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Celebrities and Political Leaders Call for Ceasefire in the Middle East

Posted on Thursday July 27, 2006

Washington — Prominent Arab Americans from the entertainment, scientific, political and business worlds united in a call for an immediate ceasefire of the violence that is currently engulfing the Middle East.

Actors Tony Shalhoub, Wendie Malick, Kathy Najimy, Jamie Farr, Muhammad Ali, radio personality Casey Kasem, and singer Paul Anka were among the Arab Americans who lent their names as part of a “Call for a Ceasefire” advertisement. The ad, which will appear in the Washington Post and other newspapers, was sponsored by the Arab American Institute Foundation.

“We raise our voices in sadness and horror at the bloodshed and devastation in the Middle East. We are Americans who call upon all those in power to stop the violence and care for the wounded, the traumatized, the dispossessed,” said the signatories in the newspaper advertisement.

“A ceasefire is imperative so that reconstruction and reconciliation can begin and political solutions can be found,” they added.

The ad quotes famed Lebanese-born poet Kahlil Gibran:

“The Spirit deems the power of wisdom and justice above ignorance and tyranny.”

Arab American Institute (AAI) President James Zogby said the ad was a powerful statement and call for American leadership to stem the bloodshed that has gripped the Middle East.

“We’re proud that so many Arab American celebrities and leaders have joined this appeal,” Zogby said. “They reflect the broad based sentiment in our community that the violence must end and peacemaking must begin.”

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