Kobar
Encyclopedia
Kobar is a Palestinian
village in the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate
in the northern West Bank
, located 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) northwest of Ramallah
. The village is situated on a hill at an altitude of 640 meters above sea level and is along Highway 37. Its built-up area consists of about 1,300 dunam
s and a total area of approximately 9,700 dunams. In 1922, the population of the village was about 447 people, which rose 610 in 1945. According to Kobar's Village Council, it had a population of 4,500 residents in 2006, however, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics
give the figure 3,667 for 2007.
Kobar contains two secondary schools (one male and one female) and a co-ed primary school. Each school has roughly 500 students. The estimated number of university students about 200 studying in Bir Zeit University or elsewhere. There are three mosques: Masjid ash-Shuhada was built in 2005, Masjid Kobar al-Qadima and Masjid Abu Bakr al-Sadiq. Kobar has a sports and culture club which was established in 1973 and women and children's club since 2001. The village is governed by a village council of eleven members including the chairman of the council. The Barghouti
clan is the largest in the town and make-up about a third of the council. Marwan Barghouti
was born in Kobar.
Kobar gained considerable media attention when on February 22, 2008 the Palestinian National Authority
(PNA) tortured a pro-Hamas
imam, Majid Barghouti to death. The PNA claimed he died of a heart attack, but the Human Rights Watch
and Barghouti's family claim he died from being tortured.
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
village in the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate
Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate
The Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate is one of 16 Governorates of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. It covers a large part of the central West Bank, on the northern border of the Jerusalem Governorate. Its district capital or muhfaza is the city of al-Bireh.According to the Palestinian Central...
in the northern West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
, located 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) northwest of Ramallah
Ramallah
Ramallah is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank located 10 kilometers north of Jerusalem, adjacent to al-Bireh. It currently serves as the de facto administrative capital of the Palestinian National Authority...
. The village is situated on a hill at an altitude of 640 meters above sea level and is along Highway 37. Its built-up area consists of about 1,300 dunam
Dunam
A dunam or dönüm, dunum, donum, dynym, dulum was a non-SI unit of land area used in the Ottoman Empire and representing the amount of land that can be plowed in a day; its value varied from 900–2500 m²...
s and a total area of approximately 9,700 dunams. In 1922, the population of the village was about 447 people, which rose 610 in 1945. According to Kobar's Village Council, it had a population of 4,500 residents in 2006, however, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics
Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics
The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics is the statistical organization under the umbrella of the Palestinian Cabinet of the Palestinian National Authority....
give the figure 3,667 for 2007.
Kobar contains two secondary schools (one male and one female) and a co-ed primary school. Each school has roughly 500 students. The estimated number of university students about 200 studying in Bir Zeit University or elsewhere. There are three mosques: Masjid ash-Shuhada was built in 2005, Masjid Kobar al-Qadima and Masjid Abu Bakr al-Sadiq. Kobar has a sports and culture club which was established in 1973 and women and children's club since 2001. The village is governed by a village council of eleven members including the chairman of the council. The Barghouti
Barghouti
Barghouti is the last name of a prominent Palestinian family...
clan is the largest in the town and make-up about a third of the council. Marwan Barghouti
Marwan Barghouti
Marwan Hasib Ibrahim Barghouti is a Palestinian political figure. He is regarded as a leader of the First and Second Intifadas. Barghouti at one time supported the peace process, but later became disillusioned, and after 2000 went on to become the main figure behind the Al-Aqsa Intifada in the...
was born in Kobar.
Kobar gained considerable media attention when on February 22, 2008 the Palestinian National Authority
Palestinian National Authority
The Palestinian Authority is the administrative organization established to govern parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip...
(PNA) tortured a pro-Hamas
Hamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
imam, Majid Barghouti to death. The PNA claimed he died of a heart attack, but the Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
and Barghouti's family claim he died from being tortured.