Bridging East & West Ameen Rihani Images & Quotations A Glimpse of His Personal Life.

Bridging East & West

Ameen RihaniAmeen RihaniImages & QuotationsImages & Quotations

A Glimpse of His Personal LifeA Glimpse of His Personal Life


Ameen Rihani’s birthplaceAmeen Rihani’s birthplace

Family home in Freike, LebanonFamily home in Freike, Lebanon


West side of the house in Freike, LebanonWest side of the house in Freike, Lebanon


The Rihani Museum in Freike, LebanonThe Rihani Museum in Freike, Lebanon


Ameen Rihani’s bedAmeen Rihani’s bed


His desk, typewriter, and a bronze bustHis desk, typewriter, and a bronze bust


A young ladA young lad

who Immigrated who Immigrated

to New York in 1888to New York in 1888


Early 1898Early 1898

Left to rightLeft to right

Standing: Standing:

Ameen, Ameen,

Saada, As’ad, Saada, As’ad,

and Joe.and Joe.

Seated: Ferris, Seated: Ferris,

Adèle, and Adèle, and

Anissa.Anissa.

(Albert was not (Albert was not

yet born)yet born)


Quotations from “the philosopher of Freike”Quotations from “the philosopher of Freike”

““Like matter itself, an Like matter itself, an ideal is mutable, but ideal is mutable, but indestructive. indestructive.

It does not die; it only It does not die; it only undergoes a change”undergoes a change”


““Give much time to Give much time to

the improvement of the improvement of

yourself that you yourself that you

have no time to have no time to

criticize others” criticize others”


““My American My American

walking shoes walking shoes

are new… are new…

and my and my

oriental eyes oriental eyes

are old”are old”


Rihani published Rihani published essays and essays and

articles in articles in numerous numerous

journals, journals, including the including the

AsiaAsia magazine magazine series in the series in the

1920s and 30s.1920s and 30s.


““I deposit in many I deposit in many banks including the banks including the

bank of wisdom. The bank of wisdom. The more I draw on my more I draw on my

accounts, no matter accounts, no matter how big the sum, the how big the sum, the

bigger my balance bigger my balance becomes”becomes”


““We are not of We are not of the East nor the East nor of the West; of the West;

No boundaries No boundaries exist in our exist in our

breast; breast;

We are free”We are free”


A vineyard in LebanonA vineyard in Lebanon

““Like the seasons of the year, Like the seasons of the year,

like history, like history,

truth always repeats itself”truth always repeats itself”


““The West forThe West forme meansme meansambition,ambition,the Eastthe East

contentment.contentment.My heart is My heart is ever in one,ever in one,

my soul my soul in the other”in the other”

Bridging East & West““My wish is to live without disliking anyone, My wish is to live without disliking anyone, To love without being jealous of anyone,To love without being jealous of anyone,To rise without being elevated over anyone, To rise without being elevated over anyone,

andandTo advance without stepping on anyone or To advance without stepping on anyone or

becoming envious of those above me”becoming envious of those above me”


““For our country is For our country is just beginning to just beginning to speak, and I am speak, and I am

her chosen her chosen voice. I feel that voice. I feel that

if I do not if I do not respond, if I do respond, if I do

not come to her, not come to her, she will be she will be

dumb forever”dumb forever”

Bridging East & West “ “I invite you to travel with me to a land that is I invite you to travel with me to a land that is magical despite its poverty, to a people that is magical despite its poverty, to a people that is generous despite its conflicts and generous despite its conflicts and disagreements, and to a nation that is free disagreements, and to a nation that is free and dignified despite its limitations”and dignified despite its limitations”

Bridging East & West “ “Will you come with me to the desert? To the vast Will you come with me to the desert? To the vast silences of the desert, where every voice, every note, silences of the desert, where every voice, every note, every sound has its value and charm”every sound has its value and charm”


““... If Europe ... If Europe gives Arabia gives Arabia a railway, a railway, Arabia gives Arabia gives Europe an Europe an idea – idea – which I think which I think balances the balances the account”account”


““In the Lakes of Light, Love and Will, In the Lakes of Light, Love and Will,

I would baptize all mankind”I would baptize all mankind”


Ameen with his father, Ferris RihaniAmeen with his father, Ferris Rihani

““I am one of your adopted I am one of your adopted children, a beneficiary of children, a beneficiary of democracy, without a democracy, without a grudge or a grievance. grudge or a grievance.

I came from the East, I came from the East, from the Holy Land, with a from the Holy Land, with a few rusty coppers in my few rusty coppers in my bosom pocket, and my bosom pocket, and my country’s eternal heritage country’s eternal heritage of peace”of peace”


““Freedom… Freedom…

Carry to the East Carry to the East

the dynamism of the dynamism of

the West and bring the West and bring

back to the West back to the West

the Eastern the Eastern

quiescence”quiescence”


A man of peaceA man of peace

““I am by nature a man of I am by nature a man of peace. And this side of my peace. And this side of my nature asserts itself today nature asserts itself today only at home. Peace at only at home. Peace at home first and foremost, home first and foremost, where you are mobilizing where you are mobilizing your forces and building your forces and building your ships to secure us a your ships to secure us a lasting and honorable lasting and honorable peace in the world”peace in the world”


Tributes to RihaniTributes to Rihani

I will not bid you a happy new year I will not bid you a happy new year

but will bid the new year happiness but will bid the new year happiness

in having you, and I will not wish you in having you, and I will not wish you

what people wish each other, but I what people wish each other, but I

will wish for people some of what will wish for people some of what

you possess, for you are rich in you possess, for you are rich in

yourself and I am rich in you. yourself and I am rich in you.

Kahlil GibranKahlil Gibran


Ameen Rihani, poet of the sunrise, has brought Ameen Rihani, poet of the sunrise, has brought out his esoteric romance of East and West, out his esoteric romance of East and West, The The Book of KhalidBook of Khalid. Here is a spirit fresh and creative . Here is a spirit fresh and creative as the breath of Spring… It is long since I have as the breath of Spring… It is long since I have looked into a book so enchanting with its blended looked into a book so enchanting with its blended charm of two disparate worlds… charm of two disparate worlds…

Michael MonahanMichael MonahanThe Papyrus Magazine, New York, Dec. 1911The Papyrus Magazine, New York, Dec. 1911



I don’t think that there is, among I don’t think that there is, among the Arab contemporary writers, the Arab contemporary writers, someone whom the European someone whom the European

readers can understand as much readers can understand as much as they understand Ameen as they understand Ameen

Rihani…If I want to introduce Rihani…If I want to introduce Rihani… I would say that every Rihani… I would say that every civilized person ought to know civilized person ought to know

Ameen Rihani.Ameen Rihani.

Ignace Kratchkovsky Ignace Kratchkovsky Moscow, Russia, 1917Moscow, Russia, 1917



Ameen Rihani was to the Ameen Rihani was to the Arab Nation what Tagore Arab Nation what Tagore was to the Indians, and was to the Indians, and what Emerson and what Emerson and Thoreau were to the United Thoreau were to the United States of America.States of America.

Zaki Najib MahmoudZaki Najib MahmoudCairo, Egypt, 1980Cairo, Egypt, 1980



Ameen Rihani, one of the earliest Arab Ameen Rihani, one of the earliest Arab Americans, devoted his life to bringing the East Americans, devoted his life to bringing the East and the West together. and the West together.

““We are not of the East or the West,We are not of the East or the West,” he wrote. ” he wrote. ““No boundaries exist in our breast: We are freeNo boundaries exist in our breast: We are free.”.”

Kofi AnnanKofi AnnanUN Secretary-General, 2000UN Secretary-General, 2000



Had it not been for Ameen Had it not been for Ameen Rihani, today the richest oil Rihani, today the richest oil fields in the world (the Arabian fields in the world (the Arabian Peninsula) would be in British Peninsula) would be in British rather than American hands.rather than American hands.

Leonard MosleyLeonard Mosley

Power Play, New York, 1973Power Play, New York, 1973


““Oh my brother, look up, and Oh my brother, look up, and behold this World Temple behold this World Temple which to us shall be a resting which to us shall be a resting place and not a goal. On the place and not a goal. On the borderline of the Orient and borderline of the Orient and the Occident it is built, on the the Occident it is built, on the mountain heights, mountain heights, overlooking both”overlooking both”

The Book of KhalidThe Book of Khalid

Bridging East & West Ameen Rihani Images & Quotations A Glimpse of His Personal Life.

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