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11/01/2009 - Issue 33
Rising Syrian presence on Capitol Hill
by Sami Moubayed
For the first time ever, a Syrian-American rises through the upper-echelons of power in the United States, becoming a member of the Homeland Security Advisory Council (HSAC) and Senior Policy Advisor at the Department of Homeland Security.
The HSAC reports directly to the Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, and serving on it – according to the Damascus-born Kareem Shora – is both a challenging and rewarding experience. It shows just how deep change really is under President Barack Obama. Kareem Shora, who holds a doctorate in jurisprudence from West Virginia University, joined the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) in 2000.
The civil rights organization did plenty of work during the Bush era to try to promote, protect, and polish the image of Arab Americans. He served as Legal Director until 2006 when he became the National Executive Director. That job gave him increased exposure in the US, which eventually led to his new post at the HSAC. From Washington DC, Shora speaks to Forward.
How did you find out that you had been appointed to the HSAC?
It actually came as a surprise; I was not alerted ahead of time. I received a call from a gentleman to come to the ADC office, informing me that Department of Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano had decided to name me to the HSAC. Frankly, I thought it was a prank call. I Googled this person’s name, to see if this was authentic or not. Everything he said was true: about the council, what it does and where it stands. A few days later I received a formal letter, approximately one month and a half prior to my formal appointment.
Did your Syrian origin have anything to do with the HSAC appointment? This would, after all, be viewed as a positive sign in turning a new page between Syria and the US.
I am very proud of the fact that I was born in Damascus and lived there for seven years, and I have often raised that in Washington. Politically speaking, however, I would not want to read too much into it. For Syria specifically and for my friends in Damascus, I would like to see it as a positive sign to the continuity of a country that is the cradle of human civilization. I think the fact that I was chosen is a reflection of the success and effectiveness of our culture, our heritage, and our origins.
Can you tell us more about the HSAC?
The HSAC formally meets four times a year. It is chaired by Judge William Webster, the ex-FBI and CIA chief under Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan, and its members include former and current Congressmen, governors, the head of the New York City Police Department, the president of Carnegie Mellon University, and the CEO of Black Hat and DEFCON Internet security corporations, among others.
It serves as the external advisory board for Homeland Security as outside experts on anything related to the field, ranging from immigration, airport security, and customs to secret service and protection against hurricanes and earthquakes. I am the only representative of civil society on the HSAC, and also the only Arab-American. The Department of Homeland Security is very large – the largest after the Department of Defense. It is only six years old, having been created specifically in response to 9-11.
Have you met President Obama?
No, I have not met him. We have, however, attended community meetings at the White House. I can tell you a short story: During the Bush years we had regular meetings with many departments, including the Department of State, and as ADC would often meet with Secretaries, Attorneys General, and others. Never however had I been invited by anyone or to anything related to the White House. This past February I received a phone call on my cell phone inviting me to a meeting with a few agencies, and given an address in downtown Washington. I headed to the meeting 30 minutes in advance, and on the way I got another phone call, saying that the meeting will take place in the West Wing of the White House. I have since been to the White House four times – but that little gesture showed me how much things were changing in America. Everything we had heard, since the presidential campaign, about change and hope was suddenly beginning to affect me personally. The Homeland Security decision was yet another indicator that something very different and positive was taking place in Washington. President Obama’s approach – very different from that of Bush – is about listening to others and talking with practically everybody.
Why Kareem Shora, a Syrian-American?
I have asked that question a lot. I started my career at ADC a year before 9-11. Professionally, as a human rights lawyer, my career was formed because of what happened on September 11, 2001. I saw exactly what was happening, with all the hate crimes against Arabs and Muslims. This was in addition to the sometimes very negative political positions, against Arab and Muslim Americans. During that period, much of my work had to do with media. I am someone who has always been a critic, especially after 9-11, relying on specific facts and allegations, not just political rhetoric. My facts – in addition to all the arguments of Constitutional protections and fairness – are based on interacting with communities around the country. On nearly 90% of all occasions, we disagreed with officials in the Bush-Cheney Administration – but what mattered was that we were there, as ADC, making ourselves heard in Washington, DC. We remained consistent in our professionalism and in our dedication while also respectful of the fact that they wanted to meet with us. I think that was definitely a factor in answering the question, “Why Kareem Shora?” When the Obama Administration came in, they had a different, more open and constructive approach.
