Najah Al-Attar ( ar, نجاح العطار; born 10 January 1933) is the

Vice President of Syria The Vice President of Syria ( ar, نائب رئيس سوريا) is a political position in Syria. The Constitution states that in the case of the president's temporary disablement, the vice president may become acting president. Multiple people ...

, since 2006. She is the first

Arab woman The roles of women in the Arab world have changed throughout history, as the culture and society in which they live has undergone significant transformations. Historically, as well as presently, the situation of women differs greatly between A ...

to have held the post. Previously she was Minister of Culture from 1976 to 2000.

Early life and education

Attar was born on 10 January 1933 and raised in

Damascus )), is an adjective which means "spacious". , motto = , image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg , image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg , seal_type = Seal , map_caption = , ...

as a member of a Sunni Muslim family.Syria
''Country Studies'' Her father was among the first

Arab nationalist Arab nationalism ( ar, القومية العربية, al-Qawmīya al-ʿArabīya) is a nationalist ideology that asserts the Arabs are a nation and promotes the unity of Arab people, celebrating the glories of Arab civilization, the language an ...

leaders who took part in the 1925-1927 Syrian revolt against the French Mandate of Syria. She studied at the

University of Damascus The University of Damascus ( ar, جَامِعَةُ دِمَشْقَ, ''Jāmi‘atu Dimashq'') is the largest and oldest university in Syria, located in the capital Damascus and has campuses in other Syrian cities. It was founded in 1923 through ...

, graduating in 1954, and obtained a PhD in

Arabic literature Arabic literature ( ar, الأدب العربي / ALA-LC: ''al-Adab al-‘Arabī'') is the writing, both as prose and poetry, produced by writers in the Arabic language. The Arabic word used for literature is '' Adab'', which is derived from ...

from the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

in 1958. She also received a number of certificates then in

international relations International relations (IR), sometimes referred to as international studies and international affairs, is the scientific study of interactions between sovereign states. In a broader sense, it concerns all activities between states—such as ...

and in

literary Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...

and

art criticism Art criticism is the discussion or evaluation of visual art. Art critics usually criticize art in the context of aesthetics or the theory of beauty. A goal of art criticism is the pursuit of a rational basis for art appreciation but it is quest ...

Career

Attar is an accomplished

translator Translation is the communication of the Meaning (linguistic), meaning of a #Source and target languages, source-language text by means of an Dynamic and formal equivalence, equivalent #Source and target languages, target-language text. The ...

and started teaching in high schools within Damascus after her return from Scotland, then worked in the Department of Translation of the Syrian Ministry of Culture. In 1976, she was appointed as Minister of Culture, serving in that post until 2000. On 23 March 2006, she was appointed as Vice President.

Political alignment

Although Attar is Vice President and served as a long-term minister in Syria, a state largely controlled by the secular Ba'ath Party, her brother,

Issam al-Attar Issam al-Attar ( ar, عصام العطار) is a former Muslim Brotherhood leader, a symbol of resistance to Hafez al-Assad, and in exile in Aachen, Germany since the 1970s. He was born in 1927 in Syria. He was the second Supreme Guide of the ...

, is the leader of the Damascus faction of the

Syrian Muslim Brotherhood The Muslim Brotherhood of Syria ( ar, الإخوان المسلمون في سوريا, translit=al-Ikhwān al-Muslimūn fī Sūrīya) is a Syrian branch of the Sunni Islamist Muslim Brotherhood organization. Its objective is the transformatio ...

and has lived in exile in Aachen, West Germany since the 1970s, which saw a government persecution of various Islamist political movements.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Attar, Najah Al 1933 births Living people Damascus University alumni Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Vice presidents of Syria Syrian ministers of culture Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Syria Region politicians Syrian Sunni Muslims Women government ministers of Syria 20th-century Syrian women politicians 20th-century Syrian politicians 21st-century Syrian women politicians 21st-century Syrian politicians Women vice presidents