Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, January/February 2016, pp. 72
Obituaries
Compiled by Kevin A. Davis
Sophie el Goulli, 84, a Tunisian writer and art historian, died Oct. 10 in Tunis. Born in Sousse, Tunisia, she studied art history at the Sorbonne in Paris. She taught art history at the University of Tunis, established the Tunisian film library, and won numerous awards and honors for her work, including the Prix national de la Critique (National Prize for Criticism) in 1992. She also published many novels and collections of poetry, including Les mystères de Tunis (“The Mysteries of Tunis”), her most famous novel.
Ken Taylor, 81, a Canadian diplomat who hid U.S. officials in Tehran during the 1979 Iran Hostage Crisis, died Oct. 15 of colon cancer in New York. Born in Calgary, he entered the Canadian Foreign Service after receiving an M.A. in business administration from UC Berkeley. He served in Pakistan and London before being assigned to Tehran as Canada’s ambassador to Iran. In 1979, Taylor came to the aid of six U.S. officials in Tehran and harbored them for 79 days before they were evacuated by the CIA. In 2012, his character was portrayed in the popular film “Argo,” which was criticized for minimizing Taylor’s role in the rescue operation while emphasizing the bravery of the CIA agents.
Gamal al-Ghitani, 70, an Egyptian editor and journalist, died Oct. 18 in Cairo of heart and respiratory problems. He was born in Upper Egypt in 1945 but raised predominately in Cairo, and began writing at a very young age. In 1966 he was arrested for criticism of then-President Gamal Abdul Nasser. While working as a journalist for Akhbar El Youm, he continued to write historical fiction. His most famous novel was Zayni Barakat, a scathing critique of authoritarianism. He was the recipient of numerous international literary prizes and in 2013 was a visiting professor at the University of Chicago. Al-Ghitani was known for his outspoken support of artistic freedom and criticism of consecutive Egyptian regimes, as well as of the Muslim Brotherhood. (His novel The Zafarani Files is available from AET’s Middle East Books and More.)
Hashem Azzeh, 54, a Palestinian doctor and peace activist, was killed on Oct. 21 by the IDF in Hebron after excessive tear gas inhalation. He had previously worked with the U.N., but was forced to quit after the IDF closed off Hebron’s main Shuhada Street, where he lived. A respected community leader in Hebron and a dedicated activist for the liberation of Palestinians, Dr. Azzeh was known for founding a community health clinic and assisting displaced Palestinians with housing.
Mohammad Daud Sultanzoy, 64, an Afghan politician, was assassinated by Taliban fighters on Oct. 22 on a highway outside of Ghazni. Born in 1952 in Kabul, he became a pilot for United Airlines and also fought against the Soviet Union in the 1980s. After the 2001 U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, he returned to his homeland and entered politics. He served on the Grand Assembly and as a member of parliament, where he was known for his efforts to include women in the voting process. He ran for president of Afghanistan in 2014 and also hosted a TV talk show.
Guiseppe Nazzaro, 77, a bishop of the Apostolic Vicariate of Aleppo and Custodian of the Holy Land, died Oct. 26 of unknown causes in Avellino, Italy. He was born in Italy but, after enrolling in the Franciscan College of the Holy Land in Rome, continued his theological education in Bethlehem and Jerusalem. He then spent a number of years in Alexandria and Cairo, Egypt, serving as priest, pastor and bishop for various congregations. From 1986 to 1992, he served as secretary of the Custody of the Holy Land in Jerusalem and was elected Custodian of the Holy Land in 1992. In 2002, he was appointed by Pope John Paul II as Vicar Apostolic of Aleppo, with his ordination occurring at a special ceremony at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. He left Syria in 2013 after the political situation became too violent for him to remain.
Abd Al-Karim Al-Iryani, 81, a Yemeni politician, died Nov. 8 in Frankfurt. Throughout Yemen’s turbulent recent political history, he was considered by most to be a reasonable and reliable voice. He became most well-known in the international media in 2011, when he became one of the chief brokers of the peace deal that saw former President Ali Abdullah Saleh cede power. Al-Iryani was born in Ibb, in central Yemen, to a prominent family, his uncle serving as president of the Yemen Arab Republic from 1967 to 1974. Al-Iryani studied in Texas, Georgia, and at Yale, where he completed his Ph.D. in biochemical genetics. He then returned to Yemen to enter politics and held countless high positions, including prime minister.
Dr. Ahmad Sakr died Nov. 23 in Southern California of unknown causes. Born in Lebanon, he studied at the American University of Beirut before coming to the United States to complete his Ph.D. at the University of Illinois. He served as president and founder of the Muslim Students' Association, as well of as the World Council of Mosques. He also was the Muslim World League’s first representative to the United Nations. Throughout his long career, Dr. Sakr taught at many different universities, and in 1973 was named an Outstanding Educator of America. He also served as acting president of the American Islamic College in Chicago in 1976-77. The author of more than 50 books, he was a frequent media spokesperson for the Muslim community.
Marcus Klingberg, 97, an Israeli scientist, died Nov. 30 in Paris of unknown causes. As a spy for the U.S.S.R. he revealed many of Israel’s scientific secrets. Born in Warsaw, he fled Poland in 1939 and sought refuge in Russia, where he joined the Red Army as a medical officer. After the war ended, he returned to Poland. In 1948, Klingberg immigrated to the new state of Israel for religious reasons. There he served in the IDF Medical Corps, working his way up the ranks. In 1957 he joined the top-secret Israel Institute for Biological Research, where he began spying for the Soviet Union. For more than 20 years he passed on information on Israel's chemical and biological warfare programs. In 1982, a captured Soviet spy gave Mossad his name and, under physical coercion, Klingberg confessed to being a spy. He was arrested and secretly tried and sentenced to 20 years in prison, although he was moved to house arrest in 1998 for health reasons. After his release in 2003, he moved to Paris to be near his family. He is considered by many to be the spy who damaged Israel the most.
