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ADC 2011 Candidates Night

Feb. 15, 2011 Nikos Restaurant

Project Mobolize activist Reema Ahmed, Candidate for the Village of Justice Library Board Maha Hasan, candidate for the Burbank School District 111 Lina Zayed and ADC President Abder Ghouleh. Hasan and Zayed are running in the April 5 elections.

Trustees Kinga Bartoszek (left) and Mary McGee, of the Village of Justice and the People's Voice Party, discuss the issues that impact American Arabs in the southwest suburban community during their appearance. Bartoszek and McGee have endorsed several American Arab candidates running for local election including Maha Hasan (above).

ADC Chicago President Abder Ghouleh poses with Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun who gave a rousing defense of American Arab and Muslim rights during her speech to the ADC Candidate's Night Dinner at Nikos Restaurant on Feb. 15, 2011.

Radio Talk Show Host Rush Darwish (RiseUp Radio) interviews Braun.

Activist Pat Michalski, who has organized many ethnic events for communities throughout Chicagoland including for Chicagoland's American Arabs, speaks to the ADC Candidates night dinner.

Candidate for City Clerk Susana Mendoza

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Chicago Mayoral Candidate Carol Moseley-Braun received a standing ovation after telling members and guests of the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee’s Non-Partisan Campaign Dinner Tuesday that she stands by their fight for civil rights equality.

Braun, one of a dozen candidates in races from mayor to alderman to city clerk and suburban municipal elections, said she was honored to stand side-by-side with American Arabs and fight for their rights.

She gave a passionate defense of what American Arabs and Muslims have experienced in the wake of the terrorism of Sept. 11, 2001.

“I won’t back down. I support you. I often lament the situation of Arab Americans and Muslims. You are experiencing what many African Americans have gone through in life. Persecution. Discrimination,” Braun told the dinner audience at Nikos Restaurant.

Braun said African Americans were attacked violently, were lynched, murdered and brutalized.

“The response was to organize and I applaud American Arabs and ADC for doing just that, for standing up for your rights and I will stand with you to protect those rights,” Braun told the group.

She emphasized that she endorses the call to designate American Arabs as a formal “minority group”  as recognized by the Federal Government.

Braun also said she supported rebuilding Chicago and reviewing many past decisions that were mistakes, such as the parking meter contract.

“The city needs to work better and help make business grow. We need to create jobs,” Braun said. Braun also spoke about fighting crime, improving education and opposing any new taxes. “The working people have been taxed enough. I will not support any new taxes.”

The evening featured many candidates including Susana Mendoza and Patricia Horton who are both running for the post of Chicago City Clerk. Mendoza and Horton spoke at length about their plans to strengthen the City Clerk’s office and make services more efficient.

Anna Goral, candidate for Alderman in the 23rd Ward, also called for transparency in government, pointing to her opponent who is a consultant representing many companies who do business with the City Council.

“It’s a conflict of interest,” Goral said.

There are two elections. Chicago candidates are running in the Feb. 22 election and  in instances where no one receives more than 50 percent of the vote, run-offs will be held on April 5. The April 5 election will feature candidates running in suburban communities.

Incumbent trustees from the Village of Justice, which has a large American Arab population, also were warmly welcomed by the dinner attendees.

Trustee Kinga Bartoszek introduced the candidates running in the April 5 elections. They are incumbent trustees Mary McGee and John Koslowski. They also introduced Ray Heabel and David Cormany who are also seeking positions on the Village of Justice Board. Bartoszek’s slate of candidates on the Peoples Voice Party (www.PeoplesVoiceParty.com) are fending off challenges from opponents who have brought turmoil to board meetings. The challengers include many former Justice elected officials who were rejected by voters in the past.

“Let’s not turn back the clock and bring back candidates who have failed in the past,” Bartoszek said.

Bartoszek also said their slate was enthusiastically backing an American Arab candidate, Maha Hasan, who is running for the Justice Library Board. Hasan, who is Muslim, immigrated to the United States from the West Bank when she was 4 years old. She grew up in the Village of Justice.

Hasan later spoke and was joined at the dinner by Reema Ahmed who heads up Project Mobolize which is spearheading candidacies of American Arabs for public office. She was joined by candidates Lina Zayed, who is running for the Burbank School District 111. Also joining the group was Rola Othman running for the Reavis High school Board District 220.

-- Ray Hanania