LEBANON: Pushing for Obama abroad
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David Munir Nabti says he realizes he’s just a small link in a big chain. Nonetheless, the Lebanese American political activist says he believes that his alternative voice as a U.S. citizen living overseas will eventually reach policymakers back home.
Despite moving to Lebanon in 2004 to bond with his roots and work in the development field, Nabti never really lost his connection with the U.S. It is in California, where he grew up and later studied political science.
So last year, with a small group of like-minded people, he decided to start the Lebanon chapter of Democrats Abroad, which is the official overseas branch of the U.S. Democratic Party with members in 164 countries.
A big supporter of Sen. Barack Obama for president, Nabti wanted to encourage Lebanese Americans and U.S. nationals residing in Lebanon to vote in the upcoming presidential race.
His group has begun to carry out voter registration drives in to engage Lebanese who hold U.S. citizenship but do not feel particularly connected with their second country.
But Nabti thinks that he has a bigger role to play. He hopes to bring a “new perspective, and a crucial voice” to the U.S. political process during this tumultuous time in the Middle East.
In March, he was the first American from the Arab world to become a delegate to the committee for the Democrats Abroad Europe-Middle East-Africa region. He will participate at the end of August in the Democratic National Convention in Denver, where he will get the chance to interact with fellow Democratic activists.
Nabti recently sat down with the Los Angeles Times to talk about his organization and his hopes for a better U.S. foreign policy in the region.
Los Angeles Times: What is the main goal of the Lebanon Chapter of Democrats Abroad?
David Munir Nabti: The whole idea for us in Lebanon is to try to find ways to engage Americans in the U.S. political process, whether this involves domestic U.S. issues, foreign policy or the environment.... We believe that the voice of Americans abroad is desperately needed in the U.S. political process to give a sense of international awareness that is largely lacking within the U.S. population and the U.S. political process.... A big reason why the U.S. [Middle East] policy in the past years was so disastrous is because of the failure to know more about the region and feel concerned about it.... In many ways, Americans living abroad tend to have different perspectives because of their exposure to many different cultures and environments.
LAT: You are participating in the Democrats Abroad worldwide meetings. What has been the contribution of the Lebanon chapter?
DMN: We have done policy research and development around the Democrats Abroad platform. I went to Vancouver for the global convention [of Democrats Abroad] where the platform was finalized and we were able to get quite a few points included that were very important, ranging from immigration issues to cluster bombs. We also talked about a nuclear-free [Middle East] region, a balanced role for the U.S. in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and a more positive role for the U.S. in Lebanon. We are trying to find out how we can publicize these issues.
LAT: As an Arab American, do you feel frustrated by Obama voicing an unequivocal support for Israel in his AIPAC speech and during his recent trip to the region?
DMN: I don’t hold the politicians as accountable for their pro-Israel stance, which in many ways could be inappropriate or unfair or unjust. But I do hold more accountable the people who know and care about the security and circumstances and stability of this region and do not act out and speak out and vote and participate. We have to use our voice to push for more pursuit of justice and of having the U.S. play a more positive role in the region.
LAT: If Obama wins the U.S. presidential election against Sen. John McCain, would that make a difference for the Middle East?
DMN: If Obama gets elected, the likelihood of the U.S. or of Israel with U.S. support attacking Iran is much less likely than under McCain. Of course, the impact of that would be absolutely huge. In terms of improving relations between Syria and Israel it could be dramatic and different. The impact of that on Lebanon would be substantial. Even for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the difference would be substantial. Hearing some of the McCain rhetoric regarding the region is very frightening.... Hearing Obama’s rhetoric of dialogue, of discussion, of diplomacy is much more helpful and reassuring. But we in Democrats Abroad are concerned about U.S. domestic issues, education, for example. Having a more globally relevant education system in the U.S. is needed. Learning about current events would help Americans be more in touch and aware of the world around them. We are also concerned about environmental issues, emigration and civil marriage.
LAT: What was one interesting activity that the Lebanon Chapter of Democrats Abroad conducted?
DMN: We participated in the “Yes, We Span” event, which recalls Obama’s “Yes We Can” slogan. The idea was to take pictures of supporters of Obama in front of famous bridges around the world. Dozens of countries participated. We decided to take photos in front of the Sowfar bridge [close to the eastern Lebanese border with Syria] because ironically that bridge was destroyed by Israeli fighter planes, which were largely subsidized by the U.S., and the bridge is being built with U.S. tax-paid dollars.... So American citizens paid to destroy the bridge and are paying to rebuild it.
— Raed Rafei in Beirut
Top, members of Democrats Abroad Lebanon pose near Lebanon’s Sawfar Bridge, which was destroyed in a 2006 Israeli air strike. Credit: Roger Soweid. Bottom, David Munir Nabti at a coffeeshop in Beirut. Credit: Raed Rafei / Los Angeles Times.