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"Much Loved Writer-President Dies" The Former President of Bosnia-Hercegovina, Alija ‘Ali Izetbegovic, one of the most prolific writers and intellectuals of the modern Muslim world, sadly died on 19th October at the age of 78 after a year of deteriorating health. An extensive obituary can be read here: http://www.angelfire.com/dc/mbooks/alija-izetbegovic-obituary.html "The death of Izetbegovic, is the loss of not only a person whose distinguished personality has written history but also the loss of a personality who has enlightened our thinking and ... of a brave spirit who has become a great source of courage for his country and people." ~ Prime Minister of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan He is survived by his wife, Halida, and their three children, daughters Sabina and Lejla, and son Bakir. Alija Izetbegovic's autobiography, Inescapable Questions: Autobiographical Notes is available from Amazon UK, Germany and France. His Notes from Prison, 1983-1988 is also available from Amazon USA, UK and Canada.
Poet Randa Hamwi Duwaji unveils America's first memorial to the victims of the Deir Yassin Massacre: On Wednesday, September 24th 2003, at 11 A.M. an extraordinary event took place in the United States on the western shores of Seneca Lake, New York: the dedication of the first U.S. memorial to Palestinians killed during or exiled after the 1948 Deir Yassin Massacre. The massacre marked the beginning of the depopulation of more than 750,000 Arabs from over 400 towns and villages, and is arguably the single most important event in 20th century Palestinian history, remembered as the beginning of the Palestinian diaspora. The Memorial: A bronze sculpture of an uprooted olive tree representing the uprooted Palestinian population, by internationally renowned Arab-American artist Khalil Bendib now lies upon a pedestal bearing a bronze plaque describing the significance of Deir Yassin, including a short poem (Haiku) by Arab-American author and poet Randa Hamwi Duwaji. The Site: Visitors to the memorial will view the sculpture framed by trees and the beautiful Seneca Lake, 30 feet away. They can sit on a 12-foot curvilinear bench carved from local quarried red Medina sandstone. Organizers: This event was organised by 'Deir Yassin Remembered' (DYR ), an international human rights organisation (made up of an equal number of Jews and non-Jews, men and women) that considers Deir Yassin to be the genetic blueprint for consecutive bloodshed perpetrated by Israel against Palestinians up to this day, and wishes to see both sides come to a reconciliation as Israel acknowledges the suffering it perpetrated and works towards its alleviation so that peace could be brought to the region. For More Information Contact: Daniel McGowan Randa Hamwi Duwaji
Read Randa Hamwi Duwaji's Reflections on Seneca Lake here.
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