Washington Watch Articles From 2017
Defining What It Means to Be Religious
Ever since we learned that eighty percent of self-described "born-again" Christians supported Donald Trump's candidacy for president, there has been a discussion about how these Christians define their faith.
A Christmas Message to Vice-President Mike Pence
As you celebrate Christmas with your family and listen to the gospel story of the birth of Jesus, I hope you will read and reflect on the following piece I wrote a few years back.
The "Trump Effect": Positive Attitudes Toward Arabs and Muslims Are Up; So Is Hate
Are anti-Arab and anti-Muslim sentiments on the rise in the US? And what are the best ways to combat them? These were some of the questions we discussed at the 2017 "Global Peace and the Fear of Islam" Forum held this past week in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Palestinians: Victims of an Unjust US Law
Imagine that you are a victim of a violent crime or theft but are forbidden from reporting it because Congress has passed a law that not only prohibits you from reporting the crime, but threatens punishment if you dare to do it.
Roy Moore: Guilty of Abusing Girls and Religion
In the philosophy of language, we learn the simple truth that the meaning of a word is how it's used in a sentence. The same lesson can be applied to religion—with the meaning of religious language best understood by how it is being used.
Balfour: the Shame and Dangers of Ignoring Arab Opinion and Rights
In 1919, following the first World War, the victorious Allied Powers met in Paris to remake the world.
Balfour Declaration: A Convergence of Zionist Ambition and the British Imperial Enterprise
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration in which Great Britain's Foreign Secretary, Lord Balfour, stated in a note to his colleague, Lord Rothchild, that "His Majesty's Government view with favor the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object.
This Fight Isn’t Over
Having come through a difficult 2016 primary campaign and a hotly contested 2017 race for party Chair, what Democrats desperately need is to unify their ranks to confront the challenges they will face in the 2018 mid-term elections and beyond.
The Challenge to Restore Sanity
Despite the fact that the stock market is at record highs and the unemployment rate, which began its substantial decline during the Obama Administration, is now at record lows, we spend our days haunted by the gnawing sense that life has spun out of control.
The DREAMers Deserve Better Than This
In the midst of the many immediate challenges confronting the White House and Congress, President Donald Trump just added one more. This past week, Trump told the Department of Justice to rescind the Obama-era DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) Program.
Charlottesville and Beyond: The Never-ending Struggle
The tragic and deeply disturbing events in Charlottesville last week provoked a debate as old as America, itself. Our nation watched as a motley collection of bigots descended on that town, ostensibly to "save" the statues of their Confederate heroes.
Senate Bill 720: Making It a Crime to Support Palestinian Human Rights
It is fascinating to watch some US senators tripping over themselves as they attempt to defend their support for or opposition to proposed legislation that would make it a federal crime to support the international campaign to Boycott, Divest, or Sanction (BDS) Israel for its continued occupation of Palestinian lands.
Trump's Immigration Policy vs. the Soul of America
Immigration is a personal matter for me, as it is for many Americans. Unless you are a Native American descendant of the indigenous peoples who were displaced by the settlers who first came to this country.
What an Italian American Leader Did for Arab Americans and for Me
Fred Rotondaro, an Italian American leader, died on June 26th. He was, by every measure, a remarkable man. On hearing of his passing, my brother John commented, "Fred was a creation God would be proud of.
What We Didn't Know or Chose to Ignore About the '67 War
In June of 1967, I was in the midst of my final weeks in college when the war broke out. At the time, I knew little about the Middle East, since I was more engaged in the anti-war and civil rights movements.
Sanders Is Right. Russell Vought's Nomination Should Be Rejected.
While most of Washington was eagerly awaiting former FBI Director James Comey's Thursday appearance before the Senate Intelligence Committee, they may have missed an important confirmation hearing that occurred a day earlier.
Not the Way to Defend Christians
The recent horrific massacre of 29 Egyptian Coptic Christian pilgrims served as a tragic reminder of the vulnerability of minority faith communities in many parts of the Middle East.
Cloud Over Trump’s Trip
As I write, President Donald Trump is on his way to the Middle East where he has set a high stakes program addressing some of the United States' and the Arab World's most critical concerns: Gulf security, defeating extremism, reining in Iran, and resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict.
More Problems with the US Commission on International Religious Freedom
There is no question that in many parts of the world, including the Middle East, vulnerable religious communities are facing threats to their very survival or serious problems of discrimination.
The Trump Divide
Over the years, there have been many divides that have defined the American social, cultural, or political landscape. Some have been philosophical, regional, issue-based, racial, economic, gender or age-related.