The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) is an organization that works to advance the interests of Arab-Americans. The organization was co-founded by former U.S. Senator James Abourek (D-SD) and left-wing activist James Zogby, who currently heads the Sanders Institute, a think tank created in the wake of the presidential campaign of self-described socialist U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
Despite its claims to be a civil rights organization interested in peace, it has been accused of supporting terrorism. It has also given awards to well-known anti-Semites.
As of January 2019, the ADC and other organizations (including its 501(c)(3) affiliate ADC Research Institute) were involved in a lawsuit against the U.S. government related to a proposed citizenship question on the 2020 U.S. census.
Activism
Hate Crime Monitoring
As of 2018, the ADC has partnered with the FBI and left-of-center groups, including the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Human Rights Campaign, the NAACP, and the National Organization for Women, to monitor hate crimes.1
Voter Registration
In 2012, the ADC announced that it formed a partnership with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a controversial anti-Israel group. The two organizations worked together on voter outreach and voter registration in key states such as Florida, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.4 5 Members of the American Muslim Task Force for Palestine include American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), Muslim American Society (MAS), Muslim Student Association-National (MSA), Muslim Legal Fund of America (MLFA), Muslim Ummah of North America (MUNA), and Young Muslims (YM). 5 The event called for a ceasefire in Gaza following the attack against Israel by the terror group Hamas on October 7, 2023 and the resulting war between Israel and Hamas, for the US to halt funding Israel’s “genocide against Gaza and the occupation of Palestine,” 6 and to hold Israel accountable for, “war crimes committed against the Palestinian people.” 6
Controversies
Award for Helen Thomas
In 2010, the ADC gave former Hearst Newspapers White House correspondent Helen Thomas its Mehdi Courage in Journalism award. Thomas resigned after she told a rabbi Jews need to “get the hell out of Palestine” and go to “Poland, Germany . . . and America, and anywhere else.”12 He previously served as the organization’s national legal & policy director. 17 Its largest expense in 2015 was $361,002 on regional and local activities to promote its mission. Its second largest expense was $235,108 on its annual convention. 17
Samer Khalaf earned $72,250 and Nabil Mohamad earned $47,501 from the group in 2015. 17
The ADC has received funding from the Agape Foundation, the Open Society Foundations, and the Public Welfare Foundation. Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal provided funding for ADC’s headquarters building. 0){
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