Osama Saeed
Encyclopedia
Osama Saeed is the head of international and media relations at the Al Jazeera
satellite network. He is also a Scottish
activist and commentator.
. He is a prominent media figure in Scotland
and has been listed as one of country’s Top 100 thinkers and opinion formers by the Scotsman
newspaper, one of the country’s “Brightest and Best” by the Sunday Herald
, and has been described as "Scotland’s most influential Muslim
" by the Sunday Times. The Evening Times referred to him in 2010 as one of the SNP
’s "bright rising stars". His blog
, "Rolled up Trousers" was named top Scottish political blog in 2007. He is also an alumnus of the US State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program
. He was formerly employed as an adviser by Scotland's current First Minister Alex Salmond
in the House of Commons.
, speaking at the antiwar demonstration on the eve of the Iraq war on 15 February 2003
. He is one of the American Society for Muslim Advancement’s ‘Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow’ and was formerly a spokesman for the Muslim Association of Britain
in Scotland. He has supported faith schools including Islamic schools. He wrote a 2005 article in The Guardian
suggesting that the restoration of a Caliphate
could be based on democracy
and human rights
in response to comments by prime minister Tony Blair
saying that it was the preserve of Al Qaeda.
After the 2007 Glasgow International Airport attack
, Saeed organised what is considered to be the first ever Muslim-organised demonstration against Al-Qaeda
terrorism in the world. In March 2008, he called for legislation to be enacted against forced marriage
s, with the Scottish Government announcing a consultation with a view to legislation on the issue a few months later.
In 2009, Saeed organised the response to the far-right Scottish Defence League holding protests in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Along with lawyer Aamer Anwar
, he brought together a broad coalition called Scotland United to stage a celebration of multiculturalism including the STUC
, Church of Scotland
, Equality and Human Rights Commission, all the major political parties and many others. He also organised a response to the attack by two Muslims youths on an Edinburgh synagogue by offering to protect the building.
In the 2010 General Election he stood as the SNP candidate
for Glasgow Central
. He finished in second place, improving the party’s third place from the previous election and increasing their share of the vote by 2.7%. His campaign concentrated on opposing public spending cuts proposed by the Conservative and Labour parties, connecting Scotland to the high speed rail
network to London and Europe, and attracted high profile endorsements.
He has argued that an independent Scottish foreign policy based on peace-building would improve the country’s visibility across the world and help boost trade. He has also suggested that Scotland hold a 'Tartan Week' in the Middle East in order to increase trade and investment.
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera is an independent broadcaster owned by the state of Qatar through the Qatar Media Corporation and headquartered in Doha, Qatar...
satellite network. He is also a Scottish
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
activist and commentator.
Background
Saeed was born and brought up in GlasgowGlasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
. He is a prominent media figure in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and has been listed as one of country’s Top 100 thinkers and opinion formers by the Scotsman
Scotsman
Scotsman may mean:* a man from Scotland, in common parlance - see also Scottish people.* No true Scotsman, a common logical fallacy.*The Scotsman, a national newspaper based in Edinburgh, Scotland....
newspaper, one of the country’s “Brightest and Best” by the Sunday Herald
Sunday Herald
The Sunday Herald is a Scottish Sunday newspaper launched on 7 February 1999. The ABC audited circulation in April 2011 showed sales of 31,123.From the start it has combined a centre-left stance with support for Scottish devolution...
, and has been described as "Scotland’s most influential Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
" by the Sunday Times. The Evening Times referred to him in 2010 as one of the SNP
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
’s "bright rising stars". His blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
, "Rolled up Trousers" was named top Scottish political blog in 2007. He is also an alumnus of the US State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program
International Visitor Leadership Program
The International Visitor Leadership Program is a professional exchange program funded by the U.S. Department of State Office of International Visitors in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The purpose of the program is to help build mutual understanding between citizens of the U.S....
. He was formerly employed as an adviser by Scotland's current First Minister Alex Salmond
Alex Salmond
Alexander Elliot Anderson "Alex" Salmond MSP is a Scottish politician and current First Minister of Scotland. He became Scotland's fourth First Minister in May 2007. He is the Leader of the Scottish National Party , having served as Member of the Scottish Parliament for Gordon...
in the House of Commons.
Views and activities
Osama had an important role in the Stop the War CoalitionStop the War Coalition
The Stop the War Coalition is a United Kingdom group set up on 21 September 2001 that campaigns against what it believes are unjust wars....
, speaking at the antiwar demonstration on the eve of the Iraq war on 15 February 2003
February 15, 2003 anti-war protest
The February 15, 2003 anti-war protest was a coordinated day of protests across the world expressing opposition to the then-imminent Iraq War. It was part of a series of protests and political events that had begun in 2002 and continued as the war took place....
. He is one of the American Society for Muslim Advancement’s ‘Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow’ and was formerly a spokesman for the Muslim Association of Britain
Muslim Association of Britain
The Muslim Association of Britain is an Islamic organisation in the United Kingdom established in 1997.-Anti-war activities:Along with Stop the War Coalition and Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, it has co-sponsored various demonstrations against the 2003 invasion and occupation of Iraq...
in Scotland. He has supported faith schools including Islamic schools. He wrote a 2005 article in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
suggesting that the restoration of a Caliphate
Caliphate
The term caliphate, "dominion of a caliph " , refers to the first system of government established in Islam and represented the political unity of the Muslim Ummah...
could be based on democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
and human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
in response to comments by prime minister Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
saying that it was the preserve of Al Qaeda.
After the 2007 Glasgow International Airport attack
2007 Glasgow International Airport attack
The 2007 Glasgow International Airport attack was a terrorist attack which occurred on Saturday 30 June 2007, at 15:11 BST, when a dark green Jeep Cherokee loaded with propane canisters was driven into the glass doors of the Glasgow International Airport terminal and set ablaze...
, Saeed organised what is considered to be the first ever Muslim-organised demonstration against Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
terrorism in the world. In March 2008, he called for legislation to be enacted against forced marriage
Forced marriage
Forced marriage is a term used to describe a marriage in which one or both of the parties is married without his or her consent or against his or her will...
s, with the Scottish Government announcing a consultation with a view to legislation on the issue a few months later.
In 2009, Saeed organised the response to the far-right Scottish Defence League holding protests in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Along with lawyer Aamer Anwar
Aamer Anwar
Aamer Anwar is a Scottish lawyer of Pakistani background. He is noted for his left-wing political views and his support for Stop the War Coalition and the campaigns against the 31st G8 summit and Dungavel Detention Centre for failed Asylum seekers....
, he brought together a broad coalition called Scotland United to stage a celebration of multiculturalism including the STUC
Scottish Trades Union Congress
The Scottish Trades Union Congress is the co-ordinating body of trade unions, and local Trades Councils, in Scotland. With 39 affiliated unions as of 2007, the STUC represents around 630,000 trade unionists....
, Church of Scotland
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
, Equality and Human Rights Commission, all the major political parties and many others. He also organised a response to the attack by two Muslims youths on an Edinburgh synagogue by offering to protect the building.
In the 2010 General Election he stood as the SNP candidate
Prospective parliamentary candidate
Prospective parliamentary candidate is a term used in British politics to refer to candidates selected by political parties to fight individual constituencies in advance of a general election. This terminology was motivated by the strict limits on the amount of expenses incurred by an actual...
for Glasgow Central
Glasgow Central (UK Parliament constituency)
Glasgow Central is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . In its current form, the constituency was first used in the general election of 2005, but there was also a Glasgow Central constituency from 1885 to 1997.- Boundaries :The Redistribution of Seats Act...
. He finished in second place, improving the party’s third place from the previous election and increasing their share of the vote by 2.7%. His campaign concentrated on opposing public spending cuts proposed by the Conservative and Labour parties, connecting Scotland to the high speed rail
High-speed rail in the United Kingdom
The international definition of high-speed rail embraces new lines with a top speed of at least and existing lines with a top speed of around...
network to London and Europe, and attracted high profile endorsements.
He has argued that an independent Scottish foreign policy based on peace-building would improve the country’s visibility across the world and help boost trade. He has also suggested that Scotland hold a 'Tartan Week' in the Middle East in order to increase trade and investment.
External links
- Rolled-up Trousers - Osama Saeed's weblog
- Osama Saeed on Twitter
- Osama Saeed on Facebook
- Scottish-Islamic Foundation
- Osama Saeed — a reluctant fundamentalist? - Article by The TimesThe TimesThe Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, June 22, 2008 - Commentry by Open Democracy's Tom Gallagher
- American Society for Muslim Advancement