Harry Reid joins the #HummusHaters
With all the anti-Arab bashing we see in the news every week, Arab America is determined to expose those who discriminate against our community. We will recognize those who vilify the positive influence and contributions Arabs have made to the fabric of American society. And we will use hummus as our weapon. By naming those who vilify the Arab American community as #HummusHaters, we can express our culture positively while showing intolerance to bigotry.
BY: Nisreen Eadeh/Staff Writer
Meet Jesse Sbaih. He is a Jordanian American who immigrated to the United States when he was eleven years old. After working hard to become an educated and accomplished trial lawyer, Sbaih decided to run as a democrat for Nevada’s 3rd Congressional district. Sbaih is facing pushback, though, from Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) who allegedly told Sbaih in January that “you’re gonna have a problem winning, as a Muslim, as an Arab.”
At first, Sbaih kept quiet about this comment, but now he feels that Senator Reid is doing all he can to stop the campaign. According to Sbaih, the Senator encouraged labor and special interest groups not to meet with the Congressional hopeful when he visited Washington, DC to gain support. Reid’s team denies saying this, but believes that “to run for a congressional seat, your first time, you’re going to lose. And you need more experience.”
However, there is a person Senator Reid is supporting for this open seat. Reid openly recruited Sbaih’s opponent Jacky Rosen, who is the leader of a prominent synagogue in Nevada and has no political experience at the local, state, or federal level. So why is it that Sbaih’s lack of experience is bad, but Rosen’s is acceptable? Probably because Harry Reid hasn’t tried some of Jesse Sbaih’s delicious hummus. Harry Reid is today’s #HummusHater for sabotaging a Jordanian American’s campaign, but we’re sure he would offer support in the election if he talks to Sbaih in person over some hummus and pita bread.