In <1135127921.965551.288000@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com> by Sam Prune
on 20 Dec 2005 17:18:42 -0800 we perused:
*+-I think we should kick all those sandniggers over the ocean, they can
*+-live in France, but not in the USA.
*+-USA must become sandnigger-free zone !!!
Mind you, what this don't say is they are mostly Christians
and fled the muslims. But they won't say that because they're
afraid what happens to their family back home, surrounded by muslims.
Half of all Egyptian Christians in the world live in Brooklyn.
Arab Americans: Making a Difference
A brochure by Casey Kasem and published by the Arab American Institute
Foundation. Updated in 2004. Download "[30]Arab Americans: Making a
Difference" in PDF 30. http://www.aaiusa.org/PDF/Cas.Broch.(AAIF-V).pdf
_________________________________________________________________
There are about 3 million Arab Americans, and as a community, we've
been demonstrating loyalty, inventiveness, and courage on behalf of
the United States for over 100 years. Here are just a few of the
famous and accomplished ones -- people you may know!
_________________________________________________________________
Military Service
You talk about courage ... How about America¢s and the world¢s first
jet ace? He was the Korean War hero, U.S. Air Force Col. James Jabara.
In World War II, Army officers like Maj. Gen. Fred Safay fought
alongside Gen. Patton, and Brig. Gen. Elias Stevens served on Gen.
Eisenhower¢s staff.
And in 1944, one of our Navy¢s ships, the destroyer escort USS Naifeh,
was named in honor of an Arab American hero, Navy Lt. Alfred Naifeh of
Oklahoma. Retired Brigadier General James J. David served as Company
Commander of the famous 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam in 1969 and
1970. More recently, West Point graduate and retired four-star Gen.
George Joulwan was the NATO Supreme Allied Commander of Europe, where
he commanded both European and U.S. troops. Brig. Gen. William J.
Jabour is the Director of the Air Force Program Executive Office for
Fighter and Bomber programs in charge of the F-22 System Program
Office (SPO). General John Abizaid was named Commander of U.S. Central
Command in Iraq.
Political
Some of us work in our nation¢s capital, like veteran Congressmen Nick
Joe Rahall II (West Virginia), Ray LaHood (Illinois), Chris John
(Louisiana), Darrell Issa (California), Senator John E. Sununu (New
Hampshire) and former Congressman John Baldacci who is now the
Governor of Maine.
Two Arab Americans were appointed to President George W. Bush¢s
Cabinet: U.S. Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham and former Director
of the Office of Management and Budget Mitchell Daniels. The first
Arab American ever appointed to a Cabinet secretary post was Donna
Shalala, the nation¢s longest serving Secretary of Health and Human
Services, and now president of the University of Miami. Former
Governor of New Hampshire John H. Sununu became the White House Chief
of Staff under Pres. George Bush, Sr., and later a political
commentator on CNN.
America¢s longest-serving White House Chief of Protocol, serving
seven-and-a-half years under President Reagan, was Ambassador Selwa
Roosevelt. Thomas Nassif and Edward Gabriel both served as U.S.
Ambassador to Morocco. Our Ambassador to Syria was Theodore Kattouf,
and Marcelle Wahba is Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates.
The late ambassador Philip C. Habib served as Special Presidential
Envoy to the Middle East and was awarded the Presidential Medal of
Freedom. Feisty Helen Thomas, who served for 57 years as a
correspondent for United Press International and was dean of the White
House press corps, is a Hearst newspaper syndicated columnist. In a
class by himself, the late, warm-hearted Robert George portrayed Santa
Claus year-round for nearly 50 years and was a Presidential Santa at
the White House through seven administrations.
Others who have served in high elected office are: former U.S. Senate
Majority Leader George Mitchell, who brokered a peace deal in Northern
Ireland and led a peace commission to the Middle East; former U.S.
Senators James Abourezk and James Abdnor, both of South Dakota; and
former Congressional members Pat Danner of Missouri, Mary Rose Oakar
of Ohio, the late George Kasem of California, who was the first Arab
American elected to the U.S. Congress, Abraham Kazen, Jr. of Texas,
and Toby Moffett of Connecticut. Victor Atiyeh was the popular
governor of Oregon. And in San Diego, city clerk Charles Abdelnour
pioneered the legislation to create the "all-mail ballot" which set a
national precedent and earned him an international reputation in
election law.
Arab-Americans are grocers and governors, physicians and farmers, Indy
500 champs and taxicab drivers, financiers and factory workers, bakers
and bankers, salesmen and senators, TV stars and TV repairmen,
teachers and preachers, Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks and
neighborhood sandlot heroes. Name it, and an Arab American has
probably done it.
Sports
San Diego Chargers quarterback Doug Flutie, who threw the "miracle
touchdown" pass for Boston College, won the Heisman Trophy in 1984. He
previously played for several NFL teams and was a superstar in the
Canadian Football League. There¢s also NFL player Jeff George, who
quarterbacked several NFL teams, and former NFL coach Rich Kotite.
Don¢t forget former Chicago Bears linebacker and NFL Hall of Famer
Bill George, or former Cleveland Brown Abe Gibran. Another NFL player
is Drew Haddad of the Indianapolis Colts. The former owner of the
Miami Dolphins was Joe Robbie.
UCLA¢s fiery coach Jim Harrick took his team to the NCAA playoffs
eight years in a row, winning the national championship in 1995. The
late George Maloof, Sr. owned the NBA¢s Houston Rockets; today his
sons, Joe and Gavin Maloof, own the Sacramento Kings.
Major League baseball player Joe Lahoud played with the Boston Red Sox
and Sam Khalifa played for the Pittsburgh Pirates. And Fred Saigh once
owned baseball¢s St. Louis Cardinals.
In auto racing, Bobby Rahal won the Indy 500 in 1986, later becoming
the alltime earnings champ among Indy car racers. The founder of the
Professional Bowlers Association was the late Eddie Elias. In the
ring, Petey Sarron won the world featherweight championship in
1936-1937. Zuhair "Steve" Mansour was weightlifting¢s Grandmaster of
the World in 1990. And a four-time U.S. National Chess Champion and
Grandmaster is Seattle¢s Yasser Seirawan. Women¢s International Chess
Master Jennifer Shahade won the 2002 U.S. Women¢s Chess Championship.
The late Dr. Elias Ghanem, former chairman of the Nevada Athletic
Commission and Las Vegas¢own physician to the stars, once treated
celebrities like Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, Johnny Cash, Kenny
Rogers, and Paul Anka. In track and field, the world record holder for
the marathon is Arab American Khalid Khannouchi.
Activists
Among America¢s activists, can you think of two people who have saved
more lives than America¢s foremost consumer advocate and Green party
presidential candidate Ralph Nader and the founder of MADD (Mothers
Against Drunk Driving) Candy Lightner. MADD is the largest crime
victims¢ assistance organization in the world, with more than 3
million members and supporters.
Back in 1960, Ralph Johns, an active participant in the civil rights
movement, encouraged the famous Woolworth "sit-in" at a lunch counter
in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Business
The founder of an international, billion-dollar engineering firm,
Jacobs Engineering Group, is Dr. Joseph Jacobs. A former chemist with
dozens of patents became Armand Hammer¢s successor as chairman of the
board, president, and chief executive officer of Occidental Petroleum
-- Dr. Ray Irani.
The late Najeeb Halaby, former head of the Federal Aviation
Administration, was CEO of Pan-American Airlines. His daughter, Lisa,
married King Hussein of Jordan and became the only Arab American to be
queen of a foreign country, Queen Noor.
Jacques Nasser was formerly the president and CEO of Ford Motor
Company. Richard Caleal created the "revolutionary" 1949 Ford car
design, a design that some credit with saving the company. The
chairman of the board of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company is Samir
G. Gibara. The late Stephen Yokich served five terms as vice president
of the International United Auto Workers union, then became its
president. Ned Mansour was formerly the president of Mattel, Inc.,
maker of Barbie dolls and other toys.
The founder and president of Thomas Nelson Publishers, the largest
world-wide distributor of the Bible, is Sam Moore.
John Mack is the CEO of Credit Suisse First Boston and was formerly
the president of Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, one of America¢s largest
investment banking firms. Dr. Raymond Jallow is an internationally
respected economic advisor to governments and institutions, lecturing
in financial capitals around the world. Youssef A. Nasr was the
president and CEO of HSBC USA, a leading financial services
organization and the third largest depository institution. William
Hanna is the founding president and CEO of Cedars Bank, a wholly Arab
American owned commercial bank headquartered in Los Angeles. The
chairman of the board and CEO of Fresh Del Monte Produce, Inc. is
Mohammed Abu-Ghazaleh.
Farouk Shamie is the CEO and founder of Farouk Systems USA, a premier
hair and skin care company that introduced environmentally safe
products for hairdressers. Lebanese-American Richard E. Rainwater
built his reputation managing investments for Texas¢ wealthy Bass
family and earned millions for himself as a result. He recently set up
a $120 million trust for Stanford and the University of South
Carolina.
George Shaheen is credited with founding Andersen Consulting, now
called Accenture, and served as CEO and managing partner as part of a
30-year career at the world¢s biggest consulting firm. Roger Farah is
president and chief operating officer of Polo Ralph Lauren and
previously served as chairman of the board of Venator Group, Inc., the
parent company of Footlocker. The "new economy" has its share of Arab
American heroes as well: Simon Assad is the co-CEO of Heavy.com, a
music site that was nominated for a Webby, the Internet¢s highest
honor. One of America¢s preeminent pollsters, keeping tabs on public
opinion and other statistics, is John Zogby of Zogby International.
Paul Orfalea founded the world¢s biggest international chain of
copying service stores, Kinko¢s; while the late Waleed Ali and his
brother Malik founded MPI, the world¢s largest home-video distributor
of documentaries. The Palms, a Maloof Casino Resort in Las Vegas, is
operated by George Maloof, Jr. Entrepreneur Tony Ismail founded the
Alamo Flag Company in Dallas and built it into the largest retailer of
flags and related items in the U.S. today.
Law
history, on behalf of Pennzoil ($10 billion dollars!), is one of this
country¢s most successful attorneys, Joseph D. Jamail. In the famous
"zoot suit" trial of the 1940s, George Shibley defended unjustly
accused Mexican-Americans in Los Angeles. In the late 1990s, Edward
Masry and Erin Brockovich filed a direct action lawsuit against
Pacific Gas and Electric for polluting the drinking water of Hinkley,
CA. Their efforts secured the largest toxic tort injury settlement in
U.S. history, $333 million in damages, and was chronicled in the
blockbuster film starring Julia Roberts and Albert Finney.
Entertainment
Canadian-born singer-songwriter Paul Anka became one of America¢s
first pop teen idols. The late ukelele-plucking, falsetto-singing
Herbert Khaury became famous as "Tiny Tim." And in the world of rock,
there was the late, legendary Frank Zappa. On the West Coast, Dick
Dale is the "King of the Surf Guitar." Singer-dancer-choreographer
Paula Abdul has had two number-one albums, six number-one singles, a
Grammy award, and worldwide album sales exceeding 30 million records.
And the first teenage singer ever to have her first two singles both
hit number one is Tiffany, born Renee Darwish. Pop star Shakira, of
Colombian and Lebanese descent, has scored on the U.S. charts and is a
multiple Grammy winner.
Speaking of music, three of America¢s landmark music shows on radio
were created by Arab Americans, Don Bustany and me -- "American Top
40," "American Top 20,"and "American Country Countdown." Diane Rehm is
host and executive producer of "The Diane Rehm Show" on National
Public Radio (NPR). George Noory's talk show "Coast to Coast AM" can
be heard on over 500 stations nationwide. The man who pioneered the
concept of a radio programming consultant in 1958 is Mike Joseph,
who¢s helped organizations like ABC, CBS, and NBC, among others. On
Broadway, playwright Fred Saidy wrote two classics, "Finian¢s Rainbow"
and "Bloomer Girl." Opera prima donna Rosalind Elias hit the high
notes at the Met. And for avant-garde "Dancer of the Year" in 1992,
the New York Times picked a 20-year Broadway veteran with the Paul
Taylor Company -- Elie Chaib. David Yazbek wrote the lyrics and score
for "The Full Monty."
Turning to television, Lucie Salhany became the first woman to head a
television network, as chair of Fox Broadcasting Co., then of United
Paramount Network. Tammy Haddad, the creator of "Larry King Live," is
Executive Producer of "Buchanan & Press." CNN senior editor and anchor
Octavia E. Nasr has been named CNN's first senior editor for Arab
affairs. Hoda Kotbe is a correspondent for NBC¢s "Dateline" and Jim
Avila, who is of Lebanese and Mexican descent, is a national
correspondent for NBC News. Among TV directors, two Arab Americans
have each helmed over 300 episodes for the networks. Asaad Kelada has
done numerous series like "Family Ties" and episodes of "The Facts of
Life," "Dharma & Greg," "Everybody Loves Raymond," etc. After
directing Broadway hits like "Sweet Charity," "Mame," and "The
Unsinkable Molly Brown," John Bowab switched to TV and has directed
episodes of the classic hit "The Cosby Show" as well as "My Wife &
Kids" and "Life with Bonnie."
Did you know...
that the highest-rated episode in television history was the last
episode of "M*A*S*H"? And who played the role of not-so-crazy Corporal
Klinger for its entire 11-year run? A talented Arab American from
Toledo, Ohio, Jamie Farr.
On NBC, "Saturday Night Live¢s" bandleader for many years was
guitarist G.E. Smith. (His family¢s Lebanese name, Haddad, means
blacksmith).
The best-known Lebanese in America was also the founder of St. Jude¢s
Children¢s Research Hospital -- the late, great comedian and actor
Danny Thomas. His son is a television and film producer and multi-Emmy
winner for "The Golden Girls" and other TV shows -- Tony Thomas.
Danny¢s daughter, Emmy Award-winning Marlo Thomas, was the first
actress ever to play a single, independent young woman in the TV
series, "That Girl." She currently appears on TV¢s "Friends" as
Rachel¢s mother and published a book, "The Right Words at the Right
Time."
Wendie Malick played Nina Van Horn on NBC¢s hit show "Just Shoot Me."
The leading man who starred in the movies "Flashdance" and "Finding
Forrester" was Michael Nouri, who also starred in TV¢s "Love and War"
sitcom. Tony Shalhoub, now starring in USA Network¢s series "Monk,"
and Amy Yasbeck appeared in the hit sitcom "Wings" -- the first time
two Arab Americans have been featured in the same TV series. Amy has
also starred in films including Mel Brooks¢ "Robin Hood: Men in
Tights." Tony has moved to the big screen as well, in both "Men in
Black " films, "The Siege," "A Civil Action," and "Thirteen Ghosts"
(with fellow Arab Americans F. Murray Abraham and Shannon Elizabeth).
Crusty but soft-hearted Mel in TV¢s "Alice" was portrayed by the late
Vic Tayback. One of the co-stars of the series "Empty Nest" was Kristy
McNichol. A star of TV¢s "Head of the Class" was once picked by People
Magazine as one of the "50 most beautiful people in the U.S." --
Khrystyne Haje.
Two other fine movie and television actors who also starred in popular
TV dramas are James Stacy, who played the main role in "Laramie," and
Michael Ansara, who played Cochise in "Broken Arrow."
An award-winning comic actress from San Diego, Kathy Najimy, played a
fun-loving nun in the "Sister Act" films. She co-starred as Olive, a
Lebanese-American, in NBC-TV¢s "Veronica¢s Closet" with Kirstie Alley.
Kathy is the voice of Peggy Hill on Fox-TV¢s animated hit "King of the
Hill." Shannon Elizabeth of "American Pie," "Scary Movie," and
"Tomcats" is of Lebanese and Syrian ancestry.
The former head of Carolco Pictures, handling the "Rocky," "Rambo,"
and "Terminator" films, was "billion-dollar producer" Mario Kassar.
The producer of the epic "The Message: The Story of Islam" (a
biography of the Prophet Mohammed) and "Lion of the Desert," not to
mention all the blockbuster "Halloween" chillers, is Moustapha Akkad.
Lovely Salma Hayek, who is of Lebanese and Mexican descent, is another
actress who has lit up the small screen (in cable TV¢s movie "The
Hunchback," as the gypsy Esmeralda) and the big screen (Oscar-winning
"Traffic," "Desperado," "Wild Wild West," and "Frida," about Mexican
artist Frida Kahlo). The director of Jim Carrey¢s loony comedy hits
"Ace Ventura: Pet Detective" and "Liar, Liar," Eddie Murphy¢s "The
Nutty Professor," and Robin Williams¢ "Patch Adams" is Tom Shadyac.
Together, these films have grossed more than $1 billion worldwide.
The Pulitzer Prize for biography ("Jackson Pollack: An American Saga")
was shared by the author of three other national bestsellers:
writer-publisher Steven Naifeh of South Carolina. The book was later
adapted into an Academy award-winning film (best supporting actress).
Elie Samaha is chairman and owner of Franchise Pictures, which
produced such films as "The Heist," "Angel Eyes," "The Whole Nine
Yards," and "Battlefield Earth." Academy Award-winning film producer
Ronald Schwary is best known for his work with "Tootsie," "Meet Joe
Black," and "Scent of a Woman." Jehane Noujaim co-directed and
co-produced "Startup.com."
One of show business¢ legendary talent managers was the late George
"Bullets" Durgom, who, through the years, managed Jackie Gleason,
Sammy Davis, Jr., and Marilyn Monroe, to mention a few. Two of today¢s
top recording stars¢ husband-managers are of Arab descent: Rene
Angelil, discoverer and manager of wife Celine Dion, and Cuban-born
Emilio Estefan, manager and producer of wife Gloria Estefan.
Emmy Award-winning cinematographer-director George S. Dibie is
president of the International Photographers Guild. Fouad Said was the
cinematographer who designed Cinemobile, the first customized van for
filming on location, while working on the TV series "I Spy." For this
achievement, he received a Technical Academy Award in 1970.
Other Arab American Oscar winners include F. Murray Abraham, who won
Best Actor for the movie "Amadeus." Screenwriter and novelist William
Peter Blatty won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for "The
Exorcist," a huge box office hit based on his novel of the same name.
Recipient of an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for "Thelma and
Louise" and director of the "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood"
is Callie Khourie. The late composer Paul Jabara won an Oscar award
for Best Song, Donna Summer¢s "Last Dance" from the movie "Thank God,
It¢s Friday." Set decorator Emile Kuri won two Oscars for his splendid
work on "The Heiress" and "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea." He received
a total of eight Academy Award nominations and later designed many
exhibits at Disneyland.
Education
The late Edward Said was a Columbia professor and well-known literary
and social critic, as well as a respected music reviewer, and wrote a
column appearing in "The Nation." Professor Said authored more than a
dozen volumes on everything from the Middle East to English
literature. Jack Shaheen, emeritus professor of mass communications at
Southern Illinois University and author of books like "The TV Arab"
and "Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People," has also been
CBS News¢ consultant for the Middle East. ...damany was the
longest-serving president of Wayne State University in Detroit and
currently serves as Temple University¢s president.
For an inspiring success story, try that of writer-lecturer on
business and success, Nido Qubein. When he came to the United States
as a teenager, he could barely speak English. He went on to become
president of the National Speakers¢ Association and the youngest
member inducted into the International Speakers¢ Hall of Fame.
Fashion
The prestigious CFDA Menswear Designer of the Year Award for 1989 and
1990 went to Arab American Joseph Abboud of New York. He¢s the only
designer to win the award two years in a row. Supermodel Yamila
Diaz-Rahi, who is of Lebanese and Spanish descent, landed the coveted
Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover in 2002. She has also graced
the covers of "Marie Claire," "Elle," "GQ," and "Shape."
One of America¢s most sought-after hairstylists, Frederic Fekkai,
boasts clients such as Claudia Schiffer, Kim Basinger, and Renee
Zellweger.
Lebanese immigrant J.M. Haggar started Haggar Clothing Co. in 1926. It
became one of the world¢s best-known brands in men¢s apparel. The
company is now a multi-million dollar enterprise that is headed by
J.M. Haggar III, who serves as chairman and CEO. In addition, Farah
Brothers manufactures men¢s and women¢s slacks, and Maloof Brothers
manufactured Mod-O-Day women¢s dresses. Norma Kamali, who designs
everything from clothing and cosmetics to eyeglasses, is of Arab
ancestry. Reem Acra is one of the world¢s preeminent designers of
bridal fashions and is known for her elaborate embroideries. Hair
accessories and jewelry designer Colette Malouf began her rise to the
top in 1987 with the "Malouf Poof." She is known for her innovative
use of exotic materials and her celebrity clientele.
Art and Literature
Arab Americans also have made significant contributions to the art
world. America¢s most honored woodworker, Sam Maloof is an
award-winning artisan whose creations have appeared in the White
House, the Smithsonian Institution, the Metropolitan Museum of Art,
the Vatican, and other renowned exhibit halls. Retired heart surgeon
Dr. Hussam A. Fadhli is an award-winning sculptor whose work is
displayed around the world, including the Bush Presidential Library.
Prolific industrial designer Karim Rashid is among the major talents
of 21st-century design with work in New York¢s Museum of Modern Art.
The first woman to design a major American art museum, Cincinnati¢s
$34 million Contemporary Art Center, is Iraqi-born Zaha Hadid. Hadid
is the winner of the 2004 Pritzker Architecture Prize, architecture's
equivalent of a Nobel Prize, and is the first woman ever to win this
award. Artist Ghada Amer¢s hand embroidered paintings were selected
for the Whitney Biennial 2000 and the Venice Biennale in 1999. Naomi
Shihab Nye is an award-winning poet and author of children¢s
literature.
Science and Medicine
One of America¢s most famous pioneers is Houston surgeon Dr. Michael
DeBakey, who invented the heart pump. Today he¢s chancellor of Baylor
University¢s College of Medicine. Algerian-American Dr. Elias Zerhouni
is the director of the National Institutes of Health.
Two winners of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry are Arab American. Dr.
Ahmed H. Zewail, a professor of physics at the California Institute of
Technology (CIT), is the 1999 winner. The 1990 winner is Harvard¢s Dr.
Elias Corey. Also at CIT is Dr. Charles Elachi, who was selected to
head up the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. A pioneer in the field of
electrical engineering, inventor Hassan Kamel Al-Sabbah worked for the
General Electric Company (GE) in the 1920s and 30s. His research led
to 52 patent applications, among them innovations in solar energy and
television tubes.
Geologist George A. Doumani¢s explorations helped prove the theory of
continental drift; he has a mountain peak named after him in
Antarctica. Another American geologist, Dr. Farouk el-Baz, born in
Egypt, helped plan all the Apollo moon landings and later pioneered
the use of space photography to study the Earth.
Finally, the courageous astronauts who lost their lives aboard the
space shuttle Challenger represented several racial and ethnic groups:
African-American, Hispanic-American, Asian-American, Anglo-American,
Jewish-American -- and Arab American: schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe.
We¢ve all heard this quote before:
[31]Casey Kasem
[32][kasem_sig.jpg]
"Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for
your country" -- a famous quote by an Irish-American president, John
F. Kennedy, that inspired an entire generation.
These words were first written by, among others, the Arab American
author of "The Prophet," Kahlil Gibran. And that sentiment, so
beautifully expressed by Gibran more than 70 years ago, has inspired
Americans of all heritages.
We Arab Americans are proud of our heritage and proud to be Americans.
It¢s this pride that keeps us all asking, "What can we do for our
country?"-- the good old U.S.A.
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