Mudar Zahran

Mudar Zahran is a Jordanian Palestinian politician and the secretary general of the Jordanian Opposition Coalition, who is regularly described as the leader of Palestinians in Jordan.Zahran lives in the United Kingdom, where he has been granted political asylum.

Biography

Born On 19 April 1973, Zahran is prominent Jordanian opposition figure and writer. Described by both Western and Arab media sources as “The leader of the Palestinians in Jordan ”. [1] Zahran’s parents were born in Jerusalem, and moved to Jordan during the Hashemite occupation of Judea and Samaria. His family, the Zahrans, are one of the most influential and formerly wealthy within the Jordanian Palestinian majority, and in fact, the most affluent part of Jordan’s capital had been officially named “Zahran area” after the family’s former dominance, so is the most cosmopolitan street in the country, Zahran Street, where Zahran Palace still stands today. By the tender age of 25, Zahran had two master’s degrees from Southern New Hampshire University, USA, and continued his PhD degree in the UK. Before being forced into exile in the UK, Zahran was serving as its Economic Specialist and Assistant Policy Coordinator at the US Embassy in Amman, serving also the US Embassy Baghdad. His position and political family’s merit allowed him access and inside knowledge of the Hashemite regime ruling Jordan. Therefore, Zahran developed unique knowledge of the behind-the-door politics of Jordan and acquaintance of the King of Jordan’s inner circle. During his work at the US Embassy, Zahran covered critical and sensitive matters regarding Jordan, reporting to two US Ambassadors, with his reports being forwarded to the US Department of State, the US Department of Treasury, the CIA, the US Department of Homeland Security, and occasionally the FBI. Born to a prominent political and economic Palestinian-Jordanian family,which has Zahran Street,Zahran Neghbourhood and Zahran Palace named after it. Zahran's parents sent him to the United States, where he continuted his education in New Hampshire from a tender age, at Zahran remained in there until he earned two masters degrees. Having lived abroad for half of his life. He has worked as assistant policy coordinator at the American Embassy in Amman. He has two master's degrees, was educated in the United States and a PhD in Middle Eastern banking in the UK.

Political career

Work: In Jordan, Zahran was an avid civil rights advocate as he was critical of the Hashemite regime’s discriminatory policies against the Palestinians as well as the native East Bankers. Gaining popularity and prominence with the Palestinians in Jordan, Zahran was eventually forced to flee the country in fear of the King’s wrath. Upon moving to exile in 2010, Zahran continued his role as a mover in the Jordanian political scene. Even before the “Arab Spring” started, Zahran had been a regular guest on Al-Jazeera, Al-Hiwar, Lulua TV, BBC radio, and Israel National News radio as well as few others TV channels. His daring articles in Arabic are closely followed by the Jordanian public on the Arab Times, one of the most- read Arab newspapers online. At the same time, Zahran has been leading an openly pro-peace agenda, envisioning the reviving of the Palestinians’ rights to Jordan under what he described as “a welfare state that is armless just like Kuwait or Qatar, that secures the rights of Jordanians from all heritages and origins, and maintains the peace agreement with Israel”.

Zahran’s Influence

Zahran’s pro-peace articles in the Jerusalem Post and the renowned Gate Stone Institute have stirred an organized defamation campaign by the government-controlled Jordanian media. Nonetheless, Zahran seems to have influence over the Jordanian-Palestinian public, for example, in 2011, the Jordanian government-controlled media called for an anti-Israeli protest against the Israeli Embassy in Amman, then, Zahran went publicly and told the Jordanian public to boycott the protests and to realize that “their problem was with the Hashemite regime and not Israel”, eventually the Washington Post reported less than 200 people attended the protest. On several other occasions, Zahran’s messages to the Palestinian majority proved to have influence, including his guidance to them not to protest against both, the American and Israeli embassies despite non-stop calls for them to do so by Jordan’s media.

Trial

In 2013 Zahran was indicted by a Jordanian military court and scheduled to be tried in absentia for four separate charges against him, relating to what it labels "incitement against the ruling political regime of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, (calling for) changing the basic conditions of society and using a long tongue [i.e. criticism – ed.] against the king and undermining an official entity" in addition to "damaging the country's image and inciting hatred. According to the Jordanian newspaper Al Ghad, “Zahran’s social networking sites carry articles and phrases offensive to Jordan and his own people (Palestinians)."

Personal life

Zahran lives in London and has two daughters and a son.

Publications

• "Jordan: In Bed With Islamists", Gatestone Institute, 31 January 2011
• "Is Jordan's King Losing Control over the Bedouin?", Gatestone Institute, 20 June 2011
• "UNRWA: The Palestinians' Worst Enemy", Gatestone Institute, 21 March 2012
• "Egypt under Islamists: The Trouble Has Just Begun", Gatestone Institute, 3 July 2012
• "Does Freezing Settlements Help Peace?", Gatestone Institute, 13 July 2012
• "Jordan's Next Leader? With Help from the U.S. Department of State", Gatestone Institute, 26 October 2012
• "Who Is Really Besieging Gaza?", Gatestone Institute, 15 November 2012
• "More Trouble in Jordan", Gatestone Institute, 23 November 2012
• "Jordan is Palestinian", Middle East Quarterly, Winter 2012, vol 19, no.1, pp. 3–12
• "Who Is Destroying Al-Aqsa Mosque?", Gatestone Institute, 9 December 2013
• "Who Is to Blame for "Islamophobia" in the UK?", Gatestone Institute, 24 February 2014