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Local Group Pays Tribute to Qatar's Leader
A delegation of local Arab Americans organized by the Congress of Arab American Organizations (CAAO) will meet with Emir Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, emir of Qatar, on Sunday, March 15, 2009, in the nation’s capital of Doha.
The community leaders said they are going to pay tribute to the emir and the country for frequent efforts in Doha to broker peace and resolution to world conflicts.
“The reason that we’re honoring Qatar and the Emir of Qatar is because they have given so much in humanitarian aid,” said CAAO spokesman Osama Siblani. “They gave a lot to the Lebanese people after the war in 2006. They took it upon themselves to rebuild some of the villages that were destroyed and one of them is Bint Jebail, from which about 12,000 people in Dearborn trace their roots.”
He said Qatar also donated millions to rebuild Gaza in the aftermath of the December-January Israeli offensive there.
“He hosted the Arab summit for Gaza and stood by Palestinian rights… he brokered a deal with the Sudanese — some of the major factions in Darfur, keeping them in Qatar until they agreed on a memorandum of understanding… he brought Lebanese factions together in Doha that brought Lebanon together,” Siblani said.
“Equally important, he contributed $100 million to the Katrina victims here in the United States,” he added.
Jim Allen, Chairman of the American Arab Chamber of Congress, said the trip is also an opportunity to foster business relationships and to “make it clear that we are a community that’s very focused on economic development both here and abroad.”
Other members of the delegation include attorney Nabih Ayad, representing the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, William Salaita, representing the Jordanian American Club of Michigan, Radwan Khouri representing the Arab American and Chaldean Council, Hassan Bazzi, representing the Lebanese American Center and Abed Hammoud, representing the Arab American Political Action Committee.
Siblani, who is also publisher of The Arab American News, said Qatar, as home to the worldwide satellite television news station Al Jazeera, is also a much-needed symbol of freedom of the press in the Arab World.