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.

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