The Arab American Institute (AAI) is circulating a petition amongst Arab Americans throughout the country in an effort to communicate a clear and succinct Arab American agenda to the eventual Democratic and Republican presidential nominees. They will deliver this petition to the nominees at the Democratic and Republican National Conventions in August and September, respectively.

It is important for Arab Americans to sign this petition to demonstrate our community’s influence and commitment through our numbers. They will deliver your name, city, and state to the nominees when we present the petition. All other information including email, street address, and telephone number will be kept strictly confidential.


Yalla Vote 2008 National Petition
At home and abroad, America faces serious challenges. The results of the 2008 presidential election will in large part decide our nation's future course.

As concerned Americans, here is what we seek in our next president:

At home, we have become increasingly concerned by the loss of civility in our national discourse and the erosion of basic civil liberties.
We want leadership that builds our national community, promotes respect for all faiths and ethnicities, and recognizes that within our diversity lies our nation's greatest strength.

We seek the protection of those fundamental Constitutional freedoms enshrined in the Bill of Rights and a renewed commitment to the rule of law.
Abroad, we are deeply troubled by the degree to which a unilateral approach has left America more isolated, less respected, and less secure in a changing world.

We want an American foreign policy that will bring peace with justice and self-determination to the Palestinians, reconciliation and full sovereignty to Lebanon, and security and an end to the occupation and war for the people of Iraq.

We want a strong America that leads by example, supporting the implementation of outstanding U.N. Security Council Resolutions and complying with international conventions.

We want a foreign policy that restores America's image abroad and addresses the root causes of extremism rather than fueling it; a foreign policy that provides for national security by strongly advocating tolerance of ethnic and religious differences, respect for human rights, and freedom from arbitrary violence and oppression – the same American ideals we hold and promote at home.
These are the issues we seek to bring to the national debate and these are the issues on which we will base our vote in 2008.