91´«Ã½

Resolution Against the Use of Racist Training Materials by the U.S. Military

Adopted at 2004 Annual Conference

Whereas respected news organizations, including The New Yorker magazine and the Guardian newspaper, have documented the extensive use of Raphael Patai's The Arab Mind by Defense Department policymakers and as part of various curricula used for training U.S. military personnel;

And whereas this book is full of racially charged stereotypes and generalizations and presents an overwhelmingly negative picture of Arab people;

And whereas revelations of torture and abuse in U.S.-run detention centers in Iraq, Afghanistan and Cuba have demonstrated the pervasiveness of a racist, dehumanizing mentality among U.S. military personnel interacting with Arab people;

And whereas Manning Marable, Director of African American Studies at Columbia University, and the organization Racism Watch have called upon the U.S. President to issue an order that The Arab Mind no longer be used within any branch of the U.S. government, and have furthermore called for a Congressional investigation into the curricula being used in the military and other government departments interacting with Arab countries;

Therefore be it resolved that the Social Responsibilities Round Table of the 91´«Ã½ expresses its strong support for the effort by Professor Marable and Racism Watch to end the use of overtly racist training materials by the U.S. military;

And be it further resolved that the Social Responsibilities Round Table condemns the use of racist training materials and all racist indoctrination by the U.S. military;

And be it further resolved that this resolution be distributed to Racism Watch, all members of Congress, and the library press.