Beloved Asia Habash, 80, of Charlotte, NC, passed away on the afternoon of June 12th, 2016. Asia was born March 29th, 1936 in Jerusalem, Palestine, to the late Ali Abu El Haj and Wasila Abu El Haj. She was sister to Ribhi, Rifaat, Hidaya, Samira and Amal; mother to Dimah and Samer, and wife to Ziad. She was a friend to many people in the Middle East and beyond, and was an incredible woman, a brilliant thinker, achiever and humanist. Asia studied at Al Ma'moonia Girls School in Jerusalem and read psychology and education at the American University in Beirut, graduating with a masters in 1959. She started teaching at the relatively young age of 23, at an all-male teacher training college run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency in Ramallah to students; some of whom were older than herself. She then progressed to become the director of another centre for female teacher training which focused also on Palestinian refugees. She was a cofounder of the Arab Studies Society and The Arab Thought Forum, both dedicated to critical thinking and research. In 1985, she founded a new NGO, the Early Childhood Research Centre in Jerusalem- the first initiative to focus on the education of preschool children in Palestine using progressive methods. She applied many ideas in education including those of Paulo Freire, an advocate of critical pedagogy that combines education with critical theory oriented toward changing society as a whole. The use of education as a foundation for liberation from all forms of oppression influenced Asia's personality, thinking and work as demonstrated by her influence on generations of children, women and the community at large. She was inspirational, highly regarded and admired and her contributions will continue to be of benefit well into the future. Asia had the rare quality of combining a sharp, inquiring intellect with a loving, conscientious nature. She greatly enjoyed cultivating relationships with her close and extended family spread across the globe, and is remembered as being a wise listener, stimulating conversationalist and a loving presence. She particularly loved children and was both a great playmate and teacher. Asia was in all aspects of her life an elegant, poised woman with great dignity in the way she carried herself and held true to her convictions. She was steadfast in her beliefs of progressive, egalitarian humanism and social justice, evident in both her personal and public work. In her spare moments Asia had many interests; she loved art, was an avid reader, an amazing knitter, listened to Classical and Arabic music, gardened and cooked (unbelievable maqloobeh!). At her core, an internationalist, Asia was a keen traveller and traversed much of the globe throughout her life, residing in Palestine, Lebanon and the US. Her trips took her all over Europe & Canada, Kenya, and Japan. However, there was always a deep love for her home, Palestine, and an affinity and passion for its people and rich cultural legacy. She met her husband Ziad at university, fell in love, married and went on to have 2 children, Dimah and Samer. She is survived by 4 grandchildren Ziyad, Amir, Haniah and Lara; and many nephews, nieces and beloved family members. We will miss her terribly, but we also know that she will always be with us. A Memorial Service celebrating Asia's life will be held at 2:00 PM, Friday June 17, 2016 at Hawkings & Whittington located at 1111 East Blvd. Charlotte, NC 28203. Memorial Donations: In lieu of flowers, and in recognition to her love for children, Asia's family requests that donations be sent to: UNICEF (United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund) http://support.unicef.org/campaign/donate-now Select: State of Palestine and follow the link