Abdel Bari Atwan

Abdel Bari Atwan (Arabic: عبد الباري عطوان‎, ʿAbd al-Bārī ‘Aṭwān) is the editor-in chief of the London-based pan-Arab newspaper Al-Quds Al-Arabi.

Personal and career background

Abdel Bari Atwan was born on February 17, 1950 in Deir el-Balah, a Palestinian refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, two years after the creation of Israel. His parents Zilfa and Muhammad Atwan lived in Isdud.

He was one of 11 children. After receiving his primary school education at the camp, his schooling was continued first in Jordan in 1967, and then in Cairo, Egypt.

In 1970 he entered Cairo University where he studied journalism and also received a diploma in English-Arabic translation. After his graduation he started work as a journalist, first with the al-Balaagh newspaper in Libya, then with al-Madina in Saudi Arabia. In 1978, he moved to London, where he has lived ever since, and assumed a job with al-Sharq al-Awsat, a major Saudi-owned international daily. In 1980 he set up the London office of al-Madina and in 1984 returned to al-Sharq al-Awsat.

In 1989, al-Quds al-Arabi was founded by expatriate Palestinians and Abdel Bari Atwan was offered the job as editor-in-chief, which he has held since. The paper has as of 2007 grown into one of the major pan-Arab dailies, and is known for its strident Arab nationalism and defense of the Palestinian cause. It has been banned and censored repeatedly in several Arab countries for vocal criticism of what the paper alleges is their autocratic rule and excessive deference to Israel and the USA. As editor of al-Quds al-Arabi, Abdel Bari Atwan has become a well-known Arab public figure, and is a regular guest on Dateline London on BBC World, Sky News, Al Jazeera English and CNN World, as well as on several Arabic-language networks. He has contributed numerous Opinion Editorials to a variety of English newspapers and other English-language publications; he writes regularly for Gulf News.

He has written two books, see below, and contributed chapters and essays to several academic and specialist books and journals.

Known for his lively delivery, Atwan regularly gives talks and lectures around the world at a variety of events and venues from the Edinburgh Festival to Harvard University.

Bin Laden interview

In 1996 Abdel Bari Atwan interviewed Osama bin Laden. He had to travel through the mountains, dressed in Afghan clothing. He later called the experience his "most frightening trip". His impression of bin Laden was that he is "a phenomenon, extreme".^[1][2] He stayed in the caves for four days, sleeping in primitive conditions in sub-zero temperatures.^[3]

In his book, The Secret History of al-Qa'ida Atwan states, "I do not endorse or in any way support al-Qa'ida's agenda" and "I utterly condemn the attacks on innocent citizens in the West".^[4]

Political opinions

September 11 attacks

On the fifth anniversary of the New York 9/11 attack Atwan opined: "The events of 11 September will be remembered as the end of the US empire. This is because all empires collapse when they pursue the arrogance of power." ^[5]

Al-Qaeda

Atwan has repeatedly expressed his view that the war on terror is the root cause for the creation of numerous regional Al Qaeda offshoots. At the second Dubai Debates on 31 May 2011, he stated: "We used to have one address for Al Qaeda. [...] Tora Bora, Tora Bora main square, Tora Bora highroad, the third cave on the left. [...] Now we have Al Qaeda in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Iraq, Somalia and in the Islamic Maghreb." ^[6]

US invasion of Iraq

He expressed sympathy with Saddam Hussein's resistance to the US invasion of Iraq, commenting on the former president's execution that he "will go to the gallows with his head held high, because he built a strong united Iraq without sectarianism" ^[7]

Israel

Speaking about Iran's nuclear capability in an interview on Lebanese television in June 2007, Atwan stated, "If the Iranian missiles strike Israel, by Allah, I will go to Trafalgar Square and dance with delight." He further stated in the case of war, Iran would retaliate against its Arab neighbors, American bases in the Gulf and "Allah willing, it will attack Israel, as well."^{[8][9][10][11][12]}

In March 2008, Atwan said that the Mercaz HaRav shooting, in which a Palestinian gunmen killed eight students (aged 15 to 26), "was justified." He added that the Mercaz HaRav yeshiva is responsible for "hatching Israeli extremists and fundamentalists" and that the celebrations in Gaza following the attack symbolized "the courage of the Palestinian nation."^[13]

A highly vocal critic of what he describes as Israel's "racist" and "apartheid" treatment of his fellow Gazans, Atwan is nevertheless an advocate of a peaceful, non-violent settlement to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. In his memoir, 'A Country of Words',^[14] Atwan says, "We have to learn to live together in peace and co-operation in a multi-cultural society in one democratic secular state for two people. One state for both peoples governed by a representative democracy and on an equal footing. We manage it here in London, it is working in South Africa, and there is enough room for everyone in Palestine. I respect the Jewish people and their religion. I do not want to destroy Israel but I do want to end racism and the current Apartheid system."

According to his personal website, Atwan has been banned by Israeli authorities from visiting the Palestinian territories since 2000.^[15] As a result, he was neither able to visit his sick mother nor attend her funeral after she died in 2003.^[15]

Atwan described the attacks on Israelis in Eilat as correcting "the course of the Arab revolutions and refocused them on the most dangerous disease, namely the Israeli tyranny. This disease is the cause of all the defects that have afflicted the region for the past 65 years."^[16]

2011 Libyan civil war

On 17 April 2011, speaking on BBC News Channel's Dateline London, Atwan claimed that "We know that Eastern area of Libya is almost a hotbed of extremist al-Qaeda people. I know that personally". Atwan's early analysis that a significant part of the rebel leadership is from the Libyan Fighting group, an al-Qaeda affiliate, has since been born out and is a source of great concern to the West.^[17]

In a March 2011 article in the British newspaper, The Telegraph, the leader of the Libyan rebels, Abdel-Hakim al-Hasidi, stated in and interview with the Italian newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore that he did have connections with al-Qaeda. Abdel-Hakim al-Hasidi also stated that he had '...earlier fought against "the foreign invasion" in Afghanistan, before being "captured in 2002 in Peshwar, in Pakistan". He was later handed over to the US, and then held in Libya before being released in 2008.' al-Qaeda leaders have backed the rebellion in Libya and have stated that it will "...lead to the imposition of "the stage of Islam" in the country." ^[18]

On 4th September 2011, Mustafa Abdul Jalil, chair of the NTC, the interim free Libyan government, in an attempt to damage Atwan's reputation as a commentator, alleged that documentary proof had emerged that Atwan was on the payroll of Gaddafi. Atwan has re-iterated that there is no truth in this baseless allegation and is currently suing Mustafa Abdul Jalil for defamation in the UK courts.^[19]

Brisbane visa affair

In a scheduled visit to the Brisbane Writers Festival in September 2007 Atwan's visa was reported as being blocked ^[20] by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO). Subsequently this turned out to be over-enthusiastic reporting. According to ASIO, Mr Atwan had only been delayed by the Australian Intelligence for less than four weeks. ASIO is reported to have said "It is false to suggest it's anything to do with the media campaign or conspiracy theories, We had to seek some additional information. Dr Atwan's application was treated like everybody else's".^[21]

Criticism

Following an October 2003 article in which Atwan claimed that the U.S. is to blame for the Arab world's hatred of it, a Yemenite journalist and columnist for the London Arabic-language daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, Munir Al-Mawari, stated: "The Abd Al-Bari Atwan [appearing] on CNN is completely different from the Abdel Bari Atwan on the Al-Jazeera network or in his Al-Quds Al-Arabi daily. On CNN, Atwan speaks solemnly and with total composure, presenting rational and balanced views. This is in complete contrast with his fuming appearances on Al-Jazeera and in Al-Quds Al-Arabi, in which he whips up the emotions of multitudes of viewers and readers."^[22]

In response to Atwan's legitimization of the Mercaz HaRav shooting in March 2008, Lior Ben-Dor, a spokesman at the Israeli Embassy in London, said: "The problem is that when addressing the British public, he tends to hide his true opinions and ideology - his support for terror and the murder of civilians. This article reveals Atwan's real colors, a supporter of fundamentalism and terror, and hence he should be treated accordingly."^[13]

Books

• The Secret History of Al-Qa'ida, Abdel Bari Atwan, Abacus (2006), ISBN 978-0-349-12035-5
• A Country of Words: The Life of Abdel Bari Atwan: A Palestinian Journey from the Refugee Camp to the Front Page, Abdel Bari Atwan, SAQI (25 September 2008), ISBN 978-0-86356-621-9

References

External links

• Official Website
• AlQuds Newspaper

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