May 5, 2005 -  WASHINGTON - The American Jewish Committee presented tonight its Moral Courage Award to Mithal Jamal Hussein Al-Alusi, the head of the Democratic Party of the Iraqi Nation and Director General for De-Ba'athification in Iraq's Interim Government.

"Mithal Jamal Hussein Al-Alusi is a shining light of courage and bravery in a turbulent Iraq," said AJC Executive Director David A. Harris. "Few people are as dedicated to the highest ideals of democracy and freedom, and have paid as high a price in the face of such adversity as Al-Alusi."

Al-Alusi was honored at AJC's Annual Dinner, attended by more than 1,200 guests, including senior Administration officials, members of Congress and foreign ambassadors.

Eager to break the taboo on initiating relations with Israel, Al-Alusi became the first representative of Iraq's new government to visit Israel in September 2004. He believes that Iraq, as a democratic country, should have relations with other democracies in the region, including Israel.

However, after his Israel visit, Al-Alusi was dismissed from the Iraqi Cabinet and the Iraqi National Congress party. Insurgent forces in Iraq have threatened to assassinate him.

Yet, some members of the Iraqi intelligentsia have supported his bold move to visit Israel, and Al-Alusi has since gained a following among young Iraqis.

Al-Alusi founded the Democratic Party of the Iraqi Nation two months before the January elections. The party promotes liberal secular democracy, and includes Sunnis, Sh`ia and Kurds. During the election campaign, the party was the first in Iraq to hold anti-terrorism demonstrations in front of the Syrian and Iranian Embassies in Baghdad denouncing the two nations for their involvement in terrorism against Iraqis.

But these activities have not been without a price. A few days after the Iraqi elections, his only two sons, Ayman, 29, and Jamal, 19, were shot to death near the family home. The Al-Rashid branch of the Ba'ath Party and Jaysh Ansar Al-Sunna, an Al-Qa`ida affiliate, claimed responsibility for the murders.