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Tuesday, 02 September 2008 |
David Ramadan is a member of the Virginia delegation to the Republican National Convention.A Lebanese-American, he is also the vice-chairman of the party's outreach work to Arab and Muslim communities in Virginia. He spoke to Al Jazeera about why he is a Republican and what he is hoping for from a John McCain administration. "I originally immigrated to the US in 1989 to study and it has been home ever since.I now teach Middle Eastern politics and history at George Mason university in Virginia.My father was always really interested in politics in the Middle East so I grew up recognising the civic duty of every member of the community to be involved in politics.It was natural that I joined the Republican party when I got here because of their values - which match my own. In particular, family values, entrepreneurship, lower taxes [and] less government.In my local area in Virginia, I am responsible for helping to get out the vote on election days - it is the grass-root level work which I really enjoy as I really enjoy meeting the people.Statewide, I am also in charge of outreach work for Arab and Muslim communities and outreach work in houses of worship and at other events.Separating tiesIt is a two-way role that means educating the public about the Republican party and also educating the Republican party on the Arab-American and Muslim community on what we need from candidates in order to support them.We do not get much support from the Arab-American community - but that is something we are trying to change.As Americans we are trying to focus on local policies and local communities and join the party on a local level.On that side I find Arabs and Muslims support us because they are conservatives, but we need to separate our ties to the homeland and foreign policy from local policies.The main challenge is the huge unpopularity of George Bush [the US president] and we have a big fight ahead of us but the Democratic party is not the solution either.It will be much easier once George Bush has left office and we get [John] McCain in.'Reformer' McCainMcCain is a reformer, McCain is pro-immigration, McCain is a centrist. McCain supports the US finishing the trouble that George Bush got the US into in Iraq.The US should withdraw its troops from Iraq but first they need to get the job done and that job is to secure America's interests and secure democracy in a solid Iraq.As an Arab, I am very worried about what would happen in Iraq if US troops withdrew today. I would anticipate genocide and civil war in Iraq if that happens.That is not a solution unless we are looking to Joe Biden, who says let us divide Iraq into three sections and make it three countries.Obama's 'celebrity'"Arabs who are hoping for change under Barack Obama are misinformed"They are falling for the celebrity status of Obama and they believe that whoever is against Bush will be their candidate.Obama is not good for the Arab world, just as he is not good for Israel.We need to inform people in the Middle East and Israel about exactly what John McCain stands for compared to what Obama does not stand for - and then they will see the light.
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