RSS
News


Home Page > News > Two Irish citizens take up key posts in new Libyan government

Two Irish citizens take up key posts in new Libyan government

Drogheda doctor is Libya’s new Minister for Health

By
CATHAL DERVAN,
IrishCentral Staff Writer
Published Thursday, November 24, 2011, 7:52 AM
Updated Thursday, November 24, 2011, 12:24 PM

print this article Print
email this articleE-mail
comment on article 19 Comments
See more: New from Ireland  

Fatima Hamroush
Fatima Hamroush
Photo by Google Images


An Irish doctor is Libya’s new Minister for Health – after sending her CV to the country’s authorities in the wake of liberation.

Meath based Dr Fatima Hamroush will return to her homeland on Sunday after 15 years in exile to take up the post in the first Libyan government since dictator Colonel Gadaffi was overthrown.

She will be joined in the new parliament by another Irish citizen after Fathi al-Akkari was appointed deputy minister for higher education.

Dr Hamroush, who has lived in Julianstown and worked in Drogheda, will take her oath of office on Monday and is under no illusions about the task ahead.

“I know I am taking a risk, we all are. But I know there are some who would like to see me there; I am known for being completely against corruption, I can’t tolerate corruption,” the 53-year-old told the Irish Independent.

-------------------

READ MORE:

More news from Ireland on IrishCentral

Irish immigrant viciously assaulted in the Bronx

State broadcaster RTE suspends programme which libeled Missionary priest

-------------------


A consultant ophthalmologist in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda since 2000, Dr Hamroush fled to Ireland with her four children due to worsening human rights abuses in her homeland.

“I didn’t want to leave the country but wanted to take a break from that. I knew my post-grad would take about four years and by them I would know if the country would be better or worse,” she added.

Dr Hamroush, whose father was interned for three years by Gadaffi’s forces, hasn’t been home since 2006 but will fly back to Tripoli on Sunday and take up her new role 24 hours later.

She said: “No one going there will be feeling confident that (they) will be safe. We are building something new from everything around us that is a big mess.

“But I couldn’t refuse this challenge, it would be like a soldier refusing to go to the battlefield.” she added.

Fellow Irish citizen Fathi al-Akkari, a lecturer in electronic engineering at Tallaght Institute of Technology in Dublin, has been appointed deputy minister for higher education by the new Libyan regime.

Al-Akkari said: “For 42 years all aspects of the Libyan educational system were dictated by Gadaffi. We have a lot of work to do to overcome the damage he caused.”a

​
See more: New from Ireland , Irish politics
print this article Print
email this articleE-mail


19 Comments

See all comments

seanomelbourne | Nov 26, 2011, 08:03 PM EST
Hey dumbo education is free in Libya

Report abuse

Towngate | Nov 26, 2011, 07:42 PM EST
These two Libyan Traitors should repay the cost of their expensive Libyan Medical Training and her childrens free Education to the new Libyan state. They can easily afford,as the moronic Irish Health Service Executive has granted them 'Leave of Absence' ~ ON FULL PAY! >>> IS IRELAND COMPLETELY STARK STARING BONKERS!!!???

Report abuse

seanomelbourne | Nov 26, 2011, 06:10 PM EST
I have been to Africa nice place, nice people, in fact asleep32 I have visited all continents (except the poles) Maybe you should get out a bit more often and broaden your dim horizons and take georgy boy with you.What a lovely couple you would both make.

Report abuse

awoken32 | Nov 26, 2011, 02:47 PM EST
seanofmelbourne should leave ireland as he has no place in this country,move to africa an bring bono with you lol

Report abuse

awoken32 | Nov 26, 2011, 02:44 PM EST
seanofmelbourne,barack obama has irish ancestory lol,what a load of xxxx,that was a ploy the the american establishment because there was contreversy in america over were he was born,an who he really is,obama is no more irish that bart simpson

Report abuse

GeorgeDillon | Nov 26, 2011, 02:37 AM EST
seanomelbourne: "The below post" "@awoken32" is not mine it's the ramblings of some half educated nitwit."--- So Sean, how are we supposed to tell the difference?

Report abuse

seanomelbourne | Nov 25, 2011, 11:50 PM EST
The below post" "@awoken32" is not mine it's the ramblings of some half educated nitwit.

Report abuse

sirpeter | Nov 25, 2011, 06:57 PM EST
Georgie Boy has no DNA.He's not real life as we know it.

Report abuse

seanomelbourne | Nov 25, 2011, 04:59 PM EST
There are thousand of coloured folk worlwide with Irish DNA, Barack Obama for instance and proud of their Irish heritage.

Report abuse

seanomelbourne | Nov 25, 2011, 10:49 AM EST
@awoken 32 "My brother is an independant journo over in the middle east,dont beleive me or the corrupted westen media,look into it for youself,its a fact that alqaeuda were the socalled rebels,finaced by the uk an usa secret sevises as they are doin throughtout the whole destablization of the middle east,syria next an then onto iran,look into,just one word of advise go thruogh independant sources" A journalist? He must be the bright one in the family, as journalists are usually expected to have at least a basic grasp of English grammar and punctuation. Something that can't be said fro you. Congratulations and good wishes to the doctor on her appointment. When she's sorted out the Libyan health service, she'll be welcome back to Ireland to see if she can do anything about ours.

Report abuse

Towngate | Nov 25, 2011, 06:11 AM EST
Presumably this an interim appointment and is conditional upon her being elected to Government in the forthcoming internationally supervised Libyan Elections!!! (or had we forgotten already?)

Report abuse

patrickdowney | Nov 24, 2011, 05:10 PM EST
I KNEW THAT SOMETHING GOOD WOULD COME OUT OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT REGIME-CHANGE OPERATION IN LIBYA!!! Let's hope and pray that more "Lybian Irish" return to Libya, and soon, and that they take their entire families along with them. It would appear that big-business and the U.S. Military Industrial Complex did Ireland something of a favor in this respect, would it not?

Report abuse

seanomelbourne | Nov 24, 2011, 04:44 PM EST
I commend the ladies named for returning to the war ravaged country of their birth. They are certainly needed there. I hope Ireland was good to them during their tenure in our fair isle.

Report abuse

awoken32 | Nov 24, 2011, 01:00 PM EST
She is libyan not irish,being irish i snot an overcoat you put on stepping of a plane in this country,its in your history DNA

Report abuse

haasny007 | Nov 24, 2011, 12:59 PM EST
GeorgeDillon, your statement is, for once, conceptually correct. But stop calling the Irish "dumb", or we will revoke your Irish citizenship!

Report abuse



IrishCentral logo
"Like" IrishCentral
IrishCentral Mobile QR code


Connect to IrishCentral with your Facebook account

or Sign-Up directly

Already Registered? Sign-In!

Welcome to IrishCentral!
Please provide the following information in order to create your account

Username:
E-Mail Address:
Password:
Confirm Password:
I agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy


Already Registered? Sign-In!
Forgot my password

Welcome to IrishCentral!
All we need is the following information and you will be part of the #1 Irish community in the US

E-Mail Address:
First select a unique username:
Username:
Now choose a password:
Password:
Confirm Password:
I agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
Thank you!

Just one more step and you will be part of the largest Irish community in America! Tell us a little more about you to start enjoying all the features of IrishCentral.

Additional Information:

First Name:
Last Name:
Date of Birth:
Zip:
Gender: Male  Female 
Country:
Degree of Irishness:
Household Income:
Level of Education:

Subscribe to our newsletters:

The Best of IrishCentral - Daily Newsletter
Special Offers from our sponsors

or
Skip

You can edit your information at any time, just go to "my account" when you're logged in.

Log into IrishCentral with your Facebook account

or sign-in directly

E-Mail:
Password:
 Remember me Forgot my password
Not a member? Register Now!
submit to reddit
print this article Print
email this articleE-mail