DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, May 11, 2007
No Welcome Wagon For Arab Tourists
U.S. Promoters Pass On Opportunity To Lure Wealthy Visitors From Mideast
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Visitors take photos with their mobile phones at the City of Arabia stand during the Arabian Travel Market exhibition in Dubai. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)
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Emarati men visit the Brazil stand during the Arabian Travel Market exhibition in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)
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But not a single promoter from the United States turned up.
Instead, the U.S. government sent officials from the Department of Homeland Security to demonstrate its mandatory fingerprinting of Arab and other foreign visitors. The only other U.S. presence inside the Americas hall at the show came from a tiny boutique hotel in New York.
"It's bizarre," said Sarah Wood, promoting Canada's Ontario and Niagara Falls at a nearby booth. "People ask us where the U.S. booth is and we point them to the Homeland Security booth."
A pair of U.S. Homeland Security officials at the show did their best to give details on America's tourist sights, such as the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas, while explaining that being fingerprinted by U.S. immigration officials doesn't mean a person should feel like a criminal.
"We tell them, 'We want you to come to the United States,"' said DHS spokeswoman Kimberly Weissman. "They ask us about destinations and we give them our personal anecdotes."
The United States used to send small delegations to the show — the Arabian Travel Market — but those dried up after the Sept. 11 attacks, organizers said. Show chairman Tom Nutley has said American operators no longer see Arab tourists as a viable market. Tightened U.S. visa restrictions on Arabs have also kept many tourists away.
Visitors at the show said the lack of U.S. promoters gives the impression that Arabs are no longer welcome in America.
"Maybe they don't want Arabs to visit," said Hussein bin Mutlaq, 52, a retired Emirates army officer. Bin Mutlaq said it was ironic that the Gulf militaries and governments have such close relations with Washington but that individual visits have become so difficult. Two Emiratis were among the 19 Sept. 11 hijackers. Fifteen came from neighboring Saudi Arabia.
Another visitor, who declined to give his name, said he wanted to visit America but was put off when he was told that his uncle was strip-searched three times.
The World Tourism Organization said Arab tourists from the Gulf states spent more than $12 billion on foreign vacations in 2005. Figures for 2006 were not immediately available.
The American absence was an opportunity for others.
A Kuwaiti tour operator, Thomas Sam, said he booked 1,000 nights of hotel stays for clients traveling to Australia, Europe and Asia. Morocco's Go Holiday tour operator reported 30 major agreements to handle package tours from Kuwait, Tunisia, Bahrain, Indonesia and Syria. An Emirati operator, Hassan al-Sabbagh said he'd set up new package vacations in Cyprus because of increasing Arab demand.
New York City's absence at the convention was especially perplexing, as Emirates airlines flies three daily direct flights to New York, and Etihad airlines operates another daily direct New York flight from the Emirates capital Abu Dhabi.
U.S. carrier Delta Airlines operated a small booth at the convention, offering special fares on its five weekly flights between Dubai and Atlanta, starting May 31. Qatar Airways announced it would begin nonstop flights from Doha to Washington this summer and would begin service to New York via Geneva in June.
But even in the absence of U.S. promoters, Arab affinity toward American culture was evident.
Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe impersonators posed for photographs at the floor show, while American-style cheerleaders performed in front of the Qatar pavilion.
American companies investing in the Arab world, such as American Express and Hertz attended the show.
Two major U.S. theme parks announced they would open franchises in Dubai. Universal Studios, which operates theme parks in Florida, California and Japan, said it would build a $2.2 billion amusement park inside the gargantuan Dubailand amusement zone. Nickelodeon Recreation announced Thursday that it would also open a theme park by 2011 in Dubailand.
But no U.S. theme parks — not even Universal Studios — sent envoys to attract Arab visitors to America.
© MMVII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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See all 66 CommentsNEVER FORGET THE RAPES OF BESLAN GIRLS!
Terror at Beslan
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1316935651894423094
RAPES IN BESLAN: IN MUHAMMAD%u2019S FOOTSTEPS
http://www.chroniclesmagazine.org/News/Trifkovic04/NewsST091304.html
Forget Not the Children of Beslan
http://kenlydell.typepad.com/islamic_evil/forget_not_the_children_of_beslan/index.html
Religion of Peace??? More like a cult of death.
http://www.terrorists-suck.org/why_suck/beslan.html
Radical Islamists must be stopped:
comments on the Beslan child slaughter.
http://www.sullivan-county.com/immigration/list.htm
Japanese (we put them in internment camps), Germans, etc. This too shall pass. This might serve as a lesson to our future enemies. Don't even think about because you don't want the USA
as your enemy.
THOSE WHO FOLLOW ISLAM ARE MANDATED TO EITHER OVERTLY OR PASSIVELY SPREAD IT THROUGHOUT SOCIETY. THERE IS BOTH A HARD SELL AND A SOFT SELL APPROACH. TOURISM IS DEFINITELY A SOFT SELL.
THOSE WHO FOLLOW ISLAM ARE MANDATED TO EITHER OVERTLY OR PASSIVELY SPREAD IT THROUGHOUT SOCIETY. THERE IS BOTH A HARD SELL AND A SOFT SELL APPROACH. TOURISM IS DEFINITELY A SOFT SELL.
Geeez Abdule.......YA THINK??????
You are right on the money. NO one likes them. They are a far bigger problem in this country than all the illegals combined. I just want them ALL out. Illegals and Middle Easterners.
It is the same in the United States, only we call it Politics. (Who controls the money controls the power.)
We are the ONLY country in the world that has all the freedoms we do, but with those freedoms comes responsibility.
YES we need to defend ourselves, but we must make sure that we are defending ourselves against the right people and when we have to opportunity to do the right thing, DO IT and not wait for a more opportune time so we can look better or make more money off it or call the media, and wait so we get our names in the media.
Let's GROW UP and do the right thing ! ! ! ! !
Posted by Consciousnes at 11:33 AM : May 11, 2007
Some of us "grew up" on September 11th. The fewer middle eastern muslims in this country, the better off we all are. So keep singing "Imagine" and pretending you live in a world where people you've never done a thing to want you dead.
THOSE WHO FOLLOW ISLAM ARE MANDATED TO EITHER OVERTLY OR PASSIVELY SPREAD IT THROUGHOUT SOCIETY. THERE IS BOTH A HARD SELL AND A SOFT SELL APPROACH. TOURISM IS DEFINITELY A SOFT SELL.
FYI- CHRISTIANS DON'T CHOP PEOPLES HEADS OFF.
Posted by Infidel_US at 11:36 AM : May 11, 2007
By calling it a 'political movement', you are being overly kind. Islam is a cult.....nothing more. It was founded on violence and the violence is condoned to this day.
When Bush calls islam "one of the worlds great religions", I feel like flying up to Washington and BEOTCH slapping him back to Texas!
This PC stuff has gone on too long and it has gone too far!!!!
There is quite a resentment from the general population on the street to the Americas and all the general reputation America is gaining now with the clear message of the Homeland Security. Certainly decent Arabs don't want to lose their dignity by undregoing a 'criminals-reserved' process of fingerprinting.
-Form an economical point of view, the USA is more expensive now than ever for tourists. Arabs who used to travel because of affordability in the US, are more reluctant to do so, having many other destinations (more affordable) choice, and where they feel welcome and appreciated... Namely the locations in Southeast-Asia (Indonesia, Thailand etc...) and even Europe. Eastern Europe recently opening for western tourism are very affordable tourism. Arabs know that and they feel welcome.
-The only losers from this action are the USA. If this policy had to push further, Arabs may consider pulling out their funds and capitals from USA to invest it somewhere else, if they have less and less access to the land travel(tourism or business), or undergo more hurdles than before.
By calling it a 'political movement', you are being overly kind. Islam is a cult.....nothing more. It was founded on violence and the violence is condoned to this day.
When Bush calls islam "one of the worlds great religions", I feel like flying up to Washington and BEOTCH slapping him back to Texas!
This PC stuff has gone on too long and it has gone too far!!!!
http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml
I am a member of a group of 30 California (or insert state) voters that are very concerned about the illegal immigrant problem in the US and especially in California. We urge you not to vote on any bill or legislation that allows an automatic or easy path to citizenship. These people are criminals, no matter what age or circumstances. If we allow them any type of amnesty it will only encourage more illegal immigration. This is a historical fact, evidenced by current problem on the heels of President Reagan%u2019s 1986 Immigration Reform. You need only to look at the comment section of any online news service to understand that this is the way most of the country feels on this issue. We will not vote for any candidate, in any election, that does not have a firm negative stance on amnesty for illegal immigrants.
elected officials may be found at:
http://www.usa.gov/Contact
/Elected.shtml
I am a member of a group of 30 California voters that are very concerned about the illegal immigrant problem in the US and especially in California. We urge you not to vote on any bill or legislation that allows an automatic or easy path to citizenship. These people are criminals, no matter what age or circumstances. If we allow them any type of amnesty it will only encourage more illegal immigration. This is a historical fact, evidenced by current problem on the heels of President Reagan%u2019s 1986 Immigration Reform. You need only to look at the comment section of any online news service to understand that this is the way most of the country feels on this issue. We will not vote for any candidate, in any election, that does not have a firm negative stance on amnesty for illegal immigrants.
The only problem I see with the "decent Arabs" is that there is absolutely no movement by them, what so ever, to renounce the radical muslims. NONE. The decent Arabs include the members of CARE, who are now suing US Airways because six Imans couldn't stay in their seats on a flight, scaring the h#ll out of the passengers.
OF COURSE THEY WANT MORE TOURISM. MORE TOURISM MEANS MORE CHANCES TO BLOW UP AIRPLANES!!!
Personally, I approve of neither.
tell me again who is creating terrorists???
Mickey's mockers 'pure evil'
Disney's daughter rips Hamas over toon terror
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/wn_report/2007/05/09/2007-05-09_mickeys_mockers_pure_evil-2.html
Hamas steals Mickey Mouse image
to teach hate and Islamic supremacy
http://pmw.org.il/bulletins_may2007.htm
Hamas %u201CMickey Mouse%u201D urges armed resistance
Costumed character appears on Palestinian children%u2019s show
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18560221/
Defiant Hamas TV airs resistance Mickey again
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=070511150250.u8z4hs9f&show_article=1
Jihadist Video Shows Boy Beheading Man
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=3061367
TROUBLE IN THE HOLY LAND
Hamas: Kids 'fight in the resistance'
Website features Palestinian children in combat roles, dress
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=49433
Child Abuse: The New Islamic Cult of Martyrdom
http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/publication/faultlines/volume16/Article3.htm
Thou shalt Un-teach it to Your Children
http://www.jr.co.il/articles/politics/books2.txt
Palestinian Hate In The Classroom
http://the-american-israeli-patriot.blogspot.com/2007/02/palestinian-hate-in-classroom.html
New Palestinian high-school textbooks reject existence of Israel, peace
http://www.libertypost.org/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=180767
The only problem I see with the "decent Arabs" is that there is absolutely no movement by them, what so ever, to renounce the radical muslims- NONE, except maybe once in blue moon, you hear a quiet statement, loaded with double entendre, blaming the Jews for everything.
The decent Arabs include the members of CARE, who are now suing US Airways because six Imans couldn't stay in their seats on a flight, scaring the h#ll out of the passengers.
OF COURSE THEY WANT MORE TOURISM. MORE TOURISM MEANS MORE CHANCES TO BLOW UP AIRPLANES!!!
there are fascist nazi islamic muslims and
fascist nazi islamic muslim Collaborators...
HASSAN EXPOSES THE MYTH OF MODERATE ISLAM
The Network
Hassan Butt Tells Bob Simon Killing In The Name Of Islam Is A "Cancer"
"The position of moderate Muslims is that Islam has nothing to do with terrorism. Do you buy that?" Simon asks.
"No, absolutely not. By completely being in denial about it's like an alcoholic basically. Unless an alcoholic acknowledges that he has a problem with alcohol, he's never gonna be able to go forward," Butt argues. "And as long as we, as Muslims, do not acknowledge that there is a violent streak in Islam, unless we acknowledge that, then we are gonna always lose the battle to the militants, by being in complete denial about it."
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/03/23/60minutes/main2602308_page3.shtml
Do you want to know a big difference between Christianity and Islam?
In Christianity, you have a judgement day when you die and you stand before God and he determines your fate thereafter.
In Islam, your fate may be determined by an Iman, another human being, in form of sword to your head.
Not quite the same.
One more difference between Christianity and Islam.
Apparently, w@cking off to 72 virgins is big part of the after life in Islam.
if it is ok for fascist nazi islamic muslims to kill all non muslims everywhere.... is it ok for the non muslims to kill all fascist nazi islamic muslims???
Wouldn't killing 5.1 BILLION people (the number of non muslims in the world) be the very definition of barbarism???
Or is it fascist nazi islam%u2019s way of solving global warming???
Switching Sides: Inside The Enemy Camp
But then in 2000, well before his arrest, something happened which would make Abas question everything he believed in: a fatwa, a religious edict, was issued by Osama bin Laden.
"It should be understood that killing Americans and Jews anywhere found are the highest act of worship and the highest form of good deeds in the eyes of Allah," Simon quotes bin Laden.
Abas and his fellow commanders were ordered to read the fatwa to their men and make sure they carried it out. The others obeyed, but Abas refused. It was his moment of truth. He firmly believed that jihad was to be fought only on the battlefield in defense of Islam; he had always been taught that the killing of civilians had nothing to do with holy war and that it was forbidden.
The fatwa justified killing non-Muslim civilians everywhere.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/05/04/60minutes/main2761108.shtml?source=RSSattr=60Minutes_2761108
I wonder why we are not welcoming the Arabs with open arms.
Had the 9/11 terrorist attack happened in one of their countries I feel confident saying that their retribution would have been quicker and none taken to live in comfort with 3 meals a day, they would have been beheaded immediately.
We can get along quite well without Arab tourists.
Let the Arabs clean up their own messes.
Posted by bizzzz
-Don't start this bizzzz, remember this:
Updated: 1:11 p.m. ET Dec 11, 2006
SEATAC, Wash. - The official Christmas trees are still down at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, but a few little trees have popped up at airline counters.
An employee at Frontier Airlines took up a collection on Monday and bought a few foot-tall trees for the counter.
The initiative followed a decision by airport officials to remove its nine Christmas trees instead of adding a giant Jewish menorah to the holiday display as a rabbi had requested.... and this is ot praying.
-Intolerence imagination has no decent limit. Watch the arse008 postings. Want more of this?
Shabat Shalom.
I think you paint with broad strokes when you believe ALL tolerence is good. Some tolerance is good, some tolerance is not. The West was tolerant when Hitler invaded the Sudetenland.
Thank you for your correction regarding CAIR. I'm obviously not an Arab, so I couldn't CAIR less!
It is convenient for fascist nazi Islamic muslims to forget that the "Grand Mufti of Jerusalem" went to Germany as a guest of Hitler during WWII...and begged Hitler to find the "final solution" to the jewish problem. This same Grand mufti used his influence to raise Two Muslim SS Divisions in Yugoslavia (Kosovo) and Albaina. These divisions were responsible for the murder of almost 1 Million jews, Serbs and Gypsies.
This same Grand Mufti was the maternal uncle of Yassir Arafat! The Mufti's war continues today worldwide.
http://www.sullivan-county.com/immigration/nazi_arab.htm
http://www.sullivan-county.com/id4/mufti.htm
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=grand+mufti of jerusalem
--- Don't we lock people up for that ???
"We do not have the right to forget the causes of any war, which must be sought in the mistakes and errors of peacetime," Putin said.
"Moreover, in our time, these threats are not diminishing," he said. "They are only transforming, changing their appearance. In these new threats - as during the time of the Third Reich - are the same contempt for human life and the same claims of exceptionality and diktat in the world."
http://www.iht.com/bin/print.php?id=5642323
Posted by lars008
Uh, NO. Are you off your meds or something?
Stop with posts advocating KILLING people. It's against the rules.
Posted by neoconism at 01:42 PM : May 11, 2007
Hmmm, do you mean just the repubs or all southerners? Personally, I have no, absolutely no reason or desire to visit any of the stinking cesspools that pass for northern cities. However some of the natural beauty is great.
And what western states?
Frankly, Nevada is too dry, same with Arizona, New Mexico. Utah isn't too bad, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington are pretty nice.
The sooner Califcornholia falls off in the ocean, the better.
Your remarks about about (ALL) southern people are ridiculous. I was born in California, my mom and dad are from NY and NJ, I grew up in Atlanta for 26 years, and I now live in California. If you're insinuating there's not turds in the North, you're mistaken.
Your remarks about about (ALL) southern people are ridiculous. I was born in California, my mom and dad are from NY and NJ, I grew up in Atlanta for 26 years, and I now live in California. If you're insinuating there's not turds in the North or West, you're mistaken.
Your remarks about about (ALL) southern people are ridiculous. I was born in California, my mom and dad are from NY and NJ, I grew up in Atlanta for 26 years, and I now live in California. If you're insinuating there's not turds in the North or West, you're mistaken.
Posted by RandalDS at 02:11 PM : May 11, 2007
no... it is facist nazi islam that is saying the only good non muslim is a dead non muslim....
But then in 2000, well before his arrest, something happened which would make Abas question everything he believed in: a fatwa, a religious edict, was issued by Osama bin Laden.
"It should be understood that killing Americans and Jews anywhere found are the highest act of worship and the highest form of good deeds in the eyes of Allah," Simon quotes bin Laden.
Abas and his fellow commanders were ordered to read the fatwa to their men and make sure they carried it out. The others obeyed, but Abas refused. It was his moment of truth. He firmly believed that jihad was to be fought only on the battlefield in defense of Islam; he had always been taught that the killing of civilians had nothing to do with holy war and that it was forbidden.
The fatwa justified killing non-Muslim civilians everywhere.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/05/04/60minutes/main2761108.shtml?source=RSSattr=60Minutes_2761108
they have been ordered to kill all non muslims everywhere... every man woman and child....
Posted by lars008
No, wack-a-doodle, I'm telling you. You need to re-adjust the tin foil on your hat. Yes, there are crazies out there who want to kill and hurt Americans. YOU sound just like them.
ALL the Muslims in the world are going to kill ALL the non-Muslims in the world? This is on par with the Catholics and the Jews running the worldwide banking cartel yadda yadda yadda.
You know, they make drugs for that now...
they have been ordered to kill all non muslims everywhere... every man woman and child....
Posted by lars008
No, wack-a-doodle, I'm telling you. You need to re-adjust the tin foil on your hat. Yes, there are crazies out there who want to kill and hurt Americans. YOU sound just like them.
ALL the Muslims in the world are going to kill ALL the non-Muslims in the world? This is on par with the Catholics and the Jews running the worldwide banking cartel yadda yadda yadda.
You know, they make drugs for that, now.
You know, they make drugs for that now...
Posted by teeus at 02:23 PM : May 11, 2007
obviously the muslim leaders, teachers and clerics believe it.... they are all calling for it....
not one islamic country grants equal rights to it's non muslims...
can you say apartheid... sure you can haji...
slavery is still slavery... not peace...
none of us are free unless all are free...
Posted by Klingon69 at 02:00 PM : May 11, 2007
No, not fall off into the ocean, but if we happened to split off from the loonies in the red states and formed our own country believe me not many here on the west coast would cry. I know I'd support it 100%, if for no other reason then no neocon in their right mind would ever come here again. We already have a good president in Arnie (he could finally come out of the closet as a true Democrat), tons of natural resources and we could nationalize the US Army, Air Force and Navy forces here for ourselves (and I doubt they'd object either).
they have been ordered to kill all non muslims everywhere... every man woman and child....
Posted by lars008
No, wack-a-doodle, I'm telling you. You need to re-adjust the tin foil on your hat. Yes, there are crazies out there who want to kill and hurt Americans. YOU sound just like them.
ALL the Muslims in the world are going to kill ALL the non-Muslims in the world? This is on par with the Catholics and the Jews running the worldwide banking cartel yadda yadda yadda.
You know, they make drugs for that, now.
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