The Lack of Balance in Biden’s Policies towards Arabs
April 10, 2021, 4:50 am

The Lack of Balance in Biden’s Policies towards Arabs

Dalia Ziada

The US State Department spokesperson, Ned Price, announced in a video statement, at the beginning of April, that the US State Department will recognize April as the national Arab-American heritage month. "The United States is home to more than 3.5 million Arab Americans representing a diverse array of cultures and traditions;” said Price. Despite this important recognition by the State Department and some American states, on individual basis, the US federal system, as a whole, has not officially recognized the Arab-American month, yet. For long years, lawmakers and Arab-led advocacy groups have been calling for observing the month for honoring the culture, history, and contributions of Arab-Americans to the United States and the world. Arabs

Accommodating Americans from Arab and Muslim origins was an important item on the agenda of Biden-Harris electoral campaign. Unlike his predecessor, Donald Trump, Joe Biden showed greater interest in celebrating the Arab-Muslim culture as an integral part of the American culture. In 2020, Biden-Harris campaign proposed “a plan for partnership” between Joe Biden, as president and the Arab-American community. In the proposal, Biden pledged to fight against anti-Arab bigotry and “embrace the partnership of Arab Americans in his campaign and to include Arab Americans across his administration.” The campaign, also, promised to review the resolutions made by the Trump Administration, that hurt the interests of Arabs, either those flying to the US or those living in the US; including the review of Homeland Security’s “watchlist” and “no-fly list” processes.

Despite the very limited number of Arabs and Muslims as voters, this smart approach by Biden-Harris electoral campaign towards the Arab and Muslim community played a tangible role in Biden’s victory in the presidential elections, last November. On one hand, it highlighted the great contrast between Biden policy of tolerance against Trump’s policy of discrimination. That attracted a lot of voters from different ethnic origins, not only Arabs, who felt suppressed under the Trump Administration. On the other hand, the actual voter weight of the Arab-Americans and Muslim-Americans exceeds their percentage of 1.1% of the total American population. Their actual impact is multiplied by the number of the American youth groups they are active members of, and the vast ethnic communities they are involved in.

According to Pew Research Center, adults between 18 to 39 years-old make up 60% of the Muslim American adult population, compared with 38% of the US adult population as a whole. According to statistics by the Migration Policy Institute, Arab Americans came to the US from twenty-two Arabic-speaking countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. According to Pew Research statistics, the majority of Muslim-Americans are from Arab origins. Also, it is a proven fact that Muslims are the vast majority of the people living in MENA, including in Arab and non-Arab countries, such as Iran and Turkey. Even in the Hebrew-speaking Israel, Arabs represent 21% of the population, according to the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS).

In the Middle East, the hopes are rising high that this decision by the US State Department to celebrate Arab culture, may contribute in melting the currently growing blocks of ice between MENA leaders and the Biden Administration. Ironically, the Trump Administration which shamefully discriminated against Arabs and Muslims inside the United States, was the most successful US Administration in containing and accommodating the ruling regimes of the Middle East. Meanwhile, the Biden Administration which is exerting a huge effort to ease and please the Arab and Muslim community in the US, are adopting an almost hostile stance towards Arab and non-Arab regimes of the MENA region. The Biden Administration should be careful that this lack of balance in its stances towards Arabs, at home and abroad, may open the door once against for political Islamists, who are dominating a huge space in the American civil society, to abuse the situation for promoting their extremist anti-America rhetoric, especially against secularism, liberalism, and democracy. Arabs

BY:Dalia Ziada levant

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).

Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.