Moaz al khatib biography of martin

Doha, Qatar – When it comes to mixing religion and politics, Sheikh Ahmad Moaz al-Khatib, the newly minted leader of Syria’s main opposition group, has a saying: “It is better for faith to reach someone in a position, than for [one of the] faithful to reach a position.” 

On Sunday, Khatib, an Imam, author and activist, was selected to the head the opposition Syrian National Coalition, a newly formed unity group aiming to topple President Bashar al-Assad.

The resignation of Moaz Alkhatib, a former imam of the Umayyad mosque in Damascus who had offered Mr Assad a negotiated exit, could make the West more cautious.

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Khatib originally studied geophysics.

While widely accused of lacking common political will and notorious understaffing, the LAS' development over the past decade is considerable.

Activist Moaz al Khatib said he was open to talks with representatives of the Syrian regime under certain conditions.

A former engineer who spent decades working as an Imam at mosques across Damascus, including the prestigious Umayyad Mosque, Khatib has called for the international community to support the anti-Assad revolution.

While other religious figures backed Assad’s government, Khatib was one of the first to announce his support for the revolution.

“It’s like a dose of optimism was injected into Syrians after he was announced as the head of the Syrian National Coalition,” says Maha, an opposition