Faris Al-Rawi
Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago
In office
9 September 2015 – 16 March 2022[1]
Preceded byGarvin Nicholas
Succeeded byReginald Armour[2]
Member of Parliament, House of Representatives
Assumed office
7 September 2015
Preceded byCarolyn Seepersad-Bachan
ConstituencySan Fernando West
Majority3,310 (19.39%)
Personal details
Born (1971-05-02) 2 May 1971
San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago
Political partyPeople's National Movement
SpouseMona Nahous
ChildrenAbraham Al-Rawi, Jinan Al-Rawi, Julia Al-Rawi
Alma materUniversity of the West Indies
King's College London

Faris Al-Rawi is a Trinidadian and Tobagonian politician. He was the former Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago from 2015 to 2022.[3] He is also a Member of the House of Representatives for the constituency of San Fernando West.

Early life

Faris Al-Rawi, was born in San Fernando. He is the son of Husam Al-Rawi[4] and Diane Seukeran.[5] His father is a Muslim Iraqi Arab, while his mother, a Presbyterian Indo-Trinidadian, also represented the San Fernando West constituency in Parliament. His maternal grandfather, Lionel Frank Seukeran, served in Parliament as a member of the Democratic Labour Party, a former opposing party of the People's National Movement and predecessor to the United National Congress.[5] His maternal great-grandfather was Pundit Seukeran Sharma, a Hindu priest, from Tableland, Princes Town, Trinidad and Tobago.[6]

Al-Rawi was educated at Presentation College, San Fernando, the University of the West Indies and completed a master's degree in Law at King's College London.[7]

Al-Rawi claims descent from the Islamic Prophet Muhammad through his Iraqi father, but he is noted for his relaxed religious views and mixed religious background.[4][8] He has described himself as "the son of an Iraqi Muslim man and a Trinidadian Presbyterian woman and a Hindu [maternal] grandfather". He is married to Mona Nahous who is a Catholic of Arab descent. He has also said he has fasted for Divali, Ramadan, and Lent and calls himself a "child of God" when asked what his religion was. He has said he has never eaten pork and that alcohol is not for him.[4]

Political career

Al-Rawi entered politics in 1995 as a legal advisor to the Tunapuna – Piarco Regional Corporation.[9] He served as an Alderman in the Port of Spain City Corporation between 2003 and 2006[9] and was appointed an Opposition Senator in 2010.[10] Al-Rawi contested San Fernando West constituency in the 2015 General Election, beating Raziah Ahmed of the United National Congress.[11] Newly elected Prime Minister Keith Rowley appointed Al-Rawi as Attorney-General and he served from 2015 to 2022.

Controversy

In October 2016 Al-Rawi's children were photographed in possession of high powered military grade assault rifles. He responded that they were receiving training from the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force in response to unreported death threats. The fact of their training was confirmed by the Defence Force.

References

  1. ↑ "Trinidad and Tobago Parliament".
  2. ↑ "Trinidad and Tobago Parliament".
  3. ↑ "The Honorable Faris Al-Rawi, Attorney General of Trinidad & Tobago". Ministry of the Attorney General. Archived from the original on 27 December 2015. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 "Al-Rawi stands firm by his statement". Daily Express. 17 July 2014. Archived from the original on 15 February 2018. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
  5. 1 2 Geisha Kowlessar. "Al-Rawi: Who says I am an outsider?". The Trinidad Guardian. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
  6. ↑ Clarke, C. (24 May 2010). Post-Colonial Trinidad: An Ethnographic Journal. ISBN 9780230106857.
  7. ↑ Andre Bagoo (9 September 2015). "PM, AG TAKE OATH TODAY". Trinidad and Tobago Newsday. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  8. ↑ "How the 19th-century flow of indentured workers shapes the Caribbean", The Economist, 11 March 2017.
  9. 1 2 "People's National Movement Trinidad and Tobago - Senator Faris Al-Rawi". www.pnm.org.tt. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
  10. ↑ "The Honourable Faris Al-Rawi, MP | Trinidad and Tobago Government News". www.news.gov.tt. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
  11. ↑ Elections and Boundaries Commission, official results (xlsx)
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