The Multicultural Yellow Pages book for 2007 is out, and critics are back letting everyone know that flaws and blind spots found in past editions have not exactly been corrected. The Jewish community especially has pointed out how multicultural seems to only go so far.Once known as the Muslim Yellow Pages, obviously tailored to the Islamic community in the Valley, it was given its Multicultural name after Marwan Ahmad took it over in 2000. It has been promoted as serving the ethnic communities in Arizona since 1994. The MYP watchdogs sent messages to the media to lay out the flaws in the 14th edition of the book. A chief critic is Jeremy Marwil. His litany of discoveries includes: 1) no Israel embassy listed; 2) Israel is not listed under international area codes; they are under Palestine. Cities in Israel as shown as being in Palestine; 3) no Jewish organizations, but mosques and churches shown; 4) no Jewish museums listed; 5) international airlines are listed, but El Al, the Israeli airline is omitted; and 6) currencies of the world are listed, but not Israel and its shekel.Writes Marwil, Marwan has changed the name of his publication. Removing the Phoenix from the name of the publication has allowed him to access Tucson hence a new Tucson section in his Yellow Pages to spread his message of intolerance. On the positive side, it notes that some Jewish holiday dates are now shown. Gone in this edition is a map of the world. Last years issue had Palestine as the name over the state of Israel. Marwil hailed that, unlike in the past, there were no local or state government official endorsement of the Yellow Pages and that maybe our elected officials are getting the message. Last year, Gov. Janet Napolitano and Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Phoenix, had submitted letters hailing such a cross-cultural publication as a resource. Both withdrew endorsements when the Israeli issues were raised. Marwil was the one who contacted Napolitano and raised the red flags.Ahmad, a Palestinian, who also published the weekly newspaper Muslim Voice, was removed last October by the Phoenix City Council from the Human Relations Commission of Phoenix on which he had served five years. They said he was causing divisiveness in the community. Ahmad countered by saying the city council was "under the influence of the pro-Israel groups, and they’re putting Israeli interests before the city’s interests..In his e-mail to the media, Marwil, was also critical of colleges or groups that advertised in the new book, including Phoenix College and Glendale Community College, plus Air America Radio’s Phoenix station.Last July 11, I wrote a blog about the controversy blogs.eastvalleytribune.com/view.php?op=ViewArticle&articleId=360&blogId=21.As a result, Ahmad wrote a lengthy comment to that blog, still appearing with that blog: There is a clear distinction between Jewish and Israeli. While Judaism is a religion, Israel is an occupying nation. The pro-Israeli groups are trying to blur the lines between being Jewish and being an Israeli citizen. Our Multicultural Yellow Pages have invited Jewish people and businesses to join us in the past. Even though the Multicultural Yellow Pages serve the Arab and Muslim communities, we always had an open-minded policy toward businesses who want to benefit from catering to (a) 100,000-member community living in Arizona. .. Today fair-minded Jews are opposing the apartheid policies of Israel and they are being hushed. Our Multicultural directory will continue to serve our diverse community and has always had an open door policy toward all including Jews. Israel will continue to be an exception until it gives Palestinians their rights and allow a just end to their plight. Israel can’t continue to act and behave as a state above the law and ask to be accepted by its victims and the international community.The Yellow Pages web site (www.myplink.com/index.asp) has not been updated since 2006, so it doesnt reflect changes that were made.

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