"We seek to liberate the Palestinian people and establish a democratic state in Palestine where Muslims, Christians, and Jews can live together."
This statement was made by Dr. Hanna Mikhail (Abo Omar), a leader in the Fatah movement, in front of a group of students discussing the Palestinian cause in London in 1970.
Dr. Hanna disappeared along with a group of militants in 1976 while they were traveling from Beirut to Tripoli by sea, and their fate remains unknown to this day.
Dr. Hanna earned a Ph.D. in political science from Harvard University and taught at Princeton and Washington universities before joining the Palestinian revolution, where he supervised the organization of the central media apparatus in Fatah.
Brief Biography:
Dr. Hanna Mikhail "Abo Omar"
Dr. Hanna Mikhail was born on October 24, 1935, in the city of Ramallah.
He completed his education at the Friends School and received a scholarship in 1952 from Haverford College in the United States, where he studied chemistry. He later pursued his postgraduate studies at Harvard University, earning a Ph.D. in political science. His doctoral dissertation was on "Al-Mawardi: The Political Mentality in Islam."
Dr. Hanna began teaching political science at Princeton University before moving to the University of Washington, where he became a distinguished professor who influenced many of his students, helping them understand Arab issues and the Palestinian cause.
In 1969, Hanna left the United States and went to Jordan to join the Palestinian revolution. He became known by his revolutionary name, Abu Omar. He oversaw the organization of the central media apparatus in Jordan and monitored external communications with personalities and forces in Western Europe. He played a significant role in establishing friendship committees, a network of communications, and organizing seminars and festivals. Abu Omar was also actively involved in the youth education program and in the "political authorization" apparatus responsible for mobilizing and educating militants.
Abu Omar became a member of the jury in the "Second International Russell Tribunal on Latin America," being the only Arab member from 1971 to 1976.
In 1971, Abu Omar moved to Beirut and worked at the "Palestinian Research Center" and in the editorial board of "Palestinian Affairs." He also joined the management board of the "Palestinian Planning Center" and left numerous writings about revolutionary work and the Palestinian cause.
Abu Omar married the activist Jihan Helw in 1972.
Abu Omar prioritized organizational and mobilization work within the occupied territories. He became a member of the Lebanon Leadership Committee in 1973, responsible for women and student affairs.
During the peak of the Lebanese Civil War in July 20, 1976, the Palestinian resistance was shaken by the news of Abu Omar's disappearance along with nine other resistance cadres and two sailors. Unfortunately, despite obtaining important information through efforts to learn about their fate, it did not lead to positive results.
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