April
Despite the coronavirus lockdown at the start of the year, we continued to make our voices heard in Washington and across the country. In early April, Molly Rozbeh wrote a compelling plea to sign her White House petition calling for more pressure on Iran, not less due to the coronavirus as was being argued. Hossein published an article praising President Trump’s handing of the coronavirus. Joe Biden’s open borders policy would have been a disaster. Remember when he called Trump a xenophobe for restricting travel from China? When it’s between common sense and political correctness, we side with common sense and President Trump! When President Trump bombed a Syrian chemical weapons plant, MECHRIC issued a statement of support and criticized an anti-US statement by Syrian Bishops.
May
In May, we started off with several media opportunities including Al Arabiya, where Tom Harb argued for Trump against what might happen to Middle East policy under Biden; and Al Hadith, where Dr. Ashley Ansara discussed the Iran-Venezuela oil partnership; and on Kurdistan TV, where he discussed the future of the Iraqi economy after the price of oil plunged.
AMCD Vice-Chair, Hossein Khorram drew attention to the bravery of Manuchehr Bakthiari, who boldly appeared holding the ancient flag of Iran’s proud past. And we applauded US Special Representative, Brian Hook, when he called for reform of the Persian Voice of America, which had long been more a voice for the Iranian mullahs, rather than America’s voice giving hope to the Iranian people.
The World Council for the Cedars Revolution acting under the AMCD umbrella blasted the head of Hezbollah, Hasan Nasrallah, for obstructing UN peacekeepers trying to remove weapons from Southern Lebanon.
June
When the New York Times launched an attack on our advisor, Dr. Walid Phares, we mounted a vigorous counter-attack. AMCD Executive Director Rebecca Bynum also wrote a detailed defense in New English Review which was translated into Arabic and appeared Levant News in both English and Arabic versions.
Then we refuted Nadia Elias’ poisonous propaganda pouring antisemitic gasoline on the fire of anti-police demonstrations by claiming that Israel trains our police in lethal techniques for subduing criminals. John Hajjar defended the US on BBC Arabic against the charge of “institutional racism” in the wake of George Floyd’s death and the ensuing riots.
The World Council for the Cedars Revolution condemned the attempt to silence the US Ambassador to Lebanon for having the temerity to criticize Hezbollah.
The Middle East Christian Committee acting under the AMCD umbrella sounded the alarm about the Jihadist-inspired destruction of Christian symbols, including that of Saint Louis which is being cheered on by the Council on American Islamic Relations, a Muslim Brotherhood front group and the reversion of the Hagia Sophia in Turkey from museum to mosque. In addition, we have seen numerous churches burned and Christian statues destroyed all across the country. This is an ominous development.
We stand with President Trump for law and order and traditional American values. On to the campaign!