I was surprised to discover how relevant Dr. Tawil's message is toady as it was then even more than a decade after. I couldn't help but draw comparisons from Elias's statement especially when I read this sentence: "NAAMA differs from any other organization we belong to".
This is absolutely true. Being a NAAMA member is beyond belonging to a professional organization or paying your annual dues. NAAMA is a state of mind.
It is the brotherhood and sisterhood that connect you with like minded professionals.
It is the pride you feel as an Arab physician when you see the names Ibn Sina or Al Razi quoted in a western text book.
It is the joy that overwhelms your heart when you walk through a clinic in a refugee camp and you see a sign that reads "Made Possible by NAAMA".
It is the goose bumps that take over you as you huddle over a microphone along with your colleagues singing "Mawtini" from the top of your lungs at our national convention.
It has been always asked, what's in it for me? But the truth is that we need NAAMA as much as we selfishly believe that NAAMA needs us.
It is a necessity to our existence as Arab Americans first and health professionals second.
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