Hala Salaam Maksoud

Dr. Hala Salaam Maksoud (deceased 2002) "was noted not only for her outstanding leadership skills and keen intellect, but also for her abilities as a communicator. Her speeches, lectures, articles and commentary were exemplary and served as another major element of her contributions to the Arab-American community and the causes in which she believed."

"As an Arab born citizen of the United States, Dr. Maksoud realized early on that she felt strongly about the need to correct the misunderstandings in the United States about the Arab world and especially Arab women. Dr. Maksoud believed that these misunderstandings had translated into discrimination against Arab-Americans in all aspects of life. Armed with her education and her beliefs, Dr. Maksoud forged ahead and became a pioneer, helping to found the largest Arab-American grassroots organization in the United States: the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC). Dr. Maksoud had worked closely with the ADC, since its inception in 1980, becoming the President from 1996-2001. Until she died, she was on the Board of Directors of the ADC and was working on a book entitled "The Islamic Content of Arab Nationalist Thought" supposed to be published in the summer by the University of Florida Press...

"As a prominent and active member of her community, Dr. Maksoud was Secretary of the American Committee on Jerusalem, Treasurer of the Committee for the Preservation of Palestinian Heritage, past president of the Association of Arab-American University Graduates, as well as a founding member and past president of the Arab Women's Council. She also served a member of the advisory board of many journals on the Middle East.

"Dr. Maksoud lived in Washington, DC with her husband, Dr. Clovis Maksoud, former Ambassador of the League of Arab States and current professor of International Relations at American University."


 * Former Secretary, American Committee on Jerusalem
 * Former Trustee, Institute for Palestine Studies

Related Sourcewatch articles

 * Hala Salam Maksoud Foundation for Arab American Leadership