Sunday, February 5, 2017

FLASH BACKFILL: “THE DEMOCRATS AND THE REV. KHADER EL YATEEM” EDITION

IS PALESTINIAN-CHRISTIAN CLERIC, KHADER EL YATEEM, EVEN RUNNING FOR ANYTHING  ---  AND IF SO  ---  DOES HE HAVE ANY POLITICAL SUPPORT ANYWHERE FROM ANYBODY ? ? ?


ALTHOUGH BRIEFLY AND CASUALLY MENTIONED AS A >>> POSSIBLE DEMOCRATIC PARTY CANDIDATE <<< MORE THAN A MONTH AGO  ---  SO FAR, IT DOES NOT APPEAR THAT THE PALESTINIAN-BORN CLERIC HAS MADE ANY ABOVE-GROUND MOVES TOWARD RUNNING FOR THE NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL

THE PAULA KATINAS COVERAGE IN THE EAGLE

According to the most descriptive of local media report on the subject so far, which is now a month old,   “An intriguing new name has been mentioned as a possible candidate for the City Council seat representing Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights. The Rev. Khader El-Yateem, a Palestinian who is the pastor of the Salam Arabic Lutheran Church, is rumored to be considering running for the seat currently held by term-limited Democrat Vincent Gentile…  The Rev. Khader El-Yateem is a respected religious and civic leader in the Arab-American community in Bay Ridge….  King County Politics was the first to report that Pastor El-Yateem was a potential candidate for the council….   Pastor El-Yateem is a well-known name in Arab-American and civic circles in Bay Ridge. He is a member of Community Board 10 and is one of the founders of the Bay Ridge Unity Task Force, a group of religious and civic leaders who work to bring people of various nationalities together to fight prejudice….( See  “Rev. Khader El-Yateem is Community Board 10 member” by Paula Katinas, 1/5/17,  [Brooklyn Daily Eagle  [http://www.brooklyneagle.com/articles/2017/1/5/arab-american-leader-said-be-eyeing-city-council-run]).

The Paula Katinas piece in the Eagle also goes on to state    “King County Politics was the first to report that Pastor El-Yateem was a potential candidate for the council….”
And that  ---  “…   Pastor El-Yateem is a well-known name in Arab-American and civic circles in Bay Ridge. He is a member of Community Board 10 and is one of the founders of the Bay Ridge Unity Task Force, a group of religious and civic leaders who work to bring people of various nationalities together to fight prejudice….   Pastor El-Yateem stands a great chance of garnering widespread support within Bay Ridge’s large and vibrant Arab-American community, according to political observers….   Khader El-Yateem was born in the West Bank in 1968. He studied at the Bethlehem Bible College. He went on to study at the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo. He worked for a year at the Bethlehem Bible College and was the youth minister at the Reformation Lutheran Church in the Middle East….   Within a few years, he was invited by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to come to the U.S. and work with the Arab and Middle Eastern communities. He studied at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia and later founded the Salam Arabic Lutheran Church in Bay Ridge.

WHAT KINGS COUNTY POLITICS HAD TO SAY ABOUT THE REVEREND’S “UNCONFIRMED RUN” 

Reverend Khader El-Yateem, a Palestinian Christian clergyman, originally from Jesus’ birthplace of Bethlehem in the West Bank of what now is Israel is fast becoming the consensus choice of candidate among Bay Ridge’s large Arab community to run for next years vacant city council seat representing the neighborhood, according to a source very familiar with local politics….   El-Yateem is the pastor of the popular and politically connected Salam Arabic Lutheran Church, 414 80th Street. A person answering calls at the church would not confirm or deny that El-Yateem is running ….Although not a Muslim, there is a sizable portion of Bay Ridge’s Arab-American population from Lebanon, Syria and elsewhere in the Middle East that is Christian and from which El-Yateem will likely get support….   Additionally, El-Yateem, according to several posts on his Facebook page, is a supporter of the recent resolution condemning Israel’s continued building of settlements on the contested West Bank and the Obama Administration’s support of the resolution through its’ abstention vote. This view will assuredly win him strong support in the large Palestinian and Arab-Muslim communities of Bay Ridge….” (See  “Jockeying For The Inside Track For Gentile’s Bay Ridge Seat” by Stephen Witt,  12.27/16,  Kings County Politics  [http://www.kingscountypolitics.com/jockeying-inside-track-gentiles-bay-ridge-seat/]).  
Stephen Witt’s article went on to note that  ---  “Promanent  [sic] Bay Ridge Palestinian-American activist Linda Sarsour did not return calls at post time to comment on El-Yateem running. Murad Awawdeh, who founded the Muslim Democratic Club of New York with Sarsour, said he is not aware that El-Yateem is considering a run for the seat.   ‘The club will interview all the candidates and decide which one they will back,’ he said…. "
Perhaps the most important observation in the "Kings County Politics" is this phrase:  "...  The unconfirmed news of El-Yateem running…”



17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Congratulations Gale.

You finally found a candidate that Quag can defeat.

Anonymous said...

Capano is talking about a tax on a Nickel bag? My dealer says nobody has sold Nickel Bags in decades. So out of touch.

Anonymous said...

El Yateem leans on Sarsour for political advice, otherwise there are no similarities between the two. He is a good man, whereas we all know what Sarsour is but don't need to mention in polite company.

Anonymous said...

1049am
So i guess you are alao attacking Marty Golden for leading on this issue also??
Ahahaha

Anonymous said...

Back atcha 12:05 PM, lighten up, stay groovy. These are the jokes, Man!

Anonymous said...

Did the commenter above previously write for the Mod Squad?

Galewyn Massey said...

MORE, FURTHER DEEPER BACKFILL: THE “MORE ABOUT REV. KHADER EL-YATEEM” EDITION

According to a group called C.U.R.E. [Community Understanding for Racial Equality], in which Rev. Khader El-Yateem is listed as a “Community Leader” --- Rev. Khader El-Yateem was born in the West Bank town of Beit Jala in 1968. After graduating from High School he studied at the Bethlehem Bible College and graduated with a diploma in theology. From there he studied at the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo, Egypt and got his Bachelor's degree. He worked for a year at the Bethlehem Bible College and the youth minister at the Reformation Lutheran Church in Beit Jala. After that he was invited by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to come to America and work as a Mission Developer among the Arab and Middle Eastern community. He studied at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia and graduated with the M. Div degree. Pastor El-Yateem was called by the Division for Outreach to start Salam Arabic Lutheran Church in Brooklyn , New York which became the First official Arabic Lutheran Church in North America…. Rev. El-Yateem serves on many Boards in the America and aboard. Lately he has been elected to serve on the board of the Arab Anti Discrimination Committee (ADC)…. Pastor El-Yateem was featured in a documentary done by PBS called Caught in the Cross Fire. Arab Americans in War Time. Reverend El-Yateem is married with 4 children.” (See C.U.R.E. Webpage/ Directors and Leaders [http://www.curenyc.com/directors/kelyateem.htm]).

There also was a little more information in an even older post on the “Brooklyn Reporter” blog, as follows: “Khader El-Yateem, Pastor at Salam Arabic Lutheran Church, Chairperson of the Board for the multicultural unit of the Lutheran Evangelical Church in America, board member of Community Board 10,board member of the Arab-American Association of New York, community liaison for the Arabic community at Maimonides Medical Center…. PERSONAL: El-Yateem moved to the U.S. from Bethlehem in 1992, to attend Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. He admits that becoming accustomed to American culture was a struggle. I was 22, and it was challenging to learn the culture and the system, El-Yateem said. Thank God I had great mentors and friends who tookthe time to help me become the person I am today. After graduating from seminary in 1995, he was appointed to his current role as pastor at Salam Arabic Lutheran Church in Bay Ridge. El-Yateem is married with four children, three girls and a boy. His wife Grace is the school nurse at P.S. 204. He says his family is very supportive when it comes to his job. They see me in the church, El-Yateem explained. They know my work is very demanding and I need to be out in the community to serve their needs….” (See “STAR OF BROOKLYN: Khader El-Yateem” by Jesse Lent, 7/25/11, Brooklyn Reporter [http://brooklynreporter.com/story/star-of-brooklyn-khader-el-yateem/]).

Anonymous said...

Can you beat this? John Quaglione is going to be the first recipient ever of the Larry Morrish Community Service Award. Now, if that doesn't show that candidate JQ has a tin ear, then nothing does.

What next, the Willie Sutton Community Banking Award or the Robert Moses Catholic Neighborhoods Preservation Award?

Plus, if the presentation isn't by Chuck Otey, with a presentation dinner whose unaudited proceeds will be going to whatever, it's not the real thing.

Anonymous said...

another astute post, Gale. I don't know why scribes keep on mentioning Sarsour in their articles. Those 'in the know' all say Sarsour is *not* running because she knows her Halal Sharpton act is too divisive for the 43rd District. Besides, Linda is well on her way to becoming the Muslim Oprah complete with her own TV talk-show. Mark my words...... But now since Sansour has decided against running herself, she has deviously propped up this man of the cloth as her Manchurian Candidate. This man goes by Rev. FKhader El-Nyateem and I would ask that you all ((BEWARE)) because before he makes any decisions, he consults Sarsour. He will be her puppet

Anonymous said...

I'm curious about something. When the Brooklyn Conservatives sell out to the highest bidder each election, do they have a silent auction, or is it the real thing where the interested parties gather and have that auctioneer guy start the bidding?

Anonymous said...

It sounds like the Brooklyn Republican Party is becoming more and more like the Staten Island Democratic Party. We are throwing in the towel before the fight even starts for a handful of patronage jobs in the courts. What a frickin shame !!!

Anonymous said...

There is no Republican Party in Brooklyn. Ted Ghorra is Marty Golden's puppet who is owned lock stock and barrel by the Conservatives.

Anonymous said...

Ghorra has returned? I thought that got wiped out along with syphylis.

Anonymous said...

Councilwoman Nancy Tong.

Get used to it.

Galewyn Massey said...

RESPONSE: THE "AT LEAST ONE DEMOCRAT THAT I KNOW IS TROLLING THIS BLOG" EDITION

TO: "ANONYMOUS SAID... AT 7:32 PM"

YOU KNOW THAT I KNOW WHO YOU ARE.....

Your Nancy Tong stuff is pure nonsense.

Everybody knows that Oriental office seekers really only succeed in runs for local public office when the Oriental population in the district is over 90%.

Anonymous said...

The only shot of a Republican-Conservative candidate winning a City Council spot in Brooklyn is if Nancy Tong is the Democrats' nominee in the 43d Council District.

Anonymous said...

Justin won't even make it out of the Primary against Nancy Tong. He is a legend in his own mind.