- Sheikh wrote to the New York Times regarding their Editorial “The Solarz Difference” Sept.19, 1992. His letter is reprinted here.
Sir,
The whole tenor of your editorial “The Solarz Difference” (Sept.19,1992) gives a wrong impression of this very articulate, suave and capable man. But let’s be honest.
Congressman Stephen Solarz, as his unforgivable abuse of the House Bank by writing 743 overdrafts shows, has a very dangerous flaw in his character he worships the Goddess of Money like a Hindu. He has, by tailoring his political opinions in direct relation to the amount of contribution to his campaign chest, tarnished the image of the US Congress and its members. In short he has circumvented in spirit, if not in letter, US Election Laws in his letters soliciting funds for his so-called campaign chest.
Solarz started his Congressional center in 1974 by championing the cause of the unfortunate Armenians who in tum contributed generously to his 1974 election. He continued to talk loudly about the Armenian genocide ull the rich and generous Turkish lobby here “convinced” him otherwise. Currently he is Turkey’s strongest advocate on the Hill and the word Armenia has been expunged from his vocabulary. Has anyone heard him mention Armenia lately?
Similarly as long as Pakistan’s highest civil decoration, bestowed on him by Miss Bhutto’s administration, was sugar-coated with campaign donations from the small Pakistani community here, Solarz did not have much to say about Pakistan’s so-called quest for Nuclear capability. He even sympathized with the Kashmiri struggle for self-determination. He saw no evil, he heard no civil in Pakistan till the Indian Government, in a hush operation, mustered the large and well to do Indian community in the United States and outbid the Pakistanis in contributions to the Congressman’s campaign chest. Lo and behold Solarz started claiming to be the voice of the swastika worshipping Indian rulers on the Hill. He even claimed in a public function that he was the “reincarnation of the spirit of Pundit Nehru.”
Solarz will be remembered for corrupting the legislative wing of our great political system. In my opinion it will be a shame, nay a tragedy, if we find that Solarz realizes his ambition of representing the United States at the UN in a Clinton administration on as a result of are sounding defeat at the polls, A. Sheikh, President Chicago, IL
Article extracted from this publication >> October 9, 1992
