Arab American Democracy Coalition Demands To Be Heard

BRIDGEVIEW, IL — Politics is local, and it doesn’t get any more local than the Arab American Democracy Coalition’s annual breakfast forum at Niko’s Banquets in Bridgeview. This year’s forum on Feb. 16 focused on the upcoming April election, and featured a parade of local candidates as well as a promoter introducing his boxer who is a contender for the 2028 U.S. Olympic boxing team.

The 40-year-old Arab American Democratic Club of Chicago has temporarily rebranded itself as the Arab American Democracy Coalition in protest of the Democratic Party’s backing of Israel and its bombing of Gaza, which has killed over 55,000 Palestinian civilians.

“We’ve adjusted the name to the Arab American Democracy Coalition, because of the ugly language and polarization of this world today,” journalist and AADC board member Ray Hanania said. “We’re tired of being loyal to people who aren’t loyal to us.”

The purpose of the forum was to be heard and support Arab American candidates running for school, park, library and municipal offices in the upcoming consolidated election on April 1.

Over the past decade, the Arab American community has grown significantly to 180,000 Arabs and Muslims spread out across the southwest suburbs. The Arab community is particularly prevalent in Orland Park and Bridgeview, communities that each have mosques. But the majority of Arabs are Christian and are parishioners in the more than 100 Christian churches in the suburban area.

Ahmad Sows, a Palos Hills police officer and the recently elected president of the rebranded coalition, said he knew from a young age that he wanted to help people.

“The board believes the Arab American community should not be rubber-stamped to any specific party, that we should vote for the right candida regardless of political party,” Sows said. “We share one goal, to support those who support us.”

According to Hanania, to change American’s “immoral international policies on Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and the Middle East,” Arab Americans “must start at the lowest rungs of American politics.”

“You must win office in school districts, library boards, fire districts, park districts, cities and villages, and more,” Hanania said. “Those are the places where Arabs and Muslims can easily educate the American public most effectively to understand the truth of what is happening on the national and international levels.”

Voters will find the names of 40 Arab American and Muslim candidates on April 1 ballots in Cook, Will and Dupage Counties, including Rasha Atallah, a trustee candidate for the North Palos Dist. 117 board; Maher M. Khattab, who is running for Indian Springs School District 109 board; and Rowfyda Daoud and Jamila Ghosheh, are both running in Burbank Dist. 111.

Other candidates seeking school board seats include Shadieh (Toddy) Mustafa and Tesneem Amine in CHSD 230; Aisha Zayyad in Orland Dist. 135; Suzan Atallah in Palos Community Consolidate Dist. 118; Nour Akhras in Niles Township Dist. 219; Adam Malak in Arbor Park Dist. 145; and Fida Khalil in Ridgeland Dist. 122.

Lena Matariyeh and Reem Odeh are running for seats on the Orland Township Board. See the complete list of Arab American and Muslim candidates.

The coalition drew a red line at Keith Pekau, who is running for his third term as mayor of Orland Park. Hanania and Khalil both brought up Pekau’s confrontation with Orland Park resident Yousif Zegar. Last year, Zegar went to the Orland Park Village Board to request a resolution condemning the war in Gaza, similar to one passed by village trustees in support of Ukraine. Pekau suggested that those opposed to U.S. interests “leave the country.”

Former long-time Orland Park trustee Jim Dodge, who is challenging Pekau for mayor on the Orland Park For All slate, said everyone he knew was “mortified and ashamed” of Pekau’s insult to “Americans who happened to be Arab Americans” during the incidienary village board meeting.

“We’re simply not going to do the things the way Keith Pekau has been running Orland Park,” Dodge said, who has been the barb of Pekau’s “Dodge-ing the Facts” campaign hit piece. “The financials are a mess, the police department’s unhappy. Just about every meeting is unfortunately ‘a greatest hits,’ where he gavels down citizens speaking their mind.”

Long-time allies in the audience included Mayor Gerald Bennett, of Palos Hills, who was praised as the “first Arab mayor.” Bennett is facing 3rd Ward Ald. AJ Pasek, who is trying to unseat Bennett after 44 years.

“Diversity in the community is what makes it thrive,” Bennett said. “In Palos Hills over the years we’ve seen those demographics change. Certainly over the last ten-plus years we’ve seen the growth of the Arab American community in Palos Hills. I think what we’ve done is open our arms up and understood the importance of integrating our community.”

Robert Straz, the long-time mayor in Palos Heights, is also facing challenger, Jeff Key, the current 1st Ward alderman.

“When I took office 24 years ago we were basically broke. We had $250,000 in our main checking account that was borrowed from the water and sewer fund,” Straz said. “We did a couple of things over the years and for the past 23 years, we’ve run on a surplus.”

The organization was founded 40 years ago by longtime political and community activist Samir Khalil, who remarked on the lighter-than-usual attendance that didn’t feature battling Chicago mayoral candidates or dueling congressional candidates of past election years.

Khalil said that was okay that the turnout was light because it weeded out local candidates who showed up once at past forums, got what they wanted and left, never to return.

“Our goal has been to seek inclusion in government and the political process,” Khalil said. “We want our voices to be heard, to provide a platform for good people of all communities and to engage in public discourse with our officials. We never demand that you agree with us, we demand our voices be heard.”