November 15, 2006
George A. Naifeh, 1924-2006
[Mr. Naifeh], of Aiken, SC, died on November 9, 2006, at University Hospital, Augusta, GA. He was born August 19, 1924, in Kiefer, OK, the youngest of six children of Shahada and Saida Naifeh.
On graduating from high school, he joined the Army Air Forces and served as a Staff Sergeant during World War II. He was a tall-turret gunner and radio operator with the 490th Bomb Group, a B-17 Flying Fortress unit of the Eighth Air Force, based in England, and was awarded the Purple Heart on February 6, 1945, as a result of enemy action in Strasbourg, France; he also earned an Oak Leaf cluster, an Air Medal, and four battle stars. A graduate of the University of Oklahoma, Naifeh attended the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University before joining the U.S. Foreign Service in 1951. Naifeh served for nearly three decades in Iran, Iraq, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Jordan.
Upon retiring from the Foreign Service, Naifeh founded the American-Arab Affairs Council [now the Middle East Policy Council], serving as President and Chairman from 1981 to 1990. The Council, a non-profit organization, is dedicated to acquainting Americans with the Arab world, the Islamic religion and the culture of the Middle East. Throughout his career, both in the U.S. Foreign Service and at the American-Arab Affairs Council, Naifeh worked tirelessly to educate Arabs about Americans and Americans about Arabs, believing that information leads to respect, tolerance and peace.
Naifeh retired to South Carolina in 1998. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Marion Carolyn Naifeh, son Steven Naifeh and daughter Carolyn Naifeh.
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