Birth: 1/1/1955 Death:NULL/NULL/NULL
Born in Thinnabeh, Tulkarem, in 1955; received his primary and secondary education in Tulkarem; became a Fateh member in 1974; was a Fateh volunteer in Lebanon in 1976; joined the Fateh splinter Fateh Revolutionary Council (led by Sabri Al-Banna) from 1976 to 1990; studied Medicine at King Edward College, Lahore University, Pakistan, graduating in 1980; continued at the Trinity College, graduating with an MD in Obstetrics and Gynecology in 1983; was imprisoned in Jordan for his political involvement between 1983 and 1986; returned to Palestine and was soon repeatedly imprisoned by Israeli authorities for his political activism between 1988-1990; worked as a physician until he was elected PLC member (independent) for the Tulkarem constituency in the Jan. 1996 elections; served as Head of the PLC’s Monitoring and Human Rights Committee from 2000-01 and in 2004; is one of the nine members of the “Democratic Bloc” opposition group in the PLC; anti-corruption advocate; deputy speaker of the PLC since March 2004; in June 2004 was chosen Chairman of a committee to investigate the scandal of the import of Egyptian cement used to build the Israeli separation wall; considered running for the PA Presidential elections (independent) following the passing away of Yasser Arafat but withdrew his candidacy on 9 Dec. 2004, citing unacceptable Israeli restrictions on his movement, his inability to obtain a permit to campaign in the Gaza Strip, and the exclusion of Diaspora Palestinians from the vote as main reasons; was acting PLC Speaker in the period between Arafat’s death (when PLC Speaker Rawhi Fattouh became interim PA Pres.) and the Jan. 2005 elections; was re-elected PLC member (Independent, Tulkarem district) in the 2006 elections; was elected as second deputy PLC speaker in March 2006.
