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Obama has let us down, angry Arab-Americans say
A couple of hundred Arab-Americans were given a chance to vent their anger at a town hall meeting with US federal and local officials who were told in no uncertain terms that the community felt betrayed.
From racial profiling to selective deportation to the use of informers in mosques and other community meeting places, the officials heard about the fears and worries of many Arabs and Muslims given the Obama administration's continuing use of many unpopular, Bush-era policies.
The mood could not be in greater contrast to over a year ago when Arab-Americans welcomed the election of Barack Obama and his intention to turn the page in relations with the Muslim world, said Ahmed Jaber, president of the New York branch of the Arab American Institute (AAI), which helped organise the meeting with several local groups last week.
He said the Arab-American community had been "ecstatic" about Mr Obama's declaration to close the Guantanamo military prison and "even more ecstatic" about his demand that Israel cease settlement activity to kick-start peace talks. But "a year later, our hopes are dashed out", he said.