Iftah Ya Simsim
Iftah Ya Simsim (; meaning "Open Sesame") is the first international co-production of the American children's television series "Sesame Street" created in the Arab world. It premiered in Kuwait on September 14, 1979 and was broadcast in 22 Arabic-speaking countries, running until April 6, 1990. The program continued to be well-known decades after it went off the air. In 1978, educators, mass media officers, and social planners agreed to adopt "Sesame Street" as a feasible and economical solution for the low attendance in preschools and illiteracy that plagued the region. They approached the Children's Television Workshop (CTW), the producers of the American show, and purchased the rights to create an Arab version for US$2.5 million.
Issam al-Attar
Issam al-Attar () is a former Muslim Brotherhood leader, a symbol of resistance to Hafez al-Assad, and in exile in Aachen, Germany since the 1970s. He was born in 1927 in Syria. He was the second Supreme Guide of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood, taking over from its founder, Mustafa al-Siba'i, in 1961. His sister, Najah al-Attar is the Vice President of Syria and is the only woman to have served in the post, which she has held since 2006. Previously she was Minister of Culture from 1976 to 2000.