MUNIF, Abdelrahman 1933-2004

OBITUARY NOTICE—

See index for CA sketch: Born May 29, 1933, in Amman, Jordan; died of kidney failure and heart ailments January 24, 2004, in Damascus, Syria. Author. An Arab nationalist and former Ba'ath Party member who was also pro-democracy and pro women's rights, Munif was most famous for his "Cities of Salt" novels that denounced the political leaders and rich oil magnates who rule the Middle East. Born to an Iraqi mother and Saudi father in Jordan at the time of the Ottoman Empire's collapse, Munif saw the culture of his homeland radically transformed from a nomadic and agricultural one to an industrial and wealthy, world ruled by rich emirs, kings, and dictators. With the founding of Israel and removal of Palestinians from their homeland after World War II, Munif became an avid social militant and nationalist, joining the Ba'ath Party as a young man. He graduated from the University of Belgrade with a Ph.D. in economics in 1961. His criticism of political leaders led him into trouble with the Saudi Arabian authorities, and his citizenship was revoked. Fleeing to Baghdad, Iraq, Munif found a job as an economist for the Syrian Oil Company in 1963. He remained there until 1973, and from 1975 to 1981 was editor in chief of Oil and Development in Baghdad. His experience in the oil industry, his run-in with the authorities, and the stories he had heard from his family since he was a boy all convinced Munif of the unjustness of the political and social systems dominating the Middle East. His books not only criticize them but also depict the many social, economic, and psychological problems ordinary Arabs suffer because of the ruling kleptocracy. He gained particular acclaim for his "Cities of Salt" novels, which were translated as Cities of Salt (1988), The Trench (1991), and Variations on Night and Day (1993). Also the author of plays and art critiques, Munif's more recent books include Rihlet al Hayat wal fau, Marwau Qassab Pacha (1994), Hburyat el Lauam el Bahi (1997), Lou at el Khiyab (1998), Bin el thakafa wal siyassa (1998), and Arol el Sawad (1999). His memoirs were translated in 1996 as Story of a City: A Childhood in Amman (1996). At the time of his death, the author had been working on a collection of essays about the current situation in Iraq.

OBITUARIES AND OTHER SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Independent (London, England), January 29, 2004, p. 14.

New York Times, February 2, 2004, p. A23.

Washington Post, January 26, 2004, p. B5.