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VOL 11 No. 48
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FORT BEND FAIR. BALANCED. INFORMATIVE. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2018
P. O.BOX 623, SUGAR LAND, TX 77487-0623
Official newspaper of Fort Bend County & Missouri City
“United in gratitude” : Fort Bend Interfaith Community holds Thanksgiving service
Fort Bend Interfaith Community representatives at Thanksgiving service. — Photo by Ejaz Karmali The Fort Bend Interfaith Ranch Road in Missouri City on Catholic Church, Maryam Community held a Thanks- Nov. 19. Mosque of the Islamic Society giving service, “United in Participating faith comm- of Greater Houston, St. Gratitude,” at St. Angela Merici unities included Congregation Laurence Catholic Church, Catholic Church on Sienna Beth El, St. Angela Merici The Baha’i Community, New
‘Radical experiment’ in ‘identity politics’ By SESHADRI KUMAR Sri Preston Kulkarni was a little known name in December 2017. The name figured in the Texas State Democratic Party list of candidates among those who filed to run for the March primary election in the Texas Congressional District 22 race, with four others. The name Kulkarni piqued my interest because it is a distinctly Indian ethnic name. Initially, I could not find a telephone number or address for Kulkarni. He remained an anonymous candidate for a few days thereafter, but his political fortunes turned for the better when he managed to get the support of a Hindu group. He soon became a standard fixture in all Hindu group and Indian gatherings and became a de facto “Hindu” candidate. His campaign finance report may vouch for that. Kulkarni also assiduously courted Muslim voters. He turned his campaign strategy of attracting ethnic, immigrant population into a new art of politics. Politicians from both the parties have been doing the same overtly and covertly for many years. Kulkarni campaigned in 16 languages, not including English. Media reports hyped the narrative as a “radical experiment” and lauded his “identity politics” as an innovative, winning formula. Kulkarni campaigned on “Making America Decent Again,” a clear expression of his anti-Trump sentiment. He also claimed he was not a politician, and campaigned on core human values, namely “reason, respect
and compassion.” Kulkarni’s campaign constantly harped on “diversity” and America’s racist past, hitting the hot button issue of immigration, while implying Republicans are anti-immigrants and racists. Numerous press releases from his campaign stressed this point. The most egregious one pertains to the discovery of a burial ground on a Fort Bend ISD construction site in Sugar Land. The school district announced the discovery of bodies buried on the site in April. They are believed to the bodies of those who worked in sugar plantations under the convict leasing program in the late 1800s. In July, the school district and Texas Historical Commission gave further details about the burial ground and indicated future plans to give proper burial to the unknown at a different site. The Kulkarni campaign seized on this news and issued the following statement on July 20, 2018: 95 African American bodies unearthed in Sugar Land is a ‘painful reminder’ of ‘systemic discrimination’ in the justice system “This discovery is a painful reminder that racial oppression and violence are part of the history of our community, and have shaped the development of our current criminal justice system, which continues to incarcerate more people than any other country on earth, and disproportionately people of color. We cannot erase the mistakes of the past, but we can chart a course for a better future
by addressing the systemic discrimination that still exists today and committing to serious criminal justice reform.” Another press release: Kulkarni Speaks Out Against Muslim Ban Supreme Court Ruling “Today, the Supreme Court upheld the President’s xenophobic “Muslim Ban” that discriminates against individuals predominantly because of their faith or national origin. The travel ban, rooted in bigotry, serves as an outright attack against the American Muslim community. We have seen recent Supreme Court decisions that limit women’s reproductive rights, make it difficult for people to vote, and let lower courts continue the practice of gerrymandering. With each ruling, we see the further degradation of our civil liberties, an alarming trend that this administration is acutely aware of. These decisions threaten our place as a beacon of freedom and justice for all.” Now, Kulkarni could not unseat incumbent Republican Congressman Pete Olson. But, he continued his “fight racism” project by campaigning for Democrat Mike Espy for U.S. Senate from Jackson, Mississippi. If the Kulkarni campaign had turned out massive Asian American voters because of his innovative approach, why did he lose the election? Whether the Asian American voter turnout has been higher than before is yet to be ascertained. Assuming that it is true, still Kulkarni lost because See POLITICS, Page 3
Hope Lutheran Church, Brand Lane Islamic Center, The Sikh Community, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, St. Paul Presbyterian Church, the Hindu Community, His Highness The Agha Khan Council, First Unitarian Universalist Church of Houston, Christ Church Sugar Land UMC and St. Martin Lutheran Church. Fr. John Cahoon of St. Angela Merici Catholic Church welcomed the gathering and led with an invocation. Imam Mohammad Ahmad Khan of Maryam Mosque of the Islamic Society of Greater Houston read a verse from the Holy Quran: “As for those who say, “Our Lord is God,” and then stay firm, the angels come down to them and say, “Have no fear or grief, but rejoice in the Good News of Paradise, which you have been promised. We are
your allies in this world and in the world to come, where you will have everything you desire, anq ask for as a welcoming gift from the Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.” .... Good and evil cannot be equal. Repel evil with what is better and your enemy will become as close as an old and valued friend, but only those with great patience, only those who are blessed with great righteousness, will attain to such goodness.” Pushpa Desai of Missouri City representing the Hindu community read from The Upanishads: “Let us together be protected and let us together be nourished by God’s blessings. Let us together join our mental forces in strength for the benefit of humanity. Let our efforts at learning be luminous and filled with joy, and endowed with the force of purpose. Let us never
be poisoned with the seeds of hatred for anyone. Let there be peace and serenity in all the three universes.” Rabbi Josh Lobel of Congregation Beth El, rendered “A litany of Thanksgiving.” Participants in the program included Rev. Will Starkweather, St. Martin Lutheran Church; Rev. Dr. C. Chappell Temple; Christ Church Sugar Land (UMC); Cantor Renee Wag Halter; Mary Thompson; Rev. Chris Michaelis, New Hope Lutheran Church; Murad Ajani,Ismaili Jamatkhana; Dr. Ghasem Bayat, Baha’i Community; David Hruska,The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints;Rev. Dr. Dan King & Lindi Kahn, First Unitarian Universalist Church of Houston, Thoreau/Richmond Campus.
Missouri City’s runoff election begins By SESHADRI KUMAR Early voting has begun in the runoff election in Missouri City. Election will be held on December 8, to elect Mayor and City Councilmember AtLarge Position 2. Candidates on the ballot for mayor are Yolanda Ford and Allen Owen. City Councilmember AtLarge Position 2 candidates are Susan Soto and Chris Preston. The early voting period will be held from Monday, November 26 to Tuesday, December 4. The city council election is nonpartisan, meaning the candidates do not run for office on the basis of their political affiliation. However, this time the Fort Bend County Democratic Party has openly promoted Yolanda Ford and Chris Preston on the party’s Facebook page. On top of it, Ford and Preston, also have been promoted by Qaisar Imam of Sugar Land, a Democratic Party activist from the Muslim community. He along with a Muslim elderman, posed for a picture with the two candidates outside the Brand Lane mosque and posted on Facebook. Allen Owen, on the other hand, has been endorsed by local Congressmen from both the parties, Democrat Al Green and Republican Pete Olson. Owen has also earned the endorsement of several local and state elected officials, Missouri City police officers and firefighters, among others. Owen’s top priorities are to ensure that Missouri City is “continued to be rated as one of the safest and best
Ford cities in America to live; continues to see our economic development bring in new businesses and employment opportunities for our citizens; and see us continue to look for opportunities to redevelop the outdated corridors, fiscal responsibility, economic development, redevelopment of major corridors and improving quality of life. “We’ve worked hard with City Council, its economic development team and local businesses to attract many hundreds of millions of dollars in new business, including 31 major companies that have moved their headquarters to Missouri City, leading to thousands of new jobs and to Missouri City being voted as one of two Texas cities of the top 50 cities in the USA to live in,” Owen said. “I’m particularly proud of our continuing push by City Council to improve public safety. We recently have opened fire houses and approved pay raises for Police and Fire Forces and all city workers. We’ve hired Missouri City Motorcycle Police Officers,” he said.
Owen In spite of struggling economic conditions in other areas, “Missouri City home values have jumped many times and are one of the best buys in the area, because of our proximity to Houston, the Texas Medical Center, Energy Corridor and the Port of Houston.” On the Texas Parkway corridor, Owen said, “The City has budgeted beautification projects for the Texas Parkway corridor as well as additional extensive plans for City Hall. We will continue to do our part to promote economic development along not only Texas Parkway, but Cartwright and Highway 1092 as well. With the opening of the library expansion later this year, we want to have our work under way. “Some people continue to criticize the purchase of Quail Valley Country Club, but forget that the voters actually approved that purchase by the largest margin of favorable vote of any issue we have ever had on a ballot. Had we not, I can not imagine what property values would be all over the See MAYOR, Page 3