VTMBH Article: Body
Members of New York's Arab community approvingly received the United Nations General Assembly's resolution to create a Palestinian state.
The UN Security Council, for the first time, backed the resolution last Tuesday. Over the years, the Security Council has adopted various resolutions asking for peace in the Middle East without mentioning the creation of Palestinian state.
Many Arabs reside and work in Astoria, Queens. There, they practice their religion and customs. Restaurants, grocery stores and cafés play Arab music, display pictures of Mecca, sell newspapers that inform the community of events in their countries, and serve delicious dishes such as moussaka or kishk.
"A Palestinian state must exist: it is their right. If there is no justice, there is no peace and generally the ones in power are not just," said Mohammed Habib, a Syrian vendor who works in a store on Steinway Avenue.
"God's message is the same in every religion and we all must look for it in our hearts. In the Middle East, we are not anti-Semitic because in the end we are all cousins, but the Jewish people have created a lot of problems."
Habib could not believe Arabs caused the destruction of September 11th, and he has seen no proof.
"Islam does not accept murder unless it is during war. God said in the Q'ran 'you shall not murder,' but how many people die daily around the world due to violence? After September 11th, we know more about some of the problems of the Muslims. Many times people are given weapons for evil against others, and that comes back. What the Taliban has done is not Islam."
Saben Khalil, an Egyptian woman, said she supported the UN resolution because, for many decades, the Palestinians have been defenseless. "They have been through wars, lived in camps, and have been assassinated without even knowing they were innocent. Many television stations in the United States partially favor the Israelis, but now they will be obligated to tell the truth. When people know it, they will sympathize with the Palestinians' cause."
A Lebanese owner of a grocery store in Astoria, who identifies himself as Moustafa, said he doesn't believe the United States has any intentions to resolve the conflict between Arabs and Israelis, because the Americans established themselves in this country in the same way that Jewish people have in Israel. Israelis murder Palestinians everyday, and when they respond the Israelis accused them of being terrorists. This is not just."
Ray Razeq, an employee of a pharmacy, agreed with Moustafa and saying United States is not interested in a solution to Palestinian problems. "They could have done it in the last five years, a country as powerful as this; if they wanted to do something they would have done it. I hope this does not stay as words but become actions."
But other Arabs, like Moroccan Hicham Aliami, believe both Palestinians and Israelis are suffering and something must be done to have peace. "This is important for the whole world, not just the Middle East."
The UN Security Council, for the first time, backed the resolution last Tuesday. Over the years, the Security Council has adopted various resolutions asking for peace in the Middle East without mentioning the creation of Palestinian state.
Many Arabs reside and work in Astoria, Queens. There, they practice their religion and customs. Restaurants, grocery stores and cafés play Arab music, display pictures of Mecca, sell newspapers that inform the community of events in their countries, and serve delicious dishes such as moussaka or kishk.
"A Palestinian state must exist: it is their right. If there is no justice, there is no peace and generally the ones in power are not just," said Mohammed Habib, a Syrian vendor who works in a store on Steinway Avenue.
"God's message is the same in every religion and we all must look for it in our hearts. In the Middle East, we are not anti-Semitic because in the end we are all cousins, but the Jewish people have created a lot of problems."
Habib could not believe Arabs caused the destruction of September 11th, and he has seen no proof.
"Islam does not accept murder unless it is during war. God said in the Q'ran 'you shall not murder,' but how many people die daily around the world due to violence? After September 11th, we know more about some of the problems of the Muslims. Many times people are given weapons for evil against others, and that comes back. What the Taliban has done is not Islam."
Saben Khalil, an Egyptian woman, said she supported the UN resolution because, for many decades, the Palestinians have been defenseless. "They have been through wars, lived in camps, and have been assassinated without even knowing they were innocent. Many television stations in the United States partially favor the Israelis, but now they will be obligated to tell the truth. When people know it, they will sympathize with the Palestinians' cause."
A Lebanese owner of a grocery store in Astoria, who identifies himself as Moustafa, said he doesn't believe the United States has any intentions to resolve the conflict between Arabs and Israelis, because the Americans established themselves in this country in the same way that Jewish people have in Israel. Israelis murder Palestinians everyday, and when they respond the Israelis accused them of being terrorists. This is not just."
Ray Razeq, an employee of a pharmacy, agreed with Moustafa and saying United States is not interested in a solution to Palestinian problems. "They could have done it in the last five years, a country as powerful as this; if they wanted to do something they would have done it. I hope this does not stay as words but become actions."
But other Arabs, like Moroccan Hicham Aliami, believe both Palestinians and Israelis are suffering and something must be done to have peace. "This is important for the whole world, not just the Middle East."