A Friend to Arabs?

Via Pejmanesque, a remark from radical professor of Middle Eastern studies Juan Cole. Regarding last evening's GOP convention speech by Zainab al-Suwaig, an Iraqi woman who supports the overthrow of Saddam and is excited about the potential of her homeland as a free nation, Cole had this to say:

"The Republicans also had an Iraqi woman speak. Apparently they could not find an eloquent Iraqi with good English who still would come and support them. This woman at one point alleged that there have been recent free municipal elections in Iraq. I doubt that very much. Or, if any municipal elections have been held, they wouldn't be considered free or fair if done in the same way in Topeka, Kansas."

I guess it's useless to point out just how outraged the media would be should someone on the right utter such a statement about anyone, anywhere. Not that the disgust wouldn't be justified regardless of the political leanings of the bigot who said such a thing. But the left often drops its guard when the wrong kind of minority speaks up, and Cole has just shown his true colors.