Thursday, June 19, 2008

A lesson in accountability:
Apology from Obama

They were attracted to his message of diversity and unity, but two Muslim women who went to Barack Obama's rally at Joe Louis Arena on Monday went home feeling left out.

They were barred from prime seats behind the stage because of their traditional Muslim head scarves, after campaign volunteers had invited their non-Muslim friends to the seats.

Detroit Free Press,
June 19, 2008

But then...

Barack Obama personally apologized over the phone today to the two Muslim women from Michigan who were barred from sitting next to him during a campaign rally because they wore Islamic headscarves.

Obama spoke over the phone to Shimaa Abdelfadeel and apologized to her...Obama left a voicemail for the other woman, Hebba Aref, 25, a Bloomfield Hills resident...

Detroit Free Press,
June 19, 2008

That's getting action from a politician when he needs you. Got to stay on top of these guys when they run for office.

The local chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations publicized the insult to the two women.

2 comments:

Nell said...

Huh.

Any ideas on how to get Obama to step up and apologize to all of us for standing quietly by as the Democratic leadership rolls us back to Nixonland tomorrow with the FISA capitulation?

janinsanfran said...

Nell: Don't I wish I had an idea. Like many of us, I contacted his campaign yesterday about the FISA capitulation.

He does better at the identity issues than the more core issues of money and power. Guess that makes him a true Amurrican?

Nonetheless, have to keep hammering at these people.