Realty duo re'sound'ing hit - Hoover Library

Editor's note: Ali AI-Zatari graduated in May with
a major ill political science. President of the international
relations club while in college. he urranged
a simulation with diplomats representing
Egypt. Israel and the P.L.O. which wm held during
three evenings in 1978. He was responsible for
arranging a panel discussion OIZ the Iranian siwalion
last fall. and during January Term 1980 Ali
served an internship at the United Nations with the
United Methodist Office.
A Patesunian, Ali W(lS born and raised in Kuwail.
Immediately after graduation he returned 10
his family ill Kuwait where. in a couniry seeking
engineers and technically trained persons, he hopes
to pursue a career ill politics - perh~p.l" through
the media or the U.N. Asked about his outlook all
the international scene Ali said .. '/1' s very .gloomy
one can', really decide whas:s gom8 to
/rappen. . I hope that peace will prevail but tm
not sure it will . lj theres going to be {/ war
there." he added. referring to the Mideast. "ld
rather be there."
Ali looks forward fO the eventual sovereignlY of
all ancestora! homeland ill which he has never
lived. Yel in his extremely objective alld open mllll-
/ler he explained that. to him. the Arab cowt/rles
(Ire /101 separale entities but are. rat/.,er. aile.
"There are some times when you )II.I"t hate everything.
but they'rejustj7ashes ..·· '" said. concluding.
"J think every human being IS the same when
it comes 10 the basic things."
The following articles by Ali aPfJeared in :he
April 18 issue of the student newspaper. Scnrnshaw.
By Ali AI-Zatari
HREE YEARS ago, in my ~ freshman year.
.1.,IRaW:~u~e;:I:~~~:i[;~~ :~t~;e~ae~:~~e~~:~d~ha(
an article about the
'8\, and I worked on
conflict two persons attacked him on the
Mideast
pages of Scrimshaw because he dared to listen to an
Arab. Three years ago J came to (his country not
knowing anyone and no one knew me. No one
knew anything about the Arabs, let alone the Palestinians:
I was asked if I had a camel or a harem or
if J owned an oil well. It was extremely hard to answer
these questions; even when I said no. the person
would look at me as if I was lying.
But, what do we know about the Americans Do
you know that the most popular show in Kuwait
was "Met.loud" Now would you believe it if I
told you that the majority of the people who
watched the show actually believed that a cowboy
rode his horse in downtown Manhattan and arrested
the Mafia People believed that you cannot walk in
the streets without being mugged or raped.
I have lived in many places and have travelled
around the globe; among the students who did the
same thing there exists a belief, the knowledge that
people in the world do look alike, do understand
and do love to live in harmony and peace. If only
we could communicate without the distortion of the
media, then we would not have to go through wars
and misery: love and understanding would have replaced
the darkness that engulfs us.
In less than two months I will leave to the Middle
East with this conviction in my heart. and I will
work for a better understanding between the two of
us; I hope someone here will do the same thing. It
is very important to give the coming generations a
warless world, don't you agree
And what do you watch here You see a show
about an ultra-handsome dark prince running around
with pockets filled with money and surrounded by
beauty queens from all over the world; or you see a
bunch of savages. ugly camel riders that have nothing
to do but to kidnap European women and rape
them. What we see of you is only 10 percent of the
truth, and what you see of us is the same 10 percent:
the first five are from the top of the society
and the other five from the bottom of it.
Now, returning to my freshman year. The situalion
I just described was alive three years ago: I did
not know about you and you did not know about
me. But. today J can see a change in myself as well
as in the friends I have; not only that but I can also
see it on a larger scope, nationwide. Granted. the
Arabs are still depicted as either handsome princes
or savage tribes, and they still show the same show
in Kuwait. but the awareness on both sides has increased.
I can see the change in the cover of the
April 14. 1980. issue of Time magazine. [ never
dreamt that the day will come when the Palestinians
will make the headlines in such a favorable way.
John Hines, '81. said that Time is a liberal magazine
and that is why they printed the article. But J
find it very hard to think of Time as a liberal magazine.
What I think really happened is that the level
of awareness has risen and there is a belief that (he
Mideast conflict is not going anywhere without satisfying
the Palestinians.
Here on campus the stereotypes about the Arabs
in general and the Palestinians in particular arc
alive and circulating. How many of you think of
Arabs without camels; let me rephrase the question.
how many of you think of Arabs as people Not
many.
Well, I do not blame you. Do you know why
Because the Americans and the Arabs are victims.
We are victims of the media that distorts the true
image of the people; that show you as cowboys and
show us a camel riders. And we ask ourselves what
is wrong with the world Why do people misunderstand
each other Because they do not know each
other.
'1&,4... 1,,"'Dln!
Trustee
Alumni
Awards
Frank C. Robey Jr .. '57. and Doris and Webster
Hood. '40. were recipients of the Trustee
Alumni Award during the WMC Senior Investiture
and Honors Convocation o~ May. 4.
The award recogmzes alumm for dtsnncuon
and service to the community and the college.
Robey. of Baltimore, received his M.Ed.
at Loyola College and is current.ly an ad-.
vanced doctoral candidate at the Umversity of
Maryland. Principal of Patterson High School
in Baltimore, Robey has been a member of
the House of Delegates of the Maryland General
Assembly since 1971. A senior member
of various committees and subcommittees,
including the House Appropriations Committee.
Robey is a regular supporter of legislation
favoring independent higher education.
He has sponsored bond bills favoring the
Johns Hopkins University. the Maryland Institute
of Art and Western Maryland College.
The Hoods, of Virginia, are active members
of the college Alumni Association. occa-
sionaJly leading various phases of [he program.
They have been mem.bers of the Board
of Governors and leaders m area organizations
and campaigns of the college. Retired
from the Marine Corps aftcr 26 years of service.
Col. Hood is assistant director. operations
departmcnt. for the Navy Federal Credit
Union. Mrs. Hood is current alumni news
secretary for the class of 1940
January Term
Study Tours
tion, and the Crusades. The projected cost is
$1.895.
Dr. Sam Case has proposed a [our of Scandinavia.
of interest in
visiting major points Denmark, Sweden. Finland. and Norway.
The three-week lour. which will include staying
homes. is projected to cost
in native
$1.300.
A cultural exploration of Mexico is being
planned for 12 [0 16 day~ in January by Mr.
Charles Neal of the political science department.
The course will focus on the cultural
the Aztecs and Toltccs to
contributions of
today"s Mexico. The approximate cost is
$950.
A IS-day intensive study tour of England
As in the past 11 years. a number of study and Scotland will be led by Dr. Ray Stevens
lours arc being offered as part of the WMC (English depanment) and Dr. James Lightner
January Term for 1981. Tours are open to all (mathematics department). The group will
students and alumni and vary in length and leave Jan. 10 and retum Jan. 25 and will visit
cost. Alumni are invited to register either as London. Canterbury. Cambridge. York. Edspecial
students for credit or as non-credit inburgh, Stratford. Bath. and Salisbury. The
participants. projected cost is $1.500
A three-week tour of Egypt. Jordan. and For further information on itineraries and
Israel is being planned by Dr. Theodore elements of the tour packages, contact Dr
Evergates of Ihe history department. concen- James E. Lightner. Director of the January
trating on the history, al1. and archaeology of Tenn. Western Maryland College, Westminancient
Egypt and Israel, the Muslim civiliza- 4 sler. MD 211S7 (301-848-7000) by July 25.
Honorary
Degrees
Five outstanding men received honorary degrees
from Western Maryland College at ceremonies
this spring. Nicholas Joseph ptsacano
received the Doctor of Science (Sc.D.).
Frederick Charles Malkus Jr .. and John
Thomas Ward received the Doctor of Laws
(LL.D), and Joseph John Sisco and Leon
Eugene Stover received the Doctor of Leuers
(Lill. D.)
Pisaca~o and Stover were honored at Senior
Honors and Investiture Convocation on
May 4.
Pisacano, who received his B.A. fr.on;
WMC and his M.D. at Hahnemann Med~:_
College. is professor and chairITl an of the d
partm.cnt of Hygiene
and ~u.b1IC Hea\th ~;iasso~zate
dean of the Me~lcal ~choo ;tioi"lal
verslIy of Kentucky. He zs an !Otern family
pione.er and leader 10 the recf1:Zdesc~n~ndsecpractice
field and executive dlrecto '1 Prac-
~~~~ry~i~hnee~~r~~~ne~~ar:wo:r::n;~tll1 th;
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