Noura Aljizawi
Noura Aljizawi (formally Noura Al-Ameer al-Jizawi; Arabic: نورا الجيزاوي) is a Toronto-based academic, activist, spokesperson, former refugee, and Syrian political opposition leader.[1][2]
Early life
[edit]At the age of six, Aljizawi was obliged by the government of Syria to wear military-style uniforms. She noticed at school how many of her classmates' fathers had disappeared, later realizing they were detained and executed political prisoners.[3]
Life in Syria
[edit]
In Damascus, Aljizawi studied for her master’s degree in comparative literature and at the same time spoke out about the leadership of Syrian President Assad and organized demonstrations.[4] She wrote a blog critical of the President.[3][4]
In 2011 Aljizawi led antigovernmental protests in Homs.[5]
Her political activities resulted in her being arrested by the Damascus (215th) branch of Military Intelligence Directorate on 28 March 2012.[6] Held in various prisons, she was tortured with electricity and interrogated for 12 hours per day.[1][4][3][7] While under arrest she was denied access to a lawyer and contact with her family.[6] Her captors threatened to harm her friends and family.[7] Her laptop, which contained her evidence of graduation, was confiscated and her graduation and attendance records were deleted from university records by the Syrian state.[3]
After an international campaign led by Reporters without Borders,[8][9] she was released from jail in 2012 and she fled to Turkey.[3]
Life in Turkey
[edit]In 2014, Aljizawi was elected as the vice-president of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces.[4][3] In her role she led negotiation attempts, trying to find peace and justice.[3]
In 2016, her email account was subjected to a hacking attempt that was thwarted by the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab.[4][10]
She resigned from her role later in 2016, after concluding that negotiations were hopeless.[3]
Life in Canada
[edit]In 2017, Aljizawi was accepted to the University of Toronto scholars-at-risk program and relocated to Canada.[4][1] She studied for a Masters in Global Affairs at the Munk School of Global Affairs.[1] Her studied focus on Guinea’s malaria treatment and eradication program.[4]
In February 2018, Aljizawi traveled to Geneva to give evidence to the United Nations Human Rights Council about the situation in Syria.[1][2]
In 2021 Aljizawi was thanked in the International Journal of Communication for her support with documenting online misinformation.[11]
Family life
[edit]Aljizawi lives with her husband and they have one daughter born in 2015.[1][5]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f Gibson, Victoria (2018-03-07). "Syrian revolutionary studies at U of T, speaks out for those left behind". The Toronto Star. ISSN 0319-0781. Retrieved 2021-12-17.
- ^ a b "Syria a 'torture-chamber', U.N. says in call to free detainees". Reuters. 2017-03-14. Retrieved 2021-12-17.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "From Syrian opposition leader to master's student in Canada". Times Higher Education (THE). 2017-11-01. Retrieved 2021-12-17.
- ^ a b c d e f g "'You cannot defeat me': U of T grad Noura Al-Jizawi, a leader of the Syrian uprising, takes on a new challenge". University of Toronto News. Retrieved 2021-12-17.
- ^ a b Adams, Simon. Mass Atrocities, the Responsibility to Protect and the Future of Human Rights: ‘If Not Now, When?’. N.p.: Taylor & Francis, 2021.
- ^ a b Stoter, Brenda. "Torture in Syria". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2021-12-17.
- ^ a b Mak, Tim (2015-03-30). "Imprisoned and Tortured in Syria—and Then Rejected by Washington". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2021-12-17.
- ^ "Lives of citizen journalist and activist in danger" (PDF). Reporters without Borders. 3 April 2012.
- ^ "Lives of citizen journalist and activist in danger | Reporters without borders". RSF. 2012-04-03. Retrieved 2021-12-17.
- ^ "Researchers Uncover New Cyber-Espionage Operation Targeting the Syrian Opposition". Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. 2016-08-02. Retrieved 2021-12-17.
- ^ Abrahams, Alexei; Leber, Andrew (2021-02-16). "Comparative Approaches to Mis/Disinformation| Electronic Armies or Cyber Knights? The Sources of Pro-Authoritarian Discourse on Middle East Twitter". International Journal of Communication. 15: 27. ISSN 1932-8036.