Former ADC President Sara Najjar's “Open Letter” to Imad Hamad

-
Former ADC President Sara Najjar-Wilson



Former ADC regional director Mr. Imad Hamad
 
 
An “Open Letter” to MR. IMAD S. HAMAD      

December 4, 2013

 

 

Dear Imad,

 

It is my understanding that on November 22, 2013, you retired as Senior National Advisor of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) and Regional Director of ADC-Michigan.   It is regrettable that your retirement occurred on the 50th Anniversary of the assassination of President john F.  Kennedy.  As you probably also know, November 22 is also the date of Lebanon’s Independence Day.  Accordingly, it is with heartfelt sadness that I find myself writing you this thank you letter, but (at the same time) maintaining a sense of hope that you will now have the independence and freedom to continue serving the community at large in some other capacity.  For the entire time that I have known you, you exemplified the calling and creed of President Kennedy, who paraphrased Kahlil Gibran – ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.  You did not ask what your country can do for you, but you did everything you can for your country.  

 

You have built bridges of understanding and enshrined mutual respect, not just within the Arab-American community, but also throughout your local communities, your State of Michigan, and our entire country.  Your outreach to all people – persons in the highest levels of our government, business and other community leaders, or the poorest citizens in your local communities – is unmatched.  You honored all of us by your tireless and selfless efforts in combating discrimination of any kind and bringing diverse communities together.  Your caring and compassion for those in need in your community have been incredibly unrelenting.   

 

Your contributions are beyond measure, and it would take pages to list them and thank you for each one individually, something beyond this one-page letter.  You have been an outstanding shepherd in serving your community, even though it was at a tremendous personal sacrifice; and we pray that you will consider continuing your commendable work.  

 

Last, but not least, words are simply inadequate to convey the loss of your good works; but, as I said above, it is my hope that you will consider continuing to pursue your service to the community at large in a different capacity.  In that context, a heartfelt Thank YOU – Thank YOU!  We are very proud of you, and I bid you Godspeed.

 

Highest regards,

 

 

Sara Najjar-Wilson

Former ADC President

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Response to Amer Zahr’s Sexual Harassment Column

-
Image
Rana Abbas, former ACRL executive director Amer Zahr, Rana Abbas's BFF Response to Amer Zahr’s Sexual Harassment Column The Imad Hamad saga has attracted a motley crew of individuals who joined in for two reasons: 1. To say, without any legal basis for personal knowledge, that the allegations are “true” for a variety of reasons.  2. To say that we basically need no investigation and that Imad should be fired because these two women have made these allegations. Allegation is the key word. Let’s look at the bright side of this sordid affair. Who knew that everyone in our community is a solid supporter of women’s rights? This is great! It really is. However, by God, people will prove it by piling on Imad Hamad before receiving all the facts. Let me make one thing clear. I am not stating these women were not harassed; nor am I stating they were. No one, other than Imad and the women, was in the room when the alleged harassment occurred.  No third party ...
Read more

The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict

-
The Lebanese secular al Safeer newspaper. The Lebanese leftist/ secular/communist Al Akhbar Both called the individual who attacked the Jewish religious school in Jerusalem a “shaheed” or martyr. When Arab seculars and communists, in addition to Islamists, call this person a martyr, it is further proof that the conflict is, not surprisingly, a political conflict between Jewish nationalism and Palestinian nationalism- not a religious conflict. Neither party in this conflict is respecting international law. It's a fact regardless of who has the big guns- and it's Israel who has the big guns here. Noncombatants continue to suffer.
Read more

The Lessons of the Wissam Allouche case: About lies, not terrorism

-
Image
Wissam Allouche arrested by the JTTF Flag of the Lebanese Shia Amal Movement The Lessons of the Wissam Allouche case: An American Lebanese Shiite Muslim caught in the government and media dog- and- pony show Wissam Allouche, a Lebanese Shia immigrant from Lebanon was sentenced to five years in prison for lying on his citizenship application and for lying to get a security clearance from the Department of Defense. The US government had asked for a ten- year sentence. Allouche’s criminal case began in 2013 and he was tried and convicted in 2015 in the Western District of Texas district court.  After conviction, the US Attorney for the Western district of Texas issued a press release that read in part: “Jurors found that defendant lied about his previous association with the Amal militia This afternoon in San Antonio, a federal jury convicted 45–year-old Lebanese–born Wissam “Sam” Allouche of knowingly lying to federal authorities on his U.S. citizenship p...
Read more