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The following profile is based on a Cafe Arabica interview with Abdeen Jabara in Nov. 1996
In any discussion of who's who in the Arab-American community, a name that is always sure to come up is Abdeen Jabara. One of the founders of the AAUG, PHRC, ADC and ACCESS, Jabara has campaigned for over two decades against harassment and the infringement of Arab-American's First Amendment rights. Amid this, he scored a signal victory in his own suit against the FBI for its years of surveillance and harassment of him. He has led and helped organize fact-finding missions to Lebanon and the Israeli Occupied Territories, most recently leading a delegation of American mothers and grandmothers to Qana (photos) last May after the Israeli massacre of civilians there.
A husky, determined and earthy man- a people's person- Jabara is almost an institution himself, although he is far too humble to admit so. As with other prominent Arab-Americans, he is an outspoken supporter of civil and human rights, with a conviction and vigor shaped by a strong family background as well as his path to cultural and political awareness.
Jabara's parents were part of the generation of Arab immigrants, largely rooted in agrarian life, who came to the US in the early part of this century. His mother, the eldest of six children, was raised in the harsh environment of a North Dakota farm that was first homesteaded by her grandfather who came by covered wagon from Mexico after hearing that the government was giving away land to those willing to farm it.
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