Warrior-Poet and Humanitarian
Afghan / English
2003 Recipient
He
received an Honorable Discharge from the United States Navy Hospital
Corps, as at 15 he was too young to attend.
He went on to go to Georgia University and, finally, Columbia
University. After college,
Mr. Houssein-Afghani joined the U.S. Army and trained at the United States
Naval Air Station in Norfolk, Virginia.
He served 2 years as a Ballistic Meteorology Assistant in the
Artillery Division and was Honorably Discharged in 1955.
After
his discharge, Mr. Houssein-Afghani sought employment after his military
service and started working as an Apprentice Foundry Molder. Three years later, he went into bricklaying, and hired a
Journeyman Bricklayer to further his own education in that trade.
Four years afterward, Mr. Houssein-Afghani ventured into law with
the help of his good friend, William Edwards Murray, a Tax and State
Attorney in New York City.
In
time, he went back to his roots in the construction trades with a new
understanding of State and Tax Law. With
this knowledge, Mr. Houssein-Afghani established the Shah Oil Exploration
Company, funding and drilling seventy to eighty well sites over the next
ten years. He also owned and
operated several coal and gold mines during this period, until Bolivian
Revolutionists destroyed them. The
Shah Oil & Exploration Company was profitably sold to a Danish Group
in 1983.
Later,
he published his first compilation of poetry entitled, “Smoked Pearls,
or a Dish of Oysters for an Untidy Mind”.
He has since written ten books, four of which are still in
publication. Mr. Houssein-Afghani
promoted his poetry with such appearances on “The Alan Burke Show”,
and “The Joe Franklin Show”. He
also lectured at numerous colleges on his work.
In
the 1980’s he organized and was elected President of the Afghan
Foundation, and became the Chairman for the Federation of American Afghan
Action Committee (FAAA). As a
lobbying group, the FAAA was responsible for the passage of the “Afghan
Resolution” by the United States Congress.
He was also one of the original three to arrange the LOYA JIRGAH of
Afghan intellectuals to establish an Afghan Government during the Soviet
occupation.
Mr.
Houssein-Afghani also served as a Delegate to the United Nations, acting
as Leader of the Delegation to the Geneva Talks of 1987-89.
He was extremely successful in his consultations with the
Government under President Najibullah, and the President honored him with
the name Afghani in appreciation of his endeavors.
He visited Kabul 5 times, and was present during the Soviet’s
withdrawal from Afghanistan. As a humanitarian, he not only spearheaded the effort to
remove the Soviets, he was also responsible for the release of political
prisoners, and received a Proclamation from President Najibullah that all
Afghans from around the world be permitted to return to their native land.
Today,
Mr. Houssein-Afghani is a retired independent real estate operator and
construction company executive with 30 years experience as CEO. He is continually active in U.S. politics, and is presently
still involved in Afghan-American affairs.
He was elected in 2001 and 2002 as President of the Afghan Phoenix
Initiates, a fraternal organization committed to aiding new immigrants
arriving in the United States. The
organization dedicates itself to such matters as relocation, health, and
employment issues, with the National Offices located in Houston, Texas. Other branches are currently being formed in California and
New York.
Mr.
Houssein-Afghani resides with his wife, Anne, in Houston, Texas, and is
the father of two children; daughter Ibi Gamily Yams, a neuro-radiologist
in Houston; and a son Sayed Absal Kamal, a Tennis Professional and Coach,
living in Trinidad.
DISTINGUISHED
SERVICE & AWARDS
2003
– Recipient of the 2003 “Ellis Island Medal of Honor” for
Contributions to the National identity while preserving cultural heritage
1982
- Recipient of the “Margaret Meade Award” for Contributions to
Anthropology
1978
- Appointed Deputy Commissioner, New York State Ethnic Affairs Committee
by Governor Hugh Carey under Commissioner Irma Badillo
1970-1973
- Elected President of the New York State Anthropology Museum
Ran
for New York State Assembly twice (Democrat)
Coronated
“King of the Greeks” for Greek Independence Day, 1969.
Marched with Nelson Rockefeller, and coronated by Archbishop
Iakovos
Served
in the Local and National offices of AHEPA (The American Hellenic
Educational Progressive Association)
Served
three years as Commander and is a Life Member of the American Legion
*Selected
Verse by Sayed Jemal Houssein-Afghani:
ADDING WISHES
If
what I wish
Plus,
What I wish I had wished
Plus,
What I wish I had not wished
Wish total = Wow !!!
SELF
KNOWLEDGE
Or
a
NOVEL
INTRODUCTION TO PRAYER !
-defined
thusly –
A
communication between one's God
And one's self without ego?
Were
stacked up side by side
Why there's enough right there
To make me hide my pride
And search, and search,
And deeply search inside.
For remedies that would undo
The Clamor which does reside as residue
After examination in objective light.
A confirmation of one's excess of self negation
And through this illumination
The possibility for change exists.
Who am i?
Sit
right down where you are!
Is it an experience or a thought?
Within that very question I am caught.
Let's begin with the sensation,
Within identification.
You need to sit quietly now, without motion.
And relax
A
drop of this will go a long way.
Beginning with myself today.
Which was tomorrow,
Since yesterday has been right now.
Count with me --- aloud --- 7, 6, 5, 4, 3.
Now
count silently --- 7. 6, 5, 4. 3.
Can you hear it?
Can you hear it ?
If not,
Begin again at sit -
Do not continue!!!
Carefully,
now,
You must be extremely still to hear the sounds
Your thoughts can yell.
Penetrating deeper yet.
Careful to avoid the net.
A movement here will cause regret.
Be still.
More still,
And quieter yet.
A tiny slip upon this shelf and one is
Back to the sensation of myself (one's body).
Giving up, succumbing to:
Giving up, unattached!
Giving god control over mind and soul.
And suddenly - "i am" is hatched.
And quieter yet.
Delicately
- balanced
Between thoughts which are impartially suspended in the
Universe within myself.
I may see or hear or do that there is naught to
See or hear or do.
Oh dream of dreams..
Love of loves,
I am at peace alone with you .
More beautiful than morning dew,
With brilliant sun light shining through.
My
sweetness and my only love.
Directly sent from heaven above.
My love of love's,
My god,
My self's own self.
I love myself.
Fear is creeping in ---------------
Remove yourself, oh! Damn it! Elation, remove
Yourself.............herald of
Identification.......quickly-.-.-. return to my own
Sensation of myself
Oh, late.
Too late,
Negativity
Hate -
Confusion.
My-body still in the state of tension.
Well, anyway, it is gone now.
But
the essence of these experiences and not the experience itself
could be construed to be a building block of self knowledge
And if this is true..... self knowledge or the sense of the whole of
myself equals ego.
In order to be loveable, I must love myself.
And one cannot love myself
until one finds the peaceful part which is myself or "i"
then I don't care.
Hello, over there.!!!!!
The
moment I care, I am not there,
Or here..
Or anywhere.
Which has still another result
in that I may see in one's relationship to the reality of their own wish
The impossibility Of facing the unsafe unknown:
which is of course-the only way to Salvation.
In other words, I must pass from
Poor me to I am.
T-o-o-o-o
l a t e
Who
am i?
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