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Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, August 2008, pages 50-51 Muslim-American Activism CAIR-LA Honors Washington Report Writers Samir and Pat Twair
WASHINGTON REPORT writers Samir and Pat Twair were presented with “Activist of the Year” awards by the Greater Los Angeles office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) at its fourth annual Entertainment Night of Civil Rights on June 7 in the Heritage Forum, Anaheim. CAIR-LA executive director Hussam Ayloush and president Fawad Yacoub presented the awards acknowledging “lifelong commitment to building bridges of understanding through journalism and media.” In accepting his engraved plaque, Samir, who is president of the Arab American Press Guild, said the greatest honor is to be recognized by one’s own community. Pat, who began writing for California daily newspapers in the 1960s, addressed her comments to the more than 600 Muslim youths in the audience: “Long ago in the olden days of 1974 at UCLA, whenever Israel committed an outrage against the Palestinian people, we struggled to find enough Muslim- and Arab-American students to make a serious demonstration. “Things have changed since then—largely because of you. There are more of you and you’re not afraid to speak out against injustice. And if you will continue to write those letters to the editor and especially, you students, to keep applying for internships in the media and government, you will triumph over scapegoating and prejudice. “You have made a change. “You are making change. “And, Inshallah, you will make a bigger change.” The Twairs have been contributing articles to and writing their “Southern California Chronicle” column for the Washington Report since 1988. —Courtesy CAIR |
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