The American Human Rights Council (AHRC-USA) expresses its profound grief for the passing away of H.E. Ambassador, Dr. Clovis Maksoud. Dr. Maksoud died earlier this morning. The death of Dr. Maksoud is a great loss to the Arab American community, the Arab World and, indeed, the whole world. Dr. Maksoud’s legacy and contributions to humanity will live on and continue to inspire us for years to come.
The death of Dr. Maksoud brings back the painful memory of the passing away of his wife, Dr. Hala Salam-Maksoud, a great activist and a wonderful human being. The “Maksouds’ era” was one of the greatest and most consequential eras in the history of the Arab- American community. The Maksouds were brilliant organizers, thinkers, scholars, loyal friends, and genuine fighters on behalf of social justice, equality and the advancement of human dignity and human rights. Dr. Clovis Maksoud was a giant in his scholarship and his courage. He spoke truth to power and dared to speak up and refused to compromise his principles for any form of expediency.
Dr. Maksoud’s death coincided today with May 15, the day of commemoration of the Palestinian catastrophe or “Al Nakba”. Dr. Maksoud cared greatly about Palestine and saw it as the core issue for the Arab nation. He had deep love, commitment and dedication to Palestine and its people. He spent a lifetime defending Palestine and Palestinian rights at different forums and in different capacities. Dr. Maksoud died a sad man due to the ongoing tragedy of Palestine and the bloodshed and chaos in the Arab world. He worked tirelessly for decades to make the Arab world a better place for the Arab people of all backgrounds.
AHRC joins the Arab American community, the human rights community, Lebanon, the whole Arab World and the international community in mourning the death of Dr. Maksoud. No words can express our profound sadness today. AHRC-USA pays its farewell to its National Honorary Chairman who was a true inspiration to AHRC and its team to move forward and to live up to the challenges facing our common humanity. On behalf of the entire AHRC -USA team, we express our sincere condolences to the Maksoud family and to his friends and admires all over the world.
“This is a personal loss for me and a true sad day for AHRC and all of us who have known and worked with Dr. Maksoud” said Imad Hamad, AHRC Executive Director. “No words can express our sadness. Dr. Clovis was a personal friend and my mentor. No words can express my grief for the loss of such a great true leader and a wonderful mentor.” “The Maksouds, Clovis and Hala, were my friends and mentors who introduced me to the world of activism and social change and inspired me to serve our common humanity,” continued Hamad. “The Maksouds are irreplaceable and they will be sorely missed,” said Hamad.
“Indeed, today is a very sad day for us. We lost an eminent scholar and a true fighter for justice,” said Dr. Opada Alzohaili, AHRC President. “We honor Dr. Maksoud’s legacy by continuing to do the work he did- advancing a culture of respect of the human rights of everyone,” continued Dr. Alzohaili.