June 6, 2011
Dear Ms. Pelosi,

Thank you for your response regarding the Israel/Palestine issue.

While I am gratified to know you support peace in the Middle East, I differ with your perspective on Israel and on how that peace might be achieved. Many of my
voting colleagues agree with me that preserving the national security of Israel no longer equates to security for the United States . The following significant events
changed that flawed assessment:

* The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 removed most of the geographic strategic importance of Israel to the US .
* The attack on Gazan civilians in 2008 discredited Israel as a “partner of peace” and established it as criminally malfeasant.
* Attack on the Turkish flotilla in 2010 reaffirmed point #2.
* Assassination of Osama Bin Laden last month removed the principle threat of terrorism to the US . Israel provides no tangible assistance on that battlefront.
* The Arab Spring is giving birth to long-suppressed democratic aspirations across the Middle East . These new democracies will be more influenced by their Arab
populations which will closely monitor American foreign policy.

These five points above, together with the current campaign to block Palestinian statehood at the UN in September serves to establish Israel more as a pariah state and
hence a strategic liability to the US.

I can very much understand your commitment to the Jewish people and their unique plight after WWII. But that was over 65 years ago, and to support a foreign nuclear
power at the expense of America ’s security and world standing strikes more as dictatorial PAC influence over Congress than as a legitimate desire to protect our
“democratic ally.”

The way you stood up countless times to rejoice in the baseless declarations of PM Netanyahu two weeks ago was shameful. I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be disrespectful,
but AIPAC influence was all too apparent.

Please do your American constituents a big favor and start supporting our best interests, not only those of right-wing Zionist lobbyists. Maybe it’s too late for a twostate
solution, thanks to the ongoing quisling nature of our House and Senate. I think one, democratic state of Israel for all people, Jew and Arab may be a more sensible
course of action at this time, given the “facts on the ground” and recent world events.

Respectfully,

Dr. John Qaqundah
Bay Area, California

Response:

Dershowitz attacks Carter

Dear Friend,

      Long ago I read Dastardly Dershowitz’s book on his brilliant law career, boasting how on a techicality, he’d gotten off a Jewish Defense League bomber who’d killed a Jewish sec’y at NY ofcs. of Sol Hurok, whose  crime was bringing Soviet dancers to US. I followed DD’s stuff for many years, beginning when he came back from the West Bank and declared “Israel’s occupation is the most benign in history.” He is a practiced sophist. He personally scotched Carter’s speech at the 2008 Dem Convention. He was part of the cabal that tried to nit-pick and discredit Carter’s book “Palestine Peace not Apartheid.” Dershowitz never saw a dead Palestinian child that he didn’t think was justified. His “facts” on ME are always suspect. He is just smearing Carter, cuz Carter won’t stop, having followed the above book w. another on same subject.

      So I’m irrevocably prejudiced vs. Dastardly.

      In the Arab world on ‘most any street you can find folks who believe that 3000 Jewish employees of World Trade Ctr. got phone calls early on 9/11 warning them not to go to work. Me, I will take money from anyone and put it to my good uses, incl. an 80 y.o. chief of United Arab Emirates who fails to censor speakers at his events. DD does not dare attack Carter’s uses. BTW, Clark Clifford & Bob Altman, as I recall, were deeply involved w. BCCI. Anti-Semites? Did BCCI boycott Israel? This is not anti-Semitism, contrary to the Dershowitz-Foxman progaganda machine.

      The ambassador to US of the nearby emirate of Bahrain is a Jewish woman. She is not a Zionist, so DD would call her self-hating or some such smear.

      I have been dealing w. these birds for a long time. Caveat D.D.

Best, Tony F. Saidy

      P.S. On the bright side, Rep. Anthony Weiner(D-NY) a militant Zionist and militant backer of single-payer, is engaged to a Muslim who lived on Sheikh Zayed’s turf and last year managed Hillary’s campaign. Rapprochement looming?

 Published in The Independent Monitor November 2009 issue.

A reason to call (and recall) Congress

‘US Congress says Goldstone Report biased’

(…) The House is expected to vote in favor of the bill and rule the Goldstone Report as a “mirror of the UN’s one-sided position against Israel,” and as one used by Israel’s enemies to excuse their operations. (…) To read the full article go here http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3794666,00.html.

Response: Gosh, do you mean that when AIPAC writes these resolutions to help out our overworked representatives, they actually resort to outright  falsification? Best I can say about these usual congressional suspects incl. SF Valley’s Berman & my sister’s rep., Ackerman is they are true believers, not panderers – xc for maybe Burton (here called “Barton”). Ros-Lehtinen’s inherited loyalties are divided between Israel and Batista’s Cuba. Shame on them all. -Anthony F. Saidy

 Published in The Independent Monitor November 2009 issue.

Dear Sami,

Congratulations on your publication of The Independent Monitor. It is indeed very enjoyable to read through it. Samir and Pat speak very highly of you.

Hope to meet soon,

Dr. Shammas

Dear Dr. Shammas,

Thanks for your kind words and for your generous donation. Coming from you, a pillar of our community, your words mean a lot to us and encourage us to continue to go forward. I look forward to meeting you too.

Best wishes,

Sami Bishara Mashney

Dear Mr. Mashney,

It was a pleasure speaking to you this afternoon. As a follow up to our call, I am including my friend in Michigan’s address. Please send this subscription as a gift. Once again, Ghada and I would like to thank you for a great newspaper. May the Lord bless you and your family.

Sincerely,

Shajih Muhanna, M.D.

Dear Dr. Muhanna,

It was a pleasure to speak to you and to your respectable wife Ghada. Please accept our sincere thanks for your renewed support, encouragement and in helping us spread the word the way we, Arab Americans, see it. Your support is what keeps us going.

Sincerely,

 Sami Bishara Mashney

Published in The Independent Monitor November 2009 issue.

Dear News Director,

        I called your number 734-647-3482 several times and your line was constantly busy.

        Why is it not kosher for you to give the name of If Americans Knew, when its perfectly acceptable to give the names of the Jewish Federation of Detroit and of Haddassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America (not to mention countless and repetitive similar parochial mentions)?

        It will be truly in the once-upon-a-time free spirit of NPR to cover this controversial issue concerning the glaring and not-too-secret double standards and deliberate censorship regarding Israel-Palestine.

        Let the market of ideas decide what is newsworthy or not. Please stop your obvious and chronic censorship of non-Zionist points of view. This is NPR and not ZPR.

Sincerely,

Sami Bishara Mashney

Good letter, Sami!

        Of course, we have known for a long time, and empirical research has proven conclusively, that NPR is an organ of Zionist propaganda for genocide, not a news organ. In fact, some of that unimpeachable empirical research was performed by If Americans Knew. It appears now that NPR (Nazi Prostitute Radio) is holding a grudge!

John Wheat Gibson

Dear All,

     I don’t agree that NPR is “an organ of Zionist propaganda.”  There certainly are individuals employed by NPR who support Zionism and Israel and who slip in their propaganda whenever they can.  But most of their staff are first and foremost professional journalists who are jealous of their reputations.  When bad journalism is called to their attention, they may or may not apologize or make a correction, but they aren’t likely to repeat their error in the future.

    Sami Mashney caught an NPR editor being unfair and nailed him with an excellent letter.  I expect that editor to be, maybe not perfect, but certainly much more fair, at least for a while.  They require constant attention from us.

    Professional journalists are more concerned with their reputations among other journalists than they are with promoting personal interests.  Most of the racism and unfairness we find in their work is from unintentional error.  A courteous, rational criticism goes a long way in keeping them honest and accurate.

    The important thing is to write or phone them every time they say what they shouldn’t — or fail to say what they should.

 Don Bustany

 Published for The Independent Monitor November 2009 issue.

Dear Editor:

        Thank you for the newspapers, which I will share with others interested in supporting human rights and equality in the Middle East.

        It is appalling to read about the city’s water agreements, made, in the interests of colonialism, without the knowledge of LA residents.   As a Jewish woman of conscience, I cannot remain silent while Israeli occupation forces use water as a weapon against the Palestinian people. Under no circumstances, should Israeli companies be given access to Los Angeles Department of Water & Power facilities for West Bank pilot projects that will further inflame the tension between Palestinians and Israelis.  This only serves to undermine President Obama’s peace initiative.

        I appreciate the fact that The Independent Monitor is truly independent — breaking news other media outlets refuse to print.  Clearly, this newspaper is the go-to source for news about Palestinians and the struggle for social and economic justice.

        Before reading your newspaper, I hadn’t realized that some members of the Jewish community were threatening to withhold funds over Israeli academic Neve Gordon’s statements about Israeli apartheid.  The push-back is always fierce in the face of truth, but the tide is turning.  Please know that there are Jews in Los Angeles who are helping to turn that tide, standing next to Palestinians in the pursuit of peace.

        When I serve in Washington, I will continue to work on behalf of those who support a negotiated peace settlement that adheres to principals of justice.  

Sincerely,

Marcy Winograd

36th Congressional District Candidate

www.WinogradForCongress.com

Dear Marcy,

        Thank you for your letter and support and for being a tireless and unwavering advocate for human rights and equality.

I agree with you that local politicians should not make themselves permissive tools in the hands of parochial special interest, unfairly meddle in foreign affairs, making difficult for our president to bring about a peaceful and legislated settlement of the Israeli occupation of Palestine. The independence of The Independent Monitor is the reason for our existence as a newspaper.

        I am certain that you will be our next truly progressive representative for the 36th District. I think we should all wish the Lobby Lady Janet Harman a lucrative and cushy retirement in private life.

Best,

Sami Bishara Mashney

To whom it may concern:

My name is Manar Fakhoury and I was mentioned frequently in the article , “Now is the hour for California to be counted” published in August issue regarding the 2010 US Census. The article was well written but some of the information provided was slightly skewed and incorrect. First off I was not just hired to work for the US 2010 Census. I have been working for the US 2010 Census since January but am working closely now with the Middle Eastern Community. I do come from a large family I have 4 sisters and 2 brothers. Yes it is a large family! About my degrees. As much as I would love to have two masters … I only have one masters and that is from the University of Chicago in Middle Eastern Studies/international affairs. I also do not make $18.50 an hour. I did have a difficult time finding a Job but with persistent networking I was able to land this amazing job with the 2010 Census! Most importantly I would like to state that the information regarding my statement about the census box is also wrong. I agree with Nahla Kayali/ I said that it is important that we mark that we are “Arab” in order to be counted as a collective group but that I am aware that many people do not want to be allocated under “Arab”. Therefore a solution could be to write that you are for example “Jordanian/ Arab or Lebanese/ Arab. Over all the importance of 2010 Census for the Middle Eastern community and for California is crucial! I thank you Mike Nally for taking the time to write this article.

Published in The Independent Monitor September 2009 issue.

To The Independent Monitor

I am a Palestinian woman who is from the “original Christians” descendant of Jesus Christ Apostles. I am not sure if you have a page for letters sent to the Editor about your readers being very grateful for articles such as the “O Little Town of Bethlehem” by Francis A. Boyle. If only we could have more “American Christian” writing about their experience with more than 90% of the American Christians who are brain washed by the Zionist Lobbyist and think Israel has the right to occupy our homeland “Palestine”. The Independent Monitor has the best staff writers especially Michael Gillespie and Mike Nally. But I am hoping you publish more articles written by Francis Boyle and please don’t wait for Christmas or Easter to publish his/her articles. We need someone like Boyle to remind all Americans of the over $5 billion per year that our tax payers $ goes to Israel “to help them kill more of our children”. All I know that us Christian Palestinians are not asking for money. All we want & hope to get is some moral support or for Americans to see our point of view with an open mind and if enough Christian American tourists who visit Israel come back and tell the truth “Truth” about how the Israelis treat the Palestinians and spread the word of their churches maybe more & more people here will be spauled and discussed with the Israelis horrific treatment of the Palestinians in Israel.

P.S. The best article I read was your December 2008 publication by Francis A. Boyle.

From: Esperance Nally

Hi Sami,

Congratulations on the new issue of your newspaper. There is a definite improvement since the last few issues. I just want to bring few minor items on layout to your designer’s attention. I noticed more use of gray boxes with articles in them. That is a good contrast for a page the only thing if you can ask the designer to put a small margin so the text doesn’t touch the edge of the box. Also ask the designer when they use a 3 column article on top of a page to make sure the article below doesn’t have the same number of columns to give a more interesting layout for the page.  Other than that I like the graduation page and the food section as well. Keep up the good work. Best of luck and hope to see you soon!

Salam,
Marwan Ahmad

Published in The Independent Monitor August 2009 issue.