ADC to Open Tonight's Gala with

posted on: Jun 11, 2011

ADC announced today that it will open its annual Gala with the playing of the song “Watani Ana” by Syrian composer and pianist Mr. Malek Jandali.

We regret the series of events that led to the cancellation of Mr. Jandali’s performance.

We hope that by playing the song, with its powerful message of freedom, that we will address the valid concerns of many in the Arab-American community. It is in this spirit we hope to move forward and continue to build our grassroots network, as we work to empower Arab Americans.

ADC’s mission as a civil rights organization will be advanced by being a broad umbrella that represents the whole community. We encourage the participation of all Arab Americans as a vital way of continuing to build, and improve our ability to defend our rights. It is regrettable that this issue has been emphasized by some to detract from the important work that ADC does and from its message conveyed at its annual convention. ADC has gained its Arab-American community’s trust by being active and fair and has worked diligently to protect their rights.

American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee