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The Passing of Clovis Maksoud Clovis Maksoud, Pillar of the Arab-American Community, Dies at Age 90

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The Passing of Clovis Maksoud Clovis Maksoud, Pillar of the Arab-American Community, Dies at Age 90 May 22, 2016 17 Obituary The passing of Clovis Maksoud Clovis Maksoud, pillar of the Arab-American community, dies at age 90 Photo courtesy of Arab American National Museum Mark Habeeb wrote several books and served as In his resignation letter, he wrote: regularly lamented that Arab disu- together, not simply coexist. Sec- director of the Center for the Glob- “The Arab house has fallen on nity came at the expense of Pales- tarianism, he warned, would have al South at American University in itself and the conflicts have sub- tinian rights. “devastating” effects. Washington Washington DC. merged our shared priorities.” Maksoud continued to write and He recounted a conversation In addition to his degree from He criticised Iraq for invading give speeches until his death from he once had with Rached Ghan- lovis Maksoud, one of AUB, Maksoud had a law degree Kuwait but also criticised Saudi a brain aneurysm. In October 2014, nouchi, leader of Tunisia’s Islamist the most thoughtful and from George Washington Univer- Arabia for summoning foreign in- he addressed an audience in Dear- Ennahda Party. Islamic values, he influential Arab-Amer- sity in the US capital and also stud- tervention to oust Iraq instead of born, Michigan, upon the release told Ghannouchi, cannot be a re- ican personalities, has ied at Oxford University in Britain. pursuing “an Arab solution”. He of his memoir, From the Corners placement for nationalism. died in Washington. viewed disunity, extremism and of Memory. Maksoud said religion Maksoud struggled near the end CMaksoud lived many lives in his sectarianism as the greatest threats cannot replace nationalism as the of his life to remain optimistic in He was an outspoken 90 years: journalist, scholar, dip- and principled activist to the Arab world. leading ideology of the Arab world. the face of what he saw happen- lomat and activist. He was born in on behalf of Arab Maksoud’s activism was not lim- “When political Islam considers it- ing in the Arab world but he never Oklahoma to Lebanese immigrant ited to issues related to the Arab self the alternative to Arab nation- gave up hope: “We as Arabs are ex- parents but was raised in Lebanon nationalism, world. A true global citizen, he alism, it loses its sense of direction; periencing a resignation from hope and educated at the American Uni- Palestinian rights and wrote about and convened schol- it loses its compass,” he said. and we are almost submitting our- versity in Beirut (AUB). He was a non-alignment. arly conferences on the environ- selves to despair,” said Maksoud in US citizen who served as a diplo- ment, human rights, economic de- Maksoud lived many his Dearborn address. “We will not mat for the Arab League, including Maksoud was an outspoken velopment, population growth and lives in his 90 years: resign despite all the negatives we as the League’s chief representa- and principled activist on behalf disarmament. journalist, scholar, are facing.” tive to the United States and the of Arab nationalism, Palestin- However, his commitment to United Nations from 1979-90. ian rights and non-alignment. He Palestinian rights and justice re- diplomat and activist. Mark Habeeb is East-West editor He was senior editor of Cairo’s fought tirelessly for Arab unity and mained a driving force in his life of The Arab Weekly and adjunct al-Ahram newspaper and later resigned as the Arab League’s US and work. “Palestine is the anvil of He said the Arab world needs professor of Global Politics and chief editor of Beirut’s An-Nahar and UN representative following our souls,” he once said. After he diversity and that different reli- Security at Georgetown University Weekly, as well as a scholar who the 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. resigned from the Arab League, he gious groups should be able to live in Washington. The great mind and legacy of Clovis Maksoud Viewpoint am among the fortunate Palestine Human Rights Cam- to be reckoned with. Smart, in conversation. Maksoud was people of the four genera- paign and an intellectual and poised, unfazed by critics and We are never shy about responding with tions who benefited from activist in his own right, knew devoted to her husband. They opinions and insights honed by knowing, learning from Maksoud from his previous were a power couple for their in- grateful his decades of international expe- and caring about ambas- work as chief editor of An-Nahar tellects and their straightforward for his life rience and friendships. sador Clovis Maksoud. Weekly in Lebanon, and quickly speaking — rare commodities in well-lived. I last saw Maksoud at the Arab IWhen I arrived in Washington arranged an introduction. Washington. American Institute Khalil Gi- in the summer of 1978 to head To say that it was a life- At the American University bran Spirit of Humanity Awards the National Association of Arab enriching experience cannot in Washington, where Maksoud event in April in Washington, Americans (NAAA), the first express how much we came to see headed the Center for the Global less than a week before I left for Jean AbiNader lobby for our community, I was Maksoud as the premier spokes- South, he pulled together the best an assignment in Jordan. He was quite new to the political wars man for the Middle East and and brightest from the Arab world in a wheelchair but that didn’t that would become the main North Africa region. His intel- and elsewhere to provide per- stop him from greeting the many feature of my work. It was not ligence and philosophical sweep spectives and insights that chal- people who gathered around to long before the two best mentors were encapsulated in rich words, lenged the conventional thinking extend their wishes and show possible came into my life. A year phrases and concepts that made both of Arab and US leaders. He again their appreciation for his later, Hisham Sharabi became opponents’ arguments seem dull continued to write and speak iconic status. NAAA’s board chairman and by comparison. He was never at all around the United States and There will never be and could Maksoud came to Washington as a loss for words, even if we didn’t overseas despite advancing age never be another Clovis Maksoud. the Arab League representative to understand them! and poor health. He was fearless and devout, will- the United States and the United We would sit with him in his I remember quite fondly how, ing to defend what he believed Nations. office and he would tell us stories when he suffered a heart attack in despite criticisms, and never James Zogby, then head of the about the time he was the Arab and was recovering slowly, Zogby stopped his greatest passion — League ambassador to India, his and I would visit him at his home learning. So many memories, so relations with Jawaharlal Nehru and walk with him around his many of us touched by his genius and the Non-Aligned Movement, neighbourhood. While his body and his humanity. We are grateful I am among the fortunate his impatience with the inability was frail, his mind continued for his life well-lived. of Arab leaders to think beyond its rapid discourse on politics, people of the four their hold on power and our culture, history and the woes and Jean AbiNader resides in the generations who benefited responsibility as Arab Americans tribulations of our countries — the Washington area and is a long- to honour our heritage and our United States and the Arab world. time participant in US-Arab from knowing ambassador citizenship by telling the truth to He would light up whenever affairs. Other articles can be Clovis Maksoud. both sides. friends, students, luminaries found at www.jeanabinader.com. His wife, Hala Maksoud, who and anyone who called his name Follow him on Twitter: died in 2002, was herself a force would come up to him and engage @jeanabinader..
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