAN REGIMES

*Syria *Saudi Arabia *Lybia *Yemen

Farid Ghadri, Syrian Reform Party

Ali Ahmad, the Saudi Institute

Mohammed al Jahmi, American Lybian Freedom Alliance

Dr. Mohammed al Maitani, Middle East Forum for Democracy, Yemen

NORTH AFRICAN ETHNOCIDES

*Darfur *South Sudan *Mauritania

Yahia Mohammed Adam, Massaleit Community in Exile, Darfur

· Jimmy Mulla, Southern Sudanese Voice for Freedom

Mansour Kane, Committee for Human Rights in Mauritania

ISLAM: THE MODERATE VOICES

Kamal Nawash, President, Free Muslims Coalition Against Terrorism

· Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, American Islamic Forum for Democracy

MIDEAST WOMEN AND DEMOCRACY

*Women in the Mideast *Mideast American Women

Jila Kazeronian, Women’s Forum against Fundamentalism in Iran

Barbara Anne Ferris, Mideast American Women

HUMAN RIGHTS: A US POLICY

Keith Roderick, Christian Solidarity International

Nir Boms, Center for Freedom

Break at 6:30 PM

Cocktails in the reception room

Dinner – Speeches

Starts at 7.30 pm

Marriott Ballroom Salon 2 & 3

US NATIONAL ANTHEM

SONGS DEDICATED TO FREEDOM

MEAC SPEECHES


· Coordinator of The National Committee:

· Professor Walid Phares

· "What do Middle Eastern American Want?"

The Director of the Executive Committee: Dr Joseph Gebeiley

"A Forward Strategy for Freedom"

· The Mideastern Muslim Community : Ms. Zainab al-Suwaij, American Islamic Congress

"A US Muslim view of the Middle East"

The Mideastern Christian Community:

Attorney Robert Dekelaita, Assyrian American National Federation

"A US Mideast Christian view"

Walid Maalouf, USAID, Public Diplomacy, Middle East Office

US OFFICIALS ADDRESSES TBA

Freedom House Nina Shea

Foundation for the Defense of Democracies Cliff May

READING OF THE MEAC RESOLUTIONS

FOLKLORIC MUSIC