AlleghanyJournal.com's Facebook Page | Journal Buy/Sell Free Classifieds
Back To The Journal's Home Page

Alleghany Journal Obituaries are sponsored by...

VIDEO
* * * * *
Get Obituary Information Emailed To You Via Our AlleghanyJournal.com Breaking News Alerts System - click here or visit our Facebook Page for updates.
NEW: Journal Video Slideshows May Accompany Any Obituary - click here for details.
Obituaries

Obituary for Dr. Fahim Issa Qubain Dr. Fahim Issa Qubain
Author, Palestinian Rights Advocate, Was Also Motel Owner, Philanthropist

Dr. Fahim Issa Qubain, 88, a life-long scholar, advocate and activist for Palestinian rights and justice, died at his home in Lexington, Virginia on April 16, 2012.

He was born in the picturesque town of Ajlun in Northern Jordan, the home town of his mother Wadeeah Arida and and her ancestors.

His father, Issa Ibrahim Qubain emigrated to Ajlun in the late 1800's from Nazareth, a town in the northern plains of Galilee.

Fahim outlived all his siblings -four brothers and seven sisters.

He is survived by his wife, Nancy; two sons and a daughter: Phillip of Taos, New Mexico, Edward of Lexington,Virginia, and Helen of Lexington, Virginia and Rockville, Maryland, and two granddaughters, Allison and Claire.

His first marriage to Elaine Christeson ended in divorce.

His joint Palestinian/Jordanian roots and his early experiences influenced how he viewed Middle East problems later. After he left his communal family in Ajlun for the Ramallah Friends School at the age of twelve, he witnessed the rising tensions between the Arabs, British, and Jews in Palestine, culminating in the Arab revolts against the British in the late 1930's. He frequently journeyed to Beisan to visit his two sisters, who were both forced to flee in 1948.

After graduation, he briefly joined the Arab Legion in Jordan before emigrating to the United States in 1946. While living in New York City, he attended many of the United Nations debates on Palestine and met some of the Arab dignitaries there. From there he arrived unannounced at Guilford College and obtained a scholarship on the spot. He continued his graduate studies at the University of Wisconsin, earning a Ph.D. in Political Science and International Relations with a minor in economics. His doctoral thesis became his first book titled, "The Reconstruction of Iraq: 1950-1957." He taught some courses in Wisconsin and published articles about the Middle East in local newspapers.

Later, he directed a program at Yale University - country studies on the Middle East and North Africa. He moved to Washington, D.C. where he became an independent consultant. He also taught seminars at George Washington University and became the Research Director of the Middle East Institute. In addition, he wrote Inside the Arab Mind (a bibliographical survey of Arab nationalism and unity), Crisis in Lebanon (about the 1958 upheaval), and Education and Science in the Arab World (a detailed study on the education system) for the National Science Foundation. He also wrote many unpublished studies for the United States Government.

In 1974, he left Washington for Lexington, Virginia, and the Shenandoah Valley, where he owned several motels. In the late 1980's he was one of the leaders who led the successful fight against permitting a cogeneration plant in Buena Vista, Virginia.

The first Gulf War moved Fahim to re-engage in the Middle East issues. He arranged for many Middle East Specialists to lecture at local colleges and organizations. He also re-established contacts in Washington.

Fahim believed in the power of education in changing people's lives. After reading an account in the Washington Post of the insurmountable financial barriers preventing access to college for an impoverished Palestinian, he decided to create a scholarship fund for these students. Together with Geraldine Brooks, the article's author, and his wife, Nancy, he established the Hope Fund in 2000 to arrange full four-year college scholarships for talented but financially needy Palestinian students from refugee camps in the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan and Lebanon. From two students enrolled in 2001, there are presently thirty-two students attending different colleges and universities, in addition to thirteen who have already graduated. In June 2001, Fahim and his wife, Nancy, were honored by the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee with the prestigious Alex Odeh Memorial Award for their dedication to empower young Palestinians through education.

The Hope Fund, today lead by Phillip Stone, Helen Qubain, and Nancy Qubain, was Fahim's love and obsession. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to: The Hope Fund, 752 Forge Road, Lexington, Virginia 24450. Two memorial services will be held: the first one on May 6, 2012 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Lexington Presbyterian Church in Lexington, Virginia, and the second on June 20, 2012 in Washington, D.C. at a yet to be named time and location.