Anayat Durrani in Los Angeles Every four years Arab-Americans join the rest of America in exercising their right to vote. Like previous presidential elections, the decision of whom to support weighs heavily on the minds of Arab-Americans as they cast their ballots. In a strong and proud community of an estimated four million, discussion about the presidential election extends far and wide in the streets of Arab America. "I don't have much faith in the political system in the US," said Afif Wensky, 23, an Arab-American of mixed Polish and Palestinian background and student at the University of California at Davis. In the 2000 election Wensky voted for Ralph Nader and chose to back him again this time round. Nader received 13.5 per cent of the Arab-American vote in the 2000. Wensky supports the independent candidate because he believes the Republican and Democratic parties are nearly identical in both domestic and foreign policy. "They might disagree during election times on polarising issues but in reality their actions once in office usually follow along the lines of the status quo." While some Arab-American voters chose to sidestep what Nader called the "two-party duopoly", opting not to vote for Republican President George W Bush or Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, others looked beyond the independent candidate. "I am an independent, unaffiliated with either of the two-headed party known as the 'Republicrats'," said Wael Masri, 35, a Lebanese-American from North Carolina. "I plan to vote for the Libertarian Party's candidate for president, Michael Badnarik, while hoping that Kerry loses." One of the most important issues on the minds of Arab-Americans is US policy in the Arab world. Masri hoped Kerry would lose the election, fearing that if he succeeded as president it would be far worse for the Arabs than under Bush. "I see Kerry as a wolf in sheep's clothing and it is easier to deal with a wolf as a wolf, an emperor with no clothes," said Masri. "Kerry campaigned as a better enforcer of Bush's aggressive policies, and I feared he might win back the allies against the Arabs." In 2000, Bush won the majority support of Arab- Americans nationwide with 45 per cent of the vote compared to 38 per cent for Vice President Al Gore. However, with four years of Bush's pro-Israel stance, the wrath of the Patriot Act, the war in Afghanistan and the US occupation of Iraq, Bush fell out of favour among the majority of Arab-Americans. Many pre- election polls suggested that the Arab-American vote would swing overwhelmingly to Kerry's side, but not necessarily because of him. "I voted for Kerry just to get Bush out of office," said Farouk Shelaby, 65, a Palestinian-American from California. "Anybody but Bush. Can't be any worse." "I think both candidates are inept," said Mazen Halabi, 39, a Syrian-American from Minnesota. "I don't believe either one has the wisdom or the courage to protect this country or guide it in a direction that would provide long term security." In the 2000 election, Halabi voted for Nader but this time around he voted for Kerry. The Palestinian-Israeli conflict, democracy in the Middle East and support for reform movements are issues important to Halabi. While he considers neither candidate as capable of doing the "right thing" he thinks Kerry slightly more competent. "I think Kerry's policy towards the Middle East is more likely influenced by the European consensus which is more just and humane." This presidential election marked the first time Palestinian Musa Al-Hindi, 39, from Nebraska voted. Registered as an independent, Al-Hindi voted for the Green Party candidate, mainly because of what he calls the Republicans and the Democrats "equally shameful" position on Iraq and Palestine. "I believe both are bad for the vast majority of the American people, ie the working class," said Al-Hindi. "Both are beholden to huge corporations. Both are going to jeoparadise not only the US stance world wide, but the lives and well being of Americans as they are both intent on building a pax-Americana." Then there are those Arab-Americans whose utter dissatisfaction with the presidential candidates left them disinterested in voting. The last president 39- year-old Samia Saleh, a Palestinian-American from Virginia voted for was former President Bill Clinton. "When Clinton was in office, we all worked and made money, as opposed to Bush and the big fall in our economy due to his craziness and illegal invasion of Iraq," said Saleh. "I did not vote this year." In a hotly contested presidential election with fireworks reminiscent of 2000, one thing is for certain. Opinions on the presidential election run strong in the Arab-American community where discussion on the subject continues even though voting is over.
