High on the agenda for this meeting will obviously be concern over U.S. Middle East policy. The lack of U.S. leadership in the peace process, the continuing concern with Iraqi sanctions and the recent U.S. bombing of Sudan have all contributed to a growing alienation from the United States in the Arab world. Arab Americans are deeply troubled by this fact and will seek to present a unified voice in warning the Administration of the dangers to U.S. allies and interests and to regional stability if this situation persists. Both efforts are receiving strong Arab American grass roots support and represent positive initiatives designed to involve the community in lobbying campaigns. Community leaders will also assess their efforts to address a number of important civil rights issues.
Some progress appears to have been made on the problem of airport profiling.
In the aftermath of the bombings of the U.S. embassies in Africa, the U.S. Department of Justice directed the Federal Aviation Administration to issue a strongly worded directive to U.S. airlines and airports insisting that heightened security precautions not violate the civil rights of individuals because of their ethnicity or religion. This appears to have had at least some positive impact. Specifically he noted that next month he will be convening the heads of FBI offices from cities where Arab Americans have complained of harassment to meet with community leaders in order to directly hear their concerns. He hopes, he said, to develop a mechanism to address and resolve these problems. The campaign has organized a national petition drive that has received the endorsement of more than 25 Arab American and American Muslim organizations and over 15 national organizations representing other ethnic communities.