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Mudar Zahran

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Mudar Zahran is a Jordanian Palestinian politician and the secretary general of the Jordanian Opposition Coalition.

Zahran lives in the United Kingdom,[1] where he has been granted political asylum.[2]

Mudar Zahran in Jerusalem

Biography

Born on 19 April 1973, Zahran is a prominent Jordanian opposition figure and writer. Described by both Western and Arab media sources as “The leader of the Palestinians in Jordan ”,[3] Zahran’s parents were born in Jerusalem, and moved to Jordan during the period when the West Bank was under Jordanian rule. His family, the Zahrans, are one of the most influential and formerly wealthy within the Jordanian Palestinian majority, and 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. Zahran's parents sent him to the United States, where he continued his education in New Hampshire from an early age, and Zahran remained there until he earned two master's degrees. By the age of 25, Zahran had two master’s degrees from Southern New Hampshire University, USA, and continued his PhD degree in the UK. He has two master's degrees, was educated in the United States[4] and a PhD in Middle Eastern banking in the UK.[5] Before being forced into exile in the UK, Zahran was serving as 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. Zahran developed 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.

Having lived abroad for half of his life.[4] He has worked as assistant policy coordinator at the American Embassy in Amman.[4]

Political career

In Jordan, Zahran was a civil rights advocate as he was critical of the Hashemite regime’s discriminatory policies against the Palestinians as well as the native East Bankers.[4] He has worked as assistant policy coordinator at the American Embassy in Amman.[4] Gaining popularity and prominence with the Palestinians in Jordan, Zahran was eventually forced to flee the country in fear of the King’s wrath. [6] 

 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,[7] Al-Hiwar, Lulua TV, BBC radio, and Israel National News radio as well as few others TV channels.  His articles in Arabic are closely followed by the Jordanian public on the Arab Times, one of the most-read Arab newspapers online. [8]   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”.[9]

Zahran’s influence

Zahran’s pro-peace articles in the Jerusalem Post and the 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"[5] in addition to "damaging the country's image and inciting hatred.[1][10] According to the Jordanian newspaper Al Ghad, “Zahran’s social networking sites carry articles and phrases offensive to Jordan and his own people (Palestinians)."[2][11]

Personal life

Zahran lives in London and has two daughters and a son.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b "Jordan critic living in Britain to face military court for insulting King on social media". Al Bawaba News. Agence France-Press. 31 December 2013. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  2. ^ a b Ben Solomon, Ariel (31 December 2013). "Jordanian Palestinian who writes for 'Post' indicted in Jordan for 'inciting hatred'". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  3. ^ [1]
  4. ^ a b c d e f Assouline, Philippe (31 December 2012). "Preaching the gospel of liberalism to the Jordanian street". Times of Israel. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  5. ^ a b Soffer, Ari (31 December 2013). "Jordan: Palestinian Dissident Indicted for Criticizing King". Israel National News. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  6. ^ Meltzer, Yoel (3 May 2011). "A Voice of Reason from an Arab Dissident". Yoel Meltzer. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  7. ^ Aljazeera (23 December 2011). "لماذا تحولت أجهزة الأمن العربية إلى وحوش كاسرة؟". Aljazeera. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  8. ^ Zahran,Mudar (25 May 2011). "القوى المحافظة في الاردن تدفع بالبلاد نحو كارثة إقتصادية". Arab Times. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  9. ^ Mauro,Ryan (18 April 2014). "Mudar Zahran: We Have a Palestinian State in Jordan". The Clarion Project. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Text "http://www.clarionproject.org/analysis/mudar-zahran-we-have-palestianian-state-jordan" ignored (help)
  10. ^ "Jordanian court indicts Palestinian writer in absentia". UPI. 31 December 2013. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  11. ^ "Jordan critic charged with incitement, insulting king". The Daily Star (Lebanon). Agence France-Press. 31 December 2013. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
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