President Carter Was a Great Humanitarian
by M. Basheer Ahmed, M.D.
The very first time that I visited former President Jimmy Carter was during a meeting in the White House on December 5th, 1979, as president of the Islamic Medical Association of North America. At the time, American hostages were being held in Iran, and people of the Muslim faith in the United States were highly concerned about violence directed towards them.
President Carter, the first U.S. president to meet and build lasting relationships with leaders of Muslim grassroots organizations, assured me and other Muslim leaders from North America that he was focused on resolving the hostage crisis peacefully and building bridges with those who practiced Islam in America and throughout the world.
When I first glanced into his eyes, I knew that President Carter, raised on a cotton and peanut farm in southwest Georgia, was an unusually special human being. It was not surprising to me that he called for an end to racial discrimination soon after being elected governor of his home state. I knew that he was someone who would heal the hearts of people suffering, whether they lived in Karachi, Kansas City, Cologne, or Cape Town.
No matter our party affiliations, all of us have lost a distinguished humanitarian, a courageous leader, and a man of integrity. He is one of the few U.S. presidents remembered for his post-presidential contributions to global health, world peace, and democracy. In this century, he stands out as one of the most intelligent, hard-working, and decent individuals to ever lead the American nation.
Unlike some who called for U.S. military invention during the hostage crisis, President Carter insisted on allowing diplomacy to take its course, even though he knew that his stance might well harm his chance of reelection. He was unwavering in his commitment to resolving war and stood his ground.
That was President Carter. I came to know him in that first White House meeting and during our subsequent meetings over the years in the Carter Center in Atlanta, where he and his wife, Roselyn, established.
A pursuer of justice and fairness, President Carter’s personal history was grounded in equality. While a state senator in Georgia, he insisted to his fellow church members that African Americans be allowed to join their church, a position that the membership overwhelmingly opposed.
I recall vividly the very last time that I met my dear friend. It was ten years ago at the Carter Center in Atlanta. I distinctly recall his saying that human beings had an ethical obligation to prevent human suffering wherever it existed. He spoke with me about his book, Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid, and the elections in Gaza.
In 1978, President Carter played a crucial role in negotiating the Camp David Peace Accords between Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, resulting in the first peace treaty between Israel and an Arab nation.
He was also unafraid to challenge Israel when necessary, urging the suspension of settlement expansion in the West Bank and advocating Palestinian self-rule. His efforts to bring peace to the Middle East were rooted in fairness and a deep commitment to justice, even when it made him a target of unfair criticism. He was a more than worthy recipient of the Nobel Prize for Peace.
After leaving the White House, President Carter became the first former president to devote his life to addressing global issues. Through decades of philanthropic work, he and Mrs. Carter fought
disease, negotiated peace, monitored elections, and built homes for the underprivileged.
His commitment to humanitarian work was exemplified by his fight to eradicate Guinea worm disease, which affected millions in Africa and Asia. Under his leadership, the Carter Center has helped reduce cases from millions to just 13 globally in 2023.
Sadly, in 2015, President Carter disclosed that he had been diagnosed with cancer. He faced the crisis with remarkable composure and faith, serenely accepting the outcome.
In February of 2023, my dear friend courageously decided to decline further life-extending medical treatment, opting for hospice care instead, becoming the first president known to do so.
His decision brought widespread awareness of the importance of hospice care in providing comfort and dignity in the final stages of life. President Carter’s life is a testament to the power of service, compassion, and moral leadership. His contributions to humankind will shape our world for centuries to come. It was indeed a blessing to know him and to be his friend.
# Dr. Basheer Ahmed is a nationally-known psychiatrist, author and philanthropist. A former professor of psychiatry at U.T. Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, he is also the founder and chairperson emeritus of the Muslim Community Center for Human Services in Richland Hills, Texas
Dr. Ahmed is also the president of American Muslims for Human Rights, an organization that promotes equality and justice for all people.
