Abdeen Jabara papers, 1956-2003 (majority within 1968-2003)
26.25 linear feet — 66 MB
A New York attorney originally based in Detroit. Abdeen Jabara is concerned with issues of the civil rights of Arab Americans, the effects of the September 11th terrorist attack - nationally and globally - and the contentious relationship between Arab and Israeli organizations. The Jabara papers pertain to various litigation procedures and case files, including those in Michigan, with the federal government, and those involving various humanitarian projects. In particular, Jabara challenged the practice of law enforcement agencies to collect information and maintain surveillance of Arabs and Arab Americans. He was involved in a number of high-profile cases, for example, the murder trial of Sirhan Sirhan and the extradition case of Ziad Abu Eain. Materials are organized into litigation and case files, as well as topical files pertaining to Arab American activism, organizational involvement, participation in the Middle East delegation of the National Lawyers Guild, and other pertinent global and national events highlighting Arabic issues.
The collection has been divided into four series: Litigation/Court Cases, Political and Cultural Activities, Publications, and Topical Files. The many files of correspondence and press clippings document the types of legal and political battles and causes that Jabara has tackled throughout his career. A limited amount of material in the collection is in Arabic and French, mostly correspondence, press clippings, and newsletters, and is noted as such in the contents list.