George Sabra ( ar, جورج صبرة, born 11 July 1947) is a member of the

Syrian Democratic People's Party The Syrian Democratic People's Party ( ar-at, حزب الشعب الديمقراطي السوري, Hizb Al-Sha'ab Al-Dimuqratiy Al-Suriy) is a centre-left, democratic opposition party in Syria. It is a member of the Syrian opposition, a member of ...

. He was elected president of the

Syrian National Council The Syrian National Council (SNC; ar, المجلس الوطني السوري, ''al- Majlis al-Waṭanī as-Sūri'', french: Conseil national syrien), sometimes known as the Syrian National Transitional Council or the National Council of Syri ...

, the main opposition group in Syria, on 9 November 2012 and later was acting president of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces from 22 April – 6 July 2013. He resigned from the National Coalition on 25 April 2018. Sabra is a

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

Early life and education

Sabra was born to a Christian family in the city of Qatana in Rif Dimashq Governorate on 11 July 1947. He graduated with a geography degree from Damascus University in 1971 and a degree in

educational technology Educational technology (commonly abbreviated as edutech, or edtech) is the combined use of computer hardware, software, and educational theory and practice to facilitate learning. When referred to with its abbreviation, edtech, it often refer ...

systems from Indiana University in 1978. He since became a geography teacher, as well as a

screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...

. He is one of the writers for the Arabic version, ''

Iftah Ya Simsim ''Iftah Ya Simsim'' ( ar, افتح يا سمسم; meaning " Open Sesame") is the first international co-production of the American children's television series ''Sesame Street'' created in the Arabian world. It premiered in Kuwait on Septembe ...

'', of the children's show '' Sesame Street''.

Political career

Sabra has been politically active in the

Syrian opposition The Syrian opposition ( ar, المعارضة السورية ', ) is the political structure represented by the Syrian National Coalition and associated Syrian anti-Assad groups with certain territorial control as an alternative Syrian gover ...

movement since the 1970s. He joined the Syrian Communist Party (Political Bureau) in 1970 and was elected to its Central Committee in 1985. He was arrested in 1987 during one of many government crackdowns on the party and imprisoned for eight years. A few years after his release, in 2000, he was assigned to represent his party in the National Democratic Rally, a coalition of leftist parties that was originally formed in 1979, and he was subsequently elected to the rally's Central Committee. After the death of President

Hafez al-Assad Hafez al-Assad ', , (, 6 October 1930 – 10 June 2000) was a Syrian statesman and military officer who served as President of Syria from taking power in 1971 until his death in 2000. He was also Prime Minister of Syria from 1970 to 1 ...

, his son,

Bashar al-Assad Bashar Hafez al-Assad, ', Levantine pronunciation: ; (, born 11 September 1965) is a Syrian politician who is the 19th president of Syria, since 17 July 2000. In addition, he is the commander-in-chief of the Syrian Armed Forces and the ...

allowed a brief toleration of opposition that was known as the Damascus Spring. Sabra was one of 250 people who signed the

Damascus Declaration The Damascus Declaration ( ar, إعلان دمشق) was a statement of unity by Syrian opposition figures issued in October 2005. It criticized the Syrian government of the Assad dynasty as "authoritarian, totalitarian and cliquish," and called ...

in 2005, which called for peaceful reform in Syria. Sabra was arrested on 10 April 2011. He was arrested again on 20 July 2011 and was released two months later, having been held incommunicado. He left Syria in January 2012 to join the Paris-based

. Almost immediately he unsuccessfully challenged Burhan Ghalioun for the leadership of the SNC. He stood again in April, when he received 11 out of 40 votes against Ghalioun's 21 votes. Ghalioun Elected Chief of Syrian Opposition Coalition
'' Naharnet'', 15 May 2012 On 22 April 2013, president of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, Moaz al-Khatib resigned in protest of the lack of international aid to the Syrian opposition by the Friends of Syria Group. George Sabra was then appointed as Khatib's successor.Syria opposition names interim leader, www.aljazeera.com, retrieved: April 23, 2013
/ref> On 25 April 2018, George Sabra, along with former SNC vice president

Suheir Atassi Suheir al-Atassi ( ar, سهير الأتاسي, Suhair al-ʾAtāsī; born 1971) is the leading female secular activist in the Syrian opposition, and co-vice-president of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces betwe ...

and president Khaled Khoja, resigned from the Syrian National Coalition. Sabra said that the SNC is "no longer devoted to the principles of the revolution and the goals of the Syrians, [Syrian] people".

References

External links

Syrian National Council profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sabra, George 1947 births Damascus University alumni Indiana University alumni Living people People from Rif Dimashq Governorate Syrian National Council members Greek Orthodox Christians from Syria Arab Christians Former National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces members