The University honors His Excellency Mr. Maher Irshaid

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The Arab American University honors His Excellency Mr. Maher Irshaid _the first founder and the idea owner of the Arab American University_ on the occasion of 15 years passed when first this University was established.
This ceremony took place in Jordan under the auspices of His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi Ben Mohammad in a majestic ceremony. The ceremony was attended by many Royal Highnesses, Princes, Princesses, His State, Their Excellencies, His Excellency Dr. Yousef Asfour the head of the board of directors, members of the board, the academic counselor for the board of directors Professor Waleed Deeb and other politicians and economical Palestinians and Jordanians.
The ceremony that was managed by the assistant to the president of the Arab American University for the Administrative and Financial Affairs, Mr. Faleh Abu-Arrah has started with the Royal Anthem.

The Board of Directors Speech
 
Dr, Yousef Asfour, the head of the Board of Directors, started the ceremony with a speech expressing the gratitude and the appreciation of the board of directors to His Majesty King Abdullah for his great support to the Palestinians especially during the recent hard circumstances that Gaza strip has faced, the killing and the destroying.
Dr. Asfour said:”20 years ago, I first met my brother His Excellency Mr. Maher Irshaid “Abu Farid” and offered me to participate in establishing Jenins’ University, and even though I didn’t know him before but I liked the idea of this man and his vision, I liked what he is saying and what he intended to do. I heard from him what attracted me to this project and then I participated in it, however during the first years of this project people didn’t encourage me to continue and told me that there will never be a University in Jenin. And then I used to go back to talk to Mr. Maher again and I saw his determination, willing and vision, then I leave him with a trust that this man knows what he is capable of and he is doing to achieve what he wants”.

Dr. Asfour added, Mr. Irshaid led the University project for years, encouraging people and being creative in pushing them forward despite all the obstacles and the great challenges that are facing them. His determination has fruited a university that all Palestine and Arabs are proud of, a university that provides education and knowledge to Palestinians in Jenin, Haifa, Jerusalem, Al-Nasra, Tulkarem, Al-Naqab (Negev), Hebron, Akka, Gaza and Diaspora.
Dr. Asfour continued, “The idea of Mr. Irshaid gathered Palestine, and there is no place helped in gathering the Palestinian youth like the University did. They live together, learn together and shatter any discrimination difference and barriers between them. Today we have a University that contains 7000 students, and hundreds of them have graduated, some of whom worked in Palestine or outside, and some continued their higher education and got higher certificates and degrees.” He also clarified that that this University contributed in building the city’s and the country’s economy, and that no one could say the opposite.

Dr. Yousef ended his speech saying: “Mr. Irshaid handed me the banner to lead the University after him, but I didn’t leave his hand, he was the one to give me patience and strength. Today we are honoring a person a person who deserves much more than this honoring, we are honoring the owner of the idea that helped in building the Palestinian human, a friend a brother and a teacher Mr. Maher Irshaid. And I say, your country Palestine owes you and the generations of Palestinian youth owe you, you have drawn the future to those youth and their families. We are proud and grateful for you and that there are places at the university holding your name, so that all students know the person who enlightened their roads. This University is yours and you have all rights to be proud of it, God bless you and your good work.”
 
The speech of the student who got Maher Irshaid Scholarship for Excellency
Batool Shalabi, the student who got the Excellency Scholarship expressed her pride to be a student at the Arab American University saying that her winning to this scholarship was something to be proud of and that she owes His Excellency Mr. Maher Irshaid who gave her this opportunity.
She said: “I joined the University and I studied really hard and got a high average. But what I was concerned about is the expenses of my education as my only supporter was my mother.”

Shalabi added: “When I read the advertisement about His Excellency Mr. Maher Irshaid’s Scholarship I didn’t believe my eyes, and I applied to it immediately and dreamed to get it until my dreams came true, I can’t describe how happy I was. Then I wanted to meet this great person who honored me by giving me this scholarship that holds his name and gave me the opportunity to build the future of my family and mine. And when I knew that the idea of the university was his own idea, I admired him much more, he must be really proud to see graduated students in high positions and see thousands of people happy about the University which he was the one who achieved their dreams and led them to success.”
 
The speech of a student from the occupied Palestinian Lands of 48
 Ma’moun Al-Sheikh Yousef, a student from the occupied Palestinian lands of 48 said: “the opening of the Arab American University in Jenin broke all the barriers that were between Jenin or the West Bank and us inside. As previously the relationship was only limited in Saturdays journeys to buy things in less prices and the social relationships were really limited.”
 He added: “However when we started to join the University (as in the first year only 30 students of the occupied lands joined, and now over 2500 students are part of the University)  the relationship started to get stronger, and many friendships were created. This relationship became stronger by time and we became one country. All the favor was to Mr. Maher Irshaid who made a miracle and succeeded when all others had failed, his idea made the discrimination disappear between the Palestinian people.
Al-Shiekh Yousef ended his speech saying: “I stand before you today to tell this great person, thank you, you have canceled words like “Ghazawi and Deffawi” (From Gaza and from the West Bank) from our dictionaries. You have planted in us the idea that we are one, even though there are many trying to separate us or tear our unity apart. Your idea was a university, a society and a unity to the country”.

A graduate Students’ speech
Ro’a Damra, a graduate student said that she has graduated from the Arab American University and didn’t face any difficulties in finding jobs; moreover she was offered many positions because the university supplied her with the skills and the education she needs to succeed in life. The real reason for her success and for many other students like her is His Excellency Mr. Maher Irshaid.
She said: “I learned from my job that the starting point of any successful project is the clear vision, message and goals. These are defined at the beginning of the project. I wanted to know who set the goals and started this vision of the University! Who draw the lines and defined the road for years? And I knew that he was from Jenin and wanted his city to contain a special University. I wandered “Does he know what he has provided Palestine with? Does he know the feelings of students of the University? Can he imagine the feelings of the parents who see their sons and daughters graduating from the University?”

Damra ended her speech by saying: I want to tell Mr. Irsaid on the behalf of the students, the parents and the graduates, thank you for everything that you provided us with, thank you for this great University, you helped us starting our journey to the future with great education and skills to success, and helped us in resisting in our lands, thank you.
 
The Arab American University Speech
In his speech, Professor Waleed Deeb_ the founding president of the Arab American University_ expressed his gratitude to his Royal Highness Prince Ghazi Ben Mohammad, to the princes, the princesses, to their excellences, to the head of the board of directors and to the attendees and said: When I thought what to write for this occasion, it occurred to me to translate some paragraphs of a book I wrote 10 years ago about the stages of building the Arab American University and its development.
He added I wrote I was back from America to teach as a visiting Professor at Birzeit University for a year. When this year finished and while I was on my way back to America through Jordan, one of my friends Adnan Jaradat told me that there is a group working on opening a new private University in Jenin. He asked me if I was interested to join them to accomplish this project, and I told him that I have no intention to stay in that region and I have to go back to America to the University I work in. He insisted and suggested on me to go and meet the responsible person and listen to him, and I agreed.
Professor Deeb continued, I met Mr. Maher Irshaid and I listened to him and noticed the passionate way he is talking about the University that he is dreaming of, a University that will be more than an educational edifice. He told me that the American University in Biuret graduated the world's leaders in Arts, Sciences, Literature, Medicine and Political and that he wanted to Jenin University to be the same. He wanted the Palestinian map to contain much more universities, he wanted this University to be the Palestinian window to the world.
Professor Deeb added: Mr. Irshaid talked and I listened to him and enjoyed what he was saying. He wanted a University that Students could feel freedom in, to express his opinions and to be creative. He talked about the scientific research and told me that there is a decision to specialize 20% of the income to the scientific research. He informed me that he agreed with California State University from Stanslos to give advice, counsels and guidance to prepare the program. It was clear to me that this man knows exactly his way, and that he started his way successfully. He put the foundations not only to the buildings but also to programs, schedules and the mission of the University, he put me in the vision he sees to this University that any academic dreams to work in. He asked me to handle the academic affairs and I agreed without any hesitation.
He continued, When I was back to Palestine that was one building established over it. It was designed in a great way for the school of the University that was supervised by Mrs. Irshaid (Um Farid). Then we started the establishing of the University as Mr. Irshaid wanted it to be. We have faced many obstacles and everybody started to back off or even wanted to stop this project. However, Mr. Irshaid insisted that we will succeed and we did, and we taught everyone else what successful is and how to succeed.
He ended, What I learned from Mr. Irshaid helped me to manage the administrational affairs of the University. I learned patience and believing in goals. And whoever sees the University today knows that the dream that Mr. Irshaid and I discussed at the third floor in his office was achieved. So congratulations Mr. Irshaid (Abu Farid) for this achievement. And I tell him today, it was an honor working with you, and you will always be an inspirational and strength source.
 
His Excellency Mr. Maher Irshaid Speech
In his speech, Mr. Maher Irshaid thanked His Majesty King Abdullah, and their Royal Highness for their supports and efforts. He thanked the head of the board of directors Dr. Yousef Asfour for his efforts, and praised his fellow and companion Professor Waleed Deeb and he said: The University was my dream and idea, today it became a reality that people pointed at it proudly and that provides distinguish education to the Palestinians and the world. We suffered at the beginning of the project a lot, especially Dr. Waleed Deeb, and the suffering was because of those who wanted personal interest, but we have over came this with great determination to reach what we have today.
He added, I am proud of the University today and people who work in it, and I am sure that they can continue in a distinguish way and lead the university to internationality.
At the end of his speech, Mr. Maher announced about 20 scholarships for students from Gaza.
The ceremony contained some pictures and a short film that clarifies the development and distinguish that the university has reached.
At the end of the ceremony Dr. Yousef Asfour honored His Excellency Mr. Maher Irshaid by giving him an honoring award and a key to the University as a recognition to his great tender and wonderful journey that is full of love, peace and unity meanings for a better future for the next generations.