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BRIDGES story was marred

On Nov. 22, the Kalamazoo Gazette reported on the program held at Western Michigan University's Bernhard Center announcing the start of the BRIDGES (Building Respect in Diverse Groups to Enhance Sensitivity) program for Western Michigan. BRIDGES, which seeks to promote understanding between the very much threatened Arab and Muslim community and the federal government, was held out as somehow being the creation of Jeff Collins, the United States attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, and followed by Margaret Chiara, Collins' West Michigan counterpart. The Gazette has its facts wrong. BRIDGES is the creation of the American-Arab Anti-discrimination Committee, the nation's largest Arab and Muslim civil rights group, founded by former U.S. Sen. James Abourezk. While Collins and Chiara deserve credit for their willing support of the program, it was created through the vision and leadership of Imad Hamad in Dearborn, and Ali Labib, president of the American-Arab Anti-discrimination Committee in Kalamazoo.

From the outset, the committee in Kalamazoo has created the opportunity for the various forums over the last year, including the dinner on Nov. 21, for outreach by the Arab and Muslim community to the federal government, not the other way around.

Jim Rodbard

Board member, ADC of Kalamazoo