Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, March-April 2012, Page 70
Announcements
Announcements, Upcoming Events & Obituaries
—Compiled by Alex Begley
The Siraj Center for Holy Land Studies will offer its Palestinian Summer Celebration 2012 at Bethlehem University from June 17 to Aug. 12. The annual program offers the opportunity to encounter the life, culture and politics of Palestine as well as to meet accomplished experts, activists, and officials. Arabic language and Palestinian history courses are offered through Bethlehem University, and volunteer opportunities are also available through local community organizations. For more information visit <www.sirajcenter.org/>.
The Arab American National Museum (AANM) has launched a new podcast dealing with current issues affecting the Arab-American community. The free podcast on iTunes U will air every two weeks and remain on the AANM's iTunes U page permanently, along with such offerings as oral histories and video of Museum events. Listeners can access the podcast by visiting <itunes.apple.com/institution/arab-american-national-museum/id430581561#ls=1> or by clicking on the iTunes logo on the Online Activities page of <www.arabamericanmuseum.org>.
Applications for the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations 2012 Washington, DC Summer Internship Program are now being accepted. The program offers students a valuable 10-week professional, academic and career opportunity internship. Application deadline for the May 28-Aug. 3 program is March 12. For more information visit <www.ncusar.org>.
The National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations and the Lebanese American University announce a summer study abroad program in Beirut. The six-week language and cultural immersion program, from June 25-Aug. 3, provides international students a unique perspective on Lebanese culture and daily life. For more information visit <ncusar.org/programs/lau-sinarc.html>. Application deadline is May 1.
Upcoming Events
The Arab American National Museum in Dearborn, MI invites educators to a Free Teacher Open House on March 15 from 4-6 p.m. Teachers will be able to tour the museum and learn about its various educational programs as well as about the Arab American community. To RSVP by 5 p.m., March 14, call (313) 624-0239 or e-mail your name, school and phone number to David Serio at <[email protected]>.
The American Task Force for Lebanon will hold its 2012 Gala Awards Night April 27 at 6 p.m. at the Fairmont Washington, DC Hotel. The event will feature Phillip Ruffin, owner of such Ruffin Companies as Treasure Island in Las Vegas, NV; fashion designer Reem Acra; and Dr. Samuel Hazo, former State Poet of Pennsylvania. Tickets are $185 per person and can be purchased by calling (202) 223-9333.
Obituaries
Ambassador Richard W. Boehm, 85, died Nov. 28, 2011 of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Bethesda, MD. A former U.S. ambassador to Cyprus and Oman, he was a World War II veteran and joined the Foreign Service in 1955. After postings in Okinawa and West Berlin, he served as deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Luxembourg, followed by postings to Türkiye and Thailand. From 1978 to 1983, he was deputy chief of mission at the U.S. embassies in Nepal and Türkiye before being appointed ambassador to Cyrpus in 1984. He also served as U.S. ambassador to Oman for three years before retiring in 1992. He is survived by his two children, Stephen and Karen Boehm.
Cardinal John Patrick Foley, 76, died of leukemia Dec. 11, 2011 in Darby, PA. A trained journalist, he served as the spokesman for the Vatican for 23 years before being appointed Pro-Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. In that position he sought to promote peace and foster a vibrant Christian presence in the Holy Land. As Vatican spokesman he offered his opinion on many topics, including Israel's West Bank barrier. "The wall is a human rights issue," he said, "because it separates people from the possibility of their work, of their education, of reaching land which they own, of reaching relatives they have, and of reaching the places of worship in Jerusalem which are so important to them." He called the wall an "overreaction" and said that it causes resentment. In an interview about the wall for "Rome Reports," he remarked that "one of the sad things is the departure of some of the Christians from the Holy Land…the authorities in Jordan, the Palestinian territories, and in Israel all say that Christians help to promote peace in the Holy Land, so it would be a tragedy for those areas if they left."
Jerzy Kluger, 90, died of Alzheimer's disease Dec. 31, 2011 in Rome. The Holocaust survivor was a childhood friend of Pope John Paul II, reuniting with him in the 1960s, when he contacted then-Archbishop Karol Wojtyla, who had traveled to Rome for the Second Vatican Council. When the archbishop was elected pope in 1978, he honored their friendship by reportedly reserving his first private audience with Kluger and his family. According to The New York Times, following the 1981 assassination attempt on his life, Pope John Paul 11 asked Kluger to help him establish diplomatic relations with Israel, which the Vatican officially recognized in 1993. Working behind the scenes, Kluger was considered to have played a key role in that process.
Dr. Gordon Hirabayashi, 93, died Jan. 2 of complications from the flu. The Japanese-American civil rights figure refused to go to an internment camp in 1941, and was arrested for disobeying internment orders and for breaking curfew. After serving several months in a labor camp, he appealed his conviction to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled against him in 1943. He again served time for refusing to be inducted into the military, claiming racism within the Selective Service. After President Harry S. Truman pardoned his conviction for refusing service in 1947, Hirabayashi earned a doctorate in sociology from the University of Washington, then went on to teach at the American universities of Beirut and in Cairo before settling at the University of Alberta. In the 1980s he was contacted by Peter Irons, who had new information from the Justice Department showing that the government had withheld documents stating that Japanese Americans posed no threat to the U.S. After 40 years, Dr. Hirabayashi reopened his case and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled unanimously in his favor. In part because of his court victories, Congress apologized in 1988 and awarded over $1 billion in reparations to internees.
