From Hikmet: "BBC says () regarding
opposition leader Ahmad Mu'az Al Khatib:
"
He is a former imam of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus and a respected
figure within Syria."
...
"Mr
Khatib is not allied to any political party and is known as a moderate
who has called for political pluralism and strongly opposes sectarian
divisions among Syrians."
...
And
in a speech last month published on Darbuna.com, he was critical of the role
Islamist militants had played as the violence has escalated, saying their
prominence had allowed Western countries to portray the uprising as
"extremist".
But
Mr Khatib also insisted that the revolution remained peaceful.
"The
arrogant regime left Syrian people with no choice but to take up arms as Syrians
were compelled to do so in order to defend their religion, families and
properties." (in a speech just one month before elected/selected/appointed as
opposition leader by USA)
Shortly
before he was elected head of the National Coalition, Mr Khatib circulated an
open letter in which he argued that the actions of rebel fighters, some of whom
have been accused of atrocities, should not be equated with those of the
security forces under President Assad and his father.
"We
are required to act peacefully and justly. But... we cannot employ Platonic
idealism to judge those who risk their lives against a barbaric campaign,"
he warned."
