Allan Mansoor says he is Swedish, not Egyptian
The cat is out of the bag. Costa Mesa Councilman Allan Mansoor wants to bring Arizona-style racial profiling to Costa Mesa.
The irony is that he freely admits that his own parents were immigrants! Check out these excerpts from his blog:
My father, though born in Egypt and with an Arabic name, was greatly influenced by European culture. Many business contacts were European and he attended a French Catholic school where he was taught in French. He was also raised as a Christian in a Coptic Church as opposed to a Muslim. My mother is from Finland and when I was raised my mother took me and my brothers to a Lutheran church. Actually my mother is from the Aland Islands which are in the Gulf of Bothnia. Swedish is the culture but the islands are a province of Finland. I was born in California and one could also argue that since my mother was a stay at home mom, Swedish culture was more prevalent in our home than Middle Eastern culture. English was the language in our home and I would argue that we grew up with an American culture.
Egypt is on the continent of Africa, does that make me African-American? Or do you have to be dark skinned or politically correct to be called that? What if you are a white person from South Africa who comes here and becomes a United States citizen? Is that person African-American? What if I had two parents from Europe, would you be pointing out that I was European-American? And why didn’t they say I was a Swedish-American? Perhaps when there is a Swedish uproar at the Volvo plant I can be listed that way. Or should I be listed as Egyptian-American, or Swedish-Egyptian American, or does Arab or Egyptian come first? Am I allowed to ask these questions publicly in America? Or is it not politically correct?
So why then should the origin of your last name be used to describe you? Is it because people are becoming lazy and don’t want to engage in meaningful dialogue with others to determine their beliefs and values? The other two so-called Arab-Americans are probably equally different. But we won’t know because it is just used to divide people, not to encourage dialogue.
So Mansoor comes from a family of immigrants and he appears to be ashamed of his father’s Egyptian/Arab heritage. What a hypocrite – and a weenie!
By the way, the last time I looked, no Mexicans were involved in the 9/11 attack on New York – just a bunch of Arabs. Maybe we ought to be profiling Mansoor? Better yet, maybe none of us should be profiling anyone?
Yup, and one or two of the hijackers were Egyptian even!
Oh, what a first-class DOUCHE.
What kind of a name is “Vern”?
I bet his parents came here legally and he only has animosity against those who fail to repsect the laws of this country that have established a process for legal immigration.
Why is everyone so anti-rule anti-law. I congrat Allan for standing up to this crazy debate and take steps to force the gov to start enforcing immigration laws. doesnt matter where the 911 terrorrists were from… you here illegally, you leave plain and simple…
What kind of a name is “Vern”?
SWEDISH! 🙂 Swedish/Irish/Mexican in fact.
Your point, sir? Oh – you think you caught me hypocritically demagoguing against some other group of immigrants. No, that would be Mayor Allan Mansoor doing that, not Vern Nelson or Art Pedroza.
Bob Z this has nothing to do with the rule of law. This is political grandstanding from a city council dias while pandering to his base. Once again a national playbook is corrupting the local governance for the City of Costa Mesa.
Did you watch the press conference? When questions were posed on any solutions he might have, Mansoors only contribution was to state the glaring obvious,”this is a complex issue”.
I drove by my corner store this morning and looked out over the thirty or so undocumented workers and day laborers congregated there. They didn’t use to be there. Unfortunately, Mansoor closed a city day laborer site that used to be in an industrial area. Now they are all in my neighborhood two blocks from the local high school and one block from the elementary.
Do you think his un-wavering stance and blind policies helped or hurt this issue?
He isn’t trying to fix this problem , he’s trying to get elected on it.
I hope his retribution comes in the karmic form………everytime he has to fly to Sacramento , Egyptian Assemblyman Mansoor is strip searched due to profiling…..
Fly to Sacramento? No, THIS should be his karma, come November.
(My James Bond version of his opponent Phu Nguyen.)
Self-hating people like Mansoor really shouldn’t be in politics.
Politics, you’re right. Stand up comedy, go for it!
It doesn’t matter what race his parents were does it? Or if they were immigrants? Allan is talking about illegal immigrants though he does praise and welcome legal immigrants also. I guess calling him a weenie is your way of saying if someone doesn’t agree with you he is a weenie? While very childish, it is better than Art calling everyone who disagrees with him a racist. Grow up man, what next–cooties?
I drove by my corner store this morning and looked out over the thirty or so undocumented workers and day laborers congregated there.
Just drove by and you could tell that they were “undocumented”. Amazing. Have you ever thought about becoming an Arizona cop?
hahahaahah^^
Well I could have stopped and requested identification and run them through the E -verify system Mansoor is touting as his only proposal ,but it’s proving somewhat spotty.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/02/25/e-verify-misses-half-illegal-workers-report-finds/ it’s only working about 54% of the time…….
Last time Mansoor flexed his Minuteman muscles from the Costa Mesa Council chambers it cost this city $600,000 dollars in legal fees.
This debate needs to happen……on a National and State level……….my point is ………..don’t do this on my cities dime.
It’s political grandstanding, dovetailed into national political talking points with no solutions offered or expected. Pure posturing for political gain..not exactly something I’m looking for in my next Assemblyman.
I don’t think anybody would call me a defender of Allan Mansoor, but I really don’t see how anything he wrote above indicates that he “appears to be ashamed of his father’s Egyptian/Arab heritage.” He’s just reassuring his supporters that his heritage has been sufficiently cleansed of any ethnic or religious impurities. Like his press conference the other day, it has absolutely nothing to do with the election.
John Earl, your final sentence has me laughing until my prodigious stomach aches! 🙂 He actually kept a straight face when reporters asked him if his news conference had anything to do with the election or the Arizona law. We joke about Obama’s teleprompter, but if you take Mansoor’s notes from him it’s as though he’s been struck dumb. Wait a minute – he already was dumb! Anyhow, he was left only with the buzz phrases his handlers prepared for him – “These are complex issues”, “I just want a calm debate” and a few others.
I think Allan Mansoor is afraid of the xenophobic hysteria him and his like-minded type are perpetuating, enough that he uses it to disingenuously distance himself from his middle eastern roots, to continue his pandering.
His words, “since my mother was a stay at home mom, Swedish culture was more prevalent in our home than Middle Eastern culture.”
So on the one hand he uses his Swedish culture (European) at home to distance himself from his Egyptian culture (middle-eastern); but at the same he would have you believe that because of his Swedish culture upbringing that this makes him more American.
Politicians might do this, but I think it is un-American to bash any group to further their political careers. And how sad that in the process he minimizes or attempt to dismiss his father’s Arab roots.
you look middleeastern and you are middleeastern
Mansoor is a muslim
I AM FOR ALLAN MONSSOR OR ANY OFFICIAL IN COSTA MESA WHO WILL CLEAN UP THE CITY AND PUT A BOWLING ALLEY BACK IN, ICE SKATING ETC AND GET RID OF THE ONLY NEW BUILDING ON 19TH STREET THE WELFARE OFFICE AND GOODWILL STORE NOW. THANKYOU
swedes are usually gay
egyptians too!
I am Allan’s father, and I am not an Arab-American. If I have to be something-American, I would rather say I am Egyptian-American, and an Egyptian-American is not an Arab-American.
Allan’s enemies and opponent call him Arab-American in order to associate him with terrorists. Has anyone ever heard of a Coptic Orthodox terrorist?
Now here is the difference between Arab-American and Egyptian-American
Arab-American is Muslim-American. Egyptian-American is Coptic orthodox-American.
My wife and I both came to America and America has adopted us and we have adopted America. We love this country as much as we love our countries of origin; but not less. And if you want me to tell you the truth, if America is at war with Egypt, I will fight on America’s side, otherwise, why did I come to America that gave me asylum, then betray it and fight against it? When I became an American citizen, if I fought against her, I would be a hypocrite. Therefore I will fight for America as an American; not even as an Egyptian-American.
Allan is half Swedish and half Egyptian, but he’s ALL AMERICAN. Yes Ladies and Gentlemen, HE’S ALL AMERICAN, like it or not.
And for your information, the name Mansoor is not only Muslim or Coptic, many Mansoors are Jewish and Catholic, and they call themselves Egyptian-Americans, even if they are of German or polish or Turkish origin. Did you know that there Turks who are Catholics? There was a Turkish Catholic kid in my class when I went to a “Catholic” school. And When I was still in Egypt, I had Jewish friends by the name of Mansoor: Levy, Aaron and Ishak. And I also had Muslim friends by the name of Mansoor: Samir, Hammouda, Adel, Mohsen, and believe me, many more..
Fanatism is bad. It should be outlawed.To me it is. If you want to talk politics, talk politics, not Country of Origin. That’s being stupid.
Edgard Mansoor
Mr. Mansoor,
Thank you for clearing that up for our readers! Does it bother you though that your son seems to downplay his Egyptian ancestry in favor of his Swedish lineage? Yes, he is an American, but like most Americans his family came from somewhere else.
I am also disappointed that your son is so against immigrants when he comes from a marriage of two immigrants.
Dear Mr. Pedroza,
Thank you for reading and answering my message.
Did Allan ever say he’s against immigrants, or against Illegal Immigrants? If he ever said he’s against all immigrants, making no differentiation between legal and illegal, please let me know where I can read it.
He cannot have said he is against immigrants, since my wife and I are both immigrants, but LEGAL immigrants. If he said he’s against immigrants “in general”, in my capacity as his father, I would advise him to stay away from politics because the U.S welcomes legal immigrants. When I came to the U.S, I had come with a visitor’s visa. When I breathed the Freedom, Liberty and Justice for all in the U.S, I said this is the Country where I want to live.
I went to the Immigration Office. and I was told ” I HAD TO GET OUT OF THE UNITED STATES AND COME BACK WITH A PERMANENT RESIDENT VISA”. I went to Vancouver, B.C, Canada, and waited there exactly, but EXACTLY FORTY DAYS until a Senator From Denver Colorado sponsored me. I didn’t know how long I was going to stay in Canada, and foolishly I spent almost all the money I had the first 25 days. I had been counting the days ever since I set foot on Canadian soil. The rest of the time, FIFTEEN DAYS, I survived on one cup of coffee and a doughnut for brunch and <>. I moved out from the motel was staying although it was not an expensive one, and I went to one of the cheapest motels in the city That was a very long fifteen days, but it was well worth it. I earned Freedom, Happiness and Justice, and 3 years later I got rewarded:I met my wife who had come to the U.S 6 months before me, and who was living with her mother until we got married. Some Character posted a message saying that Swedes are gay. That’s someone who needs a tongue trimming.
Last Saturday I had relatives visiting me and my wife. They had visited Egypt 3 years ago. In one cafe (coffee shop) where they sat down for a cup of coffee, they noticed most of the people were whispering, NOT TALKING like people usually do . Why? because spies are all over, dressed like you and me, and no one knows if one is going to get grabbed by the neck, get hand cuffed and dragged to the police station for questioning about something he probably never did.
Do you know what would happen if someone enters Egypt illegally? you can ask or you can inquire, and see if the answer you get is different than mine, provided you’re told the truth.
Here is the answer to my question though: Any individual entering Egypt illegally will be thrown immediately in jail, and that’s only the beginning; then he will be so badly mistreated that he wouldn’t be able to stand up on his feet the day he’s dragged to Court, and dragging him to court would be after him having spent a few years in jail, not really many, perhaps as little as 8 or 10 years, and that is if he submits to the demands of the jailers, and you don’t want to know what kind of demands they are.
In my previous message I meant to ask the persons who say Allan is ashamed of his fathers background. My question is: are they Arab-Americans or Egyptian-American? Whichever they are I will assume that they are proud of their Egyptian background or Iranian background or whichever Country’s background they are.
Now if they are proud of their Country”s background and the U.S is at war with their Country’s background, would they fight on the U.S side or on their Country’s background side? If they are American Citizens and they fight on the side of their Country’s background, then they are hypocrites and they should go back to their Country. That’s how I see it and that’s how it should be. And if they fight on the U.S side, how can they be proud of their Country’s background when they fight against that Country that was theirs?
Let’s face it: They don’t want the residents of Allan’s district to vote for him, because his father is of Egyptian origin, but if he was of Arab origin, they would empty their pockets to support him. Isn’t that what we call dirty politics?
“L’homme propose et Dieu dispose” ( Man plans but God decides )
I apologize for the long message, but thank you for your interest in FAIR politics.
Edgard Mansoor
@ Mr. Edgard Mansoor:
You and anyone has a right to self-identify as how you please; however, I think you have muddled the waters further, because you are mixing some categories and are making some unfounded and INSENSITIVE generalizations about certain groups in your defense of your son:
The Categories:
1) Citizenship Category
2) Culture/Ethnicity category
3) Religious category
4) Race Category
1. CITIZENSHIP. You say that your son is Egyptian-American.
a. If he has dual citizenship, with Egypt then he is Egyptian-American; otherwise, he is ONLY American.
b. I am curious, did Allan or you serve in the US military? If you or your son did, then thank you for your service! If not, I find it curious how people thump their chest, and say, I will fight for America, but NEVER bothered volunteering for military service, and engage in this chest-thumping because it serves them politically but knowing that because of AGE LIMITS, DEFERMENTS or Conscientious Objector statuses they will most likely NEVER be called to service.
2. CULTURE/ETHNIC Category. In this category anyone can feel free to SELF-Identify as they wish.
a. For example, I am a US Citizen so Citizenship-wise I am ONLY American, but culture/ethnic-wise I am Mexican-American.
b. Furthermore, You or Allan Mansoor can self-identify as EGYTIAN-American or ARAB-American a cultural/Ethnic identity (and in this case I think Egyptian can be both a Nationality/ethnic identity).
c. However, I think that in your attempts to distance your son Mr. Allan Mansoor from his “Arab” roots, I think it is offensive that you INDIRECTLY EQUATE Arabs with Muslims and therefore Terrorists. YOU SAID “….Allan’s enemies and opponent call him Arab-American in order to associate him with terrorists . . . Now here is the difference between Arab-American and Egyptian-American. [ARAB]-American IS MUSLIM]-American.” BUT I SAY THIS TO YOU, YOU KNOW OR SHOULD KNOW THIS TO BE FALSE, because
d. NOT ALL ARABS ARE MUSLIM (some Arabs are Christian; and some Arabs are Muslim etc); and
e. NOT ALL MUSLIMS ARE ARABS (some Japanese are Muslim; and some AMERICANS are Muslim)
3. You confused RELIGIOUS identity (Muslim; Coptic Christian) with Arab (and again NOT ALL ARABS are Muslim).
Mr. Edgard Mansoor, I have friends that are ARAB (and these Arab friends are Coptic Christians – not Muslim); and also had some Arab/Palestinian US Marine buddies that were Arab/Palestinian Christian. Furthermore, because of intermarriage I have Muslim family members that are Black African but not Arab. So I find it offensive that you would indirectly equate Arabs with Muslim and then indirectly with terrorists.
You also say, “If you want to talk politics, talk politics, not Country of Origin. That’s being stupid.”; and yet in trying to distance your son, from his “roots” you bring up the issue of EGYPTIAN (which can be a Country of Origin identity or a ethnic/cultural identity).
I also have friends and family that are Jewish and follow the Jewish traditions.
I am Christian and respect Christians (in particular Coptic Orthodox Christians); and also respect Jews, and Muslims, but I am sensitive when someone tries to impose a notion of a false religious supremacy or tries to paint all members of a religious group with a negative stereotype.
Francisco “Paco” Barragan
My opinions only and not those of any group
Dear Mr. Barragan,
I apologize for making you wait. I have been thinking for a few minutes, and after all I thought you may be right on everything you said. I would be willing to answer each and everything you say on one condition: Where and how does my Country’s origin fit in the political discussions between Allan and his opponent?
Like you, I had many friends of different religions. In fact, whether you believe it or not, I had more Jewish, Muslims and even some Buddhist friends, both Chinese and Japanese, than Coptic Orthodox and Catholics even though many of my relatives are Catholic (one of my sisters is a Catholic Nun) and of course also Coptic Orthodox.
I never chose friends according to their religions, but only according to their healthy mentality and good hearts. Now, talking about my Country’s origin led to the question of religion. Who started it, and why, and what good did it accomplish?
If you give me reasonable answers, I’ll answer all your questions. Until then it would be a loss of time for you as well as for me to start endless arguments.
Nice talking to you.
Cheers,
Edgard Mansoor
@ Mr. Edgard Mansoor:
You ask, “Where and how does my Country’s origin fit in the political discussions between Allan and his opponent?”
My Response:
In my opinion, your country of origin, culture or religion should NOT have any negative bearing on your son’s (Mr. Allan Mansoor) standing or political discussion between him and his opponent.
I think it becomes relevant if country of origin, culture or religion are injected by Mr. Allan Mansoor, you, or others, and especially so if statements are made that imply something other than the Full Truth.
peace!
Francisco “Paco” Barragan
My dear Mr. Barragan,
You say that my Country of origin, Culture or Religion “SHOULD NOT” have any negative bearing on Allan’s standing or political discussion between him and Mr. Nguyen.
I’m glad you said that. But then, would you please be kind enough to CLEARLY EXPLAIN to me WHY DID SOME PEOPLE SAY THAT ALLAN IS ASHAMED OF HIS FATHER’S ROOTS ??? If it wasn’t for some people to say in loud voice : ALLAN IS A TRAITOR; HE DENIES HIS FATHER’S ROOTS ???
Please let me explain it to you in a different way: If a man commits a crime, is the son responsible for his father’s crime?
Furthermore, you say that “I” say that Allan is Egyptian-American, and that he has dual Citizenship. I must clarify what I said: I said that Allan is Half Egyptian Half Swedish, meaning his father is of Egyptian origin, and his mother is of Swedish origin or more correctly said: she is of Swedish speaking but of Finnish origin.
Finnish origin, because the people of the Aland Islands where she was born are of Swedish origin, therefore speak Swedish.
So I said that Allan is half Egyptian because his father is of Egyptian origin, and half Swedish because his mother is Finnish of Swedish origin. But I didn’t stop there. Didn’t I say that ALLAN IS ALL AMERICAN, and repeated it again : Yes. ALL AMERICAN, like it or not ? Didn’t I say that Mr. Barragan?
Then, do I have anything against Muslims? I’m not going to say “NO” I don;t have anything against Muslims, but I’ll say “NEVER” have I ever had anything against Muslims. Many Muslims were some of my best friends, just like some Jews were also some of my best friends. The Muslims I criticize are the ones who blow themselves up and kill innocent people with them, and you’ll be surprised to know that many Muslims also criticize them. Otherwise I have received in my home here in the U.S as well as in Egypt, Muslims and I have treated them no more no less than they have treated me. When they came in, WE HUGGED, and when they left, WE HUGGED.
The relatives who came to visit my wife and me last week are my niece and her husband. They didn’t come by themselves. They had with them a Nigerian Gentleman and his son, BLACK MUSLIMS, friends of theirs and of MY OLDER BROTHER WILLIAM, AND ALL FOUR STAYED IN OUR HOUSE, SLEPT IN OUR HOUSE, ATE TOGETHER WITH US IN OUR HOUSE. We had never met them before. When we chatted with them for ONLY a few minutes, both, they and us, felt we have been friends for many years. That’s how we feel Mr. Barragan, and that’s how we are.
Would you like proofs Mr. Barragan? PLEASE DON’T HESITATE TO ASK .
But before I end this message, for which I apologize because of it’s length, I have one more thing to say : You and I will end up by being friends. Believe it or not. Is it O.K. with you ? What a silly question of mine! who can stay in the way of friendship?
With Friendly greetings,
Edgard Mansoor
Mr. Mansoor,
I am honored to be a fellow immigrant to this great country. Every word about how you feel for this country is how I feel!
I am a great fan of your son. He is a good man who loves his country and will do everything he can to protect the citizens!
I am Irish, so I have had the drunk comments and the “go back to your country” comments!
The truth is that we are all Americans and liberals are not! They belong to a cancer that has spread throughout this word especially in Europe, attacking people like your son with a viciousness that only liberals seem to process!
Thank you for giving us Allan Mansoor!
Thank you Miss Quinn.
You’re a very kind lady, not because you say good things about Allan, but strange enough (not that I want to brag about myself), somehow I am blessed with the gift of sensing if a person is kind or not even if this person insults me, for instance Mr. Barragan, because I could have done something wrong or hurting. Mr. Barragan is a good man, but to my mind, he’s a little mixed up
Anyway, I thought I would address your message first and let him wait a little, in the hope that he is a patient gentleman, and since his message is too long and a little boring at times. I know he’s going to read this message as he can hardly wait to see what I have to say . But, honestly and truly, a good part of his message is boring.
Allan has been attacked on the issue of his father’s Country’s background. I know Allan very well since I am his father, but I speak for his defense on the basis of justice and truth.because I know that he wouldn’t answer his attacker’s diatribes since I know he wouldn’t want to hurt anybody’s feelings, not that I want to hurt some people’s feeling, but if I must say the truth, either I say it all or say noting.
In my answer to Mr. Pedroza, I almost related half the story of my life when I really didn’t have to. Had I related the other half, hot tears would have flowed down the cheeks of the readers, even Mr. Barragan’s.
I stop here and thank you again for the good words. People like you are rare; I know that from experience. Had Mr. Barragan waited a little longer to read my answer to Mr. Pedroza, maybe he wouldn’t have had to write his long mixed up message.
With best regards and good wishes.
Edgard Mansoor
@ Mr. Edgard Mansoor:
I read your responses. Please re-read mine.
And you and the readers will know, that although you say that you speak for your son’s (Mr. Allan Mansoor) “defense on the basis of justice and truth . . . .but I must say the truth, either I say it all or say noting.”
Well Sir, I noticed you ignored or have failed to answers the main points of my argument, a most important being that you have indirectly implied that Arabs are Muslim and therefore terrorists.
A HALF-truth is NOT the Full Truth, and neither is a False and Negative stereotype as you have done.
J’accord – “L’homme propose et Dieu dispose”
Estoy de Acuerdo – “El hombre propone, y Dios dispone”
I agree – Man proposes, but God Disposes
peace!
Francisco “Paco” Barragan
Dear Mr. Farragan,
I posted the message above only this morning and before I read this one of yours. I never implied that ALL MUSLIMS are terrorists. Sometimes a phrase can be misinterpreted. However If you really think or believe that I have implied that all Muslims are terrorists, then I say it openly and publicly :I APOLOGIZE FOR WHAT I HAVE SAID that I said incorrectly or that has been misinterpreted. I hope this satisfies you.
Friends ? or not yet ?
Excuse my ignorance : What does “Paco” stands for? is it your nickname? Mine is a funny one: It’s “Mango” for the only reason that I loved Mangoes so much and that I used to eat at least 1 everyday when they were in season.
Cheers,
Edgard Mansoor ( AKA Mango)