On May 15, and as part of the program for launching the Freedom Collection in Washington, D.C., I was invited by the director of the George W. Bush Presidential Center, to introduce President Bush by way of highlighting the tragedy currently unfolding in Syria. This was my introduction:
Naturally, the event received wide coverage, including
Bush was introduced by Syrian dissident Ammar Abdulhamid, founder of the Tharwa Foundation, which supports democratic movements in the Middle East and North Africa. Abdulhamid said the interviews help “break the barrier of fear” for democracy activists. “The collection shows freedom advocates are not alone.” (Bloomberg).
He singled out Syria, where the government of President Bashar al-Assad has killed thousands to squelch opposition. “All of us here today join you in hoping and praying for the end of violence and the advance of freedom in Syria,” Mr. Bush told Ammar Abdulhamid, a prominent Syrian opposition figure invited to speak at the event. (New York Times)
Bush was introduced by Syrian activist Ammar Abdulhamid. “All of us here today join you in hoping and praying for the end of violence and the advance of freedom in Syria,” Bush said to him, joking, “I actually found my freedom by leaving Washington.” (Foreign Policy)
This is the text of my introductory speech, which President Bush signed afterwards. This is a link to my page and video clips on the Freedom Collection website.
The Ammar Abdulhamid Archive 