DEARBORN — Veteran Lebanese diplomat Dr. Clovis Maksoud advocated Arab unity at a ceremony celebrating the release of his memoir, “From the Corners of Memory” at the Arab American National Museum, on Saturday, Oct. 4. 

Maksoud, 85, was the Arab League chief representative in the United States and the United Nations until submitting his resignation in 1990, following Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. The ambassador also represented the Arab League in India and has worked for major Arabic publications, including Lebanese and Egyptian newspapers Annahar and Al-Ahram. He attended the American University of Beirut and has a law degree from Georgetown University.

Manal Saab, the chair of the museum’s advisory board, introduced Maksoud. She said the memoir covers the author’s commitment to the ideals of Arab nationalism, the policy of non-alignment and democratic socialism. 

“Stations on the Train of Arab Nationalism” is the subtitle of Maksoud’s memoir. 

“And the train has his Daesh,” Maksoud said, using the Arabic acronym for the “Islamic State.” He added that the rise of extremism must be overcome. 

Maksoud also said religion cannot replace nationalism as the leading ideology of Arab masses.

“When political Islam considers itself the alternative to Arab nationalism, it loses its sense of direction; it loses its compass,” he said. 

The former ambassador said the Arab World needs diversity, not pluralism. He explained that different religious groups should be able to live together, not simply co-exist, warning about the “devastating” effects of sectarianism. 

He added that he told Rashid al-Ghannushi, the leader of Tunisia’s moderate Islamist party An-Nahda, that Islamic values can be infused in society like the Christian democracies of western Europe, but not as a replacement to nationalism.

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

The veteran diplomat recounted anecdotes from his celebrated career, including meeting the legendary Egyptian singer Um Kalthoum, who asked him jokingly if Clovis is his stage name.

Maksoud said the Palestinian cause can be the focus that unites and reenergizes Arabs. He added that the Israeli military presence in Palestinian territories is that of a conqueror, not an occupier, because occupation cannot make demographic or geographic changes to the territories where it is present, according to international law.

He also said it is possible to revive Arab nationalism to its former popularity during the days of Egyptian leader Gamal Abdel Nasser in the 1960’s, but without its past flaws.

Maksoud said overcoming the current crisis of the Arab world and ending the occupation of Palestine are feasible, “if we unite, if we become democratic, if we respect human rights, if we empower woman, if we are committed to sustainable development.”

“From the Corners of Memory” is available in Arabic at the Arab American National Museum at 13624 Michigan Ave. in Dearborn.