Al-Hayat (Arabic: الحياة‎ "Life") is one of the leading daily pan-Arab newspapers, with a circulation estimated over 200,000.^[1][3] It is the newspaper of record for the Arab diaspora and the preferred venue for liberal intellectuals who wish to express themselves to a large public.

Though rather pro-West and pro-Saudi with respect to articles concerning the Arabian peninsula, it is quite open to various opinions concerning other regional questions. Al-Hayat prints in London, New York, Beirut, Jeddah, Dammam and Riyadh.^[4] The newspaper has offices in Baghdad, Beirut, Damascus, Jerusalem, Cairo, Khartoum, Istanbul, Algeria, Paris, Vienna, London, New York, Moscow, Riyadh, Jeddah, Damam, Mecca, Medina and Washington.

The newspaper "is regarded as by far and away the best and most intensely read Arab newspaper", according to a 1997 article in The New York Times.^[5] A 2005 article in the same publication described Al-Hayat as a "decidedly Arab nationalist paper". The newspaper is distributed in most Arab countries, and most of its editors are from Lebanon, where Al-Hayat is very popular. It is more critical of the Saudi government than its main rival, Asharq Al-Awsat.^[6]

The newspaper's motto is (Arabic: إن الحياة عقيدة وجهاد‎ "Life is belief and jihad"), a line taken from a poem by Ahmed Shawki, meaning that adhering to one's beliefs and expressing one's opinions is as laudable and noble as a religious struggle.^[7]

History[link]

Origins[link]

The original Al-Hayat was founded by Kamel Mrowa, a Lebanese Shi'i Muslim, in Beirut, Lebanon in 1946. (He named his daughter, Hayat Mrowa (now Hayat Palumbo, Lady Palumbo), after the newspaper.) In 1966, as Mrowa checked final proofs for the next day's edition, an assassin walked into the Beirut office and shot him to death. Although the assassin's motive was never conclusively determined, investigators linked the shooting to the newspaper's criticism of the Arab nationalist movement. The publication survived 13 bombing attempts before the Lebanese civil war finally forced it to shut down in 1976.^[5]

Refounding and new ownership[link]

Al-Hayat was refounded in 1988 by Jamil Mrowa and Adel Bishtawi, and was bought in 1990 by the Saudi prince Khalid bin Sultan.^[5] Owing to the newly relaunched newspaper's majority Christian Lebanese and Christian Palestinian management, critics dubbed Al-Hayat "a newspaper of minorities in the service of a prince," especially after publishing criticisms by Kurds and Shiites opposed to Saddam Hussein.^[8] "Its ownership by Prince Khalid has meant that the paper treads softly when it comes to disquieting news about Saudi Arabia, a notable exception to its independent stand," according to a 1997 New York Times article.^[5]

Al-Hayat in the 1990s[link]

In May 1993, the newspaper scooped every other news organization by breaking the news about the secret Oslo talks between Palestinians and Israelis.^[5] Al-Hayat also initiated a joint news-gathering operation in the mid 1990s with the Saudi-connected Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation.^[8]

By 1997, Al-Hayat shocked its Arab readership by establishing a bureau in Jerusalem. As of that year, the newspaper had a daily circulation of about 200,000 and was staffed by Muslim, Catholic, Maronite, and Druse editors and reporters who formed "a highly professional team", according to a report in The New York Times. The Times report described the newspaper as a source of "iconoclastic interviews" and "having the most influential cultural pages anywhere in the Arab world, and opening opinion pages to radical reactionary Muslim fundamentalists and virulent anti-religious liberals, pro-Iraqi [under the Saddam Hussein regime) Arab nationalists as well as conservative gulf Arabs.". Edward Said of Columbia University was a frequent contributor. The managing editor, Khirallah Khirallah, "can reach Yasir Arafat on the phone at any time of day or night", according to the Times article.^[5]

In January 1997 at least 14 letter bombs were mailed to the newspaper's headquarters in London and its bureaus in New York, Washington and Riyadh. Two security guards were wounded by one of the bombs as it exploded at the headquarters.^[5]

2002 ban in Saudi Arabia[link]

On October 23, 2002, Saudi censors banned Al-Hayat because the edition contained an open letter from 67 American intellectuals that defended the War on Terror, and called upon their Saudi counterparts to condemn "militant jihadism" and to further delegitimize the concept by calling such actions un-Islamic.^[9] The publication was part of an exchange between American intellectuals—including Samuel Huntington, Francis Fukuyama, and Daniel Patrick Moynihan—and counterparts in the Europe and the Middle East over the moral foundation for the Bush administration's war against terrorism, with the first letter entitled "What We're Fighting For" published in February 2002 during the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan.^[9] A group of 153 largely conservative and Wahhabi Saudi scholars had responded in May, in a column entitled "How We Can Coexist," arguing that while Islam does indeed forbid violence against innocent civilians, the root cause of the 11 September attacks was unjust American foreign policy. The American rebuttal, which prompted the one-day Saudi ban of Al-Hayat, insisted that the blame rested squarely upon the governments and societies of the region: "We ask you sincerely to reconsider the tendency . . . to blame everyone but your own leaders and your own society for the problems that your society faces,"^[9]

2007 ban in Saudi Arabia[link]

In late August 2007, the Saudi government banned distribution of Al-Hayat within the Kingdom for less than a week.^[3] The ban was a culmination of weeks of extended tension between the newspaper and the Saudi information ministry, which the paper's staff alleged to have ordered Al-Hayat to drop columnist Abdul Aziz Suwaid,^[10] who had written a number of columns criticizing the government for inefficiencies, including a wave of mysterious deaths among camel populations.^[10] In addition to criticism of the agricultural ministry's handling of the camel's death, the paper had also run articles critical of the health ministry after the death of a girl following a medical operation.^[3] Other reports attributed the ban to the paper's disclosure that a Saudi extremist had played a key role in an Iraqi al-Qa'ida front group.^[11] Although the government and paper both refused to officially comment, a private distribution firm in the kingdom, the National Company of Distribution, told the Associated Press that it had been told not to distribute the paper.^[11] The Saudi edition of the newspaper—with a circulation of 200,000 in Saudi Arabia at the time—did not appear on newsstands for at least three days, with an anonymous source in the Riyadh office telling the Financial Times that the paper had been told it had "crossed a red line."^[3]

2011 reporting on Hamas decampment from Syria[link]

On 30 April 2011, Al-Hayat reported that Hamas had taken the decision to leave Syria, citing unnamed Palestinian sources.^[12] The article added that—while sources in Gaza reported the refusal of both Jordan and Egypt to host the organization—Qatar had agreed to host its political leadership (though not its military leadership, which the article stated would likely return to Gaza), and that Hamas's political leader Khaled Mashal would be departing Damascus shortly to take up residence in Doha.^[12] On 1 May, Al-Hayat published a short item noting that a member of Hamas's political bureau in Damascus had issued a statement denying any intent to leave Syria, quoted in the article as stating that Hamas "is still operating from Damascus, and what the media said in this regard is completely false."^[13]

The New York Times reported on the allegations the following day, citing the reports in Al-Hayat as evidence of strained relations between Hamas and the Syrian government, as a result of the 2011 Syrian uprising.^[14] Anonymous Hamas officials cited pressure from the government to take a clear stance against the protests.^[14] While the political leadership again publicly denied any reports of an impending move—telling the Times “there is nothing to this report in Al Hayat that we are going to Qatar,” and “it is absolutely not true"—a Syrian historian at an Ohio university, citing contact with sources in Damascus, said that the "Hamas leadership was definitely examining its options, looking at other countries in which it might settle."^[14]

Current organization[link]

Currently, Al-Hayat is organized under the larger umbrella of Dar al-Hayat (Arabic: دار الحياة‎ "Publishing House of Life"). Its website www.daralhayat.com hosts the content of three different publications: Al-Hayat (International Edition), published daily in a 24-page spread; Al-Hayat KSA (Saudi Edition) published over 48 pages on weekdays and 36 pages on weekends; and a weekly woman's magazine Laha (Arabic: لها‎ "For Her").^[15]

Masthead[link]

While Ghassan Charbel holds the position of editor in chief, Jameel Theyabi is the assistant editor in chief of the Saudi Edition,^[4] which was launched in 2005, and has increased circulation in Saudi Arabia from 20,000 to almost 200,000.^[3][16] Additionally, Abdullah Iskandar serves as director for editing in Britain, and Zouheir Qoseibati in Lebanon, and Raja Rassi as director general.^[4]

Criticism of Charbel[link]

Outspoken media critic As'ad AbuKhalil who blogs as "The Angry Arab News Service" has labeled Al-Hayat's current editor in chief, Ghassan Charbel, "a mouthpiece of Khalid Bin Sultan," owing to the hyperbolic praise contained in a 2005 eulogy of the then-recently deceased Saudi King Fahd of Saudi Arabia.^[17]

Bureaus[link]

Although Al-Hayat is headquartered in London—the principal location for its editorial, administrative, distribution, and subscriptions offices—the paper also maintains offices in Paris, Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Beirut, Cairo, Baghdad, and Damascus.^[4] The three offices in Saudi Arabia reflect the paper's focus on the country as well as the regional division into central (Riyadh), west (Jeddah), and eastern (Dammam) editions.^[16]

Contents[link]

The international 24-page edition generally contains eight pages of political news (with marked differences from the front page focus of the Saudi edition). Other important sections include the features page, the opinion page, an extensive business section (4 pages), a culture and arts page, and a sports section (2 pages), in addition to other rotating sections on youth, as well as a miscellaneous section.^[4] On Sundays, the paper publishes a special supplement called Trends (Arabic: تيارات‎ literally, "Currents"), which publishes two additional pages of criticism and analysis from a variety of viewpoints.^[4]

Prominent columnists[link]

Editor emeritus Jihad el-Khazen, who was also the founding editor in chief of the rival pan-Arab newspaper al-Sharq al-Awsat,^[18] writes a twice weekly column called "Ayoon wa Azan" (Arabic: عيون وآذان‎ "Eyes and Ears") featured on the back page.^[4] Current editor Ghassan Charbel writes occasional opinion pieces on the front page. Their columns along with selections from other regular columnists are routinely translated into English and made available on the paper's website.^[19]

Notes[link]

1. ^ ^{a b c} "Statistics on the Arab Media". Arab Reform Bulletin. Carnegie Endowment. http://www.carnegieendowment.org/files/New_Chart.pdf. Retrieved 25 April 2011. 
2. ^ "Circulation". Al Watani Group. http://www.alwataniyagroup.com/pdf/Al-Hayat-English-Booklet.pdf. Retrieved May 1, 2012. 
3. ^ ^{a b c d e} England, Andrew (29 August 2007). "Saudi Arabia Continues Ban on Newspaper". Financial Times. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0f4c446e-565e-11dc-ab9c-0000779fd2ac.html#axzz1Ke2grtBM. Retrieved 26 April 2011. 
4. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} Al-Hayat. 10 April 2011. 
5. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} Ibrahim, Youssef, M., "Al Hayat: A Journalistic Noah's Ark", article, The New York Times, January 15, 1997. Retrieved March 26, 2008
6. ^ Fattah, Hassan, M., "Spreading the Word: Who's Who in the Arab Media", February 6, 2005. Retrieved March 26, 2008
7. ^ Shawqi, Ahmed. "Life is Belief and Struggle (in Arabic)". http://www.almajlis.net/almajlis-a/16355-2010-12-23-15-10-03.html. Retrieved 2 April 2011. 
8. ^ ^{a b} Kraidy, Marwan (2010). Reality Television and Arab Politics. Cambridge University Press. pp. 77. 
9. ^ ^{a b c} Cooperman, Alan (24 October 2002). "Saudis Ban Paper With U.S. Scholars' Letter: International Intellectuals Have Debated Campaign Against Terrorism for Months". Washington Post. 
10. ^ ^{a b} "Saudis 'ban' pan-Arab newspaper". BBC. 29 August 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6968278.stm. Retrieved 26 April 2011. 
11. ^ ^{a b} Nasrawi, Salah (28 August 2007). "Saudi government bans leading paper". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2007-08-28-1466143259_x.htm. Retrieved 26 April 2011. 
12. ^ ^{a b} al-Husseini, Jihan (30 April 2011). "Hamas decides to depart from Damascus and Doha agrees to host its political leadership (Arabic)". al-Hayat. http://daralhayat.com/internationalarticle/261292. Retrieved 4 May 2011. 
13. ^ "Hamas denies any intention on its part to depart Damascus (Arabic)". al-Hayat. 1 May 2011. http://daralhayat.com/internationalarticle/261529. Retrieved 4 May 2011. 
14. ^ ^{a b c} Bronner, Ethan (2 May 2011). "Tensions Rise as Hamas Refuses To Take Sides in Syria". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/03/world/middleeast/03hamas.html. Retrieved 4 May 2011. 
15. ^ "About al-Hayat". Website. Dar al-Hayat. http://www.daralhayat.com/about. Retrieved 22 April 2011. 
16. ^ ^{a b} "Al-Hayat readership & circulation of local Saudi edition". http://www.allied-media.com/Arab-American/al_hayat/alhayat_local_edition_saudi_arabia.html. Retrieved 25 April 2011. 
17. ^ AbuKhalil, As'ad. criticized "The Lebanese editor of Al-Hayat (mouthpiece of Khalid bin Sultan): Are you ashamed of your words, Ghassan Sharbil?". Personal blog. http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2011/05/lebanese-editor-of-al-hayat-mouthpiece.html criticized. Retrieved 13 May 2011. 
18. ^ el-Khazen, Jihad (9 January 2011). "Ayoon Wa Azan: The First "Scoop"". Al-Hayat. http://www.daralhayat.com/portalarticlendah/221500. Retrieved 25 April 2011. 
19. ^ "English Translations". Al-Hayat. http://www.daralhayat.com/morenews/english. Retrieved 22 April 2011. 

External links[link]

• Official website
• Official English translations of selected articles
• PDF of Saudi print edition (updated daily)

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Myriam Fares ميريام فارس
Myriam Faris on stage
Background information
Also known as	The Queen of the stage (ملكة المسرح)
Born	(1983-05-03) May 3, 1983 (age 29)
Origin	Lebanon
Genres	Arabic Music
Occupations	Singer, dancer, actress, record producer, fashion designer
Years active	2003–present
Labels	Myriam Music
Website	www.myriamfares.com

Myriam Fares (Arabic: ميريام فارس‎ mīryam fāris; born May 3, 1983) is a Lebanese singer and entertainer. She is best known for her album "Bet'oul Eh”.

Early life and beginnings[link]

Myriam was born in Kafar Shlal, a small village in Southern Lebanon, near Kafarhata village, 5 miles east of Saida. Since her childhood, Myriam has been devoted and dedicated to arts which encouraged her to develop her talents and interests. She started learning classic ballet at the age of five which impelled her to develop her musical talents. She had a profound feeling of becoming a professional dancer which was accomplished at the age of nine when she was accepted in a TV program "Al Mawaheb Al Saghira" on Tele Liban and was awarded the first prize in oriental dancing.

As a brilliant student in arts, Myriam was encouraged by her impressed teachers to participate in the schools' events which were a motive to improve her dancing, singing and acting skills.

Inspired by her angelic strong voice, Myriam wanted to explore her talents further in singing. She joined the Lebanese National Conservatory and succeeded in learning the principles of oriental singing for four years.

At the age of sixteen, she participated in the Lebanese Festival for Songs and won the first prize as the best popular Lebanese singer.

Her seventeen was highlighted by her participation in the TV program on LBCI "Studio-El-Fann" 2000-2001 under the category of the Lebanese song. Myriam won the prize of best singer in the South of Lebanon which was followed by Dr. Walid Ghoulmiye's prize as best singer in South Lebanon, Beirut and Mount Lebanon.

Music career[link]

[edit] 2003: Myriam

At age 21,she launched her first album with Music Master Records which was sold out in a few days. She filmed the song "Ana wil Shoq" with director Ghassan Koteit, which proved to be a major success and it spread throughout the Arab world and was played on all Arab televisions. This was a turning point in Myriam's career. Afterwards Myriam proceeded to UAE to sign her first album at Virgin Mega Store in Dubai on the ninth of March where she was received by a crowd of Arab and international reporters to express their admiration of her art and music.

Myriam's next hit was the shooting of "La Tes'alni" video clip with director Selim Turk from her album "Myriam". It was a big hit as well especially that her audience were waiting for the new clip after her success in he first clip "Ana Wil Shoq". "La Tis'alni" impressed he eager audience from the first time where Myriam proved to enjoy the main characteristics of a professional artist, by having a wonderfully balanced voice, a talent in body expressions and capable in performing her role naturally in a perfect way coming from the heart.

In 2004, Myriam became more and more famous and was elected as "best young female singer" in the Arab World. She also won the prize of best video clip during he visit to Egypt. Her beautiful voice, nice appearance, flexible motion and magnificent dancing made from Myriam a big star in Lebanon and the Arab World which allowed her to be distinguished by her audience and especially the big success in: The Bacardi Night in Beirut, New Year's Eve in Biel, Al Fateh Festivals in Libya and Hala Febayer in Kuwait.

During her concerts, Myriam performed songs from modern and popular oriental to classic and she visited during her tours many Middle Eastern and Moroccan countries. "Myriam" the album, shocked artists and audience, but Myiam's dream will never stop…

[edit] 2005: Nadini

In July 2005, the Lebanese star presented her new album "Nadini Myriam" with a video clip for the song entitled "Nadini".

"Nadini Myriam" album is the result of months of preparation and collaboration with Lebanese and Arab composers and writers. "Nadini" was the first time to be shot as a video clip from the album with director "Amir Kreidiye".

"Haklik Rahtak" is a song from "Nadini Myriam"'s album, written by Myriam's sister, Roula Fares, composed by Muhammad Raheem and arranged by Mark Abdel Nour and was shot in a magical décor in Paris where director Wissam Smayra found the best locations to execute the clip. This song helped boost Myraim's career and was ranked number one in Lebanon, Egypt and Tunis.

In their second collaboration, after the clip "Haklik Rahtak", Myriam Fares and director Wissam Smayra presented their second video clip entitled "Waheshny Eah" written and composed by Mohammad Rifai and arranged by Jean Marie Riachi. A professional French team specialized in high-tech techniques in the world of suspense and special effects were the basis of this video clip.

"Wahichni Eah", a song that occupied the listeners' hearts, made Myriam a famous star and was ranked number one in Egypt, Gulf, Tunis Morocco and Yemen!

In November 2006,"Al Ahram Al Masriya" one of the leading newspapers in Egypt, elected Myriam the best young singer in the Arab world. The survey was done in all the Egyptian universities and Myriam was honored at the British university in Egypt.

At the same time, MTV Europe invited Myriam, the first Arab artist who appeared on this TV, bearing in mind that only international stars appear on that T.V. station. She was also elected as the best Arab singer who combines a taste of both the west and the east in her style in music.

Myriam ended the year 2007 with a new hit Khaliji song “Moukanoh Wein” that was shot as a music video under the direction of Yehya Saade. The song was a success all over the Middle-East and she was considered as one of the best non-khaliji artists who sang the khaliji accent.

[edit] 2008: Bet'oul Eh

Myriam's third album "Bet'oul Eh”, was released in April 2008, and has been doing great in the charts within all the Arab World . The album has a mixture of music genres that are creatively put together to satisfy all listeners, especially her fans. The album consists of 9 songs one is "Mouch Ananiya" which is definitely guaranteed to please listeners who prefer romantic ballads. The music video successfully shows Myriam’s surprising acting skills, and the video was executed under the direction of Leila Kanaan.

Two other songs of the Album "Bet'oul Eh” which are: “Betrouh & Iyyam EL Shiti “ were shot as music videos in Paris incarnating a very special cinematographic idea under the direction of Wissam Smayara

[edit] 2011: Min Oyouni

Myriam's fourth and latest album "Min Oyouni”, was released in First of September 2011,and it was her first Khaliji Album. The album consists of 9 songs. Myriam's hit was the shooting of "Min Oyouni" video clip with director Joe Bou Eid, From the first week the album was on top of the Virgin Mega Stores and last for many weeks on the top, Other song from the album is "Khalani" was shot as a music video before the end of 2010 with director Yehya Saade, After two months from releasing date the album land on top of Music charts again, one of the great songs of the album was Tela7 which is her first Moroccan song, Etla7 was on top of all the Moroccan songs for a long time since it was released in Myriam's Fawazir at Ramdan 2010, This album is also special because it features her first try to the Moroccan accent with the song "Tlah", Myriam also shot another song which is "El-Gasayed" with the director Joe Bou Eid, this album was also her first album with Emi Arabia Records as a distributing company for the album, the album was produced by Myriam Music company.Other song from the Album "Ah Yoma" was shot by Tomy Qawaji as a Stage Clip on LBC(Celebrity Duets)Stage but not released yet.

Fawazer[link]

During the holy month of Ramadan 2010, Myriam Fares presented Fawazeer Myriam where she presented three upcoming songs from her next album: Ertah an Iraqi song, Atlah which is a typical Moroccan song and Ya Sariyah a traditional Khaleeji song.She presented three characters in every episode,one of them was an old advertising for Tarek Nour, other was a dance from a country -she danced different 30 dances during the 30 episodes-,the last character was to act a job.

Filmography[link]

Silina 2009[link]

Under the supervision of director Hatem Ali, the masterpiece of the Rahbani brothers "Hala wal malek" (Hala and the King) was made into a film carrying the name of "Silina", starting Myriam Fares along with a large group of stars from Lebanon and Syria such as Elie Choueiri, Dureid Laham, Antoine Kerbaj, Georges Khabbaz, Hussam Tahssin Beik and a wide list of other famous stars. ^[1][2]

Studio albums[link]

Myriam[link]

• Mastering : Tony Haddad
• Design : Kinda Mourani
• Year : 2003

1. Ana Wel Shoq
2. Ghmorni
3. La Tis'alni
4. Shou Badou
5. Inta el Hayat
6. Ahebbak Heil
7. Hal Gharam Mish Gharam
8. Ya Alem Bil Hal

Nadini[link]

• Mastering : Tony Haddad

• Design : Kinda Mourani
• Photography : Carine & charbel
• Year : 2005

1. Nadini
2. Aanadiya
3. Hasisni Beek
4. Haklek Rahtak
5. Leih Habibi
6. Maarafsh Had Bel Esmi Da
7. Haset B Aman
8. Khalini Teer
9. Zaalan Menni
10. Waheshni Eih

Bet'oul Eih[link]

• Mastering : Tony Haddad
• Design : Kinda Murani & Music is my life
• Photography : Hussien Salman
• Year : 2008

1. Mouch Ananiya
2. Eih Yalli Byohsal
3. Bet'oul Eih
4. Betrouh
5. Iyyam El Chitti
6. Ana Albi Lik
7. Ala Khwana
8. Law Konte Radi
9. Moukanoh Wein

Min Oyouni[link]

• Mastering : Tony Haddad
• Design : Nijad Abdelmassih
• Photography : Rudy Darwich
• Year : 2011

1. Min Oyouni
2. Khalani
3. Walaou
4. Ya Sariah
5. Ah Youma
6. Artah
7. Sid Al Koul
8. Atlah
9. Kether Al Khayel
10. Min Oyouni (music instrumental)
11. Khalani (music instrumental)

Videography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Official page for Myriam

Wafa Sultan
Wafa Sultan in May 2012
Born	Baniyas, Syria
Residence	Los Angeles, California
Nationality	Syrian
Ethnicity	Arab
Citizenship	United States of America
Education	Medicine (psychiatry)
Alma mater	University of Aleppo
Occupation	Psychiatrist
Known for	Criticism of Islam
Title	Doctor
Religion	None

Wafa Sultan (Arabic: وفاء سلطان‎; born June 14, 1958, Baniyas, Syria) is a medical doctor who trained as a psychiatrist in Syria, and an American author and critic of Muslim society and Islam.^[1]

Life and career[link]

Sultan was born into a large traditional Alawite Muslim^[1][2] family in Baniyas, Syria.^[3][4][5]

Although Sultan wanted to be a writer, and would have preferred to study Arabic literature, she studied at the Medical faculty at the University of Aleppo due to pressure from her family,^[6] stating that she was shocked into secularism by the 1979 atrocities committed by Islamic extremists of the Muslim Brotherhood against innocent Syrians, including her witnessing while she was a medical student the machine-gun assassination of her professor, Yusef al Yusef,^[7] an ophthalmologist from the university who was renowned outside Syria. "They shot hundreds of bullets into him, shouting, 'Allahu Akbar!' " she said. "At that point, I lost my trust in their god and began to question all our teachings. It was the turning point of my life, and it has led me to this present point. I had to leave. I had to look for another god."^[8] She worked for four years as a psychiatrist in a hospital.

She, her teacher husband and children immigrated to the United States in 1989, where she moved to Los Angeles, California and became a naturalized citizen. Initially she had to work as a cashier in a gas station and behind the counter in a pizza parlour, but found her treatment in these jobs better than as a medical professional in Syria.^[6] From the time of her arrival she begun to contribute articles to Arabic publications in the United States and published three books in Arabic.

Sultan became notable after the September 11, 2001 attacks for her participation in Middle East political debates, with Arabic essays that were circulated widely, and for television appearances on Al Jazeera and CNN in 2005.^[6]

On February 21, 2006, she took part in Al Jazeera's weekly 45-minute discussion program The Opposite Direction. She spoke from Los Angeles, arguing with host Faisal al-Qassem and with Ibrahim Al-Khouli, a professor at Al-Azhar University in Cairo (Egypt), about Samuel P. Huntington's Clash of Civilizations theory. A six minute composite video of her remarks was subtitled and widely circulated by MEMRI on blogs and through e-mail; The New York Times estimated that it has been seen at least one million times.^[1] In this video she criticised Muslims for treating non-Muslims differently, and for not recognizing the accomplishments of Jewish and other members of non-Muslim society while using their wealth and technology. The video was the most discussed video of all time with over 260,000 comments on the video-sharing website YouTube.^[9] The full transcript of the debate, which was made public later, also raised many online discussions.^[10]

Following her participation in founding of the Former Muslims United on October 13, 2009, Sultan released her first book in English, A God Who Hates: The Courageous Woman Who Inflamed the Muslim World Speaks Out Against the Evils of Islam.^[11]

In October 2010 Sultan was called as an expert witness to give testimony at the Geert Wilders trial. There she confirmed that she had met Wilders several times in 2009, had seen his film Fitna, and in general agreed with his views about Islam.^[12]

On January 10, 2011, Sultan, opposing Ibrahim Ramey, appeared on the Russian television news show CrossTalk with host Peter Lavelle, where she stated: "I'm not against Muslims, I'm against Islam."^[13]

Political views[link]

Sultan describes her thesis as witnessing "a battle between modernity and barbarism which Islam will lose". It has brought her telephone threats,^[1] but also praise from reformers. Her comments, especially a pointed criticism that "no Jew has blown himself up in a German restaurant", brought her an invitation to Jerusalem by the American Jewish Congress.

Sultan believes that "The trouble with Islam is deeply rooted in its teachings. Islam is not only a religion. Islam [is] also a political ideology that preaches violence and applies its agenda by force."^[14] In a discussion with Ahmad bin Muhammad, she said: "It was these teachings that distorted this terrorist and killed his humanity".^[15]

Recognitions[link]

In 2006 Wafa Sultan was named in Time Magazine in a list of 100 influential people in the world "whose power, talent or moral example is transforming the world."^[16][17] Time stated that "Sultan's influence flows from her willingness to express openly critical views on Islamic extremism that are widely shared but rarely aired by other Muslims."^[16]

Religious sentiment[link]

In the same Time interview, Sultan described herself as a Muslim who does not adhere to Islam, yet remains associated with the faith through her birth, rather than belief; "I even don't believe in Islam, but I am a Muslim."^[16]

Stop Islamization of Nations[link]

Sultan, is a board member of Stop Islamization of Nations (SION), an organization founded by Pamela Geller, Robert Spence and Anders Gravers of Stop Islamisation of Europe (SIOE). Other board members are Ali Sina, Ex Muslim activist and author; Stefan Herre, a German activist of Politically Incorrect; Mordechai Kedar, an Israeli author; Babu Suseelan, a Hindu activist; Oskar Freysinger a Swiss politician , Cliff Kincaid, editor of the Accuracy in Media (AIM) Report, and Ashraf Rameleh the President of Voice of the Copts. Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer are President and Vice President of SION.^[18]

Criticism[link]

About the University of Aleppo incident related above, related in an interview with the New York Times, in which Sultan claimed that in 1979, gunmen from the Muslim Brotherhood burst into a classroom at the university and killed her professor before her eyes, Riyad Asfari, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Aleppo, stated in an interview that the assassination took place off campus, and that no one had ever been killed anywhere at the university. Asfari's comment was also supported by Syrian expatriates Adnan Halabi and Ghada Moezzin. Moezzin, who attended the University of Aleppo in 1979, commented "We would’ve known about the killing if it had happened. It would have been big news on campus and I do not recall ever hearing about it." Moezzin added that government security was always present around the university at the time.

References[link]

Book[link]

• Sultan, Wafa (2009). A God Who Hates: The Courageous Woman Who Inflamed the Muslim World Speaks Out Against the Evils of Islam. St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-0-312-53836-1. 

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Wafa Sultan

• (Arabic) Wafa Sultan's articles at Al-Hewaar Al-Mutamaddin
• by Wafa Sultan -Who Should We Believe? June 12, 2009 at Hudson New York
• Heroes & Pioneers; Wafa Sultan - A Daring Voice Calls For a New Islam TIME 100: The People Who Shape Our World
• "Wafa Sultan: Reformist or Opportunist?"
• "Dr. Wafa Sultan: A Lost Opportunity"
• "Islam's Ann Coulter: The seductive and blinkered belligerence of Wafa Sultan" Rabbi Stephen Julius Stein

Ahmed Abdur Rahman Bukhatir (Arabic: أحمدعبدالرحمن بوخاطر‎) (born 16 October 1975) is an Emirati Nasheed singer. He is the only Nasheed singer from the UAE to ever top a Virgin music chart.^[1]

Biography[link]

Ahmed Bukhatir was born in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.^[1] He was the fifth child of ten born into his family. His father is Abdul Rahman Bukhatir,^[2] who became a successful businessman during the economic boom that occurred in the UAE during the 1970s and 80s.^[3] As a child Bukhatir spent several years at an Islamic center in Sharjah learning a form of Quranic recitation called Tajwid, in which the voice is used a cappella and other instruments are not used.^[1] Bukhatir began singing professionally at the age of 20, and released his first album in 2000 entitled Entasaf Al-Layl.^[3] Throughout his recording career he has continued to sing without musical instruments according to the islamic Sharia law.^[1] His live performances have attracted sizeable audiences, such as at a Global Peace and Unity (GPU) event in the United Kingdom in 2006 that gained an audience of 35,000 attendees to see the various speakers and performers.^[4] He has participated in many charity events including the Muslim Aid Event in London, United Kingdom, in 2010.^[5][6][7] Along with Islamic nasheeds, Ahmed also performs nasheeds which place emphasis on community issues in multiple societies both within and outside the world of Islam.^[8] Today Bukhatir is considered to be among the ten most prominent singers of the Nasheed in the world.^[9]

Business career[link]

Ahmed Bukhatir graduated in 1999 from Al Ain University of Science and Technology. At the age of 29 he became the CEO of Promax ME, a public relations company in the UAE. In 2005 under his stewardship the company won the Gulf Marketing Review Marketing Effectiveness Award for the best public relations agency in the Middle East.^[10] He is currently chair of the Mcfadden Group of Companies, which is involved in UAE construction as well as several other ventures.^[11] In addition, Bukhatir is a member of the board of Directors in the Bukhatir Group. In politics, he iis an appointee by the Ruler of Sharjah to become a member of Sharjah Council as a senator.^[12][13] While in office he has been a vehement defender of Dubai's construction boom.^[3] His business interests also include the role of brand ambassador for "du", a telecommunications company in the UAE.^[14]

Discography[link]

Ahmed Bukhatir has released many albums covering many topics that include Islam and community issues. He has recorded songs in English, Arabic, and French.^[15]

Performances & concerts[link]

Ahmed first performed at a major concert in 2002, attended by members of the Royal Families of UAE.^[16] He performed at the "Holy Qura'an" competition attended by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al Sudais, the imam of the Grand mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.^[17][18] In addition to many regional performances, Ahmed has toured in various other nations including India, South Africa, Australia and, most notably, at the Global Peace and Unity event which was held in London, United Kingdom, in 2006.^[19] He has performed several other notable concerts in London, including a concert at Excel Hall in London in front of over 25,000 people and several concerts at the Natural History Museum in London.^[1][20] On 3 July 2010, Ahmed performed at the 3rd Annual “Journey of Faith” Conference which was held in Toronto, Canada. This was the first time Ahmed had performed across the Atlantic.^[21] Ahmed has also attended many other fundraising events as a performer. For example, on April 4, 2012 he performed before H.H. Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahya at a benefit for the Sightsavers Middle East foundation.^[22]

Bukhatir's first concerts on US soil took place in April of 2012, when he appeared at events sponsored by the Al-Furqaan Foundation's Furqaan Academy that were held in Dallas, Houston, and Chicago.^[23] In May he then performed at conference events cohosted by the Islamic Circle of North America and Muslim American Society staged in Hartford, Connecticut.^[24]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website