Clovis Maksoud. Photo: Al Jazeera

WASHINGTON — Arab American diplomat, activist and scholar Dr. Clovis Maksoud died Sunday at Washington Hospital Center, after suffering a severe cerebral hemorrhage. He was 90 years old.

The son of Lebanese immigrants, Maksoud was born in Oklahoma in 1926. His family moved back to Lebanon, where he grew up. He earned a degree in political science from the American University of Beirut and a law degree from George Washington University.

Maksoud was a veteran diplomat, who represented the Arab League at many stages, including India and the United States. 

He was the League’s chief representative at the United Nations until 1990 when he stepped down after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.

Maksoud wrote numerous books on Arab politics and struggles. 

As a journalist, he was described as a skillful storyteller.

Maksoud was an advocate of Arab nationalism, Palestinian sovereignty, the policy of non-alignment and democratic socialism. Throughout his career, he always warned against extremism and sectarianism.

The late intellectual stressed the vital importance of uniting the Palestinian people.

“Palestine is the anvil of our souls,” he once said famously.

He rejected foreign interventions in Arab affairs and opposed “the internationalization” of the crises in the Middle East.

Despite the bleak state of the Arab World, Maksoud encouraged hope.

“We as Arabs are experiencing a resignation from hope and we are almost submitting ourselves to despair,” Maksoud said during a visit to Dearborn in 2014. “We will not resign despite all the negatives we are facing.”

The Arab American community paid homage to Maksoud. 

Publisher Osama Siblani described him as a thinker, ambassador, writer, nationalist and a dear friend. 

“What a great loss to the Arab world and to our community at this time in our struggle for unity and identity,” Siblani said. “God bless his soul. He will be greatly missed here.”

Siblani urged Arabs and Arab Americans to cling to Maksoud’s message of renouncing divisions.

ACCESS said it was deeply saddened by Maksoud’s passing, noting that he served on the national advisory board of the Arab American National Museum. 

“His contributions to Arab unity, and to the world as a whole, are unsurpassed,” the social services organization said in a statement. “He leaves behind a powerful legacy, and will be sorely missed.”

The Arab American Civil Rights League said Maksoud will be missed.

“The Arab world has lost one of its greats, who throughout his life fought for Arab unity and was a great Arab nationalist,” the organization said in a statement.

He added that the best way Arab Americans can remember Maksoud is by coming together, advocating for justice and rejecting sectarianism. 

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee described Maksoud as a true leader.

“Dr. Clovis Maksoud has been a pillar of the ADC community since its inception in 1980,” ADC president Samer Khalaf said in a statement. “We will continue to honor his memory and all that he stood for through our dedication to his ideals. We send our heart felt condolences to his family. May God have mercy on his soul.” 

The Yemen American Benevolent Association (YABA), the Middle East Institute, the Center for Arab Studies in Boston and numerous other community organizations and think tanks also expressed sympathy for the death of Maksoud.