f r o m / t o t h e e d i t o rWhen I told Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Kamal Salibi dur<strong>in</strong>g our most recent meet<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> July that we would be highlight<strong>in</strong>g AUB love stories<strong>in</strong> this issue, he immediately suggested that we cover <strong>the</strong> “greatest love story on <strong>the</strong> AUB campus <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> 1940s and 50s,”that <strong>of</strong> Najwa Shaheen and Kamal Haffar (see page 31). He later sent me <strong>the</strong> lyrics to a song he had written for a musicalcomedy called Love and <strong>the</strong> Handbook that Najwa and Kamal wrote when <strong>the</strong>y were on campus.In <strong>the</strong> days <strong>of</strong> Daniel Bliss / The law was well respected, / And students were expected / To do as <strong>the</strong>y were told.No wonder all was pleas<strong>in</strong>g, / And knowledge was <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g, / And noth<strong>in</strong>g went amiss / In <strong>the</strong> days <strong>of</strong> Daniel Bliss.He was a car<strong>in</strong>g, perceptive mentor, a great historian, a terrific wit, and a treasured member <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> AUB family. Hewas also someone who never tired <strong>of</strong> “pok<strong>in</strong>g” his friends on Facebook late at night. An outpour<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> remembrancesfollowed Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Salibi’s death. Here are just a few.Ada H. PorterEditor, Ma<strong>in</strong>Gate<strong>in</strong>gate@aub.edu.lb write us ma<strong>in</strong>gate@aub.edu.lb write us ma<strong>in</strong>gate@auWith Kamal Salibi passes a wealth <strong>of</strong>private history and stories treasuredby those who heard <strong>the</strong>m and a wrysense <strong>of</strong> humor that he found impossibleto exclude from his scholarship.Upon bestow<strong>in</strong>g my doctorate, hegave me his own ijazah: AbdulrahimAbu Husayn student <strong>of</strong> Kamal Salibi,student <strong>of</strong> Bernard Lewis, student <strong>of</strong>Gibb, student <strong>of</strong> Arnold, student <strong>of</strong>Wright, student <strong>of</strong> Dozy, student <strong>of</strong>Silvestre de Sacy. He must have takena great deal <strong>of</strong> pride <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> generations<strong>of</strong> scholars who progressed underhis tutelage to populate <strong>the</strong> halls <strong>of</strong>academia and who cont<strong>in</strong>ue to enrich<strong>the</strong> field. We will miss his stories, hisunassum<strong>in</strong>g manner and quick wit, hisannual Christmas party, and <strong>the</strong> diversionthat his weekly visits provided for<strong>the</strong> AUB History Department.Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Abdulrahim Abu HusaynDepartment <strong>of</strong> History and Archaeology, AUBKamal Salibi raised <strong>the</strong> history andhistoriography <strong>of</strong> Lebanon to new levels… He created a space <strong>in</strong> whichLebanon’s s<strong>in</strong>gularity is underl<strong>in</strong>ed byplac<strong>in</strong>g Lebanon <strong>in</strong> its Arab contextra<strong>the</strong>r than abstract<strong>in</strong>g it from it. I ampersonally <strong>in</strong>debted to him for lay<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>foundations <strong>of</strong> modern Lebanese historiography,both <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>essionalism <strong>of</strong>his scholarship and <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> pleasure hetook <strong>in</strong> recount<strong>in</strong>g that history.Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Fawwaz TraboulsiDepartment <strong>of</strong> History and Archaeology, AUB(The Daily Star, September 2, 2011)He had a complex m<strong>in</strong>d and a simpleheart. He adored his students andma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>the</strong>ir friendships for life. Healways said history was a narrative,a story to tell. With <strong>the</strong> rise <strong>of</strong> postmodernism,that fell out <strong>of</strong> fashion.But <strong>the</strong>n it came back aga<strong>in</strong>, and nowit’s come full circle.Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Tarif KhalidiDepartment <strong>of</strong> History and Archaeology, AUB(The Daily Star, September 2, 2011)Salibi…was perhaps <strong>the</strong> f<strong>in</strong>est historian<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> modern—and <strong>the</strong> old—Middle East … a man whose workmust surely sh<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong>to <strong>the</strong> future as ithas illum<strong>in</strong>ated <strong>the</strong> past. In one sense,his desire to deconstruct history, hisalmost Eliot-like precision <strong>in</strong> dissect<strong>in</strong>g<strong>the</strong> false story <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Maronites <strong>of</strong>Lebanon, his highly mischievous—andl<strong>in</strong>guistically brilliant—suggestion that<strong>the</strong> tales <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Old Testament tookplace <strong>in</strong> what is now Saudi Arabia,ra<strong>the</strong>r than Palest<strong>in</strong>e, made him arevolutionary.Robert Fisk(The Independent, September 7, 2011)Kamal Salibi … re-energized <strong>the</strong> history<strong>of</strong> Lebanon… and jolted us <strong>in</strong>toquestion<strong>in</strong>g and th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>dependentlyabout facts that are repeatedover and over without any effort tolook at <strong>the</strong>m differently and courageously(as he did). He was gloriouslydar<strong>in</strong>g and amaz<strong>in</strong>gly <strong>in</strong>formed.Leila FawazIssam M. Fares Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> Lebanese andEastern Mediterranean Studies, Tufts <strong>University</strong>President <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Harvard <strong>University</strong> Overseers,Harvard Govern<strong>in</strong>g Boards(The Daily Star, September 2, 2011)Remembrances cont. page 65ErratumMa<strong>in</strong>Gate summer 2011, page 53:Arm<strong>in</strong>ee Choukassizian received an MA<strong>in</strong> 1966, not a BA.4 Ma<strong>in</strong>Gate Fall 2011 | www.aub.edu.lb/ma<strong>in</strong>gate
.edu.lbAt AUB, 2,980 studentsreceived f<strong>in</strong>ancial aid <strong>in</strong>2009–10. Can you helpone more?“One may know what <strong>the</strong>y are butnot what <strong>the</strong>y can become unless<strong>the</strong>y are blessed by challengesand chances that allow <strong>the</strong>m toprogress,” says Rachelle Sabbagh.A f<strong>in</strong>al-year nurs<strong>in</strong>g studentm<strong>in</strong>or<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> psychology, Rachellesays that <strong>the</strong> Terry and PierreAbou Khater Scholarship hasmade “an immediate and immensedifference <strong>in</strong> my life.” Her postgraduationplans <strong>in</strong>clude travel<strong>in</strong>gto London to take <strong>the</strong> NationalCouncil Licensure Exam<strong>in</strong>ationfor Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) and pursu<strong>in</strong>g a master’sdegree <strong>in</strong> community nurs<strong>in</strong>g.Until <strong>the</strong>n, Rachelle is tak<strong>in</strong>g fulladvantage <strong>of</strong> what AUB has to<strong>of</strong>fer. An active member <strong>of</strong> both<strong>the</strong> Nurs<strong>in</strong>g Student Society andFashion Club, Rachelle is also amember <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> AUB swimm<strong>in</strong>gteam and <strong>the</strong> Yearbook Committee.Hear more: www.aub.edu/development/scholarship_<strong>in</strong>itiativeTo speak to someone aboutsupport<strong>in</strong>g f<strong>in</strong>ancial aid, contactus at giv<strong>in</strong>g@aub.edu.lbSupport<strong>in</strong>gStudents<strong>of</strong> Today and TomorrowCan you helpsupport an AUBstudent?See what’s possible!
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