David's old neighborhood, the Southern District of Beirut destroyed by Israel in 2006
Ikhras readers will remember David “Go GOP” Ramadan, one of the self-appointed spokespersons of Arabs and Muslims in the US. As we saw in our first piece, David is the quintessential house Arab who confuses political activism with political folklore, a shameless self-promoter with very little knowledge of US government, politics, or society, and completely lacking any self-respect. One of the distinguishing characteristics of this type of buffoonish immigrants is the need to routinely express their patriotism. The constant bellowing of love for America and excessive flag-waving is patently insincere, but nevertheless, a necessary ritual that must constantly be performed in order to compensate for the minority status, and inferiority complex they carry around like an albatross. The best time of year to spot these individuals in our community is the 4th of July. So it was earlier this month as David was preparing to celebrate “America’s birthday.” While most other Americans were preparing to Bar-B-Que and watch the local fireworks show, David found himself in a moment of “reflections.” Reminiscing on his “American Journey” David wrote the following: “My journey so far includes: college degrees, a happy marriage, a couple of properties, a few successful businesses, an active political life, lots of friends, and the legal immigration of my entire family… Thank you America and Happy Birthday.” David ended his blog post with “sincerely” before signing with the same name we don’t believe he had when he boarded that plane in Beirut taking him to America to begin what he strains to convince everyone is a deliriously joyful “journey.”
A few things jumped out immediately in this short blog entry. First, it was a reminder that formal education does not immunize anyone against ignorance and stupidity. Second, was the self-demeaning reference to material success as a basis for an amoral and self-serving patriotism which carries with it the inherent contradiction between personal self-interest and the collective well-being of a country for which patriots often express their concern. This shallow understanding of patriotism combined with the vagaries of an insecure immigrant’s life experience is often manifested in immoral and absurd political behavior difficult to explain without taking into consideration the personal psychological complex of such a person. David is a perfect example, but before illustrating this point, did you notice the emphasis on his family’s legal immigration? David the Republican clearly emphasized his family members’ legal status to draw a contrast between them and the desperate migrant workers who risk their lives coming to this country to earn some money to send back home to their impoverished families. No “illegal aliens” in David’s family, that’s for sure. I wonder how long before he begins conducting community outreach programs on behalf of the angry, racist Tea Party crowd.
In David’s moment of reflection he tells us he grew up in the Southern suburb of Beirut. For those who may not know, the Southern suburb of Beirut was virtually destroyed in its entirety by the Israeli air force in 2006 with the full military, political, and diplomatic support of a Bush administration that described the gruesome Israeli aggression, in the infamous words of the secretary of state at the time, as the “birth pangs of the new Middle East.” On July 22 the NY Times reported on the extent of the Bush administrations complicity in that war which was fought in furtherance of the administration’s Neo-Con agenda: “The Bush administration is rushing a delivery of precision-guided bombs to Israel, which requested the expedited shipment last week after beginning its air campaign. … The decision to quickly ship the weapons to Israel was made with relatively little debate within the Bush administration, the officials said.” Every Arab and Muslim knows the US is Israel’s enabler, and the entire world was appalled at the US support of Israel’s naked aggression and heinous war crimes, but not David Ramadan. He was busy “educating Arabs and Muslims about the Republican Party and smiling for the camera as he proudly posed for a photo with George Bush Jr. David’s blog entry was very revealing in that it may have finally explained his enthusiastic support of US administrations’ wars on the Arab world, he owns “a couple of properties” in the US. Yet I know many people who own property in the US and oppose US wars and support for Israel. So what explains the behavior of this loathsome lowlife?
A smiling David poses proudly with the President. The Bush administration expedited a shipment of precision-guided bombs to Israel during its onslaught on Lebanon in 2006
For someone who supported the administration that launched an unprovoked invasion of Iraq leading to the death of over one million people, the displacement of four million others, and the destruction of an entire country and civilization, another 1500 dead Arab civilians in Lebanon and destruction of his own childhood neighborhood* may not seem like a big deal. However, it is the perfect illustration of a disturbing moral and psychological mindset willing to overlook such atrocities inflicted on his own childhood’s playgrounds as a small price to pay for a photo-op with the American president, a pat on the back from a politician, or an appointment to some local board. Willing to sacrifice all self-respect, and with no purpose other than self-aggrandizement, insecure Arab-Americans like David view US wars on their native homelands as a unique opportunity to prove just how loyal to America they really are. Go ahead invade Iraq! Bomb Lebanon! Hell, you can even help destroy the very neighborhood I was raised in! I won’t oppose, I won’t protest, I’m a real American.
Republican Politician: "Get a picture of me with my boy Abdoolah. David: "My name is David Ramadan Sir, and I support you." Republican Politician: "Good Job Abdoolah"
People like David will never notice the millions of other American citizens far more sincere in their love of America and far more patriotic in their opposition to US criminal wars. Their definition of patriotism is one David the joyful immigrant can’t apply to what he calls his “active political life”, but it is far more authentic than his phony couple-of-properties-patriotism. These Americans will argue they’re the real patriots, and one who truly cares about the well-being of his country and people, and their place in the world would not hesitate to criticize and protest unjust wars. Such people make a distinction between patriotism and unquestioning support for any government policy. But before any citizen is able to stand up and voice any opposition he/she needs to feel they truly are a part of this society. Driven by self-interest, insecurity, ignorance, and psychological baggage, people like David, despite their constant proclamations to the contrary, don’t really feel like Americans.
So instead of 4th of July “reflections” on an immigrant’s “journey” (and what a worn out cliché that is anyway), maybe some introspection would be more beneficial. I would like to help David, and offer him some advice. It’s permissible in the US to take a break from the flag-waving. You don’t have to constantly tell everyone how much you love America. I’m also an American and I and my American friends don’t believe your affirmations of love of country or patriotism. We see them for what they really are, the insecure blathering of an immigrant trying just a little too hard to fit in. In doing so, you’re demeaning yourself and doing a disservice both to the homeland you left behind and the country you adopted at a moment of deadly serious issues of war and peace. We won’t try appealing to your self-respect. You must have left that behind on the tarmac at the Beirut airport before boarding that plane for the US, but we saw you and your smiling face posing proudly with the President responsible for the destruction of Iraq and Lebanon and here’s what we suggest. Make two copies of that picture, frame them, and hang one up on a wall in each of your couple of properties, sit back, relax, and ask yourself the following questions: What might I have to contribute to America besides sloganeering and flag-waving? What would I say to the families of over one million dead Iraqis? How can I help the disproportionally poorer American families whose sons and daughters were killed in vain based on what I know were lies but didn’t speak up so I can be on the Virginia Republican Delegation? What would I say to the Lebanese I left behind in my old neighborhood? How many people were killed there? How many properties were destroyed? How could I have supported that? Think about it David. Are two properties and a photo with an American president really worth sacrificing your moral conscience and dignity? And finally, wouldn’t it be better for you to just Ikhras?
*Disturbing images are followed by before and after photos of David’s childhood neighborhood of Southern Beirut in 2006
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