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Ahmad Moaz Al-Khatib Al-Hasani ( ar, أحمد معاذ الخطيب الحسني, born 1960) is a former president of the
National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces The National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces ( ar, الائتلاف الوطني لقوى الثورة والمعارضة السورية), commonly named the Syrian National Coalition (SNC) ( ar, الائتلاف الو ...
. He is also a former imam of the
Umayyad Mosque The Umayyad Mosque ( ar, الجامع الأموي, al-Jāmiʿ al-Umawī), also known as the Great Mosque of Damascus ( ar, الجامع الدمشق, al-Jāmiʿ al-Damishq), located in the old city of Damascus, the capital of Syria, is one of the ...
in Damascus.


Early life and career

Born in 1960, Khatib comes from a well-known and notable
Sunni Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word ''Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagree ...
Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abraha ...
Damascene family. His father, Sheikh Mohammed Abu al-Faraj al-Khatib, was a prominent Islamic scholar and preacher at the Umayyad Mosque. At university, Khatib studied applied geophysics. He spent six years working for the Al-Furat Petroleum Company, Syria's main oil producer. He is also a member of the Syrian Geological Society and the Syrian Society for Psychological Science; he was president of the Islamic Society of
Urbanization Urbanization (or urbanisation) refers to the population shift from rural to urban areas, the corresponding decrease in the proportion of people living in rural areas, and the ways in which societies adapt to this change. It is predominantly the ...
. His status as the former imam made him a key figure in Syria's Sunni religious establishment. Khatib established the Islamic Civilization Society. He taught
Sharia Sharia (; ar, شريعة, sharīʿa ) is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the religious precepts of Islam and is based on the sacred scriptures of Islam, particularly the Quran and the H ...
(Islamic Law) at the ''Dutch Institute Sheikh Badr al-Din al-Husni'' in Damascus, and Daawa (Call to Islam) studies at the Tahzib Institute for Sharia Sciences, as well as traveling extensively to teach internationally.


Political and religious views

Khatib has been described as a moderate Islamist.
Foreign Policy A state's foreign policy or external policy (as opposed to internal or domestic policy) is its objectives and activities in relation to its interactions with other states, unions, and other political entities, whether bilaterally or through mu ...
questioned this, pointing to articles on his website that contained numerous instances of antisemitic writing; including in Khatib's own articles, which also contained a degree of animosity towards the West. The Syrian journalist and writer Rana Kabbani, a long time friend of Khatib, said, "Over the years, we have had a very intense political conversation about what needed to be done in Syria, long discussions about what was wrong with the society and what could be done about it." Kabbani continued to say, "He comes from an area in the old city of Damascus, a part of the city that was noted for its advocacy against French colonialists, producing freedom fighters. It was a traditional Damascene Muslim scene, a devout Sunni area with a long history of resistance. He cared very deeply about the victims of the 1982 massacre n the Syrian city of Hama He was always seeking for ways to house or educate those urvivorsthat the state wanted killed or banished." He is a supporter of Qatar-based Egyptian Sunni Muslim cleric and preacher
Yusuf al-Qaradawi Yusuf al-Qaradawi ( ar, يوسف القرضاوي, translit=Yūsuf al-Qaraḍāwī; or ''Yusuf al-Qardawi''; 9 September 1926 – 26 September 2022) was an Egyptian Islamic scholar based in Doha, Qatar, and chairman of the International Union of ...
. He even placed al-Qaradawi on equal footing with the Tunisian
Mohamed Bouazizi Tarek el-Tayeb Mohamed Bouazizi ( ar, طارق الطيب محمد البوعزيزي, Ṭāriq aṭ-Ṭayib Muḥammad al-Būʿazīzī; 29 March 1984 – 4 January 2011) was a street vendor who set himself on fire on 17 December 2010 in Sidi Bou ...
, whose self-immolation marked beginning of the
Arab Spring The Arab Spring ( ar, الربيع العربي) was a series of anti-government protests, uprisings and armed rebellions that spread across much of the Arab world in the early 2010s. It began in Tunisia in response to corruption and econom ...
. He referred to al-Qaradawi as "our great Imam". Khatib has also referred to
Shia Muslims Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, mos ...
as ''"rejectionists"'' and stated that the Shi'ites ''"establish lies and follow them"'', on occasions when he spoke to an Arab public. Analysts thus suspect him of adhering to some
sectarian Sectarianism is a political or cultural conflict between two groups which are often related to the form of government which they live under. Prejudice, discrimination, or hatred can arise in these conflicts, depending on the political status quo ...
anti-Shia (and thus anti- Alawi) resentment. In an interview with Al Jazeera he said it would be better if Alawites would convert to Shia Islam, so they could follow a clear and structured faith. In stark contrast to his speeches and statements in Arabic, on other occasions Khatib has stressed that all creeds will need to be respected within Syria. He was imprisoned several times for his criticism of the Syrian government during the ongoing armed uprising against President Bashar al-Assad before he fled the country and settled in Cairo. Khatib himself is not allied to any political party. Khatib is an active proponent of political plurality, including equality for women. In October 2012, he was critical of the role Salafist militants had played as the civil war violence escalated, saying their prominence had allowed western and other countries to portray the uprising in Syria as "extremist". In his statement to a crowd near Damascus soon after the Syrian uprising in 2011, he said “My brothers, we lived all our lives, Sunnis, Shiites, Alawites, and Druze, as a one-hearted community. And with us lived our dear brothers hristianswho follow Isa
esus Esus, Hesus, or Aisus was a Brittonic and Gaulish god known from two monumental statues and a line in Lucan's '' Bellum civile''. Name T. F. O'Rahilly derives the theonym ''Esus'', as well as ''Aoibheall'', ''Éibhleann'', ''Aoife'', and ...
peace be upon him. We should adhere to this bond between us and protect it at all times.” Adding that “Any garden is so nice if full of flowers of all kinds." After being elected president of the National Coalition for Revolutionary Forces and the Syrian Opposition he said “I say to you that Alawites are closer to me than many other people I know,” and “When we talk about freedom, we mean freedom for every single person in this country.” Despite this, he does not favour secular government; in a November 2011 interview, Khatib called for Sunni scholars and Islamic
Sharia Sharia (; ar, شريعة, sharīʿa ) is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the religious precepts of Islam and is based on the sacred scriptures of Islam, particularly the Quran and the H ...
law to form the base of any future Syrian political and judicial system, which was realised shortly before his resignation from the role of president.


Involvement in the Syrian civil war

In July 2012, Khatib fled Syria following multiple periods of imprisonment. On 11 November 2012, Khatib was elected President of the
National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces The National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces ( ar, الائتلاف الوطني لقوى الثورة والمعارضة السورية), commonly named the Syrian National Coalition (SNC) ( ar, الائتلاف الو ...
, a coalition of opposition groups formed the same day. The coalition has since been recognized as the legitimate government of Syria by a number of countries. After his election, Khatib called on world powers to fully arm the Free Syrian Army. He has also called on the U.S. to reconsider its 2012 decision to declare the
Al-Nusra Front Al-Nusra Front or Jabhat al-Nusra ( ar, جبهة النصرة لأهل الشام, Jabhat an-Nuṣrah li-Ahl ish-Sham lit. ''Front of the Supporters of the People of Syria/the Levant''), known as Jabhat Fatah al-Sham ( ar, جبهة فتح ال ...
as a terrorist organization, describing Al-Nusra as an ally in the rebellion to topple the Assad government and refusing US requests to denounce Al-Nusra's tactics. Prior to his appointment, Khatib was open to negotiating with
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Bashar al-Assad Bashar Hafez al-Assad, ', Levantine pronunciation: ; (, born 11 September 1965) is a Syrian politician who is the 19th president of Syria, since 17 July 2000. In addition, he is the commander-in-chief of the Syrian Armed Forces and the S ...
, arguing that dialogue did not mean "surrendering to the regime's cruelty" and was the "lesser of two evils." On 30 January 2013 he created controversy in the Syrian opposition by offering to meet with Assad. Khatib resigned his post on 24 March 2013, although he continued in office until 21 April. Khatib did not specify the reason for his resignation. The refusal of Western powers to provide military support appeared to be a factor, as was the controversial election of Ghassan Hitto as prime minister of a government in exile, a development that seemed to reduce the likelihood of successful peace negotiations. In a subsequent interview, Khatib cited interference by regional funding nations—apparently Saudi Arabia and Qatar—as his reason for quitting.


References


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Khatib, Moaz 1960 births Anti-government politicians of the Syrian civil war Living people People from Damascus National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces members Syrian Sunni Muslims Syrian imams