Helping an Egyptian-American to Return Home Safely

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

I would like to thank you all for the overwhelming response to my request to help an Egyptian-American brother to return home safely. I would like to particularly thank the following members and associations for their generous contribution and support; namely, Dr. Mamdouh Salama, Dr. Ahmed Abou-Sayed, Dr. Ibrahim Abou-Sayed, Mr. Hazem Said, Dr. Ayman Eltaher, Dr. and Mrs. Sherif Zaafran, Dr. Nadra Sabbahi, Dr. Abdulbari Elbanna, Mr. Mursi Sharaf, and Dr. Ezzat Abouleish. My gratitude also extends to these institutions; particularly to the Egyptian Consulate of Egypt at Houston, Ambassador El-Husseini Abdel-Wahab, Consul Khalid Taha, and Mrs. Nabila Gomaa for providing him with passport and necessary documents, and arranging his departures from Houston and New York; the Friends of Egyptian Children with Cancer for donating a roundtrip ticket to Egypt on Egyptian Airline; the Muslim Women Society for sharing the price of the ticket and providing him with pocket money; the Al Farouk Foundation for providing him with shelter; Dr. Mohamed Sabbahi for providing him with his daily food and needs.

This incident showed that we need to have an Emergency Fund. The collected funds in excess of our share of the air ticket plus the value of the roundtrip ticket which will be auctioned in our near-future meeting will be set aside for that purpose only, and be separate from the usual accounting of the Society activities.

Dear Brothers and Sisters, this incident is not without positive results. It showed how united the Egyptian American Society is, how Egyptians react in time of need, how big is their hearts, and how a good cooperation between our Society and the Consulate should be. I pray to God to protect you from trouble or put you in a difficult situation or being stranded away from family and home.

May God bless you all.
Ezzat Abouleish,M.D.