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Hisham’s sad departure tolls yet another bell for the dwindling University of Chicago circle of Lebanese, Syrian, Palestinian and Iraqi graduate students, to which he and I belonged in the 1950's. It was the time when Chicago’s Great Books of the Western World became the norm for understanding the West. In our zeal for progress, we went on unconsciously applying this viable Western tradition in a new understanding of dormant Arab fields of knowledge. Hisham made use of his studies in cultural history to shed new light on the Umayyad Muslim rule in Spain; while I myself found in my comparative law study new insights into the modernization of Islamic law. How times have changed; the cultural congruence between East and West we then sought, has since turned into conflict. George N. Sfeir (gnsfeir@hotmail.com) A dignified man of integrity, learning, and a wonderfully dry wit, Dr. Sharabi is warmly remembered by his many former students including me. His legacy lives on in those whose lives he touched. My heartfelt condolences to his family on their loss. James Reilly Hisham, my mentor, my colleague, my friend. Your absence is felt daily and there is so much work to be done. Your inspiration will live on with us, no question about it, but how I do miss our "chats"... Osama Abi-Mershed It's a hard time--hope the family will pass this hard loss of Dr. Sharabi. Daher Mesleh (www.daher72@maktoob.com) My condolences on the passing of Dr. Sharabi. I owe Dr. Sharabi a great deal, having been involved in two of his greatest legacies, two of his labors of love, at the Palestine Center/Jerusalem Fund and the Journal of Palestine Studies. Though I never met Dr. Sharabi, I can easily say that I would not be where I am today without him, and therefore will miss him profoundly. Alex Winder
Paul and Judith Mokhiber (Youngstown, NY)
Ibrahim from Gaza (ibrahim@pcrp.org) Like many people who worked with Dr. Sharabi, I was deeply moved by his patience and wisdom -- and, of course, saddened by his death. Please pass on my condolences to the staff of The Jerusalem Fund and to Dr. Sharabi's family. May we all live up to his example. Samer Badawi I was saddened to learn of the death of Professor Sharabi. He was one of the nicest, kindest, and most respectful gentleman that I have ever met. I learned alot about the Palestinians through him and through the Center. He generously helped me financially to be able to make a trip to Israel and Palestine many years ago. Because of this trip I was able to write a number of articles on the Israeli Peace Movement and the situation of the Palestinians under occupation. He also helped fund a trip I made to Beirut in 2002 for the 20th Anniversary of the Massacre at Sabra and Shatilla. Due to this unforgetable trip I was able to record and reflect on my memories of 1982 which I have documented. I always enjoyed seeing him - not many words passed - but one always knew he was listening and thinking. I am grateful that I was lucky to have known him. My sympathy to his family. May he rest in peace. Ellen Siegel I was deeply saddened to read about the passing away of Dr. Sharabi. I extend my heart-felt condolences to his family, friends, students, and colleagues. Zaineb Istrabadi (zistraba@indiana.edu) As a former student of Professor Sharabi, I am very saddened to hear that he has passed away. I will always remember his classes as extraordinary experiences of learning, understanding and debate of the core questions that unite and divide us as human beings. Tanja Salem (United Kingdom) I was student of Dr. Sharabi's between 1972 and 1975 when I was an undergraduate student at Georgetown. I took every course he offered then. I audited all of those I could not take for credit. He was a unique teacher and advisor who had a great influence on my thinking toward Arab society. I will miss him as will many of us who looked up to him. Shafeeq Ghabra, PhD. I am deeply saddened to hear of Dr. Sharabi's death. My profound condolences go to his family and friends worldwide and at the Jerusalem Fund. As a student of Dr. Sharabi's, he had a great impact on my perceptions and undertanding of the Arab World, as he did I am sure on so many others. His passing is a great loss to us all; but we can be consoled by the fact that he lives on through his legacy and teachings. Nadia Abourizk-Asaad (rmf@dc.net) It is with great sorrow that we recieved the news of the passing of Dr. Hisham Sharabi, a great thinker and intelectual of our times. Few individuals can match Dr. Sharabi in his commitment to his people as well as to humanity in large. His dedication and commitment will be a lightning rod for those who live for more than themslves. Dr. Sharabi lives in all of us through his achievments and teachings; through what what he did he will be forever remembered. Maher El-Hage To the Jerusalem Fund Staff: Donald Wagner, North Park University (Chicago, IL)
We are saddened to learn of the death of Dr. Sharabi. We send our deepest condolences to you and to Dr. Sharabi's family. May the memory of Dr. Sharabi's heroic work on behalf of all Palestinians and of the Arab perspective continue to inspire those who were privileged to work with him and support his most worthy endeavors. With sympathy, Dear friends at the Jerusalem Fund: We are all here in Palestine deeply saddened by the departure of Hisham, a prominent and great Palestinian who loved his country and his people. You can be assured that his country and his people also loved and respected him. Hisham's absence is a great loss to all of us and to the Palestinians everywhere, but his intellectual legacy and his dedication to his people will never be forgotten. Please accept our deepest and most sincere condolences. May God bless his soul. Ziad Abu-Amr 17 January 2005 The Jerusalem Fund: The Chairman and board of directors and all staff volunteers of the YMCA of Jordan extend to you our deepest sympathy on the passings away of Dr. Hisham Sharabi. He will certainly be missed by all the orphans and needy youth and all who knew him. May God have mercy on his soul and may he rest in peace. The YMCA of Jordan (Amman, Jordan) Dear respected members of the Jerusalem Fund Board and the family of Dr. Sharabi: It was with great sadness and pain that we heard the news of the passing of the great Arab Palestinian thinker, Professor Hisham Sharabi, the son of the city of Jaffa, the city of his birth. He lived 78 years in the service of learning and education, dedicated to resolving the problems of Arab society and the Palestinian issue. On behalf of myself and my fellow members of the St. George Orthodox Society in Lod, we send our deepest condolences to the family of Dr. Sharabi and to our brothers and sisters at the Jerusalem Fund, as well as all the friends and loved ones of the dear departed. We ask for the Almighty's mercy upon his soul and for comfort and patience to bear this great loss. Emil al-Asmar Professor Sharabi was my teacher and an example of courage and deep honesty. He was an inspiration for all those who firmly believe in the just struggle of the Palestinian people for their homeland and freedom. He will be missed. It was a deep honor to know him and be his student. Carlos de la Cova (Bethesda, MD) It is with great sorrow that I learned of the passing of Dr. Sharabi. I knew him only through Arab-American organizations such as the Arab-American University Graduates and the Jerusalem Fund. He was always a champion of justice and progressive thought. He impacted thousands through his words, deeds, and thoughts. He played a key role in the institutionalization of the Palestinian presence in America. He will be sorely missed by all of us who felt his impact. Nabil Khoury (West Bloomfield, MI) I knew Hisham for 36 years. He was a tireless fighter not only for Palestinian rights, but a more decent and just world. He will serve as a model for those who follow in his footsteps. Lawrence Davidson, West Chester University (ldavidson@wcupa.edu) The painful news of Hisham's passing left me with a deep sense of sorrow and grief. Hisham was a giant of a man whose academic contributions are unmatched, and whose efforts to promote the Palestinian cause will forever be remembered. My condolences to his dear family, and to the Jerusalem Fund staff and fellow board members. Eid Mustafa (Wichita Falls, TX) To the Palestine Center, The disappearance of Hisham was a big shock to me. We have been close friends for several decades. I appreciated his graciousness, his palestinian patriotism, his pride of being what he was, his sense of honor, his integrity, his loyalty to friends, his intelligent and balanced analysis of the israeli-palestinian conflict. I appreciated listening to him, exchanging views.I will never forget him. Please convey my painful condolences to his family, friends and students. Eric Rouleau (Paris, France) ATTA President, board and staff send their deepest condolences to the Jerusalem Fund on the passing away of Chariman Dr. Hisham Sharabi. My deepest condolances to all Arab people in general and to Arab Palestinian in particular. Abdelsalam Alhasanat (abdsalamh@yahoo.com) We would like to offer everyone at The Jerusalem May he rest in Peace. James & Farah Michael Lawlor II My deepest condolences to the Jerusalem Fund on the passing of one of its founding members, Dr. Hisham Sharabi. The passing of Dr. Sharabi is a great loss to the Palestinian people. His many contributions to his people will be his true testimony. May the Almighty bless his soul and may we all see to live Dr. Sharabi's aspirations of a free Palestine fulfilled. It is with a very heavy heart that I received the news of our mentor, colleague and friend, Hisham. I looked up to him as the esteemed professor before knowing him as a guide and supervisor in the Jerusalem Fund and at the Journal of Palestine Studies. Such institutions remain as a living testimony to Hisham's vision, intellect, prductivity and activism. All of those Sharabi qualities continue to inspire. My condolences and solidarity go out to all the dear ones bidding farewell. Joseph Schechla (jschechla@hic-mena.org) Dear friend, It is with deep sadness that I have learned of the death of Professor Hisham Sharabi, a dear friend, leading critical intellectual, splendid and courageous teacher and writer, foremost voice of his Palestinian people, who has left a unique and indelible mark on the intellectual, cultural and institutional life of his people in the diaspora and in Palestine. Hisham Sharabi was a teacher and mentor to successive generations of students, activists and colleagues. As an academic and a writer, and, inter alia, as long time editor of the Journal of Palestine Studies, Chairman and founding member of the Jerusalem Fund for Education and Community Development / Center for Policy Analysis on Palestine / Palestine Center he made a lasting contribution to the defence of the rights of our Palestinian people all round, including the Palestinians inside Israel. In personal capacity and as Chair of AL-BEIT: Association for the Defence of Human Rights in Israel I convey heartfelt condolences to Hisham Sharabi’s family. His memory lives with his family, friends, students and colleague and our entire people. Uri Davis (uridavis@actcom.co.il) Heartfelt condolences and deepest sympathies to Dr. Sharabi's family and friends. He will always be remembered not only for his scholarship but for his activism. We especially remember his generous support of Al-Awda, The Palestine Right to Return Coalition (http://al-awda.org) and our work and struggle for the right to return. In solidarity Zahi Damuni, Al-Awda / Palestine Right to Return Coalition (San Diego, CA) We share your sadness and pain at the passing of the dear Palestinian Dr. Hisham Sharabi. He was a Palestinian thinker and intellectual who carried his nation in his heart wherever he went and made the Palestinian cause his life's work. He always carried the shining hope that a Palestinian state could be built on the laws of Hamurabi and the teachings of the Prophet and Jesus and the values of civilized nations. I was never lucky enough to meet Dr. Sharabi in person, but I will always eagerly embrace remembrances of his intellect and generosity. When he heard about our project supporting a more hopeful future for Palestinian children, he never stopped giving and sustaining and supporting us over the years. In our sorrow, his impact on Palestinian history will be our comfort. We pray for him to be ushered into the wide places of heaven. It is good to talk about him to our Palestinian children so that they will know of the life of this most gracious man, overflowing with integrity, generosity and brilliance. Your brother, I am deeply saddened to hear of Dr. Sharabi's death. My profound condolences go to his family and friends worldwide and at the Jerusalem Fund. As a student of Dr. Sharabi's, he had a great impact on my perceptions and undertanding of the Arab World- as he did I am sure on so many others. His passing is a great loss to us all but we can be consoled by the fact that he lives on through his legacy and teachings. Abourizk-Asaad, Executive Director of Rene Moawad Foundation Your teaching in intellectual history at Georgetown transformed my mind. Your painstaking handwritten references altered the course of my life. Forever in your debt; Forever in my thoughts. Stephen Douglas Salam Allah Alaykum. I have heard the very sad news of the death of our good friend Hisham Sharabi. I know he was ailing. But I always prayed for God to have him live as long as possible so people can benefit from his thoughts, ideas and intellect. The books he wrote and the lectures he made will certainly be enlightening for the younger generation as it was for us. Anis Barghouti, former undersecrtary for Foreign Affairs, PNA, El-Bireh/Ramallah Plaestine Esteemed teacher, valued friend; vale. Trevor Butterworth (Washington D.C.) I was a student in several of Dr. Sharabi's courses at Georgetown (1990-1995). Many of my ideas about the human experience and about living a committed life were shaped and sharpened through his guidance. I am deeply saddened by his passing, and I extend my sympathies to his family and friends. Wilson Jacob, PhD Candidate in Middle East Studies and History, New York University Dear Friends, I am saddened by the news of Dr Sharabi's death. My deepest condolences to his family, friends and colleagues, especially at the PalestineCenter. My parents are also from Jaffa, and with his passing goes another piece of lived Palestine. Very sad. Sincerely I just wanted to send [the Palestine Center staff] -- and also the board -- my sincerest condolences on the sad news of Professor Sharabi's passing. I was so sorry to hear it. What an amazing man and a tremendous legacy. I know that I, for one, will never forget him. I hope that you're all doing well. Best, Dear people at the Palestine Center My deepest condolences. I had immense regard and affection for Dr. Sharabi and I am profoundly saddened to hear of his death. Sara Roy, Harvard University I am saddened and grieving by the passing of a friend, colleague and neighbor. Samiah Farsoun, American University of Kuwait Dear Friends, In this evening I have just read the sadest news. Dr. Hisham Sharabi passing. Among the sorrows of my life this was the saddest. This extremely sad news is something that I can still hardly believe. And my tears can hardly stop. It is impossible to put it in words how I feel. Above all, I want you to know that as one of his oldest friends, of Half a Century of our lives. In the midst of this great sorrow, to think that Hisham lived to be 78 and that he passed away so peacefully gives us all sad moments and happy ones. I had the privilege to be with him three months ago when he came visiting me at Amman and I met him at the Airport, as I always do, whenever he comes visiting Amman. Hisham stayed three days in Amman. I am Happy to say I was with him every moment. And in the last day, he asked me to drive him around to the mountains and the valleys, which are similar to those of Palestine, as if he wanted to see them for the last time. I have much to say about my dear friend Hisham. Hisham has a rare warmth of personality, that has always left a lasting feeling upon all who knew him. Hisham was so pleasent, exceedingly gracious, full of life and enjoys life. And most of all his great sense of humor. Hisham has such a character that endeared him to all who came in contact with him. I think of Hisham now, as I thought of him while he was with us, as the most intellegent man I ever known. Hisham has been a pattern to all others of true philosophy. Hisham was able to convince every one, through his talent, and above all to his impressive quality to his sharp knowledge, wisdom, and wide experience. But, my dear friend Hisham, it hits us hardest, who have known you longest, who have loved you most. I was privileged to be the one who he looked up to whenever he needed something. And I am pleased to say, that I always was there to help. He always used to say to all that in the last 50 years, I never failed him. Nothing can take away from us the wealth of memories, stories, incidents, history, laughter that we shared together. I shall always remember how we always reminisce and recall the many happennings of FIFTY years of our lives. Very vividly we use to recall the many incidents, the many people, the many stories of over FIFTY years of exciting history. I have made a beautiful album of Hisham, and in my leisure hours, I rush into this album, and into my pleasent thoughts of Hisham, and wonderful memories. You all have lost a good friend. But I sincerely say "I have lost a very very close and dear friend. Surely my deepest sympathy goes to all of Hisham's friends, to all his relatives, and to all who knew him. I saw him last when I drove him back to the Airport, on his way back to Beirut. That was the last. As if he came to say farewell. To say goodbye. Much I realize, how much he will be missed and mourned among his many friends, among the many generations who graduated uder his hands, for whom he did so much. Hisham will be long remembered by many and I sincerely say that Hisham left a place THAT CAN NEVER BE FILLED. Hisham passed away, but he lives in our thoughts, ever and ever, in our hearts, never ending. Though Hisham fared away, I salute you, and write these lines, trying to tell you how very precious to us is the memory of your friendship. And that I am glad to have met and had known for fifty-two years, such a friend. SO FAREWELL AND FAREWELL. OLD FRIENDS NEVER DIE, THEY JUST FADE AWAY. We are quite saddened with the news of the passing of Dr. Hisham Sharabi... it is without doubt that the late Dr. Hisham and the late Dr. Edward were the bright spot in an otherwise sad and sorrow history of Palestine. They have done more for Palestine than the entire leadership did for over 40 years. He has done so much for the cause and we will all miss him. Our condolences goes to his family, friends and to the Jerusalem Fund. Sami Jamil Jadallah (Fairfax, VA) January 13, 2004 Dear friends at the Palestine Center: I am away at the moment and just received your e-mailed message. I am so sorry to learn of this heartbreaking news. There are few days that I do not think of Hisham and cherish his inspiration and example. No one comes even remotely close to the impact that he has had on my life's calling. Next to my father, and in understandably quite different but no less numerous and profound ways, Hisham's imprint on who and what I am, straight through from 1963 until the present, has been the most enduring from the beginning. John John Duke Anthony, National Council on US-Arab Relations Our condolences, thoughts and prayers go out to to Dr. Sharabi's family. Al-Hewar (The Center for Arab Culture and Dialogue) - www.alhewar.com I am very sorry to hear of the death of Dr. Sharabi. He was, in every sense, a gentleman and a scholar who did magnificent work in trying to spread understanding and reconciliation. He was a peace-maker, the highest calling of all. Jim Anderson, United Press International and DPA (German News Agency) Dear Friends at the Jerusalem Fund: Mona Ismail, InterFaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington D.C. I am very sorry to hear about the Death of Dr. Sharabi. Your work at the Palestine Center is so valuable, may it continue in his name. God bless his memory.
Last Updated: 26 January 2005, 3:00 p.m. EST |
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Submissions are posted in the chronological order they were received, the most recent first. This webpage will be visible online until February 22, 2005, to honor the traditional 40-day mourning period. To post condolences, please click