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Mudar Zahran

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Mudar Zahran in Jerusalem

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 seek-ed political asylum after being indicted by a Jordanian military court for four separate charges against him, relating to what it labels as 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 against the king and undermining an official entity.[2] In addition to damaging the country's image and inciting hatred.[3]

Biography

Born on 19 April 1973, Zahran is a prominent Jordanian opposition figure and writer. 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 society, 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.[2] Before seeking asylum 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. 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.[4]

Criticism of Zahran

In 2010, Zahran was hugely criticized by Jordanians and Palestinians alike after his article in Jerusalem Post after describing Jordan as an apartheid state. [5] He immediately sent a letter of apology to Jordanians and Palestinians through Ammon News after intense pressure from his father, Adnan Zahran, who threatened to cut relations with Mudar which he did later on, if the latter wrote anything else, and considered that Mudar's continuation of writing would be considered 'ingratitude' on a personal level against his father, and an 'ungratefulness' towards the country.[6] Palestinians accuse him of being a Mossad agent in Europe.[7] [8]

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 against the king and undermining an official entity"[2] in addition to damaging the country's image and inciting hatred.[1][9] According to the Jordanian newspaper Al Ghad, “Zahran’s social networking sites carry articles and phrases offensive to Jordan and his own people (Palestinians)."[3][10]

After fleeing Amman in 2010, he has been called by HSBC bank in Jordan for scamming the bank for amounts totaling up to 50,000 Jordanian Dinars (about $71,000). [11] [12] [13]

Personal life

Zahran lives in London and has two daughters and a son.[4] In 2010 after appearing on The Opposite Direction TV talk show on Al Jazeera his father, Adnan Zahran has sent out a letter through Jordanian social media websites announcing that he has cut relation ties with his son.

I write to you this letter while I am outside Jordan, and it has upset me as it has upset many Jordanians seeing you on The Opposite Direction talking about your country in a way a drunkard hasn't. I swear to you my son, I don't know where to start. We have all heard the poison dripping from your words which left us confused. After promising me and your mother that you won't appear on the show two days earlier. Is that what you do? Do you have any loyalty to your country or religion? Or even loyalty to your parents? Isn't incitement worse than murder? There's no use in repeating words. The Jordanian security forces that you have cursed are the same ones who have provided you security and shelter, yet here you are trying to amputate the hand that was extended to you. But you Mudar there won't be anymore relationship between us, and all I can tell you is that I feel sorry for your children.

[14] [15][16] [17]

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 c Soffer, Ari (31 December 2013). "Jordan: Palestinian Dissident Indicted for Criticizing King". Israel National News. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ a b c Assouline, Philippe (31 December 2012). "Preaching the gospel of liberalism to the Jordanian street". Times of Israel. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  5. ^ http://www.almshaheer.com/article-521761
  6. ^ http://en.ammonnews.net/article.aspx?articleNO=9146#.VbYaRfmqqko
  7. ^ http://www.alqalahnews.com/more-58953-37-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AF%D8%B9%D9%88%D9%85%D8%B6%D8%B1%20%D8%B2%D9%87%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86%20%D8%A3%D8%B1%D8%AF%D9%86%D9%8A%20%D9%85%D9%86%20%D8%A3%D8%B5%D9%84%20%D9%81%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%B7%D9%8A%D9%86%D9%8A%20%D9%81%D9%8A%20%D8%A5%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%8A%D9%84%20%D9%8A%D8%AA%D9%87%D8%AC%D9%85%20%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%84%D8%A9%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AF%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A9...%20%D9%81%D9%8A%D8%AF%D9%8A%D9%88..!!
  8. ^ http://almadenahnews.com/mobile/article/246065-%D9%85%D8%B6%D8%B1-%D8%B2%D9%87%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%8A%D8%B4%D8%AA%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D8%B1%D8%AF%D9%86-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%A5%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%8A%D9%84
  9. ^ "Jordanian court indicts Palestinian writer in absentia". UPI. 31 December 2013. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  10. ^ "Jordan critic charged with incitement, insulting king". The Daily Star (Lebanon). Agence France-Press. 31 December 2013. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  11. ^ http://amman1.net/jonews/jordan-news/2368.html
  12. ^ http://www.ammanjo.net/index.php?page=article&id=6511#.VfQp5TVdbCR
  13. ^ http://www.sahafi.jo/files/cecdf149821f2649b4315672d0eca9a2cdaa8ec5.html
  14. ^ http://www.rumonline.net/index.php?page=article&id=45841
  15. ^ http://www.jordanzad.com/print.php?id=60337
  16. ^ http://www.alrai.com/article/555727.html
  17. ^ http://www.ammonnews.net/article.aspx?articleNo=76400
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