Al Jazeera has announced the death of Jamil Azar, a founding anchor and journalist who helped shape the network during its early years three decades ago.
Azar, 89, was remembered by Director-General Sheikh Nasser bin Faisal al-Thani as a “distinguished linguist” who authored the network’s enduring motto: “The opinion and the other opinion.” “Jamil Azar leaves behind a remarkable and lasting media legacy, a reputation defined by integrity and excellence, and a deep influence on generations of journalists,” Sheikh Nasser said in a statement Sunday.
Born in Al-Husn, Irbid, Jordan, in 1937, Azar spent three decades at the BBC’s Arabic Service from 1965-1996, working as a news translator, presenter and producer of programmes including Politics Between the Questioner and the Respondent.
He joined Al Jazeera at its launch on July 30, 1996, becoming a prominent news anchor and hosting The Week in the News before stepping down in 2011.
