Washington — The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) is proud to announce that the 2010 Mehdi Courage in Journalism Award will be presented to Helen Thomas at ADC’s November 18, 2010, Gala dinner in her honor. The National Arab American Journalists Association (NAAJA) and the family of the late Arab American leader, Dr. Mohammad T. Mehdi, have selected Helen Thomas as this year’s award recipient.

“The story of Helen Thomas, like my father’s, is one of integrity, vision, boldness, and unflagging determination,” said Anisa Mehdi, a Fulbright Scholar, documentary film producer, and Dr. Mehdi’s eldest daughter. “Helen Thomas is a professional journalist who reported accurately, regardless of consequences, asked the tough questions, and applied principles of fairness — not based on politics, race or religion, but on the merits of a story.”

ADC National Board Chair, Dr. Safa Rifka, states, “It is befitting to have this award presented at the Gala celebrating the achievements and courage of Helen Thomas. Like Dr. Mehdi, Ms. Thomas is a courageous pioneer who is proud of her heritage and pursues the truth.”

ADC President, Sara Najjar-Wilson, stated that, “No one deserves the Courage in Journalism award more than Helen Thomas. Helen’s unwavering dedication to her work, love for her country, and courage in asking the tough questions that no other person dared ask, are a source of pride to all Americans. She broke the glass ceiling for all women and is a role model for all aspiring journalists.”

Dr. Mehdi was a pioneer in American Arab journalism, publishing Action Newspaper in English in the 1970s and 1980s, and distributing it to communities around the country. Dr. Mehdi is often called “the father of the Arab movement in America.”

The Mehdi Courage in Journalism Award was founded in 1999 by NAAJA and the family of Dr. Mehdi. This award honors those who display extraordinary courage in reporting on stories related to Arab Americans, Muslim Americans, and the Middle East.