Sami Khiyami ( ar, سامي خيامي) is a
Syrian
Syrians ( ar, سُورِيُّون, ''Sūriyyīn'') are an Eastern Mediterranean ethnic group indigenous to the Levant. They share common Levantine Semitic roots. The cultural and linguistic heritage of the Syrian people is a blend of both indig ...
diplomat, former Syrian
ambassador
An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or sov ...
to
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
.
Background
Born on 28 August 1948, Khiyami studied Electrical Engineering at the
American University of Beirut in
Lebanon
Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...
, and
Claude Bernard University Lyon 1
Claude Bernard University Lyon 1 (french: link=no, Université Claude-Bernard Lyon 1, UCBL) is one of the three public universities of Lyon, France. It is named after the French physiologist Claude Bernard and specialises in science and technol ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...
. An
electronics
The field of electronics is a branch of physics and electrical engineering that deals with the emission, behaviour and effects of electrons using electronic devices. Electronics uses active devices to control electron flow by amplification ...
expert by training, he has held a number of professional roles, including senior advisor to the
Syrian banking industry and a member of the board of
Syrian Arab Airlines
Syrian Airlines ( ar, السورية للطيران), operating as SyrianAir ( ar, السورية), is the flag carrier airline of Syria. It operates scheduled international services to several destinations in Asia, Europe and North Africa, thou ...
. He speaks Arabic, English, French, and German.
Issues
In July 2006, Khiyami announced to the London media that
Syria was attempting to dissuade
Hezbollah
Hezbollah (; ar, حزب الله ', , also transliterated Hizbullah or Hizballah, among others) is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and militant group, led by its Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah since 1992. Hezbollah's paramil ...
from continuing to launch rocket attacks on
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
, the latter being part of the claimed justification for
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
's July air strikes on
Lebanon
Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...
.
Khiyami has also argued that the international community, when gauging its response to the
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europ ...
conflict, should examine the totality of the conflict's victims.
Khiyami was seen as collaborating closely with
Ghayth Armanazi
Ghayth Armanazi (born 1943) is a Syrian media specialist and former diplomat based in London, England. He is a former ambassador of the Arab League and former head of the Arab Bankers Association. He is the author of ''The Story of Syria'' (2017)'' ...
of the Syrian Media Centre, London, and the British Syrian Society.
On April 28, 2011, Khiyami's invitation to
Prince William
William, Prince of Wales, (William Arthur Philip Louis; born 21 June 1982) is the heir apparent to the British throne. He is the elder son of King Charles III and his first wife Diana, Princess of Wales.
Born in London, William was educa ...
's
wedding
A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marriage ...
was formally withdrawn due to Syria's violent response to
protesters
A protest (also called a demonstration, remonstration or remonstrance) is a public expression of objection, disapproval or dissent towards an idea or action, typically a political one.
Protests can be thought of as acts of coopera ...
.
Khiyami left his position as ambassador to the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
in March 2012. He quit the diplomatic service shortly thereafter, citing the excessive use of violence of the Syrian governments against protesters as the reason for his resignation.
According to German and Arabic media reports Khiyami is among the founding members of an initiative called the '
Council of the Syrian Charter' that unites elders and representatives from various Syrian families, clans, tribes and communities both inside and outside of Syria. Khiyami is said to have played an important role in the drafting of a document known as the '
Code of Conduct for Syrian Coexistence The Code of Conduct for Syrian Coexistence ( ar, مدونة سلوك لعيش سوري مشترك) is a document that stipulates eleven principles for the future of Syrian society. According to its authors and signatories these principles shall serv ...
' that was solemnly signed by community representatives, including Syrian
Alawites
The Alawis, Alawites ( ar, علوية ''Alawīyah''), or pejoratively Nusayris ( ar, نصيرية ''Nuṣayrīyah'') are an ethnoreligious group that lives primarily in Levant and follows Alawism, a sect of Islam that originated from Shia Isla ...
, in 2017.
See also
*
Foreign relations of Syria
Ensuring national security, increasing influence among its Arab neighbours and securing the return of the Golan Heights, have been the primary goals of the Syrian Arab Republic's foreign policy. At many points in its history, Syria has seen te ...
References
External links
Syrian Embassy web pageThe last three months of BushSyria and Lebanon
{{DEFAULTSORT:Khiyami, Sami
1948 births
Living people
Ambassadors of Syria to the United Kingdom
American University of Beirut alumni
University of Lyon alumni