{"id":2027,"date":"2019-02-22T04:39:20","date_gmt":"2019-02-22T01:39:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/yemeniamerican.com\/en\/?p=2027"},"modified":"2019-02-22T04:39:20","modified_gmt":"2019-02-22T01:39:20","slug":"legend-arab-americans-pay-tribute-to-true-friend-john-dingell","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yemeniamerican.com\/en\/legend-arab-americans-pay-tribute-to-true-friend-john-dingell\/","title":{"rendered":"LEGEND: Arab Americans pay tribute to \u2018true friend\u2019 John Dingell"},"content":{"rendered":"

YAN – Dearborn<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"Arab Americans have paid tribute Congressman John Dingell who died on February 7 at age 92, praising him as a civil rights warrior and a friend of the community.
\nDingell, who retired from Congress in 2015, was the longest serving member of the US House of Representatives, where he represented parts of Detroit and its suburbs, including Dearborn, for 50 years.
\nOver half a century, Dingell has been on the right side of many historic laws. He was a major supporter of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin.<\/p>\n

Anti-war<\/strong>
\nHe has spoken out against hate crimes and discrimination. After the 9\/11 attacks, all but 66 members of the House of Representatives voted in favor of the Patriot Act, which violated civil liberties and allowed for the indefinite detention of immigrants in the name of national security.
\nHe also opposed the US-led invasion of Iraq and voted against it.
\nIn 2006, when Israel was massacring hundreds of Lebanese civilians in a war that displaced more than a million people, lawmakers pushed a pro-Israel resolution backed by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
\nOnly eight out 435 House members voted against the AIPAC resolution at the time. Dingell was one of them.
\nAt a 2011 Congressional hearing, he called Arab and Muslim Americans \u201cloyal, decent, honorable Americans\u201d, warning Republican lawmaker Peter King not to \u201cblot the good name or the loyalty or raise questions about the decency of Arabs or Muslims or other Americans en masse\u201d.
\nAfter retiring from Congress, Dingell, who became known in Michigan as the Dean for his long years in public service, kept up the fight by publishing articles calling for reforms in the political system and regularly posting scathing, witty tweets criticizing bigots.
\nAfter Senator Ted Cruz, who was then running for president, called for surveilling Muslim neighborhoods, Dingell wrote on Twitter: \u201cYou could walk into La Pita in Dearborn and find five dozen Muslim-Americans more fit to be President than Ted Cruz.\u201d
\nDingell, a World War II veteran, did not hide his frustration with the rise of racism in the country.
\n\u201cI signed up to fight Nazis 73 years ago and I\u2019ll do it again if I have to. Hatred, bigotry, & fascism should have no place in this country,\u201d he wrote on twitter last year.<\/p>\n

Tributes<\/strong>
\nAli Baleed Almaklani, a leader in the Yemeni community and the executive director of the Yemen American Benevolent Association (YABA), said words fail to describe his sorrow for the departure of the congressman.
\nAlmaklani said he had known Dingell for 40 years, and throughout the decades the congressman would always listen to the concerns of the Yemeni American community and seek local activists input on issues relating to the Middle East and Arab Americans.
\n\u201cDearborn, Michigan and the nation have lost a legendary statesman and an intelligent leader,\u201d Almaklani told YAN. \u201cAnd our community lost a true friend.\u201d
\nHe praised Dingell\u2019s widow and successor in Congress, Debbie Dingell, saying that the community sends its respect and condolences to the Dingell family.
\nOther community members echoed Almaklani\u2019s comments.
\n\u201cThank you John Dingell for your courage, your principled public service, and for your genuine friendship. You were truly a giant,\u201d Hassan Jaber, the executive director of ACCESS wrote on Twitter.
\nDearborn City Council President Susan Dabaja said Dingell\u2019s death is a loss to the nation.
\n\u201cWhile the entire country mourns the loss of this giant of a man, we here in Dearborn will miss him most,\u201d she wrote.
\n\u201cJohn Dingell, with all his stature, was humble, charismatic and genuine. He cared and we all felt it. In my first few years on Council, he often gave me advice because he wanted me to succeed. He wanted Dearborn to succeed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018Legend\u2019<\/strong>
\nThe American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) lauded the late congressman\u2019s commitment to civil rights.
\n\u201cThis is an immeasurable loss for our nation and our community. Congressman John Dingell was a champion for civil rights and a star supporter of the issues impacting Arab-Americans,\u201d ADC president, Samer Khalaf, said in a statement.
\n\u201cHe will remain a celebrated fixture in the ADC community. We honor his commitment, partnerships, and friendships with ADC local chapters and members. Congressman John Dingell will be greatly missed, we will ensure that his legacy for justice and civil rights will continue to live on.\u201d
\nThe Arab American Institute (AAI) called him a \u201ctireless advocate for his constituents\u201d, praising his support for Palestinian statehood.
\n\u201cAs the Arab American community in southeast Michigan grew in size, they found a natural ally in a congressman who wanted to support his constituents. In the face of anti-Arab bigotry targeting the Dearborn community over the years, Rep. Dingell was relentless in defending our rights\u2014even from colleagues when it was necessary,\u201d the Institute said in a statement.
\nAAI Executive Director Maya Berry said Dingell will be missed.
\n\u201cWith John Dingell\u2019s passing, our country has lost a national treasure, my community a fierce advocate, and I a hero\/mentor.\u201d
\nIn a eulogy to Dingell on the House floor, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib called Dingell a \u201clegend\u201d, saying she was inspired by his support for the Civil Rights Act and Clean Air Act.
\nShe expressed gratitude for his sense of humor as well as his warmth and kindness to younger activists.
\n\u201cAs a Muslim girl growing up in America today, thank you Congressman Dingell for your courage and for your love.\u201d<\/p>\n

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