Muslim woman: Scarf kept her from seat near Obama

[Ron Burgundy]

AP - A young Muslim woman said she and another woman were refused seats directly behind Barack Obama — and in front of TV cameras — at a Detroit rally because they wear head scarfs.

Hebba Aref said Wednesday that she and Shimaa Abdelfadeel were among 20,000 supporters who gathered to see Obama on Monday at the Joe Louis Arena when the groups they were with were separately invited by Obama campaign workers to sit behind the podium. But Aref said the campaign workers told members of both parties in separate discussions that women wearing hijabs, the traditional Muslim head scarves, weren't included in the invitation and couldn't sit behind the podium.

Aref, a 25-year-old lawyer, said a member of her group was told by a campaign worker that she could not invite Aref because of "a sensitive political climate."

Obama spokesman Bill Burton issued a statement saying such actions are "not the policy of the campaign."

"It is offensive and counter to Obama's commitment to bring Americans together and simply not the kind of campaign we run. We sincerely apologize for this behavior," the statement read.

Aref said she replied by thanking Burton, but requested Obama apologize directly to her and Abdelfadeel, as well as invitations to sit behind him at a future campaign event. Obama spokeswoman Amy Brundage said she was looking into the request.

"He needs to take the matter seriously and send a strong message against any kind of discrimination," Aref said.

A message was left Wednesday morning by The Associated Press for Abdelfadeel.

Presidential campaigns routinely invite audience members they believe will enhance the image their candidate wants to convey on TV to stand behind the candidate at rallies.

Aref, who was born in the United States to Egyptian immigrants, said she had defended Obama during the primaries against a constant drumbeat of rumors that he was Muslim. Obama, a Christian, has said his grandfather was Muslim who converted to Christianity.

Obama also has been careful in denouncing the links, noting that some rumors about him also have been insulting to Muslims.

"I don't want to be called something I'm not, but I felt like ... everyone was treating this accusation of being Muslim as though it were some sort of crime or sin," Aref said.

She was grateful that the group she was with at the rally, which included her brother, Sharif, as well as non-Muslim colleagues of his, declined the invitation to take seats behind Obama after she was refused.

Still, she said, it was difficult to hear a Obama's message of unity among races.

"As he's saying it, I'm thinking, 'Well, wait a minute, I was obviously ... profiled and discriminated against an hour ago.'"

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080618/ap_on_el_pr/obama_muslims [link]

[Stylerod]

Woops! And it happened twice in two different locations!

Shimaa Abdelfadeel’s story was different. She’d waited in line outside the Joe Louis Arena for three hours in the sun and was walking through the giant hall when a volunteer approached two of her non-Muslim friends, a few steps ahead of her, and asked if they’d like to sit in “special seating” behind the stage, said one friend, Brittany Marino, who, like Abdelfadeel, is a recent University of Michigan graduate who works for the university.

When they said they were with Abdelfadeel, the volunteer told them their friend would have to take off the headscarf or stay out of the special section, Marino said. They declined the seats.

After recovering from the shock of the incident, Abdelfadeel went to look for the volunteer and confronted her minutes later, she said in an e-mail interview with Politico.

“We’re not letting anyone with anything on their heads like baseball [caps] or scarves sit behind the stage,” she paraphrased the volunteer as saying, an account Marino confirmed. “It has nothing to do with your religion!”

In most work and school settings, religious dress — such as Jewish yarmulkes, Sikh turbans and Muslim hijabs — is permitted where secular clothing, such as baseball caps, is not.

“The scarf is not just something she can take off — it’s part of her identity,” said Marino.

Photographs of the event also show men with hats in the section behind Obama and former Vice President Al Gore, though not directly behind the candidate.

Obama people are racist

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0608/11168.html

[avsp]

He should confront the 'muslim smears' head on & diffuse them by doing so

He did a good job with his race & unity speech a while back

He should pick up the challenge & throw it back in the faces of those sh*theads seeking to exploit the small-mindedness of casual bigots

Not least he could claim uber-patriotism in doing so & might impress people with such 'bravery' & demonstration of true 'change', ..., "we campaign on our platform not allowing others to determine our agenda for us" etc

Admittedly i say this coz its my own position & I'm risking next to nowt, let alone a presidential shot, ..., but then whats the point of being president if you cant/dont try & effect such a change?

[edit to add] this story isnt currently on Obamas 'fightthesmears' website
http://my.barackobama.com/page/conte...thesmearshome/
[/edit]

[SoFlaJDM]

politico=crap

it's just typical GOP games... they are pretty desperate now and it shows

[Stylerod]

Originally Posted by SoFlaJDM

politico=crap

it's just typical GOP games... they are pretty desperate now and it shows

Here dingbat. Let me make it a little bigger for you.

AP - A young Muslim woman said she and another woman were refused seats directly behind Barack Obama — and in front of TV cameras — at a Detroit rally because they wear head scarfs.

Hebba Aref said Wednesday that she and Shimaa Abdelfadeel were among 20,000 supporters who gathered to see Obama on Monday at the Joe Louis Arena when the groups they were with were separately invited by Obama campaign workers to sit behind the podium. But Aref said the campaign workers told members of both parties in separate discussions that women wearing hijabs, the traditional Muslim head scarves, weren't included in the invitation and couldn't sit behind the podium.

Ok, you can put you head back into the sand now and pretend this didn't happen.

[SoFlaJDM]

Originally Posted by Stylerod

Ok, you can put you head back into the sand now and pretend this didn't happen.

you know what happened... you're the one feigning stupidity(are you?) when issues like this are discussed in other threads, then you come in here and act like this issue was never discussed... it's simply a repost and you're trying to make this an issue all over again... like we discussed LAST NIGHT... (maybe you're getting up there in age and memory is starting to become an issue):

THIS IS A LOSE LOSE SITUATION AND YOU KNOW IT. HE TAKES PICTURES WITH HER, AND HE'S A TERRORIST, HE DOESN'T AND THE RACIST REPUBLICANS WILL PIN HIM AS A RACIST TOO.

[Stylerod]

Originally Posted by SoFlaJDM

you know what happened... you're the one feigning stupidity(are you?) when issues like this are discussed in other threads, then you come in here and act like this issue was never discussed... it's simply a repost and you're trying to make this an issue all over again... like we discussed LAST NIGHT... (maybe you're getting up there in age and memory is starting to become an issue):

THIS IS A LOSE LOSE SITUATION AND YOU KNOW IT. HE TAKES PICTURES WITH HER, AND HE'S A TERRORIST, HE DOESN'T AND THE RACIST REPUBLICANS WILL PIN HIM AS A RACIST TOO.

You need to look at the time stamps. This story was in the CSS News section when I responded to it. I didn't know if it would ever make it the main section so I added it to an already existing Obama/Detroit thread.

Then I guess Mot threw the original AP story in, people responded (with great quips like, "Oh, Politico blah blah blah"), and so did I.


And after everything Hillary and Bill did to throw race into the Democratic primary's you still insist that only Republicans are racist? Dude, just bury your head again. It works better for you.

[avsp]

My apologies for moving this from out of Ron's ghetto.

Obviously i need to be more diligent in checking that its not been discussed

Again my apologies

FWIW, ..., it not so much his 'racism' that I deplore its the way he's, seemingly, caved into to fears of pressure from opponents who wish to exploit islamophobia

[ancho]

Obama Campaign Kicks Muslim Women off Dias for Wearing Their Native Head Scarves | Hypocrisy

yeah, he's a real good candidate for President..doesn't get my vote

[avsp]

Originally Posted by ancho

Obama Campaign Kicks Muslim Women off Dias for Wearing Their Native Head Scarves | Hypocrisy

yeah, he's a real good candidate for President..doesn't get my vote

why not?

coz he is a hypocrite? surely he isnt in any way unique amongst politicos in that respect

If he now publically denounced himself & engaged much more robustly with those seeking to exploit islamaphobia would you be more tempted to vote for him?

Personally I'm disappointed by his campaigns approach to this.

odd use of the word 'native' in your link btw

[edit to add] welcome to LL BTW

[motivez]

Obama has called the women personally to apologize and set things straight:

They released a statement about it to The New York Times:

At the rally for Senator Obama in Detroit on Monday, June 16, two volunteers denied us seating behind the stage the Senator would soon take. The volunteers informed us that we were not allowed to sit in that area due to the hijab, the headscarf that each of us was wearing.

This incident was unfortunate and extremely disappointing. Senator Obama has called us each to personally convey his deepest apologies and acknowledge that this was inexcusable. We both immensely appreciate the Senator’s phone call and his commitment to remedy this issue. We commend him for displaying qualities befitting an effective President. We acknowledge that this injustice has been taken seriously and that Senator Obama does not tolerate discrimination against Arabs, Muslims or any community. We are assured that he and his staff are committed to upholding the principles of justice for all peoples and bringing about change we can believe in. The infringement on our rights occurred and has been addressed; now we are ready to move forward. We will continue to support Senator Obama in his campaign and wish him the best as the race continues.

Regards,
Shimaa Abdelfadeel
Hebba Aref

He obviously isn't going to be aware of every little decision his staffers make, and I'm glad he's taken a proactive stance in dealing with it. The decision to deny them seating certainly doesn't fit with the message of his campaign.

It seems they are satisfied with his apology to them, so IMO it's really a non issue now except for the fact that the next time someone dressed like they do sits behind him, we'll see a flurry of new right wing hate propaganda spread on the internet about how he's a Muslim

It's a really tricky situation for him, but personally I hope he takes the high road (as he has here) and does the right thing.

[thewise1]

He's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't here. The moment people sit in the picture with hijabs (sp?) then the picture will be forwarded all around the internet as proof that Obama is Muslim.

Thanks, idiots who forward stupid mails, we're all dumber thanks to you.

[Phantom]

Originally Posted by thewise1

He's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't here. The moment people sit in the picture with hijabs (sp?) then the picture will be forwarded all around the internet as proof that Obama is Muslim.

Thanks, idiots who forward stupid mails, we're all dumber thanks to you.

You beat me to it.

[SoFlaJDM]

Originally Posted by thewise1

He's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't here. The moment people sit in the picture with hijabs (sp?) then the picture will be forwarded all around the internet as proof that Obama is Muslim.

Thanks, idiots who forward stupid mails, we're all dumber thanks to you.

amen broseph