In memoriam: Arfan al-Hani - 1945-1997 - Arab-American physician - Obituary

Arab Studies Quarterly (ASQ), Fall, 1997 by Ziad Asali

In January 1997, Arfan Al-hani invited a number of us to Chicago to discuss AAUG and ADC's role in relief efforts for the children of Iraq. We met with several representatives of the Iraqi-American community and Arfan rose to give a quiet address to the group. I remember him telling us that anyone who became involved in any relief effort for Iraq would inevitably be accused of either being an agent for an Arab government or a CIA agent. Nonetheless, he said, it was incumbent upon us to persist in our efforts to help these children, because it was our responsibility to do so. Within minutes of delivering this moving speech he was dead at the age of fifty one. I feel privileged to have heard his final remarks.

Arfan al-Hani exemplified the qualities to which the Arab-American community strives. He was an accomplished physician, one of the preeminent cardiologists in the state of Illinois, a philanthropist, a family man, a community leader, and a lover of Arabic poetry, able to quote from memory from the breadth of our literary legacy. His charm and elegance added to all gatherings. His generosity fueled many a fundraising event. Among his professional peers, he was a well-respected doctor. Among his friends in the Iraqi community, he was a compassionate patriot. Among Arab-Americans, he was a voice of strength and reason. He slipped between English and two Arabic dialects, making his audience, whether it was a single person or an auditorium full of listeners, feel that he was speaking directly and thoughtfully to the issues of mutual concern. And he was.

Arfan was a man whom I believed could guide Arab-America through difficult times. He taught so many of us about leadership, grace, integrity, and kindness. When the best were willing to do only what was asked of them, this wonderful man would demand of himself ten times more. Furthermore, he would perform these duties with impressive panache. He was the happy marriage of form and substance, laughing heartily as he endeavored to aid the greater good. He was, at the time of his death, serving an elected term on the Board of the Association of Arab-American University Graduates. The Association and all those whose lives he touched will miss him. We are all poorer for his absence.