Orland United, formed by residents earlier this year to confront Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau's racism announced has expanded to support political activism in the Chicagoland region called All United
There is no doubt the Arab American community has not had an active roll in politics. We can thank Mayor Pekau for pushing our unity into motion. Within Orland United there is no room for ego, there is constant learning, unlearning and bringing our community together to be actively engaged and openminded. Also, there have been constant attempts to get every Arab/ Muslim running for office getting OU support. Those who want it of course. You knock the organization because you claim to have seen this before? As an Arab American with 50 years experience, maybe it’s time to use all that knowledge and push fwd for the greater good instead of just negativity in your articles that only further divides us. What’s the motivation?
Inshallah Orland United will be successful and EVERY person with pure intentions for our community will have a place. All are welcome. https://orlandunited.org/join
I disagree with your use of the deflection that there is no room for "ego." It's not ego but a small group of people who claim to represent the community when in fact they don't represent everyone. They are a well-intentioned group of activists, but they are far from representing the community. Anyone who has a question or concern is attacked, vilified and brushed aside as having an "ego." I don't buy that excuse. Orland United could have been more successful if their leadership checked their "egos" instead of criticizing others who had questions and concerns. I use my experience all the time to help the community but often run into groups that claim to be serving the interests of the community when in fact sometimes they are just serving themselves, careful who they let in, and even more guarded against making the group open to the public. It's a small but well intentioned group.
by the way, did they endorse any Arabs to challenge Pekau? Or did they just blame everyone else for not slating any Arabs. And why did they reject Mohammed Jaber's candidacy for trustee? Anyone who knows anything about that issue knows that certain members of "Orland United" didn't like Jaber and put their own interests first above the interests of the community.
I will set aside one person who pursuing a purely community driven goal and that is Yousif Zegar. I believe he did a great job trying to bring all the rival individuals together but unfortunately was pushed to only accept those who were "popular" and "acceptable" ...
The fact is Orland "United" wasn't united enough to slate any Arab Americans to run for public office even though Orland Park is 20 percent Arab. Our population did not turn out in November (9 months after Pekau expressed his racist remarks telling Yousif and others to "go to another country." I applaud Yousif and the people who attended that February 5 meeting, but I blame those who always get in the way and have rivalries of tearing up everything and blocking people they like or don't like instead of setting aside their own interests for the interests of the community.
I know dozens of people who participated in theOrland United group and I know what many of them said and what they did and what they failed to do.
I hope Orland United gets its act together, although I understand they have merged themselves with another newly created organization -- we have how many today, 120? -- call All United ... Good Luck ... but the old blueprints for success have proven not to work. It would be nice if someone would rise up above all this muck and lead with genuine concern for the community rather than with the personalities involved.
This says it all. A columnist with alternate motivation. Maybe you should join Orland United Ray. It’s harder to be so judgmental when you are welcomed in but refuse. You’d think after 50 years you’d be leading from all that you have learned. We could use that expertise. Instead we get this.
I’m done commenting since I see the intention is CLEARLY opinion based, feels more like drama building then community building. ✌🏻
IMO, there's plenty of opportunities for All United activism in Orland Park politics. Don't allow your opponents to define you. There's nothing more satisfying than surprising your opponents. Dream it, organize and work to make it real. Best wishes for your success!
the big problem for new groups is they are run by cliques and friends and allies, and do not really represent the entire community. the word "Democracy" becomes a label to make someone look good rather than one that represents the reality of something ...
The problem seems to be more how your language is what skews divisiveness instead of the reality. I think your article tries to paint the picture that there will always be arab divide. We can change that. We learn and grow when we are open to hearing our community. This article begins with that negative connotation. We are multifaceted community, not a monolith of thought. Time to not pin people or groups against one another, especially if you call yourself a journalist.
i’ve been working in Arab American politics for 50 years now. i spectate you’re opinion but i see the same problems over and over again. Activists claim leadership by pandering to our emotions and frustrations and tragedy, rather than by giving us good ideas. The reality of the Arab community in Orland Park doesn’t live up to the claims being made. Only 325 Arab Americans voted in the november presidential election which means Orland United failed to activate the community. there is a lot of empty talk but no real action. Arabs prefer to pretend their failures don’t exist rather than confronting the failures and fixing them. They just pretend they don’t exist and criticize those that point them out. The time is to recognize the truth, fix any problems and then move forward, not live in blindness
There is no doubt the Arab American community has not had an active roll in politics. We can thank Mayor Pekau for pushing our unity into motion. Within Orland United there is no room for ego, there is constant learning, unlearning and bringing our community together to be actively engaged and openminded. Also, there have been constant attempts to get every Arab/ Muslim running for office getting OU support. Those who want it of course. You knock the organization because you claim to have seen this before? As an Arab American with 50 years experience, maybe it’s time to use all that knowledge and push fwd for the greater good instead of just negativity in your articles that only further divides us. What’s the motivation?
Inshallah Orland United will be successful and EVERY person with pure intentions for our community will have a place. All are welcome. https://orlandunited.org/join
There is no doubt the Arab American community has not had an active roll in politics. We can thank Mayor Pekau for pushing our unity into motion. Within Orland United there is no room for ego, there is constant learning, unlearning and bringing our community together to be actively engaged and openminded. Also, there have been constant attempts to get every Arab/ Muslim running for office getting OU support. Those who want it of course. You knock the organization because you claim to have seen this before? As an Arab American with 50 years experience, maybe it’s time to use all that knowledge and push fwd for the greater good instead of just negativity in your articles that only further divides us. What’s the motivation?
Inshallah Orland United will be successful and EVERY person with pure intentions for our community will have a place. All are welcome. https://orlandunited.org/join
I disagree with your use of the deflection that there is no room for "ego." It's not ego but a small group of people who claim to represent the community when in fact they don't represent everyone. They are a well-intentioned group of activists, but they are far from representing the community. Anyone who has a question or concern is attacked, vilified and brushed aside as having an "ego." I don't buy that excuse. Orland United could have been more successful if their leadership checked their "egos" instead of criticizing others who had questions and concerns. I use my experience all the time to help the community but often run into groups that claim to be serving the interests of the community when in fact sometimes they are just serving themselves, careful who they let in, and even more guarded against making the group open to the public. It's a small but well intentioned group.
by the way, did they endorse any Arabs to challenge Pekau? Or did they just blame everyone else for not slating any Arabs. And why did they reject Mohammed Jaber's candidacy for trustee? Anyone who knows anything about that issue knows that certain members of "Orland United" didn't like Jaber and put their own interests first above the interests of the community.
I will set aside one person who pursuing a purely community driven goal and that is Yousif Zegar. I believe he did a great job trying to bring all the rival individuals together but unfortunately was pushed to only accept those who were "popular" and "acceptable" ...
The fact is Orland "United" wasn't united enough to slate any Arab Americans to run for public office even though Orland Park is 20 percent Arab. Our population did not turn out in November (9 months after Pekau expressed his racist remarks telling Yousif and others to "go to another country." I applaud Yousif and the people who attended that February 5 meeting, but I blame those who always get in the way and have rivalries of tearing up everything and blocking people they like or don't like instead of setting aside their own interests for the interests of the community.
I know dozens of people who participated in theOrland United group and I know what many of them said and what they did and what they failed to do.
I hope Orland United gets its act together, although I understand they have merged themselves with another newly created organization -- we have how many today, 120? -- call All United ... Good Luck ... but the old blueprints for success have proven not to work. It would be nice if someone would rise up above all this muck and lead with genuine concern for the community rather than with the personalities involved.
RAY HANANIA
This says it all. A columnist with alternate motivation. Maybe you should join Orland United Ray. It’s harder to be so judgmental when you are welcomed in but refuse. You’d think after 50 years you’d be leading from all that you have learned. We could use that expertise. Instead we get this.
I’m done commenting since I see the intention is CLEARLY opinion based, feels more like drama building then community building. ✌🏻
Thanks for sharing your opinions. I wish you more success next time.
IMO, there's plenty of opportunities for All United activism in Orland Park politics. Don't allow your opponents to define you. There's nothing more satisfying than surprising your opponents. Dream it, organize and work to make it real. Best wishes for your success!
the big problem for new groups is they are run by cliques and friends and allies, and do not really represent the entire community. the word "Democracy" becomes a label to make someone look good rather than one that represents the reality of something ...
The problem seems to be more how your language is what skews divisiveness instead of the reality. I think your article tries to paint the picture that there will always be arab divide. We can change that. We learn and grow when we are open to hearing our community. This article begins with that negative connotation. We are multifaceted community, not a monolith of thought. Time to not pin people or groups against one another, especially if you call yourself a journalist.
i’ve been working in Arab American politics for 50 years now. i spectate you’re opinion but i see the same problems over and over again. Activists claim leadership by pandering to our emotions and frustrations and tragedy, rather than by giving us good ideas. The reality of the Arab community in Orland Park doesn’t live up to the claims being made. Only 325 Arab Americans voted in the november presidential election which means Orland United failed to activate the community. there is a lot of empty talk but no real action. Arabs prefer to pretend their failures don’t exist rather than confronting the failures and fixing them. They just pretend they don’t exist and criticize those that point them out. The time is to recognize the truth, fix any problems and then move forward, not live in blindness
There is no doubt the Arab American community has not had an active roll in politics. We can thank Mayor Pekau for pushing our unity into motion. Within Orland United there is no room for ego, there is constant learning, unlearning and bringing our community together to be actively engaged and openminded. Also, there have been constant attempts to get every Arab/ Muslim running for office getting OU support. Those who want it of course. You knock the organization because you claim to have seen this before? As an Arab American with 50 years experience, maybe it’s time to use all that knowledge and push fwd for the greater good instead of just negativity in your articles that only further divides us. What’s the motivation?
Inshallah Orland United will be successful and EVERY person with pure intentions for our community will have a place. All are welcome. https://orlandunited.org/join
This is why I like reading your articles. I learn about the world and also about myself. Thanks!