Fear and loathing in Dearborn: The Osama phenomenon
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| Osama Siblani promoting the Abbbie Bazzi candidacy |
Osama Siblani is a very
interesting phenomenon. He is the publisher of a community newspaper and a
longtime community activist. Anyone who gets involved in matters of public concern
expects to be the object of criticism. Even American presidents get all kinds of
criticism- fair and unfair. In a democracy,
we all understand that the freedom of expression is sacrosanct.
In the Middle East,
people have a lot of opinions. However, in most Middle Eastern countries people
are afraid to express themselves for fear of the government and those who have
connections. In the US, on the other hand, there is the First Amendment. There
is freedom of speech. People are free to express themselves.
To unravel this mystery, I spoke with a
longtime Arab American resident of Dearborn, a man familiar with its politics:
-How do you explain the Osama Siblani phenomenon?
What
makes people reluctant to go on record with their opinions? What we have in
this city is “irhab fitri,” terrorism of the mind. Criticism has consequences. Here
you have people who left the Middle East to escape repression. But they are
fearful to express themselves. Why? Is it because they think Osama is too cozy
with the US government? Has connections in Lebanon and can hurt people? Cause
them problems when they travel to Lebanon? I am not sure. Maybe a combination
of factors.
- But what can he do? He is merely a publisher of a
paper?
In a way people are justified in their concerns. He uses his paper to go
after his enemies, real and imagined. Everyone has skeletons in their closet.
It is a small community. He would use negative information savagely, and immorally.
You yourself have seen it. People talk at length but refuse to go on record.
- You say the US government has helped create this
phenomenon. How? There is a reign of terror. Osama’s perceived coziness with US
government officials feeds into the fear that people have. US government
officials meet with him and take pictures with him, treat him as the representative
of the whole community and in return this creates the fear that you see.
This is a serious phenomenon. It is very unhealthy.
All those who, by default or by design, helped create this phenomenon are
responsible for the monster created. This should not continue. It is unhealthy and
undemocratic. By the end of the day, there are more questions than answers.
-But what can Osama do. He has a paper, but there are
other community papers?
Look what happened with journalist Afaf Ahmad. Siblani
called her a “whore.” Can you believe that? Who needs that kind of name
calling? She is a mother and a member of the community and a man her father’s
age calls her a name! Not only that. People associated with him or inspired by
him start attacking her in the most despicable way. Why?
-Why do you think Osama acts the way he does?
It has
gotten to his head. He thinks he is greater than anyone else- greater than all
these historical personalities that people talk about. He is unwilling to take
criticism. Osama and his paper extol the virtues of the first amendment and the
freedom of speech. If Osama believes in freedom of speech then he should accept
criticism? He does not accept criticism. He reacts to valid criticism and good
advice the same way he would react to being called a name? Truly a bizarre phenomenon.
Unhealthy and undemocratic.
- Is there widespread unhappiness with Osama or is it
Dearborn politics and he is part of that?
It is widespread. You could be sitting with 20-30 people. You would
experience firsthand the kind of dislike, even animosity and hate this man has
from many people. But they are afraid to be quoted. What is this man going to
do? He is not a gang leader. He is not the dictator of a Middle Eastern country?
Still you see people want to avoid being entangled with him.
-I am interested in your pointing out a US government role
in creating this phenomenon. The US government officials meet with him and with
others in the community. Not only him, why is he special?
When the issue of the
FBI planes over Detroit came up, they met with him in his paper’s building, on
his roof, in a friendly atmosphere. Who picked who could attend this meeting?
This coziness has contributed to the fear. In a sense, the government has taken
sides in inter-community politics. And that is not good. They need to be mindful
of perceptions.
The interesting part is that he was asked how you
choose those who represent the community or are leaders of the Arab American
community. Osama said that he decides who represents the community. There is a
perception that the US has a hand in placing Arab dictators in power in the
Middle East. With Osama there is the perception that the US government is doing
the same thing in the Detroit area too. This is unhealthy and undemocratic.
-But others have regularly met with officials. All
over the country Arab and Muslim American activists are meeting with the
government?
What confuses the Dearborn community is his perceived coziness with
the US government officials when put together with his public pronouncements. Osama
brags about being a Hizbullah supporter. For example, on Facebook, one person
accused him of being a Hizbullah supporter. Osama responded that he is indeed a
Hizbullah supporter. The sense that people have is that if one says they support
Hizbullah, the FBI would be knocking on their door the same day or the next
day. People are at a loss. He is the only person in the community who does
that.
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