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Palestinian-American businessman Paul Ajlouny.

Businessman Bulus (Paul) Ajlouny is a US Navy veteran and former publisher of Jerusalem's renowned daily newspaper, Al-Fajr. Born in Ramallah, Palestine in 1933, Ajlouny immigrated to the United States in 1946, where he subsequently received an Engineering degree from the University of Kentucky.

Ajlouny is the former Vice President and General Manager of Kinney Mechanical Maintenance, where he held responsibility for the maintenance of the World Trade Center, two Port Authority buildings, and other large-scale complexes.

His earlier life, however, was defined by painful personal experience. In 1967 his brother-in-law, Yousef Nasr, approached him for assistance in launching Al-Fajr, which was to be a Palestinian-run newspaper in Jerusalem . Nasr was subsequently kidnapped and murdered under mysterious circumstances, which Ajlouny was certain related to his "exercising the power of the pen." He adds that therefore "I felt it was my obligation to carry on with his work."

Al-Fajr became a key conduit for Palestinian nationalist aspirations in spite of the Israeli military censor and occasional closings. It was soon expanded to include a weekly English edition. Paul Ajlouny's motto at the newspaper was: "You cannot deny me the rights and privileges you enjoy and expect me to allow you to keep them forever." He believes the words still apply today.

Ajlouny has played a pivotal role in building Palestinian cultural and aid institutions in the United States. In the late 1950's he helped found the American Federation of Ramallah, Palestine. In 1978 he established the United Palestinian Appeal "to assist the neediest of Palestinians and enhance the cultural and socio-economic development in Palestine." Today, nearly 30 years after its founding, UPA provides both emergency humanitarian assistance and long-term development aid through programs in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and refugee camps of Lebanon. "My goal," he says, "was to gather funds to help Palestinians in their land."

Ajlouny retains a strong connection to Palestine. Currently residing in California, he has bought land in Palestine in the hope of one day establishing an orphanage there.