صباح هذا اليوم الأحد 22-3-2020، فقد “مركز الحوار العربي” والجالية العربية في أميركا والعديد من المؤسسات الأكاديمية والإعلامية محاضرأ وكاتباً ومحامياً بارزاً عُرف دائماً بدفاعه عن القضايا العربية وعن حقوق المواطنين في لبنان والبلاد العربية وبعطائه الفكري والسياسي الكبير للقضية الفلسطينية ولحق المقاومة ضد الاحتلال الإسرائيلي، وهو الدكتور داود خيرالله، أستاذ القانون الدولي في جامعة جورجتاون بالعاصمة الأميركية.
وكان الدكتور خيرالله قد اصيب في العام الماضي بجلطة دماغية خلال زيارته لبيروت ثمّ جرى نقله لواشنطن حيث كان يُعالج قبل وفاته صباح اليوم.
الدكتور خير الله من مواليد لبنان في شهر شباط من العام 1937 وعمل في البنك الدولي بواشنطن لعدة سنوات قبل انتقاله للتعليم الجامعي وممارسة مهنة المحاماة، وقد رافق تجربة مركز الحوار العربي منذ تأسيسها في العام 1994 والقى عدة محاضرات في المركز حول مواضيع مختلفة.
(شاهدوا ادناه فيديو لندوة مع الدكتور خيرالله)
We are sad to announce that our long-time friend and member, Dr. Daoud Khairallah, passed away on March 22 in Fairfax, Virginia, after a stroke several months ago. Daoud was a member of Al-Hewar Center since the beginning, and he spoke at the Center many times about international law and relations. He was a cherished friend, and a brilliant thinker, and he will be missed greatly. He is survived by his wife, Lois Maidment, whom he married in 1975.
Daoud was born in Bhamdoun, Lebanon on February 18, 1937. After graduating from the Lebanese University and the University of Michigan Law School Ann Arbor and earning his SJD, he worked with the World Bank Group for almost 25 years, where he was deputy general counsel to the World Bank from 1994-2000, and prior to that was deputy general counsel to the International Finance Corporation. After the World Bank, he joined the law firm of White & Case, where he worked with clients on combating corruption in international business transactions. He also was an adjunct professor at Georgetown Law School. He was a member of the Beirut, Virginia and Washington DC Bars, a member of the Fairfax County Human Rights Commission, and he served on the boards of several international organizations.
His friend Safa Rifka, describes Daoud (David) as “the embodiment of his dual upbringing.” Safa continues:
The village life of Bhamdoun planted in him deep traditional values, a steadfast sense of justice, and an unwavering resilience in the face of challenges. America’s imprint on him was apparent in his faith in participatory politics, his disdain for passivity, and his conviction that political change comes through reason and law. The foundation of his outlook is that politics should be ethical and not only pragmatic, hence his lifelong focus on fighting corruption. Untiringly, he lectured and wrote about clean and decent governments, publishing two books and many articles and appearing on numerous TV programs on the subject. He applied the same moral outlook to his views on national identity, believing that it should be just and respectful of human rights. As such, he rejected predatory nationalism based on ethnic or religious identities.
David’s belief in morality and ethics extended beyond his politics to his personal life, making him a loving husband and a loyal friend. He was an avid reader, loved Arabic poetry and literature, and was a gourmet and enthusiastic dabke dancer. He will be remembered both for his intellect and his love for life.
The Al-Hewar Center family shares our deepest condolences with his friends, family, and colleagues, all of whom will miss him dearly and will cherish their memories of him. God bless his soul.
كاتب
