AAI Bulletin

Celebrating in Style

Posted on Friday March 9, 2007

Khamis Recognized for “Outstanding and Dedicated Service”

AAI National Policy Council member Johnny Khamis was honored for his service to California’s Santa Clara County at the Annual Human Relations Awards Breakfast on Feb. 23 in San Jose. County Supervisor Don Gage presented him with an award for his service as chair of the county’s Human Relations Commission. Gage noted Khamis’s “outstanding and dedicated service to building positive relations in Santa Clara County. His steadfast commitment and leadership have made a positive difference in the lives of many in our community.”

Khamis was also recognized for his service by several other elected officials in the county, including U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, State Sen. Elaine Alquist, State Board of Equalization Chairwoman Betty T. Yee , and State Assemblymembers Joe Coto, Jim Beall, Jr., Sally Lieber and Ira Ruskin. The Human Relations Commission advocates for understanding and coexistence between groups in the community and takes “positive action to eliminate prejudice and discrimination based on race, religion, national origin, cultural background, sex, age, sexual orientation or disability.” It is an advisory body to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. Congratulations on your awards and all of your great work, Johnny!

Celebrating in Style

AAI member Najwa Badawi organized an international fashion show last weekend in Toledo, OH in advance of today’s International Women's Day. The event, called “Costumes and Customs: Celebrating Women Everywhere,” drew Ohio officeholders including U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, State Senate Minority Leader Teresa Fedor, Toledo City Councilman George Sarantou and Ohio First Lady Frances Strickland. The show featured 15 women modeling traditional dress from countries ranging from Mexico to the United Arab Emirates to Ghana.

Badawi aimed to emphasize the common bond between women worldwide regardless of culture or custom through the fashion show. Civic engagement was an underlying theme of the event because, as Badawi notes, “women everywhere have the same hopes—they want education, they want to be heard.” “Costumes and Customs” was featured in an article in the Toledo Blade.

Lend Your Voice to the Discussion

AAI member Hatem Abumaizer recently had an op-ed published in the Cedar Rapids Gazette after attending a speech by former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak at Coe College in Cedar Rapids.

In his op-ed Abumaizer was critical of Barak, who he said seemed more interested in telling war stories than in talking about realities on the ground. Barak did not talk “about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the way to find ‘a just peace’ that will give the Israelis their security and the Palestinians their freedom,” he wrote. Abumaizer suggested that Coe invite Menachem Klein, who worked with Barak and is currently a professor at Bar-Ilan University in Israel, and recommended former President Jimmy Carter’s book, Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.

Check out our website for suggestions on how to write a letter to the editor . . . and have it published!

Deadline for Al Muammar Scholarship is One Week Away!

The Arab American Institute Foundation (AAIF) is accepting applications for the Al Muammar Scholarship for Journalism for the 2007-2008 academic year until March 15. The program awards up to four scholarship grants of $5,000 to Arab American college students who are majoring in journalism. College seniors who have been accepted to a graduate program for journalism are also eligible for the grants. Check out our student resource center for additional information and application materials.

Note: the application deadline has been extended from its original February 15 date.

In addition, AAIF is accepting applications for two youth leadership awards honoring Arab Americans 30 years old and younger for public and community service. The deadline for the Helen Abbott Community Service Awards and the Raymond Jallow Awards for Public Service is April 1. To apply or for more information, click here!

King Abdullah’s Speech Available at www.aaiusa.org

Stating that neither the Middle East region nor the world can afford the consequences of inaction, Jordan's King Abdullah II addressed a joint session of Congress yesterday and asked for the U.S. to immediately focus its efforts on solving the Palestinian-Israeli crisis. You can read the full text of King Abdullah's speech on the AAI website.