FRom AP..
Mideast rallies held in Washington, S.F.
NATASHA T. METZLER, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - Thousands of people gathered across from the White House on Saturday, even though the president was out of town, to condemn U.S. and Israeli policies in the Middle East.
Speakers in Lafayette Park energized the mostly Muslim crowd with chants and speeches condemning Israeli involvement in Lebanon and the Palestinian territories, U.S. support for Israel and U.S. involvement in Iraq.
"Occupation is a crime," the crowd chanted, equating the situations in the three areas. But they also called for peace and justice for all.
"We all stand united against the violence and the killing in the holy land," said Esam Omesh, president of the Muslim American Society, a co-sponsor of the demonstration, along with the American-Arab Anti Discrimination Committee and the National Council of Arab Americans.
"There is no difference between Muslim life, Christian life or Jewish life," said Omesh.
In San Francisco, about 2,000 people marched in support of Lebanese and Palestinians and against the Israel military action.
"The occupiers are being seen as the victims, and I'm really ashamed of what is going on in the Middle East," said Alicia Jrapko, a member of the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition, which organized the rally.
"End the occupation now!" one demonstrator's sign read, a call for Israel to leave historically Palestinian lands.
Several hundred counter-demonstrators gathered to show their support of Israel, waving American and Israeli flags. "Hezbollah out of Lebanon!" a protester's sign said.
Former Attorney General Ramsey Clark drew cheers from the Washington crowd when he called for President Bush's impeachment.
"We've made more enemies during the presidency of George Bush than in the rest of our history combined," Clark said.
Rahat Husain, 24, of Columbia, Md., said he did not have much hope that the Bush administration would change its policies because of the demonstration, but said it could raise Americans' awareness and create compassion for Lebanese citizens.
Hassan Rida, 26, traveled from Farmington Hills, Mich., with his 15-year-old cousin, Hassan Mokbel, who was vacationing in southern Lebanon when the current crisis started and had to escape through Syria. He and friends Nehme Mhanna, 24, and Mona Alaouie, 24, from Dearborn, Mich., said they wanted to show support for the Lebanese and educate Americans about the situation.
"There's always two sides of the story," Rida said.
Habib Ghanim, 55, of Silver Spring, Md., said he voted for Bush, but would probably vote democratic in the next election, because he is disappointed and wants to "stop the fighting on all sides."
The family friendly crowd was filled with Muslims, but also contained many non-Muslims, including a handful of orthodox Jews. Yeshaye Rosenverg, 23, traveled form Monsey, N.Y., to "show the support for the Lebanese and Palestine people and to make clear that it's not a Jewish fight between Arabs and Jews."
A law enforcement official on the scene estimated that there were about 5,000 people attending the rally and subsequent march through the streets of Washington, which was sponsored by the ANSWER Coalition, the Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation and the National Council of Arab Americans.
Demonstrators carry flags of Lebanon and Palestine during a march near the White House in Washington, DC. Several thousand people demonstrated outside the White House to protest Israel's US-backed military operations in Lebanon and the Palestinian territories.(AFP/Mandel Ngan)
San Francisco is California's fourth largest city behind LA (1), San Diego (2) and Sacramento (3).
Lebanese Australians march through the streets of Sydney, Australia, Saturday, Aug. 12, 2006 holding anti Israel banners and signs. More than 2000 people peacefully march through Sydney in protest to the Israel Lebanon conflict. (AP Photo/Rob Griffith)
What is MAS?
The Muslim American Society (MAS) is a charitable, religious, social, cultural, and educational, not-for-profit organization. It is a pioneering Islamic organization, an Islamic revival, and reform movement that uplifts the individual, family, and society.
When and where it all started?
The Muslim American Society (MAS) traces its historical roots back to the call of the Prophet Muhammad ( Peace be upon him). Its more recent roots, however, can be traced to the Islamic revival movement which evolved at the turn of the twentieth century.
This movement brought the call of Islam to Muslims throughout the globe to reestablish Islam as a total way of life. The call and the spirit of the movement reached the shores of North America with arrival of Muslim students and immigrants in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
American-Arab Anti Discrimination Committee
http://www.adc.org/
Our Mission
THE AMERICAN-ARAB ANTI-DISCRIMINATION COMMITTEE (ADC) IS A CIVIL RIGHTS ORGANIZATION COMMITTED TO DEFENDING THE RIGHTS OF PEOPLE OF ARAB DESCENT AND PROMOTING THEIR RICH CULTURAL HERITAGE.
ADC, which is non-sectarian & non-partisan, is the largest Arab-American grassroots organization in the United States. It was founded in 1980 by former U.S. Senator James Abourezk and has chapters nationwide.
ADC's Advisory Committee is made up of an impressive group of people that include: Muhammad Ali, Her Majesty Queen Noor, U.S. Congressmen John Conyers (D-MI), Darrell Issa (R-CA), & Nick Joe Rahall (D-WV), as well as the Honorable Paul Findley, Clovis Maksoud, Edward Said, Casey Kasem, Archbishop Philip Saliba and others.
The incredible stupidity of these people often leaves me awe-struck. HOW can they be so completely brain-dead? How is it possible to be so out of touch with reality? Do these people actually think that they have nothing to fear from the Islamo-nazis? All we have to do is "be sensitive"? Talk to them? Just HOW far can one get on just brain stem?
The leaders of these groups know exactly what they are doing, I fear. The rest of them operate on "feelings" and emotion for which reasoned thought is of little use. But even leaders are mistaken if they imnagine for even a moment that they can keep THIS dog on a leash...