وليد أبوظهر walid abou zahr

Walid Abou Zahr was a Lebanese publisher and defender of the pan-Arab unity. He led the family owned newspaper Al Moharrer (The Editor) until forced to exile from his beloved country. He then settled in Paris where he founded Al Watan Al Arabi in 1976 (The Arab Homeland) the leading Arabic political weekly magazine. For over three decades, he oversaw its most famous period during the Arab world’s most critical era and tumultuous times; he went on launching other magazines as well. A courageous writer and publisher, he opposed the Israeli and Syrian invasions of Lebanon as well as the Iranian interference in Arab affairs. Through his career, Abou Zahr faced several attempts on his life and financial conspiracies to silence his independent voice. Despite the dangers, the plots, the wars he remained robust and a champion of Arab causes until his passing away in 2004.