Hello, I'm Tony Shaluab.
As we all know, the past year has been extremely difficult for the people of the Middle East.
Conflicts raging in Iraq, Palestine, Israel, and Lebanon have created hardship for millions.
To many Americans, these names, Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon, have come to mean only war and chaos.
But for Arab Americans, they still represent home and family and history.
We think of them, visit them when we can, and understand the richness of the heritage
they have given us.
And so the past year has been particularly painful for Arab Americans.
We join millions of other Americans in our concern about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan,
and the loss of American lives in these conflicts.
But we also feel keenly the pain of the people of Iraq and Afghanistan, the price they have
paid, and the continuing threat they face.
We heard as well with the Palestinians and their ongoing plight of occupation, dispossession,
and exile, and joined them in hoping for independence and a peaceful resolution to the Middle East
conflict.
Last summer, we were shocked by scenes of death and destruction in Lebanon, the collapse
of its economy, and the specter of a return to civil conflict.
Our distress during the war in Lebanon was expressed in a statement organized by the
Arab American Institute Foundation, which was published in the Washington Post, and signed
by prominent Arab Americans from all sectors of society, calling for an immediate ceasefire.
During difficult and desperate conflicts such as these, there is always the danger that
the toll of human suffering and devastation will be lost amid political debates.
There is, however, one reporter who has won widespread acclaim for his unique ability
to humanize societies in crisis, and to embed himself with the victims of war, and tell
their stories.
Anthony Shadeed is the Middle East correspondent for the Washington Post.
Fluent in Arabic, his writing has brought home to millions the anguish of Iraqis, Palestinians,
and more recently, Lebanese.
In recognition of this work, Anthony received the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for International
Reporting for his extraordinary ability to capture at personal peril the voices and emotions
of Iraqis as their country was invaded, their leader toppled, and their way of life upended.
His latest book, Night Draws Near, has won many awards, including the Los Angeles Times
Book Prize.
Please join me in welcoming a reporter of distinction, Anthony Shadeed.
