He received special honors for being the best student in his class in Math, English and French. He also was honored in his school year book for his many library visits. After finishing her maternity leave and all her vacations, Salam went back to work early in December. She found out that the reengineering project she worked so hard on had been cancelled. Her annual raise was slashed and her promotion was denied.
Discrimination still exists even in business.
The Arab Bank has a de facto policy of not giving promotions to women in the same year that they take maternity leave. Our extended family has also witnessed growth. Daoud s sister Grace and her husband Khader El Yateem in Brooklyn, New York gave birth to Naim their first boy after two girls. Salam s parents spent most of the summer in the beautiful seashore town of Marbella in South Spain with the new baby. As the world is busy celebrating the millenium with champagne and fireworks, we need to take time off from day to day activities in order to express gratitude for the life and blessings God has given us.