Dear friends:

It is with great sadness that I mourn the death of the eminent scholar Professor Edward Said (see Associated Press story below).  Edward's work includes the seminal work on Orientalism which remains a classic text of comparative study of the Western works on the East.  Similarly his works exposing the mythologies of the Zionist enterprise have been nothing short of monumental.  He was truly a cultured man of many talents and expert knowledge in areas ranging from history, to culture, to music, to literature.  His quest for truth and his published work have had significant impact on the minds and hearts of millions of people.  Their impact will only increase over time as all of us, his students, colleagues and friends honor him by redoubling our efforts.

The last time I sat down with Edward for dinner was after his brilliant talk at Wesleyan University on 2/19/02 (many were turned back as the hall filled beyond capacity).  While he appeared frail then, I was inspired by his firm belief in the ultimate triumph of the human spirit over oppression and war.  I was even more inspired by his humility.  He was interested to know about the work of each of us sitting on the table rather than telling us about himself. And he patiently answered every question.   He provided us all a role model for selfless work for justice, peace, and humanity. He will be dearly missed and we must carry on the struggle.

Here you can hear Edward Said:

1) At April 7 2001 Al-Awda Rally in New York City

www.al-awda.org/old/rally/video/edward1.rm
www.al-awda.org/old/rally/video/edward2.rm
www.al-awda.org/old/rally/video/edward3.rm

2) At Rice University

realaudio.rice.edu/preslect/edwardsaid/edwardsaidvid.ram
www.rice.edu/webcast/speeches/19980326said.html

A Luta Continua (the struggle continues)

Mazin Qumsiyeh, Ph.D.