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Rûm, also Roum or Rhum (in Arabic الرُّومُ ar-Rūm, Persian/Turkish Rum; all from Middle Persian Hrom^{[citation needed]}) is a vague term used at different times in the Muslim world to refer to the Balkans and Anatolia generally, to the Byzantine Empire in particular, to the Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm in Asia Minor, to non-Muslims inhabiting Ottoman or Turkish territory, and to Greeks living outside of Greece. The name is loaned from the Byzantine-Greek self-designation Ρωμιοί ("Romans"). The city of Rome itself, by contrast, is known in Arabic as روما Rūmā.

Origins[link]

The Qur'an includes Surat Ar-Rum (i.e., the Sura dealing with "The Romans" or "The Byzantines"). The Byzantine Greeks, as the continuation of the Roman Empire, called themselves Ρωμιοί or Ρωμαίοι Rhomaioi, Romans, and the Arabs, therefore, called them "the Rûm", their territory "the land of the Rûm", and the Mediterranean "the Sea of the Rûm." They called ancient Greece by the name "Yūnān" (Ionia) and ancient Greeks "Yūnānī" (similar with Hebrew "Yavan" [יוון] for the country and "Yevanim" [יוונים] for the people). The ancient Romans were called either "Rūm" or sometimes "Latin'yun" (Latins).

[edit] Rûm as a name

Al-Rūmī is a nisbah designating people originating in the Byzantine empire, or lands formerly belonged to Byzantine Empire, especially Anatolia. Historical people so designated include:

• Suhayb ar-Rumi, a companion of Muhammad
• Mawlānā Jalāl-ad-Dīn Muhammad Balkhī (Rumi), the 13th century Persian poet
• Qāḍī Zāda al-Rūmī, 14th century mathematician
• Tadj ol-Molouk Ayrumlu, Former Queen of Iran (This may be incorrect. The Wikipedia article Ayrums claims Tadj ol-Molouk Ayromlou (sic) as an Ayrum, and defines Ayrums as an Azeri subgroup which it says is unrelated to the Urums. This implies her name may not be derived from Al-Rūmī. Reviewing the history of the Ayrum article shows that at one point a different origin related to Rûm, Hayhurum, was proposed for the Ayrum people; but if Ayrum is derived from Hayhurum, then it is still not a form of Al-Rūmī.)

[edit] Rûm in geography

Later, because Muslim contact with the Byzantine Greeks most often took place in Asia Minor, the term Rûm became fixed there geographically and remained even after the conquest by the Seljuk Turks, so that their territory was called the land of the Seljuks of Rûm, or the Sultanate of Rûm. But as the Mediterranean was "the Sea of the Rûm", so all peoples on its north coast were called sweepingly "the Rûm".

Ottoman usage[link]

After the Fall of Constantinople, Mehmed II declared himself Kayser-i Rum, literally "Caesar of the Romans". However, later Ottoman Sultans abandoned this title and did not persist in claiming it. During the 16th century the Portuguese used "rume" and "rumes" (plural) as a generic term to refer to the Mamluk-Ottoman forces they faced then in the Indian Ocean.^[1]

Under the Ottoman Empire's Millet system, Greeks were in the "Rum Millet" (Millet-i Rum), and also in today's Turkey Rum are the Turkish citizens of Greek Ethnos. The term "Urums", also derived from the same origin, is still used in contemporary ethnography to denote Turkic-speaking Greek populations. "Rumaiic" is a Greek dialect identified mainly with the Ottoman Greeks.

In Islamic Spain[link]

In Al-Andalus any Christian slave girl who had embraced Islam was named Roumiya. Also the legendary lover of King Roderic and daughter of Count Julian is named La Cava Rumía ^[2] — her affair being the putative cause of the Moorish invasion of Hispania in AD 711. The crusades introduced the Franks (Ifranja), and later Arabic writers recognize them and their civilization on the north shore of the Mediterranean west from Rome; so Ibn Khaldun wrote in the latter part of the 14th century.

See also[link]

• Rûm Province, Ottoman Empire.
• Rumelia, from Turkish Rum eli meaning 'country of the Romans'.
• Erzurum, from the Turkish pronunciation of Arabic أرض روم arḍ Rūm, 'Land of the Romans'.
• Edirne Ciğeri, a Turkish meat dish also referred to as "Rumeli Ciğeri".
• Rumi calendar, a calendar based on the Julian Calendar, used by the Ottoman Empire after Tanzimat.
• Mawlānā, great Persian poet who is sometimes referred to as Rumi.
• Rumiye-i Suğra, the name of the region in Ottoman Empire which included Tokat, Amasya, and Sivas.
• Rumçi, another term used to refer to the Greeks during the Ottoman times.

Note: the following entries are arranged in an etymological tree.

• Roma (disambiguation)
  • Rome (disambiguation)
  • Romaic
  • Romanus (disambiguation)
    • Aromanians
    • Romagna
      • Romagnol language
    • Romain (disambiguation)
    • Romaine (disambiguation)
    • Roman (disambiguation)
      • Romanesco
      • Romanesque (disambiguation)
    • Romana (disambiguation)
    • Romand
      • Romandy
    • Romania (disambiguation)
      • Romanian (disambiguation)
    • Romanicus
      • Romance (disambiguation)
      • Romanza (disambiguation)
      • Romance languages (Romanic)
    • Romanization (disambiguation)
    • Romano (disambiguation)
    • Romansh language
  • Rûm
    • Rumelia

Notes[link]

1. ^ Ozbaran, Salih, "Ottomans as 'Rumes' in Portuguese sources in the sixteenth century", Portuguese Studies, Annual, 2001
2. ^ Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote, Part I, Chapter 41 (Spanish text, English text).

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 

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Ahmed Hulusi was born on 21 January 1945, in Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, and was named Ahmed by his mother, and Hulusi by his father.

He spent his first 18 years without any prior religious knowledge, believing only in 'a Creator'. As every time Ahmed Hulusi enquired about religion he was told "do not question, just do as you are told" he lived a seemingly 'irreligious' life according to his environment.

Three days after his father's death, on 10 September 1963, unable to decline his mother's wish, he attended Friday prayers, where he felt an immense inspiration and desire to understand the reality of religion. That same day he decided to always keep in a state of ablution and committed to performing the prescribed daily prayers (salat).

He commenced his religious education by studying the eleven volumes of Sahih Bukhari, published by the Turkish Directorate for Religious Affairs, the whole of the al-Kutub al-Sittah, and the most authentic Turkish translation of the Quran by the late Elmalili, one of Turkey's most eminent Quran scholars.

He then spent two years undertaking intense studies of the modern sciences. This exceptionally diligent period of education was then followed by an interval of intensive spiritual diets and retreats, leading him in 1965 to write his first book "Reflections" (Tecelliyat). This book holds an important place for Ahmed Hulusi as it is a conglomeration of his views and theological evaluations at the youthful age of 21.

In 1965 he took a solitary journey, as with all his endeavors, to fulfill his pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj).

His principle has always been "Do not be a blind follower of anyone! In the light of Muhammad's teachings, choose and walk your own path in life independently!"

In 1970, when he was working for the Aksam newspaper of Turkey, he began researching the topic of spirits and the evoking of spirits, and published Turkey's first and only book in this field, "Spirit, Man, Jinn" (Ruh Insan Cin).

After discovering that the phrases in the Quran "smokeless fire" and "fire that inhabits the pores" are actually references made to "radial energy", Ahmed Hulusi began to further his research to decipher the teachings of the Quran in the light of science, and shared his findings in his book "The Mysteries of Man" (Insan ve Sirlari) in 1985.

Continuing to integrate the truths in the Quran with the contemporary sciences, Ahmed Hulusi established his understanding of religion on the foundation of the System and Order denoted by the One named Allah, and committed himself to "reading" the reality disclosed by Muhammad, sharing his findings through his writings and the Internet.

Ahmed Hulusi, who has not only read and studied the aforementioned preeminent collections of Islamic Law, but who has also evaluated the works of many renowned Sufi saints and scholars, synthesizes his findings with scientific truths and presents them as an integrated system of rational reality. Ahmed Hulusi strongly believes that people should be evaluated according to their ideas rather than their personalities, and asserts that Muhammad is the best example of this.

While, simple-minded people spend their lives busying themselves spreading rumors about 'personalities', he claims, developed minds engage with data resulting from ideas and thought processes.

In order to refrain from self-promotion, he has not put his surname on any of the books he has written over the last 40 years. He does not claim to be a guru or a teacher to anybody; on the contrary, he chooses to have very little contact with people despite the large demand and interest he receives.

He was forced to put his photos on his books after a few imposters claimed to be "Ahmed Hulusi," gathering and exploiting large crowds of people in the Anatolia region of Turkey.

Ahmed Hulusi, who always held an authentic press card, has never been occupied in a field of profession other than journalism. He has never been a member of any political, social or religious organization, foundation or establishment of any sort. He has spent his lifetime researching Islamic mysticism, or Sufism, and the modern sciences. He is also the first author to offer all his works, including his entire collection of books, writings, and videoconferences absolutely free, fully downloadable from his Internet site.

All of his views and ideas are offered without any expectation of material gain.

Due to the February 28, 1997, "postmodern coup" in Turkey, Ahmed Hulusi and his wife Cemile moved to London, where they lived for a year, before settling in the USA, where he still resides today.

Ahmed Hulusi who prefers to live a relatively reclusive life in his small town, recommends that people re-evaluate the original teachings of Muhammad and the Quran in the light of science, without depending on an intermediator.

According to Ahmed Hulusi, in respect of the System disclosed by Muhammad, religious "positions" cannot exist. Every individual has the right to, and is obliged to directly interact with the teachings of Allah through Muhammad and shape their lives accordingly.

Ahmed Hulusi claims, the only person one must follow is Muhammad, as everyone else has a consultative role. He believes people are only accountable of the knowledge imparted by Muhammad and the Quran; as all other views are "relative" and non-binding.

Due to this, Ahmed Hulusi does not encourage anyone to become his 'follower'. He advises people that they should question his teachings and do their own research. He says "don't believe me, find and verify the truth for yourself!"

Ahmed Hulusi is an Islamic intellectualist who tries to share his thoughts with those who have an intellectual and inquisitive mind!

None of his written, audio or visual works are copyrighted. As long as it remains faithful to the original, all his works can be printed and distributed for free. Just knowing that his books are in the houses of millions of people is a great enough honor for him.

All his works can be accessed and downloaded at the following sites:

www.ahmedhulusi.org

www.okyanusum.com

www.allahvesistemi.org

Finally... It is important to remember that each person's understanding is according to his or her knowledge base.

Try and evaluate these books with your own minds.

Be concerned about the writings, not the writer.

Duly examine these truths that are complimentarily shared with you.

Let's hope these books, that are based on the truths of Allah and the System (sunnatullah) and that have the potential to give direction to one's eternal life, will open up new horizons for you.

http://www.ahmedhulusi.org/en/articles.php?article=who-is-ahmed-hulusi Who is Ahmed Hulusi

Philosophy[link]

Hulusi focuses on a thought reform and a renovation in understanding the underlying unity of all and the oneness of existence which he refers to as 'Allah'. He considers his interpretations as spiritual understanding of Islam in a modern context. Based on Mohammed's teachings and such ancient Sufi authors as Abd-al-karim Jili, Abdul-Qadir Gilani, Muhyiddini Arabi, Imami Ghazali, and İbrahim Hakkı Erzurumi, he refuses the idea of a god to worship, saying that there is no god, there is only Allah in the Qur'an. He stresses understanding the spirit of the Qur'an and Sunnah rather than taking them literally.

Hulusi opposes rote memorization, unreasoned use of fatwa, allegedly Islamic governments based on traditional parochial concepts, and asserts that sharia, as it is now constituted, has developed beyond and even in opposition to true Islam. Hulusi considers Islam not as an additional religion to earlier ones but as the comprehensive explanation of universal system.

Hulusi also focuses on the human rights expressed in the Quran and on the importance of beneficence in one's behaviour. He opposes using religion for political purposes and objecting to its political agenda. He has said, "The greatest cruelty for humanity is when a personal explanation about a subject, which is not in a hadith or the Qur'an, is attempted to be applied as a religious rule!" In his books, he asserts that there is a system in life that everyone is subject to, therefore everyone should understand the universal laws of that system and prepare himself for the afterlife dimension, because there is no death for any human being but the continuation of life with a spiritual body after detachment from the physical body. His main teaching is about learning how to activate the universal powers within, which in fact are manifestations of powers of Allah who originates everything from within. He also stresses on the fact that original Islam should be understood rather than peoples' Muslimism. In his booklet Up to Date Understanding of Islam, he connects Mohammed's teachings with modern science, especially quantum physics, neuroscience and holographic reality and brain.

Criticism[link]

His writings are not accepted by conservative or traditional Islamic theologians. Several books by a few writers have set out to refute his ideas and to assert that his interpretation of Islam is false. He is blamed for twisting the meanings of Qur'an because he is not a native speaker or even know Arabic language.

Publications[link]

Books[link]

• Allâh İlminden Yansımalarla KUR'ÂN-I KERÎM ÇÖZÜMÜ (The Key to the Quran)
• Yenilen (Renew Yourself)
• İnsan ve Din (Religion and Man)
• Dini Yanlış Algılamak (Religious Misunderstandings), (English available)
• İslâm (Up to Date Understanding of Islam), (English available)
• Allah (Mohammed's Allah: Allah as Introduced by Mohammed), (English available)
• Sistemin Seslenişi 1-2 (The Voice of the System 1-2), (English available)
• Cuma Sohbetleri (Friday Conversations),
• Tecelliyat (The Revelations), (English available)
• Evrensel Sırlar (Universal Mysteries), (English available)
• DOST’tan Dosta (From FRIEND to Friend), (English available)
• Mesajlar (Messages), (English available)
• Yaşamın Gerçeği (The Truth Of Life, 2002) (English available)
• Okyanus Ötesinden 1-2-3 (Beyond the Ocean 1-2-3),
• Dua ve Zikir (Prayer and Praise),
• Temel Esaslar (Basic Principles),
• Muhammed Neyi Okudu (What did Muhammed Reveal?),
• Akıl ve İman (Mind and Faith),
• Kendini Tanı (Know Yourself),(english available)
• Tek'in Seyri (The Spiritual Progress of the One),
• İnsan ve Sırları 1-2 (Mysteries of Humans),
• Gavsiye Açıklaması (Explanation of the Saints),
• Muhammed Mustafa 1-2 (Muhammed Mustafa 1-2),
• Ebubekr es Sıddık (The First Caliph Ebubekr es Sıddık),
• Ruh İnsan Cin (Spirit, Man, Jinn),(english available)
• Ahmed Hulusi'de Kavramlar (Concepts in Ahmed Hulusi),

Pamphets[link]

• Çağdaş Bakışla Din (Up to date Understanding of Religion), (English available)
• Farkın Farkında mısınız? (Are You Aware of the Difference?), (English available)
• Ölüm ve Ötesi (Death and Beyond), (English available)
• Reenkarnasyon (Reincarnation), (English available)
• Cin ve Büyü Nedir? (What are Demons and Spells?) (English available)

References[link]

• Cevizoğlu, M. Hulki (1997) "Chapter 11: Ahmed Hulusi" Ceviz kabuğu Remzi Kitabevi, Cağaloğlu, Istanbul, ISBN 975-14-0527-0 in Turkish

External links[link]

• / Ahmed Hulusi's website in English
• / scientific facts which support Ahmed Hulusi's books and thoughts video links

Dirham coin of Kaykhusraw II, Sivas, AH 638/AD 1240-1.

Ghiyath al-Din Kaykhusraw II (Arabic/Persian: غياث الدين كيخسرو بن كيقباد‎, Ghīyāth al-Dīn Kaykhusraw bin Kayqubād; Turkish: II. Gıyaseddin Keyhüsrev) was the sultan of the Seljuqs of Rûm from 1237^[1] until his death in 1246. He ruled at the time of the Babai uprising and the Mongol invasion of Anatolia. He led the Seljuq army with its Christian allies at the Battle of Köse Dağ in 1243. He was the last of the Seljuq sultans to wield any significant power and died a vassal of the Mongols.

Succession[link]

Kaykhusraw was the son of Kayqubad I and his Armenian wife　Hunat Hatun, the daughter of Kir Fard. Although Kaykhusraw was the eldest, the sultan had chosen as heir the younger ‘Izz al-Din, one of his two sons by an Ayyubid princess. In 1226 Kayqubad assigned the newly annexed Erzincan to Kaykhusraw. With the general Kamyar, the young prince participated in the conquest of Erzurum and later Ahlat.

In 1236-37, raiding Mongols assisted by the Georgians devastated the Anatolian countryside as far as the walls of Sivas and Malatya. Since the Mongol horsemen disappeared as quickly as they had come, Kayqubad moved to punish their Georgian allies. As the Seljuq army approached, Queen Russudan of Georgia sued for peace, offering her daughter Tamar in marriage to Kaykhusraw. This marriage took place in 1240.

Upon the death of Kayqubad in 1237, Kaykhusraw seized the throne with the support of the great emirs of Anatolia. The architect of his early reign was a certain Sa'd al-Din Köpek, master of the hunt and minister of works under Kayqubad. Köpek excelled at political murder and sought to protect his newfound influence at the court with a series of executions.^[2] He captured Diyarbekir from Ayyubids in 1241.

The Baba Ishak Rebellion[link]

While the Mongols threatened the Seljuq state from the outside, a new danger appeared from within: a charismatic preacher, Baba Ishak, was fomenting rebellion among the Turkmen of Anatolia.

Nomadic Turkmen had begun moving into Anatolia a few years prior to the Battle of Manzikert. After 1071, Turkic migration into the region went largely unchecked. Both their number and the persuasive power of their religious leaders, nominally Islamized shamans known as babas or dedes,^[3] played a large part in the conversion of formerly Christian Anatolia. The Persianized Seljuq military class expended considerable effort keeping these nomads from invading areas inhabited by farmers and from harassing neighboring Christian states. The Turkmen were pushed into marginal lands, mostly mountainous and frontier districts.

Baba Ishak was one such religious leader. Unlike his predecessors, whose influence was limited to smaller tribal groups, Baba Ishak’s authority extended over a vast population of Anatolian Turkmen. It is not known what he preached, but his appropriation of the title rasul, normally applied to Muhammad, suggests something beyond orthodox Islam.

The revolt began ca. 1240 in the remote borderland of Kafarsud in the eastern Taurus Mountains and quickly spread north to the region of Amasya. Seljuq armies at Malatya and Amasya were destroyed. Soon the very heart of Seljuq Anatolia, the regions around Kayseri, Sivas, and Tokat, were under the control of Baba Ishak’s supporters. Baba Ishak himself was killed, but the Turkmen continued their rebellion against the central Seljuq authority. The rebels were finally cornered and defeated near Kırşehir, probably in 1242 or early 1243. Simon of Saint-Quentin credits the victory to a large number of Frankish mercenaries employed by the sultan.^[4]

Battle of Köse Dağ[link]

In the winter of 1242-43, the Mongols under Bayju attacked Erzurum; the city fell without a siege. The Mongols prepared to invade Rum in the spring. To meet the threat, Kaykhusraw assembled soldiers from his allies and vassals. Simon of Saint-Quentin, an envoy of Pope Innocent IV on his way to the Great Khan, offers an account of the sultan’s preparations. He reports that the king of Armenia was required to produce 1400 lances and the Greek Emperor of Nicaea 400 lances. Both rulers met the sultan in Kayseri to negotiate details. The Grand Komnenos of Trebizond contributed 200, while the young Ayyubid prince of Aleppo supplied 1000 horsemen.^[5] In addition to these, Kaykhusraw commanded the Seljuq army and irregular Turkmen cavalry, though both had been weakened by the Baba Ishak rebellion.

The army, except for the Armenians who were then considering an alliance with (or submission to) the Mongols, assembled at Sivas. Kaykhusraw and his allies set out to the east along the trunk road towards Erzurum. On 26 June 1243, they met the Mongols at the pass at Köse Dağ, between Erzincan and Gümüşhane.^[6][7] A feigned retreat by the Mongol horsemen disorganized the Seljuqs, and Kaykhusraw’s army was routed. The sultan collected his treasury and harem at Tokat and fled to Ankara. The Mongols seized Sivas, sacked Kayseri, but failed to move on Konya, the capital of the sultanate.

In the months following the battle, Muhadhdhab al-Din, the sultan’s vizier, sought out the victorious Mongol leader. Since the sultan had fled, the embassy seems to have been the vizier’s own initiative. The vizier succeeded in forestalling further Mongol devastation in Anatolia and saved Kaykhusraw’s throne. Under conditions of vassalage and a substantial annual tribute, Kaykhusraw, his power much diminished, returned to Konya.

Legacy[link]

Kaykhusraw died leaving three sons: 'Izz al-Din Kaykaus, aged 11, son of the daughter of a Greek priest; 9-year-old Rukn al-Din Kilij Arslan, son of a Turkish woman of Konya; and 'Ala al-Din Kayqubadh, son of the Georgian princess Tamar and at age 7 youngest of the three boys.^[8]

Kaykhusraw had named his youngest child Kayqubad as his successor, but because he was a weakly child, the new vizier Shams al-Din al-Isfahani placed Kayqubad's two underage brothers Kaykaus II and Kilij Arslan IV on the throne as well, as co-rulers. This was an attempt to maintain Seljuq control of Anatolia in the face of the Mongol threat.

Although weakened, Seljuq power remained largely intact at the time of Kaykhusraw’s death in 1246. The Mongols failed to capture either the sultan’s treasury or his capital when they had the chance, and his Anatolian lands escaped the worst of the invaders’ depredations. The real blow to the dynasty was Kaykhusraw's inability to name a competent successor. With the choice of the three young brothers, Seljuq power in Anatolia no longer lay with Seljuq princes but instead devolved into the hands of Seljuq court administrators.

Coinage[link]

Between 638 and 641 A.H. (ca. 1240–1243) a series of remarkable silver dirhams were struck in Kaykhusraw’s name at Sivas and Konya depicting a lion and sun.^[9] While coins with images are not unknown in Islamic lands, particularly in the centuries following the Crusades, some Islamic traditions forbid representations of living things.

Several explanations of the lion and sun have been offered. One suggests that the images represent the constellation Leo, the astrological sign of Kaykhusraw's beloved Georgian wife Tamar. Another says that the lion represents Kaykhusraw and the sun Tamar.^[10]

Sources[link]

• Claude Cahen, “Kaykhusraw II” Encyclopaedia of Islam, ed. by P. Bearman, et al. (Brill 2007).
• Claude Cahen, Pre-Ottoman Turkey: a general survey of the material and spiritual culture and history c. 1071-1330, trans. J. Jones-Williams (New York: Taplinger, 1968), 127-38, 269-71.

References[link]

External links[link]

Helen Thomas
Helen Thomas in February 2009
Born	(1920-08-04) August 4, 1920 (age 91) Winchester, Kentucky
Residence	Washington, D.C.
Citizenship	United States
Alma mater	Wayne State University (formerly Wayne University) (B.A., 1942)
Occupation	Author, retired journalist and columnist
Years active	1943–2010
Religion	Greek Orthodox
Spouse	Douglas B. Cornell (m. 1971–1982)

Helen Thomas (born August 4, 1920) is an American author and former news service reporter, member of the White House Press Corps and opinion columnist of Lebanese Rûm/Melkite descent.^[1] She worked for the United Press and post-1958 successor United Press International (UPI) for 57 years, first as a correspondent, and later as White House bureau manager. She was a columnist for Hearst Newspapers from 2000 to 2010, writing on national affairs and the White House. She covered every President of the United States from the last years of the Eisenhower administration until the second year of the Obama administration. She was the first female officer of the National Press Club, the first female member and president of the White House Correspondents' Association, and the first female member of the Gridiron Club. She has written six books; her latest, with co-author Craig Crawford, is Listen Up, Mr. President: Everything You Always Wanted Your President to Know and Do (2009). Thomas retired on June 7, 2010, following comments she made about Israel, Jews and the Israel/Palestinian conflict.^[2]

Early life and education[link]

Thomas was born in Winchester, Kentucky, the seventh of the ten children of George and Mary (Rowady) Thomas, immigrants from Tripoli, Lebanon.^[3][4] Thomas has said her father's surname, "Antonious," was anglicized to "Thomas" when he entered the U.S. at Ellis Island,^[3] and that her parents could neither read nor write.^[5] Thomas was raised mainly in Detroit, Michigan, where her family moved when she was four years old, and where her father ran a grocery store.^[3][6] Of her experience growing up, Thomas has said,^[7]

"We were never hyphenated as Arab-Americans. We were American, and I have always rejected the hyphen and I believe all assimilated immigrants should not be designated ethnically. Or separated, of course, by race, or creed either. These are trends that ever try to divide us as a people."

She has also said that in Detroit in the 1920s, she came home crying from school, "They wanted to make you feel you weren't 'American'... We were called 'garlic eaters.'.^[6] She was raised as a Christian in the Greek Orthodox Church^[3]

She attended public schools, deciding to become a journalist while she was in high school.^[8] She enrolled at Wayne University (now Wayne State University), in Detroit, receiving a bachelor's degree in English in 1942.^[9]

Early career[link]

Her first job in journalism was as a copygirl for the now-defunct Washington Daily News, but shortly after she was promoted to cub reporter, she was laid off as part of massive cutbacks at the paper. Thomas joined United Press in 1943 and reported on women's topics for its radio wire service, earning $24 ($322 today) a week.^[10][11] Later in the decade, and in the early fifties, she wrote UP's "Names in the News" column, for which she interviewed numerous Washington celebrities.^[12] After 1955, she covered federal agencies such as the Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.

Thomas served as president of the Women's National Press Club from 1959–60. In 1959, Thomas and a few of her fellow female journalists forced the National Press Club, then barred to women, to allow them to attend an address by Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev.

Presidential correspondent[link]

Thomas with Gerald R. Ford and Dick Cheney in 1976

In November 1960, Thomas began covering then President-elect John F. Kennedy, taking the initiative to switch from reporting the "women's angle" to reporting the news of the day.^[13] She became the White House UPI correspondent in January 1961. Thomas became known as the "Sitting Buddha," and the "First Lady of the Press."^[14] It was during Kennedy's administration that she began ending presidential press conferences with a signature "Thank you, Mr. President,"^[15] reviving a tradition started by UPI’s Merriman Smith during the presidency of Franklin Roosevelt.^[16]

In a 2008 article, the Christian Science Monitor described her thusly: "Thomas, a fixture in American politics, is outspoken, blunt, demanding, forceful and unrelenting. Not only does she command respect by the highest powers in the US, her reputation is known worldwide."^[17] When Cuban leader Fidel Castro, was asked in the early 2000s what was the difference between democracy in Cuba and democracy in the United States, Castro reportedly replied, "I don't have to answer questions from Helen Thomas." Thomas considered Castro's reply to be "the height of flattery."^[18]

Thomas was the only female print journalist to travel to China with President Richard Nixon during his historic trip in 1972.^[19] She traveled around the world several times with all U.S. Presidents since Richard Nixon, and covered every Economic Summit since 1975, working up to the position of UPI's White House Bureau Chief, a post she would hold for over 25 years. While serving as White House Bureau Chief, she authored a regular column for UPI, "Backstairs at the White House."^[20] The column provided an insider's view of various presidential administrations.

Thomas was the only member of the White House Press Corps to have her own seat in the White House Briefing Room. All other seats are assigned to media outlets.

Departure from UPI[link]

On May 17, 2000, the day after it was announced that the UPI had been acquired by News World Communications Inc., an international media conglomerate founded and controlled by Unification Church leader Reverend Sun Myung Moon which owns The Washington Times and other news media, Thomas resigned from the UPI after 57 years with the organization.^[21] She later described the change in ownership as "a bridge too far."^[21][22] Less than two months later, she joined Hearst Newspapers as an opinion columnist, writing on national affairs and the White House.^[23]

After leaving her job as a reporter at the UPI, Thomas became more likely to air her personal, negative views. In a speech at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, she quipped, "I censored myself for 50 years when I was a reporter. Now I wake up and ask myself, ‘Who do I hate today?’"^[24]

George W. Bush administration[link]

During President George W. Bush's first term, Thomas reacted to then-Press Secretary Ari Fleisher's statements about arms shipments to the terrorists by asking: "Where do the Israelis get their arms?" He responded "There's a difference Helen, and that is --". "What is the difference?", she asked. He responded: "The targeting of innocents through the use of terror, which is a common enemy for Yasir Arafat and for the people of Israel, as well as --". She interrupted him, saying: "Palestinian people are fighting for their land." He responded: "I think that the killing of innocents is a category entirely different. Justifying killing of innocents for land is an argument in support of terrorism."^[vague][25]

In January 2003, following a speech at a Society of Professional Journalists banquet, Thomas told an autograph-seeker, "I'm covering the worst president in American history." The autograph-seeker was a sports writer for The Daily Breeze and her comments were published. After that she was not called upon during a press conference for the first time in over four decades. She wrote to the President to apologize.^[26]

Traditionally, Thomas sat in the front row and asked the first question during White House press conferences. However, according to Thomas in a 2006 Daily Show interview, this ended because she no longer represented a wire service.^[27] During the Bush administration, Thomas was moved to the back row during press conferences; She was called upon at briefings on a daily basis but no longer ended Presidential news conferences saying, "Thank you, Mr. President." When asked why she was seated in the back row, she said, "they didn’t like me...I ask too mean questions."^[28]

Thomas in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room half an hour before morning gaggle, 2007

On March 21, 2006, Thomas was called upon directly by President Bush for the first time in three years. Thomas asked Bush about the War in Iraq:

I'd like to ask you, Mr. President, [about] your decision to invade Iraq ... Every reason given, publicly at least, has turned out not to be true. My question is: Why did you really want to go to war? .... You have said it wasn't oil...quest for oil, it hasn't been Israel, or anything else. What was it?

Bush responded by discussing the War on Terror, and stated as a reason for the invasion that Saddam Hussein chose to deny inspectors^{[clarification needed]} and not to disclose required information.^[29] Thomas was criticized by some commentators for her exchange with Bush.^{[citation needed]}

In July 2006, she told The Hill, "The day Dick Cheney is going to run for president, I'll kill myself. All we need is another liar... I think he'd like to run, but it would be a sad day for the country if he does."^[30]

At the July 18, 2006, White House press briefing, Thomas remarked, "The United States ... could have stopped the bombardment of Lebanon. We have that much control with the Israelis... we have gone for collective punishment against all of Lebanon and Palestine." Press Secretary Tony Snow responded, "Thank you for the Hezbollah view."^[31] Other members of the press weighed in. According to Washington Post television critic Tom Shales, questions like the one above have sounded more like "tirades" and "anti-Israeli rhetoric."^[32] However, Greg Mitchell of Editor & Publisher described Shales' attack as "disturbing."^[33]

In a press conference on November 30, 2007, Thomas questioned White House Press Secretary Dana Perino as to why Americans should depend on General David Petraeus in determining when to re-deploy U.S troops from Iraq. Perino began to answer when Thomas interjected with "You mean how many more people we kill?" Perino immediately took offense, responding:

Helen, I find it really unfortunate that you use your front row position, bestowed upon you by your colleagues, to make such statements. This is a...it is an honor and a privilege to be in the briefing room, and to suggest that we, the United States, are killing innocent people is just absurd and very offensive.^[34]

Obama administration[link]

President Barack Obama presenting Thomas cupcakes on her 89th birthday^[35]

On February 9, 2009, Thomas was present in the front row for newly elected President Obama's first news conference. President Obama called on her with the statement, "Helen. I'm excited, this is my inaugural moment,"^[36] seemingly a reference to her long-term presence in the White House Press Corps.^[37] Thomas asked if any Middle Eastern country possessed nuclear weapons. Obama replied that he didn't want to "speculate" on the matter.

On July 1, 2009, Thomas commented on the Obama administration's handling of the press, "we have had some control but not this control. I mean I'm amazed, I'm amazed at you people who call for openness and transparency and you have controlled...".^[38][39][40] She also said that not even Richard Nixon tried to control the press as much as President Obama.^[41]

On August 4, 2009, Thomas celebrated her 89th birthday. President Obama, whose birthday is on the same day, presented Thomas with birthday cupcakes and sang Happy Birthday to her before that day's press conference.^[42]

Resignation following comments on Israel and Jews[link]

Thomas retired in June 2010, following negative reaction to comments she had made about Israel, Jews, and Palestine during a brief interview with Rabbi David Nesenoff of RabbiLive.com.^{[1][43][44][45][46][47]} Nesenoff was on the White House grounds for an American Jewish Heritage Celebration Day, and he questioned Thomas as she was leaving the White House via the North Lawn driveway:^{[46][48][49][50]}

Nesenoff: Any comments on Israel? We're asking everybody today, any comments on Israel?

Thomas: Tell them to get the hell out of Palestine.

Nesenoff: Ooh. Any better comments on Israel?

Thomas: Hahaha. Remember, these people are occupied and it's their land. It's not German, it's not Poland...

Nesenoff: So where should they go, what should they do?

Thomas: They can go home.

Nesenoff: Where's the home?

Thomas: Poland, Germany...

Nesenoff: So you're saying the Jews go back to Poland and Germany?

Thomas: And America and everywhere else. Why push people out of there who have lived there for centuries? See?

Nesenoff: Are you familiar with the history of that region?

Thomas: Very much. I'm of Arab background.

Nesenoff: I see. Do you speak Arabic?

Thomas: Very little. We were too busy Americanizing our parents... All the best to you.^[51]

—May 27, 2010, RabbiLive.com ^[46]

A one-minute excerpt of the May 27, 2010 interview was posted on Nesenoff's website on June 3. On June 4, Thomas posted the following response on her web site:

I deeply regret my comments I made last week regarding the Israelis and the Palestinians. They do not reflect my heart-felt belief that peace will come to the Middle East only when all parties recognize the need for mutual respect and tolerance. May that day come soon.^[52][53][54]

She resigned from her job three days later, on June 7, 2010.

Thomas's agency, Nine Speakers, Inc., dropped her as a client because of her remarks.^[55][56] Craig Crawford, who co-authored Listen up, Mr. President, said "I ... will no longer be working with Helen on our book projects.”^[57] Her scheduled delivery of a commencement speech at Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, Maryland, was canceled by the school.^[58] The White House Correspondents' Association, over which she once presided, issued a statement calling her remarks "indefensible."^[59] On June 7, Thomas abruptly tendered her resignation from Hearst Newspapers.^[60]

On June 8, in an interview on NBC's Today Show, President Obama called her remarks "offensive" and "out of line." and said her retirement was "the right decision." He remarked that it was a "shame" her celebrated career had to end in such controversy, and at the same time he recognized her long service covering U.S. presidents, calling her "a real institution in Washington."^[61] Her comments also garnered rebukes from numerous others, including White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer, former special counsel to and White House spokesman for President Bill Clinton, Lanny Davis, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, and Hoover Institution senior fellow Victor Davis Hanson.^{[52][62][63][64]}

Helen Thomas' alma mater, Wayne State University strongly condemned what it called her "wholly inappropriate comments."^[43]

Thomas' defenders either supported her comments or put them into what they felt was a proper context. These arguments included the belief that she was completely correct and should not have felt any repercussions, that Thomas was only referring to the West Bank when she talked about Israelis getting the hell out of "Palestine," or that her comments could not be explained but should not erase what she had achieved in her memorable career. Hezbollah called Thomas' comments "courageous, bold, honest and free opinion," and Hamas said of her comments that she had "told the truth."^[65][66] Some, such as former White House correspondent Sam Donaldson did not agree with what Thomas said but praised Thomas' achievements as an early female journalist, and said her comments likely reflected the view of many people of Arab descent.^[67] Khalid Amayreh, a Palestinian journalist based in Dura, near Hebron praised Thomas, stating that her remarks were "factually true" and that the "descendants of converts to Judaism originating in the Khazar region, have no automatic right to claim Palestine as their patrimony especially if that dubious right is exercised at the Palestinian people’s expense."^[68]

After Thomas' resignation from UPI, her coveted front row center seat in the White House Briefing Room was awarded to the Associated Press (AP), while Fox News moved from the second row into the AP's former front row position.^[69]

In August 2010, a group of Holocaust survivors and relatives criticized the Arab American National Museum of Dearborn, Michigan for its plans to place a statue of Helen Thomas in its museum, saying that it would be immoral to honor her and that "American values are at stake."^[70][71]

In October 2010, Thomas said in a radio interview with Scott Spears of WMRN that she realized soon after making the comments that she would be fired, stating, "I hit the third rail. You cannot criticize Israel in this country and survive." She added that she issued an apology because people were upset, but that ultimately, she still "had the same feelings about Israel's aggression and brutality."^[72]

The president of the Society of Professional Journalists, Kevin Smith, said in June that Thomas's comments were "offensive" and "inexcusable."^[43] The society was later asked why it decided to continue the Helen Thomas Award for Lifetime Achievement after Thomas's comments. Smith's successor as the society's president, Hagit Limor replied in December: "We discussed the issue at our exec board meeting in July 2010. The majority believed this to be a one-time slip that didn't change Ms. Thomas's lifetime of service, which is what we were honoring." ^[73][74] However, on January 14, 2011, the Society of Professional Journalists voted to retire the Helen Thomas Award for Lifetime Achievement; stating that it staunchly defends the right to free speech, but that "the controversy surrounding this award has overshadowed the reason it exists." "...No individual worthy of such honor should have to face this controversy. No honoree should have to decide if the possible backlash is worth being recognized for his or her contribution to journalism."^[75] "SPJ will simply not give a lifetime achievement award (anymore)" said Scott Leadingham, spokesman for SPJ.^[76]

Later career[link]

2010 speech on Arab Americans[link]

On December 2, 2010, shortly before a speech for the eighth annual "Images and Perceptions of Arab Americans" conference at the Byblos Banquet Center on Chase, Thomas told reporters that she still stood by the comments she had made to Nesenoff. Referring to her resignation, she said "I paid a price, but it's worth it to speak the truth."^[77][78][79] During the speech, Thomas said: "Congress, the White House and Hollywood, Wall Street are owned by Zionists. No question, in my opinion."^[77] Thomas defended her comments on December 7, telling Scott Spears of Marion, Ohio AM radio station WMRN, "I just think that people should be enlightened as to who is in charge of the opinion in this country."^[80]

The next day, the Anti-Defamation League called for journalism schools and organizations to rescind any honors given to Thomas. The organization said that Thomas had "clearly, unequivocally revealed herself as a vulgar anti-Semite" in the speech.^[81] Hours later, Wayne State University in Detroit discontinued the Helen Thomas Spirit of Diversity in Media Award, which it had been granting for more than ten years, citing what it called her antisemitic remarks. The school issued a statement saying: "As a public university, Wayne State encourages free speech and open dialogue, and respects diverse viewpoints. However, the university strongly condemns the anti-Semitic remarks made by Helen Thomas...". Speaking for the school, Matthew Seeger said: "The controversy has brought a negative light to the award, which was never the intent of the award."^[77] Thomas herself reacted with scolding remarks saying that "the leaders of Wayne State University have made a mockery of the First Amendment and disgraced their understanding of its inherent freedom of speech and the press." She also stated that "the university also has betrayed academic freedom—a sad day for its students."^[82] The university's Arab American Student Union held a protest on campus December 10. In a news release the Palestine Cultural Office of Michigan made a call for concerned individuals to contact the university. Also, members of the Congress of Arab American Organizations held a meeting with university officials on December 7 in an attempt to make them repeal their decision, but a later response from the university said it would not reverse its position.^[83] Asked by the Detroit Free Press how she'd respond to people who say she's anti-Semitic, Thomas responded: 'I'd say I'm a Semite. What are you talking about?'".^[84]

[edit] 2011 Playboy interview

In March 2011, Thomas did an interview with David Hochman, a reporter for the men's magazine Playboy. Asked by Hochman to explain her controversial remarks about Israel and Jews in particular, made in May 2010, she said, "Well, there's no understanding [on the part of the Israelis] of the Palestinians at all. I mean, they're living there and [the Israelis] want to come and take their homes and land and water and kill their children and kill them." When asked what she had meant when she commented that "they" should go back to Germany, Poland and America, Thomas replied that the millions of German, Polish, American and Russian Jews who have come to Israel in recent years should have stayed where they were as they have not been persecuted since World War II. Upon being asked if she recognizes that Palestinian hijacking and suicide bombing is wrong, Thomas answered, "Of course I don't condone any violence against anyone. But who wouldn't fight for their country?...The suicide bombers act out of despair and desperation." Thomas insisted she does not feel antisemitism toward Jews at all: "I think they're wonderful people. They had to have the most depth. They were leaders in civil rights."

Later in the interview, when asked by Hochman if she stood by her December 2010 accusations that Zionists own the White House, Hollywood and Wall Street, Thomas answered that she did stand by those remarks. When confronted with the fact that Jews constitute a small percentage of the total population, Thomas told Hochman: "I know where you're leading with this. You know damn well the power [Jews] have...It's real power when you own the White House, when you own these other places in terms of your political persuasion. Of course they have power. You don't deny that. You're Jewish, aren't you?" Hochman said that he was Jewish.

Thomas accused Israel of treating the Palestinians as the Nazis had treated the Jews of Germany and Poland and Hungary: "They can't just come in and say, 'This is my home,' knock on the door at three in the morning and have the Israeli military take them out. That's what happens. And that's what happened to the Jews [during the Holocaust]. Why do [the Israelis] inflict that same pain on people who did nothing to them?"^[85]

Awards[link]

Thomas has received numerous awards and more than 30 honorary degrees. In 1976, Thomas was named one of the World Almanac's 25 Most Influential Women in America.^[86]

In 1986 she received the William Allen White Foundation Award for Journalistic Merit from the University of Kansas.^[15] Thomas received an Al Neuharth Award for Excellence in the Media from the Freedom Forum in 1991. The White House Correspondent's Association honored her in 1998 by establishing the Helen Thomas Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2000, her alma mater, Wayne State University, established an award for journalists in her honor, the Helen Thomas Spirit of Diversity award;^[87] but in December 2010, the award was discontinued by Wayne State citing her renewed remarks that she stands by what she had said earlier in May to Nesenoff. Speaking for Wayne State, Matthew Seeger, its interim dean said, that the award is given to promote the importance of diversity in the media; but this award “is no longer helping us achieve our goals.”^[88] In 2007, Thomas received a Foremother Award from the National Research Center for Women & Families.

In October 2010, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) honored Thomas with a lifetime achievement award.^[89][90]

In April 2012, Thomas received an award from the Palestine Liberation Organization's General Mission to the United States. The award was presented by PLO Executive Committee member Hanan Ashrawi to “recognize Thomas’ long career in the field of journalism, during which she defended the Palestinian position every step of the way.”^[91]

Bibliography[link]

• Listen Up Mr. President: Everything You Always Wanted Your President to Know and Do. (with co-author Craig Crawford) (Charles Scribner's Sons, 2009) ISBN 1-4391-4815-5
• The Great White House Breakout. (with co-author and illustrator Chip Bok) (Penguin Group, 2008) ISBN 978-0-8037-3300-8 (children's book)
• Watchdogs of Democracy? : The Waning Washington Press Corps and How It Has Failed the Public (Charles Scribner's Sons, 2006) ISBN 0-7432-6781-8
• Thanks for the Memories, Mr. President : Wit and Wisdom from the Front Row at the White House (Charles Scribner's Sons, 2003) ISBN 0-7432-0226-0
• Front Row at the White House : My Life and Times (Scribner, 2000) ISBN 0-684-86809-1
• Dateline: White House (Macmillan, 1975) ISBN 0-02-617620-3

See also[link]

• Rick Sanchez
• Octavia Nasr
• News conference

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Helen Thomas

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Helen Thomas

• Helen Thomas at the Internet Movie Database
• Helen Thomas collected news and commentary at The New York Times
• Works by or about Helen Thomas in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
• Magda Abu-Fadil (August 4, 2010). "Happy Birthday Helen!". Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/magda-abufadil/happy-birthday-helen_b_669977.html. 
• Michael Sneed (August 3, 2010). "Where is Helen Thomas?". Chicago Sun-Times. http://www.suntimes.com/news/sneed/2559812,CST-NWS-SNEED03.article. ^{[dead link]}
• "RadioLIVE New Zealand interview with Helen Thomas" (Audio). RadioLIVE New Zealand. Posted June 15, 2010. http://www.radiolive.co.nz/Interview-with-veteran-White-House-correspondent-Helen-Thomas/tabid/506/articleID/14131/Default.aspx. 
• "Elders Part 4 - Helen Thomas" (Transcript of Andrew Denton interview with Helen Thomas). July 7, 2008. http://www.abc.net.au/tv/enoughrope/transcripts/s2296751.htm. 
• David Chambers (March–April 2006). Calling Helen Thomas. 57. Saudi Aramco World. http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/200602/calling.helen.thomas.htm.  discusses Thomas impact on younger Arab-American journalists.
• "Truth, Fear and War", speech by Thomas, September 13, 2003.
• Oral History Interview with Helen Thomas, from the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library
• Oct. 2010 Interview of Helen Thomas by Scott Spears (WMRN)