Tareq Al-Suwaidan
Tareq Mohammad Al-Suwaidan (born November 23, 1953 in Kuwait) is a Kuwaiti businessman, entrepreneur, TV personality and Islamic thinker.
Biographical Details
Al-Suwaidan was trained in the classical Islamic sciences in his youth and spent many years of his life living and studying in the United States, having received a B.S. in petroleum and natural gas engineering from Penn State University and an M.Sc. and Ph.D. in petroleum engineering from the University of Tulsa.[1] He currently resides in Kuwait with his wife and six children.
Media & Management
Al-Suwaidan is a popular and charismatic TV personality, with TV shows ranking among the highest in ratings on Middle East satellite TV channels such as MBC, Abu Dhabi TV, Orbit, Dream, Iqra and Al-Resalah TV.[2] An estimated 10 million viewers tune in daily to his show on MBC annually in Ramadan. He has also been featured and interviewed on major networks like CNN, BBC, CBS and others.
Al-Suwaidan is the General Manager of al-Resalah TV which an Arab newspaper has reported in 2006 was the brainchild of Saudi multi-billionaire Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal and that the Supreme Advisory Committee of the new channel included important Saudi Islamist leaders such as Abdullah ibn Sulaiman Al-Manai, Abdullah Omar Naseef, and Hamed Al-Refaie.[3] Al-Suwaidan is quoted by the Christian Science Monitor as defining the goals of the new, Islamic channel as being "in clash with terrorist ideas… We are going head to head" and "In our understanding, Islamic media is any clean media..."[4] MEMRI, an organization often critical of Islamic media, has accused al-Reslah of airing anti-Western, anti-Semitic, and pro- Al Qaida content.[5]
Al-Suwaidan is a management, leadership and strategic planning consultant in the Middle East and is consulted by regional governmental and prominent private sector organizations through his firm Gulf Innovation Consultancy and Training, one of his group of companies in the Gulf Innovation Group where he is the CEO.[6] He is also the chairman of the AWARE (Advocates for Western-Arab Relations & Exchange) center in Kuwait.
Islamic Ideology
Al-Suwaidan is one of the leaders and ideologues of the Islamic Reform Society in Kuwait which is close to the Muslim Brotherhood.[7][8] He is known for his relatively liberal Islamist views and his thought is closest to that of Islamic modernists Muhammad 'Abduh and Rashid Rida.[9] Within the spectrum of Islamist thought, he holds pro-ijtihad and pro-democratic viewpoints and has supported the rights of women to vote and to hold the highest of political positions.[10].
Criticism and Allegations
Al-Suwaidan has condemned the actions of terrorists and suicide bombers on several occasions, a stance which he has repeated in a recent interview, where he took a harsh position against the acts of 9/11.[11]He has also called for Jihad to liberate Palestine at other times, saying that the Jews would meet their end at our hands..[12]
A U.S. federal law enforcement agent has sworn an affadavit testifying that Al-Suwaidan was a business parter with Yassin Al-Qadi, listed as a Specially Designated Terrorist SDGT by the U.S. government, and that their company had a consulting contract with BMI, a New Jersey based Islamic investment bank catering to ranking members of the Muslim Brotherhood, including Hamas and al Qaeda supporters.[13] Al-Suwaidan was not charged in any associated prosecutions.
In May 2007, Al-Suwaidan was listed by federal prosecutors in a group of U.S Muslim Brotherhood members named as Unindicted Co-Conspirators in the terrorism financing case against the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, alleged to have provide funds for Hamas.[14]
Al-Suwaidan has been criticised by Muslim conservatives for his liberal interpretations of Islam with regards to democracy, women's rights and freedom of religion.[15]
Educational Initiatives
Al-Suwaidan founded the American Creativity Academy in Kuwait, a private institution whose website states that it offers an American college-preparatory education within the context of Islamic values.
His thought is incorporated into the curriculum used at the Al-Ruwad leadership training center, an NGO in Kuwait where a group of his own students are trained in their respective fields, ranging from economics/finance and politics/media to Islamic studies and philosophy.
Books and Audio Productions
Dr. Al-Suwaidan is the author of several best-selling books and spoken word audio tape albums. His album, ‘Qasas al Anbiyaa’ (Lives of the Prophets) is the highest selling Islamic album in the world with well over 2 million copies sold. Additionally, over 1.2 million listeners have downloaded his lectures on the popular Islamic broadcast website "Islamway".[16]
References
- ^ http://www.suwaidan.com/cv.jsp
- ^ ref needed
- ^ [http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=0&article=78825
- ^ The Christian Science Monitor, May 2, 2006: The new Muslim TV: media-savvy, modern, and moderate: Ursula Lindsey
- ^ http://www.nysun.com/article/34836
- ^ http://www.gulfinnovation.com/index.jsp?inc=2&cid=1&lang=en
- ^ http://www.carnegieendowment.org/files/cp79_brown_kuwait_final.pdf
- ^ http://www.ikhwanweb.com/Home.asp?zPage=Systems&System=PressR&Press=Show&Lang=E&ID=4701
- ^ ref needed
- ^ Al-Suwaidan on Tim Sebastian's the Doha Debates arguing pro the motion 'This House believes that Arab women should have full equality with men':
- ^ http://www.tbsjournal.com/SuwaidanInterview.html
- ^ IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA Alexandria Division UNITED STATES OF AMERICA )) SOLIMAN S. BIHEIRI ) -v- ) Case No. 03-365-A) SUPPLEMENTAL DECLARATION IN SUPPORT OF PRE-TRIAL DETENTION
- ^ IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA Alexandria Division UNITED STATES OF AMERICA )) SOLIMAN S. BIHEIRI ) -v- ) Case No. 03-365-A) SUPPLEMENTAL DECLARATION IN SUPPORT OF PRE-TRIAL DETENTION
- ^ http://www.pipelinenews.org/images/2007-05-29-US%20v%20HLF-ListCoConspirators.pdf
- ^ http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0502/p01s04-wome.html
- ^ http://www.islamway.com/?iw_s=Scholar&iw_a=lessons&scholar_id=69
External links
Dr. Tareq Al-Suwaidan's Official Website (Arabic only) [1]
Al-Resalah Satellite TV channel (Arabic only) [2]