Receiving Line Heartfelt Gesture at Sea Cmdr. Michael Meding and the crew of the German Navy destroyer L¸tjens were honored by two members of Congress for their heartfelt gesture toward America in the days after the Sept. 11 attacks. Meding and his crew sailed toward the U.S.S. Winston Churchill on Sept. 14 to join the American crew on board for a moment of silence commemorating those lost in the attacks. But instead of flying the German flag as usual, the crew took it down and posted a banner made from a quickly crafted bed sheet, which read ìWe Stand By You.î A young ensign aboard Churchill wrote home after the event and described the emotions from the event: ìThere was not a dry eye on the bridge as they stayed alongside us for a few minutes and saluted. It was the most powerful thing I have seen in my life. The German Navy did an incredible thing for this crew.î U.S. Rep. Gilbert W. Gutknecht (R-Minn.) and Sen. Richard Green Lugar (R-Ind.) presented the crew with a U.S. flag that had flown over the Capitol. In return, Meding presented the congressmen with the bed-sheet sign that was hung that day. ìAs we stood next to the U.S.S Winston Church ill and observed the three minutes of silence, I think many of us, including myself, shed tears. It was moving,î Meding said. óby Dina Guirguis American-Arab Banquet The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) hosted a banquet dinner honoring Amre Moussa, secretary-general of the League of Arab States, at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Virginia. The eveningís turnout was quite impressive: Ambassadors from nearly 20 embassies, several members of Congress, Washington, D.C., Police Chief Charles Ramsey and Prince Faisal bin Salman Al-Saud of Saudi Arabia were just some of the distinguished guests in attendance. The gala opened with introductory remarks by ADC Vice President Khalil E. Jahshan, who praised the U.S. democratic system and urged all Americans to be responsible citizens in this time of heightened national security by contributing to the ongoing public debate and shaping of U.S. policies ìOur goals will not be achieved by pleading and by scoring debating points, but by our active participation in local and national civic, political and cultural arenas,î Jahshan remarked. Secretary-General Moussa, in his keynote address, expressed his support for the growing cooperation between Arab Americans and the Arab world and stressed continued efforts to improve the lines of communication between Americans and the Arab-American community. Moussa also announced the Arab Leagueís plans to convene a global conference on U.S.-Arab relations in the spring of 2003. The evening concluded with Jahshan and ADC President Ziad Asali presenting Moussa with a Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his service to the Arab world and his efforts to promote peace.