Mohamed Ali Harrath
| Mohamed Ali Harrath | |
|---|---|
| Born |
20 February 1963 Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia |
| Residence | London, United Kingdom |
| Nationality | Tunisian |
| Alma mater | SOAS, University of London |
| Known for |
Islam Channel CEO Tunisian Activist |
| Religion | Islam |
Mohamed Ali Harrath (born 20 February 1963), is a Tunisian activist and businessman and the founder and CEO of the Islam Channel.
Biography
Early life
Mohamed Ali Harrath was born in Sidi Bouzid Governorate, Tunisia. He wrote his student dissertation on Karl Marx.[citation needed] He graduated from the University of London following study in political science and theology. He was imprisoned for political activism against the regime of Zine Abidine Ben-Ali in Tunisia.[citation needed]
Adult life
After his release in the mid-1980s, he travelled to Tehran, inspired by the thought of the Iranian Revolution, though he was disappointed by the reality of life there.[1] He helped found the Tunisian Islamic Front (FIT) in 1986: though he has characterised the organization as a non-violent political party in opposition to Ben Ali's dictatorship, the Tunisian regime, under Ben Ali, characterized it as advocating "an Islamic state by means of armed revolutionary violence".[2]
He was forced into exile from Tunisia, and at the Tunisian Government's request was placed on an Interpol Red Notice in 1992.[3] He entered England in October 1995, and claimed political asylum. In October 2000 he was granted refugee status and indefinite leave to stay in the UK.[4]
He founded the Islam Channel in 2004 and is the current CEO. He also organised the first Global Peace and Unity event in 2005, attracting over 50,000 members of the public annually. In 2010, he travelled to Kigali, Rwanda, where he met and awarded President Paul Kagame for his services to humanity.[5]
In February 2011 he returned to Tunisia after 21 years of exile, where he was welcomed by many Tunisians at Tunis-Carthage International Airport.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Jonathan Steele, 'Half a Revolution: Jonathan Steele reports from Tunisia', London Review of Books, Vol. 33. No. 6 (17 March 2011), pp. 36-40
- ↑ Richard Kerbaj & Dominic Kennedy, Sack Mohamed Ali Harrath, Scotland Yard urged, The Times, 16 December 2008
- ↑ Jonathan Clayton & Dominic Kennedy, Mohamed Ali Harrath, Islamic TV chief, is held over terror claims, The Times, 26 January 2010
- ↑ Richard Kerbaj & Dominic Kennedy, Unanswered questions about a ‘man of peace’ on Interpol list, The Times, 15 December 2008.
- ↑ Paul Kagame Official Website, President Kagame receives GPU award, 9 December 2010.
External links
- Interview with Stephen Sackur on the BBC programme HARDtalk, first broadcast 25 March 2010