John Conyers Champion of Arab, Muslim rights dies

By Ray Hanania

John Conyers, the former Michigan Congressman who founded the Black caucus and was a clarion voice in defense of Arab and Muslim civil rights, died Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019.

John Conyers was a member of the U.S. Congress from Michigan. He was born in Detroit, Wayne County, Mich., May 16, 1929 and attended Detroit public schools. He received his B.A. from Wayne State University, Detroit, Mich., 1957; LL.B., Wayne State Law School, Detroit, Mich., 1958; lawyer, private practice; Michigan National Guard, 1948-1950.

Conyers served in the United States Army from 1950-1954 and the United States Army Reserve from 1954-1957. He was a staff member for U.S. Representative John D. Dingell, Jr., of Michigan from 1958-1961, and served as the general counsel for three labor locals in Detroit, 1959-1964.

Abdul El-Sayed with Congressman John Conyers. Photo courtesy of El-Sayed's Facebook Page — Abdul El-Sayed with Congressman John Conyers. Photo courtesy of El-Sayed’s Facebook Page

He was an executive board member, Detroit, Mich., American Civil Liberties Union, 1964 to present; executive board member, Detroit, Mich., NAACP, 1963 to present; referee for Michigan workmen’s compensation department, 1961-1963.

Conyers was elected as a Democrat to the 89^th Congress and to 26 succeeding Congresses until his resignation on December 5, 2017 (January 3, 1965-December 5, 2017).

Conyers was one of the managers appointed by the House of Representatives in 1988 to conduct the impeachment proceedings against Alcee Lamar Hastings, judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida; chairman, Committee on Government Operations (One Hundred First through One Hundred Third Congresses); chairman, Committee on the Judiciary (One Hundred Tenth and One Hundred Eleventh Congresses).

Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Dingell of Michigan’s 12th District released the following statement on the passing of former Congressman John Conyers.

“John Conyers was a civil rights champion who served Michigan and the people of Detroit for decades. He began his career working for John Dingell, before running for Congress himself and they both believed in justice and equality for all. John Conyers spent his life championing those causes. The fights John Conyers fought will be remembered for generations. I am deeply saddened by his passing. May God bring his family comfort during this difficult time.”

Dingell is the widow of another Congressional champion of Arab ands Muslim rights, former Congressman John Dingell who died this past February 7, 2019.

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rayhanania

Op-Ed writer, author, radio host, podcaster at The Arab Daily News

Ray Hanania is an award-winning columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.

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Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.

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