World’s youngest medical student inspires crowd at AMP annual dinner

(CHICAGO 02/27/2012) – Iqbal El Assaad, the 19-year-old medical student at Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, regaled more than 1,200 guests with her story of determination, resilience and courage at the annual dinner for American Muslims for Palestine on Feb. 25 at Belvedere Chateau in Palos Hills, IL.

El Assaad discussed how she overcame the obstacles she faced as a Palestinian refugee in Lebanon to graduate high school when she was 12 years old and to enter college in Qatar when she was 14. Though she is not allowed to go to Palestine, the young woman told of her burning desire to see her homeland and for all Palestinians to return to “Safad, Haifa, Jaffa, Akkar and Ramallah.” She hopes to conduct her residency in the United States before returning first to Qatar and finally to Lebanon, where she wants to work with Palestinian refugees.

“To all the youth here, I have a message. Study, study, study,” she said. “Education is our weapon,” to help us overcome the occupation.
The American Muslims for Palestine presented El Assaad with its annual Al Quds Award for the inspiration she brings to Palestinian youth around the world. Chicago activist Kevin Clark, of the International Solidarity Movement and the Free Gaza Movement, received AMP’s inaugural Distinction in Activism Award as well.

In addition to the honorees, AMP’s fourth annual dinner was accentuated with a diverse and intellectually stimulating program that included remarks by Karen AbuZayd, the former commissioner general of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, the body that oversees Palestinian refugees; Dr. Hatem Bazian, AMP chairman; and Taher Herzallah, AMP campus coordinator who was one of the “Irvine 11.” Omar Barghouti, co-founder of the Palestinian Campaign for the Cultural and Academic Boycott of Israel and also the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, spoke about BDS and its three “non-negotiable” demands: The occupation must end; the system of discrimination against Palestinians living within 48 Palestine must end; and all Palestinian refugees must be given their individual right of return as enshrined in international law.

Sheikh Jamal Said, director of the Mosque Foundation, spoke about the importance of the noble cause of Palestine to Muslims. AMP-Chicago chapter Chairman Fadi Sahouri and AMP Media Director Kristin Szremski also spoke, and Awad Hamdan, AMP national programs director was the emcee.

“We were so pleased with the turnout and the support shown to us by our community, Hamdan said.  “It is a blessing to see how much AMP has grown in the past four years, from a relatively unknown volunteer organization to a leading national organization for pro-Palestinian advocacy and education.”

Though they count the dinner as a success, AMP is not content to rest on its laurels. Upcoming events include sponsoring two Friends of Sabeel conferences in California in March, while high school trainings and the next regional Jerusalem Summit are planned for the East Coast in March as well.