Home
Log In

Create Biography

Raed Al Saleh Edit Profile

also known as Raed Saleh

activist

Raed is the head of the Syrian Civil Defence (also known as The White Helmets). The Syrian Civil Defence is a volunteer organization created in 2013, and made of former bakers, teachers, electricians and other "ordinary" Syrians who now work together to save the lives of those wounded during attacks.

Career

Raed Al Saleh leads 2,851 search and rescue volunteers as head of Syria Civil Defence. Before the Syrian Revolution, Raed was a businessman who sold electrical equipment. After the start of the popular protests in Deraa in March 2011, he started organising peaceful protests and demonstrations in his home town Jisr Ashughour. The Syrian Army entered his town in June 2011 forcing him to go into hiding in Turkey. By the end of 2012, several areas in Idlib, Syria had been liberated from Syrian Army troops and he returned to Idlib to work in the humanitarian field helping refugees and displaced persons.

Raed heard about training being offered in Civil Defence and attended the first course run for Idlib in June 2013. He excelled during the course and his team mates elected him as their representative and he returned to set-up a further 20 teams in Idlib over the next 12 months. He is appointed by the regional SCD leaders as the head of Syria Civil Defence in the liberated areas, consisting of more than 2,800 members and 114 stations.

Achievements

  • Achievement Raed al Saleh of Raed Al Saleh

    Raed al-Saleh went down in history as the head of the Syria Civil Defence, which is widely cited, quoted, or depicted in regional and international media coverage of the conflict in Syria.

    SCD has been the subject of two films. The streaming service Netflix released a documentary film entitled The White Helmets on September 16, 2016 by British director Orlando von Einsiedel and producer Joanna Natasegara. The film won the Best Documentary (Short Subject) at the 89th Academy Awards.

    SCD was nominated for the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize and was a recipient of the 2016 Right Livelihood Award, the "Alternative Nobel Prize".

    In 2017, Raed Al Saleh became one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World.

Politics

Raed Al Saleh, the Director of SCD, has been an outspoken advocate against bombardment of civilians, addressing the United Nations Security Council and other international bodies on a number of occasions.

Connections

Raed al Saleh is married with two children, a daughter and a son.

Raed Al Saleh's Profile Photo
Photo from profile of Raed Al Saleh Photo from profile of Raed Al Saleh Photo from profile of Raed Al Saleh Photo from profile of Raed Al Saleh Photo from profile of Raed Al Saleh Photo from profile of Raed Al Saleh
More photos
Click for see on larger map
View map

Career

Awards

  • Award Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People
    Gallery

    Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People

    2017