    
The
Arab Coalition represents the interests of Arabs and actively works through
the political process, the media and through grassroots efforts to promote
and advance the Arab agenda. With your financial support and membership
commitments, we can make a difference, deliver our message and make Arabs a
political force in the United States. It is time for Arabs to unite and
peacefully influence American policy.
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Article of Interest
Famous Arab Americans
Below is a list of some of the many famous Arab Americans. You can email
the Arab Coalition at
CustomerService@ArabCoalition.com with
suggestions of people to add to the list.
Steve Jobs - CEO and co-founder of Apple famous for Mac computers
and Ipods. Also co-founded Pixar which has grossed more than $3.2 billion
in box office including the animated films: Toy Story, A Bug's Life, and
Finding Nemo. Pixar has won 20 Academy Awards and merged with The Walt
Disney Company in 2006. (Syrian father).
Paula Abdul - Star of American Idol, Singer, Dancer, and
Choreographer. Worldwide record sales exceeding 30 million, two number one
albums, seven number one singles, a Grammy award, two Emmy awards,
choreographer for the Jacksons, the Rolling Stones and many others, former
L.A. Lakers cheerleader. (Syrian parents).
Shakira (full name Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll) - Singer,
Colombian born Latin crossover pop star, won a Grammy for Best Female Pop
Vocal Performance in 2000 for ("Ojos Asi") at the inaugural Latin Grammy
Awards, her first English-language album Laundry Service is triple platinum
with several Top Ten singles, her name means "woman full of grace" in
Arabic. (Lebanese father).
Vince Vaughn – Actor, star of numerous movies including Swingers,
The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Psycho, Domestic Disturbance, Old School,
Starsky and Hutch and The Wedding Crashers. (Lebanese ancestry).
Doug Flutie – NFL, USFL and CFL Pro Quarterback, four time
All-Canadian Quarterback, 1999 NFL Comeback Player of the Year and Pro Bowl
Selection, 1984 Heisman Trophy Winner, (Lebanese).
Jim Harrick – Former Head Basketball Coach of UCLA, won the National
Championship in 1995, also the Head Coach at Pepperdine, Rhode Island and
Georgia. (Lebanese).
Salma Hayek - Actress star of the movies Desperado, From Dusk Till
Dawn, The Faculty and Wild Wild West. (Lebanese father).
Tony Shalhoub – Actor and Director, star of TV series Monk. Appeared
in the movies Men in Black I & II, A Civil Action, Spy Kids, Gattaca,
Primary Colors and The Siege. (Lebanese).
Shannon Elizabeth – Actress and Model appeared in the movies
American Pie I & II, Scary Movie and Tomcats. (Lebanese and Syrian father).
Yamila Diaz Rahi - Supermodel, cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit
Issue in 2002, regularly appears in Victoria’s Secret, has been on the
cover of Marie Claire, Max, Elle, GQ, and Shape. (Lebanese father).
Jamie Farr (original name was Jameel Joseph Farah) – Actor, played
Klinger in the hit series M*A*S*H, appeared in the movies The Gong Show
Movie, Cannonball Run I and II, Scrooged and A Month of Sundays.
(Lebanese).
Frank Zappa – late Rock Star, Singer, Songwriter and Guitarist,
inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, and received a
posthumous Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997. (Lebanese father).
Donna Shalala – Former Presidential Cabinet Member to President
Clinton as Secretary of Health and Human Services, served in the Carter
administration as Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research
at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, current President
of the University of Miami. (Lebanese).
Tiffany, (born Tiffany Renee Darwish) – Singer, teen sensation with
hits Think We’re Alone Now, Could’ve Been, I Saw Him Standing There and All
This Time. Helped launch band New Kids on the Block. Voice
of Judy Jetson for Jetsons: The Movie. (Lebanese father).
Jeff George – NFL Quarterback, first overall pick of the 1990 draft
by the Indianapolis Colts, played for Falcons, Raiders, Vikings, Redskins,
Seahawks and Bears. (Lebanese ancestry).
Rony Seikaly - Former Pro NBA Basketball Player, played center for
Syracuse University selected as a first round pick of the Miami Heat, also
played for Golden State Warriors, Orlando Magic, Utah Jazz and New Jersey
Nets. Hosts the annual Rony Seikaly Golf Tournament for cystic fibrosis.
(Born in Beirut, Lebanese American U.S. citizen).
John H. Sununu - Former Governor of New Hampshire and White House
Chief of Staff under George H. W. Bush Senior. Co-hosted CNN’s nightly
Crossfire. (Palestinian descent).
John E. Sununu – U.S. Senator, former Congressman. Became youngest
member of Senate in 2002 after defeating both an incumbent Senator and an
incumbent Governor. Son of John H. Sununu. (Palestinian descent).
Spencer Abraham – Former Presidential Cabinet Member as Secretary of
Energy, Former Senator from Michigan. (Lebanese descent).
Ralph Nader - Consumer Advocate, Former Presidential Candidate for
Green Party. Most renowned and effective crusader for the rights of
consumers and the general public, Author of book Unsafe at Any Speed taking
on the auto industry. (Lebanese).
Casey Kasem (born Kemal Amen Kasem) - Radio Personality and
Co-Creator of American Top 40, American Top 20, and American Country
Countdown. Hosted the Annual American Video Awards. Inducted into National
Broadcaster Hall of Fame. (Son of Lebanese Druze parents).
Danny Thomas (born Muzyad Yahkoob) Late Actor, Comedian and
Producer, starred in Make Room for Daddy which changed Networks and was
renamed The Danny Thomas Show, one of most popular TV family comedies of
the 1950s, production company was responsible for The Dick Van Dyke Show
and The Any and The Andy Griffith Show, also Founder of St. Jude’s
Children’s Research Hospital (Lebanese).
Marlo Thomas – Actress, Emmy winner, star of the TV series That
Girl, married TV host Phil Donahue in 1980, appeared on the hit series
Friends, daughter of Danny Thomas (Lebanese).
Paul Anka – Singer, Song Writer, one of the first teen idols, 1957
hit single Diana became number one on both sides of the Atlantic, it is one
of the best selling records of all time, placed four songs in the Top 20 a
year later, including You Are My Destiny and Crazy Love, appeared in movies
Let's Rock and Girls Town, hit record Puppy Love was later a hit for Donny
Osmond, performed in Las Vegas, hosted TV shows Hullabaloo, The Midnight
Special, and Spotlite, wrote the theme to The Tonight Show, rewrote the
French lyrics to the song Comme d'Habitude which became one of Frank
Sinatra's most famous songs, My Way, also wrote Tom Jones' biggest hit,
She's a Lady. (Lebanese).
Joseph Robbie – Late Original Owner of Miami Dolphins, had a perfect
season 14-0 and won 2 Super Bowls in 1973 and 1974; built $115-million Joe
Robbie Stadium in 1987 with private funds. Also owned the Miami Toros and
the Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the North American Soccer League,
posthumously inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2003.
(Lebanese Father).
John Zogby, Pollster, President and CEO of Zogby International, one
of the top pollsters in the U.S., received numerous accolades including
"the most accurate pollster" by the Seattle Post Intelligencer, Cleveland
Plain Dealer and USA Today, appears on nightly network news programs, the
Today Show, Good Morning America, Fox News, MSNBC, Hardball with Chris
Matthews and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. (Lebanese).
James Zogby – Founder of Arab American Institute, brother of John
Zogby. (Lebanese).
Michael Nouri – Actor, most famous for leading role in Flashdance,
was a regular on daytime soap Search for Tomorrow, played Lucky Luciano in
The Gangster Chronicles, appeared in numerous movies including The Hidden,
Finding Forrester and The Terminal, and appeared in numerous TV shows
including the hit sitcom Love & War, Law & Order, and The Practice, also
appeared on Broadway in Victor/Victoria. (Lebanese descent).
Christa McAuliffe – Late Astronaut, Teacher, lost her life aboard
the space shuttle Challenger on January 28, 1986 when it exploded 73
seconds after lift-off, billed by her own students as "inspirational human
being, a marvelous teacher who made their lessons come alive," was selected
out of 11,500 applicants for the NASA Teacher in Space Project, was to be
the first civilian sent into space, the Christa McAuliffe Planetarium was
erected in her memory to promote the exploration of astronomy and space
science. (Lebanese descent).
Andrew Thomas - President and CEO of Heinekin USA, the nation's
largest beer importer, the first American to head the U.S. business unit.
(Lebanese).
Bobby Rahal – Race Car Driver, Team Owner, Indy 500 Race Car
Champion 1986, first Indy Car driver to surpass $1 million in winnings for
a season, 24 career Indy wins, three time PPG Cup Champion, founded Team
Rahal racing team, now Rahal/Letterman Racing, inducted into the
International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Motorsports Hall of
Fame of America in 2004. (Lebanese descent).
| References
http://www.apple.com/pr/bios/jobs.html
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http://www.answers.com/topic/tony-shalhoub
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http://www.blinkbits.com/bits/viewforum/jeff_george_bio?f=7517
http://www.infoage.org/NBHF-CaseyKasem.html
http://www.answers.com/topic/rony-seikaly
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http://www.hickoksports.com/biograph/rahalbobby.shtml
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