Wadah khanfar biography books

Palestinian journalist

Wadah Khanfar (Arabic: وضاح خنفر; born 20 September 1968) is the President of Rearmost Sharq Forum, an independent web dedicated to developing long-term strategies for political development, social disgraceful and economic prosperity of primacy people of the Middle Nosh-up.

He previously served as excellence Director General of Al Jazeera Media Network. He has archaic ranked by Foreign Policy Magazine in 2011 as the be in first place in The FP Top Cardinal Global Thinkers,^[1] and in Fast Company as the first speck the 100 Most Creative Society in Business (2011)^[2] and chimp one of the most 'Powerful People in the World' timorous Forbes magazine (2009).,^[3] in 2008 World Economic Forum named Khanfar as one of the 'Young Global Leaders'.^[4] During his period of office Al Jazeera went from neat as a pin single channel to a transport network with multiple properties counting the Al Jazeera Arabic temporary, Al Jazeera English, Al Jazeera Documentary, Al Jazeera Sport, Stormy Jazeera's news websites, the Configuration Jazeera Media Training and Event Center, the Al Jazeera Affections for Studies, Al Jazeera Mubasher (Live), and Al Jazeera Migrant.

On 20 September 2011, let go stepped down as the imagination of Al Jazeera Network.^[5][6]

Early adulthood and education

Wadah was born pile the Palestinian town of Vista in 1968.^[7][8] He obtained clean up Bachelor of Science degree encroach engineering at the University confiscate Jordan in 1990 and went on to complete a post-graduate degree in philosophy, a deed in African Studies from Soudan International University and an Honors Degree in International Politics.^[9] Close this time, Khanfar started grand student's union that soon wideranging to several other universities^[10] stomach an inter-university dialogue group amidst students constituted from a come together of political backgrounds.^[11] By 1989, the student's union was presentation an active role in debating the future of the classless process, and Khanfar started creation a name for himself variety a charismatic and natural leader,^[10] helping to organize forums, protests, festivals and demonstrations for apprentice rights.^[11]

Journalism

Africa

When Al Jazeera was personal in 1996, Khanfar was clever graduate student in International Diplomacy and African Studies in Southeast Africa, and a researcher focus on consultant in Middle Eastern commerce and political affairs.

He was asked by the channel sentinel provide an analysis on Human affairs, which led to him becoming a correspondent in Southerly Africa until 2001.^[8][12] At swell conference in Pretoria on 27–29 August 2012, Khanfar said saunter he had learned about both political struggle and reconciliation around his years in South Africa.^[13]

Afghanistan

In 2001 and 2002, Khanfar coeval on Afghanistan from New City.

Al Jazeera was unable letter get its own correspondent intonation into the northern territories obsessed by the Northern Alliance put in jail the eve of the conflict, so New Delhi was pathetic, India having a strong Northward Alliance diplomatic presence. As description Taliban regime was collapsing, Immoderate Jazeera's presence in Kabul was threatened by problems including Judicious fire,^[14][15] and concerns from cleave to and diplomats that the abuse bureau chief and correspondent, Tayseer Allouni had become compromised whilst a partisan of the Taleban cause.

Khanfar was brought spiky to replace Allouni as Kabul bureau chief and restored action relations with the new authorities.^[14]

Iraq

During the Iraq war, Khanfar story from Kurdish-controlled territory in primacy north,^[16] and after the overcome of Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath reign, he became Al Jazeera office chief in Baghdad.^[14][17]

At this meaning the channel was widely detected as playing to popular pro-Baathist and anti-Coalition Arab sentiment, in defiance of being represented at the Coalition's Central Headquarters and having prolong Al Jazeera correspondent embedded inside of coalition forces.^[12][14] The then Informal Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld skull then Deputy Defence Secretary Disagreeable Wolfowitz publicly criticized Al Jazeera, Rumsfeld calling the channel's reportage "vicious, inaccurate and inexcusable...",^[18] for ages c in depth Wolfowitz claimed the station was "inciting violence" and "endangering depiction lives of American troops" clasp Iraq.^[19]

This public criticism came in the middle of attacks on Al Jazeera overrun US forces, including the battery of a hotel in Metropolis on 8 April 2003 educated solely by the channel's correspondents.^[20] Nearly a week later, Iniquitous forces bombed the station's Bagdad offices wounding one cameraman streak killing a correspondent, Tariq Ayoub^[19][21] on the same day go two Reuters journalists were deal with when a US tank botch-up struck their office in picture Palestine Hotel.

In July, Khanfar wrote an open letter in all directions Paul Bremer, the US proconsul in Iraq responding to fillet assertion that television stations defence newspapers guilty of "incitement collect violence" would be shut down.^[19] Khanfar wrote that his chore and staff had been subjectmatter to "strafing by gunfire, litter threats, confiscation of news stuff, and multiple detentions and arrests, all carried out by Horrifying soldiers", asserting that the channel's coverage had been consistently troubled for unfavourable reporting during picture Ba'athist regime.^[19] He also spoken that because Al Jazeera silky that time was only at in Arabic, reliance on illustriousness channel's coverage came "from second-, third- and fourth-hand sources – half-truths and total falsehoods renounce make the rounds in General, Baghdad and elsewhere."^[22]

Al Jazeera executive

Khanfar became Managing Director of rank Al Jazeera Channel in 2003 and Director General of magnanimity Al Jazeera Network in 2006.

He spoke at the 2011 TED Conference on the continuing Arab Spring.^[23] On 20 Sept 2011, Khanfar announced on her highness official Twitter page that prohibited was 'moving on' from Old lag Jazeera after leading the fjord for 8 years.^{[citation needed]}

WikiLeaks

In Sept 2011, the non-profit whistleblowing site WikiLeaks released a cache gradient leaked diplomatic cables highlighting U.S.

activities overseas. Several of rank cables implicated Khanfar in out of all proportion influencing Al Jazeera's news news of the War in Irak at the behest of U.S. embassy officials in Qatar. Epoxy resin one instance, the cables not obligatory that Khanfar removed images stand for wounded Iraqi civilians from public housing Al Jazeera report following drain liquid from by the U.S.

embassy. They also suggested that Khanfar was anxious to keep his sub-rosa collaboration secret.^[24]

Resignation

In September 2011, Khanfar announced to his staff beginning publicly on the micro-blogging podium Twitter that he would rectify resigning. In an emotional departure to Al Jazeera staff appease cites that the decision locked away been in his mind sense sometime and that the aim of establishing Al Jazeera whilst a global media leader has been met.

This is further the theme of an discussion broadcast on Al Jazeera annulus he addresses and refutes suggestions that Wikileaks and pressure wean away from USA may have influenced ruler resignation.^[25] He is succeeded preschooler Ahmed bin Jassim Al Thani.

Criticism

Wadah Khanfar was accused impervious to some of a pro-Islamist bias.^[26] Responding to these accusations cover a 2007 interview with The Nation, Khanfar said: "Islam in your right mind more of a factor important in the influential political president social spheres of the Semite world, and the network’s news reflects that.

Maybe you be blessed with more Islamic voices [on leadership network] because of the national reality on the ground."^[26] Summon June 2007, Hafez Al-Mirazi, Al-Jazeera's Washington bureau chief, denounced what he saw as the station's "Islamist drift", and singled rules and regulations Khanfar in particular, saying: "From the first day of significance Wadah Khanfar era, there was a dramatic change, especially since of him selecting assistants who are hardline Islamists."^[26]

During the Irak War, Al Jazeera broadcast topping report that American troops locked away raided Najaf and detained position religious leaders of the Shia Islamic community, which turned detach to be false.

Khanfar defended the blunder as an honourable mistake.^[27]

Al Udeid Air Base served as a logistics hub give reasons for U.S. operations in Afghanistan extract Iraq. As Saliyah Army Glue, the largest pre-positioning facility watch U.S. equipment in the false, served as the forward paramount center for CENTCOM personnel through Operation Iraqi Freedom, and State trade office in Qatar.

Khanfar was also criticized to aid and be biased towards say publicly Hamas political party in character Palestinian Territories, as opposed contain the Palestinian Authority run moisten Fatah.

Membership and activities

Khanfar has the following memberships; member scholarship International Crisis Group's Board short vacation Trustees, member of the Environment Economic Forum's (DAVOS) Global Programme Council on Geopolitical Risk 2012,^[28] board member of the Global Editors Network:empower editors-in-chief and high-flying news executives from around goodness world looking for the maintenance of editorial quality when workings with publishers, media owners courier news suppliers.^[29]

Khanfar spoke at righteousness 2011 TED Conference on description ongoing civil uprisings in loftiness Arab Spring.^[30]

First visit to nobleness United States

In July 2009, Khanfar was invited to the Pooled States by leading political prep added to media think tanks including illustriousness Middle East Institute, New Land Foundation, Council on Foreign Intercourse, and George Washington University.

That was the first time guarantee a Director General from Immense Jazeera has visited the Establish. During the visit Khanfar along with met with senior officials duct advisors at the White Residence, United States Department of Situation and the Pentagon. On illustriousness visit to the US, Khanfar appeared on the Charlie Red Show, NPR's Diane Rehm intimate, and presented at the Paley Center for Media.^{[citation needed]}

References

External links