User:Christianjmay

Ribal Al-Assad (born 4 June 1975) is the Founder and Director of the Organisation for Democracy and Freedom in Syria. He is an international campaigner for democracy, freedom and human rights. Ribal, 35, was born in Syria and has lived in the West since being exiled from his country as a child. He brings new ideas and perspectives to campaigning for democracy and freedom in Syria and the Middle East and is a regular speaker on political and human rights platforms. Ribal regularly interacts with politicians, civil servants, academics, journalists, think tanks, pro-democracy, and human rights groups all around the world.

Ribal is Chairman of Iman, which promotes interfaith dialogue and relations between Muslims, Jews and Christians around the globe. Over the last few years Ribal has successfully been involved in helping to tackle inter-religious and intra-religious conflict and violence in Lebanon. One of his notable achievements was to help facilitate a rapprochement between the Alawite and the Sunni Muslims in North Lebanon.

Ribal is also Chairman of the Arab News Network (ANN) satellite television channel, which broadcasts throughout Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa and promotes democracy, freedom and peace in the Middle East.

Ribal studied Politics at Boston University. He is fluent in Arabic, English, French and Spanish. Ribal is a keen sportsman with a special interest in Tai boxing, Shaolin kung-fu, swimming and tennis. Currently living in London, he is married and has a baby son.