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<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 color=black face="Comic Sans MS"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:black;font-weight:
bold'>Why were Deb Shafto, Green for Governor, and Kathy Glass, Libertarian for
Governor, not invited to AACC to talk to people?! Do their voices not count?
Have Arab Americans never heard of Greens or Libertarians? What’s the
deal?<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 color=black face="Comic Sans MS"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:black;font-weight:
bold'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 color=black face="Comic Sans MS"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:black;font-weight:
bold'>Kris<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 color=black face="Comic Sans MS"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:black;font-weight:
bold'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 color=black face="Comic Sans MS"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:black;font-weight:
bold'><a href="http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7210222.html">http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7210222.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 color=black face="Comic Sans MS"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:black;font-weight:
bold'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></p>
<h1><b><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Perry,
White speak at former candidate's event<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></h1>
<h2><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Farouk
Shami spotlights his Arab American Voters organization<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></h2>
<h3><span class=fn><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>By JOE HOLLEY</span></font></b></span><font size=3><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'><br>
<st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span class=fn>HOUSTON</span></st1:place></st1:City><span
class=fn> CHRONICLE</span><o:p></o:p></span></font></h3>
<h4><abbr class="updated" title="2010-09-21T04:03:00Z"><b><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Sept. 20, 2010, 11:03PM<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></abbr></h4>
<p class=text-textbodyhoustontext><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'><!-- Ad 120x60 -->After a six-month sabbatical from
the public spotlight, Farouk Shami, the <st1:City w:st="on">Houston</st1:City>
hair magnate who aspired to be governor of <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Texas</st1:place></st1:State>, re-emerged Monday night in a big way.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=text-textbodyhoustontext id=id2419020><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Hosting the inaugural
event of his new organization, Arab American Voters, Shami welcomed both Gov.
Rick Perry and former Houston Mayor Bill White to the chandeliered ballroom of
the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Arab-American</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Cultural</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Center</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>,
where the two gubernatorial candidates addressed — at different times
— an audience of more than 200 people. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=text-textbodyhoustontext id=id2424912><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>"Frankly I was
hoping he'd be introducing me," Shami, who challenged White for the
Democratic Party's spot on the gubernatorial ballot, told the audience as he
introduced Perry.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=text-textbodyhoustontext id=id2424918><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>"Arab American
Voters originated," Shami said in an interview afterward, "because of
my loss of an election. Necessity is the mother of invention. I didn't
win."<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=text-textbodyhoustontext id=id2424923><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Jamilah Shami, Farouk
Shami's niece, is the executive director of the non-profit, non-partisan
organization.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=text-textbodyhoustontext><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Its purpose is three-fold, she said: to get Arab
Americans registered to vote, to get out the vote and to educate members of the
Arab American community about becoming politically active.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=text-textbodyhoustontext><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Twenty-two nations are represented in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Houston</st1:place></st1:City>'s Arab American community, Jamilah
Shami said. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=text-textbodyhoustontext id=id2419711><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>"Approximately
120,000 Houstonians are Arab American, but not all of them are documented
citizens," said Dr. Semil Tuma, a physician who serves as president of the
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Arab-American</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Cultural</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Center</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>.
"But of those who have the right to vote, only 15 to 20 percent actually
vote."<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=text-textbodyhoustontext id=id2419718><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Tuma said that low number
is the result, in part, of experiences many Arab Americans have had in their
countries of origin. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=text-textbodyhoustontext id=id2419723><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>"In many countries,
getting involved in politics can get you in trouble somehow," he said.
"We want to increase the awareness of the right to vote for all people of
Arab American heritage."<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=text-textbodyhoustontext id=id2418883><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Both gubernatorial
candidates relied on versions of their standard stump speeches, although White
was able to remind his audience that they had worked together during his years
in the mayor's office. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=text-textbodyhoustontext id=id2418889><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>"We've been through
a lot together," he said.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=text-textbodyhoustontext id=id2418892><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>He also reminded his
audience that Shami was willing to debate during the Democratic primary, while
Perry has refused.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=text-textbodyhoustontext id=id2418897><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>"We need our state
government to be run as an efficient organization using customer-service
principles," he said.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=text-textbodyhoustontext id=id2419724><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Perry spoke of the four
principles of government that he said have guided his administration during his
decade in the governor's office: "Don't spend all the money, have a tax
and regulatory policy that are fair and predictable, have a legal system in
place that does not allow for over-suing and appropriately fund accountable
public schools."<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=text-textbodyhoustontext id=id2418910><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>"Here in <st1:State
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Texas</st1:place></st1:State>," Perry said,
"you're free to keep the money that other states would take as income tax.
You're free to worship as you choose. This state is plenty big to embrace many
faiths."<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=text-textbodyhoustontext id=id2418915><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Mark Shabib, 41, a <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Sugar</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Land</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>
insurance agent who describes himself as a political independent, gave the
governor's speech a mixed review.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=text-textbodyhoustontext id=id2418920><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>"A lot of people in
that audience are scared because of 9/11 and what's happened since," said
Shabib, who is of Palestinian descent. "I wish he had addressed that issue
and had reminded us that we are all Texans who look out for each other. I agree
with him on one thing though. <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Texas</st1:place></st1:State>
is the only state where you can prosper and succeed. <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Texas</st1:place></st1:State> is the land of opportunity."<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=taglines id=id2419637><em><i><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'><a href="mailto:joe.holley@chron.com">joe.holley@chron.com</a>
</span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
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