President of the Palestinian National Authority the Palestinian Legislative Council, was recognized as acting President by the government of Ismail Haniyeh that governed the Gaza Strip. From 2014 to 2016 Rami Hamdallah was recognized by both sides as head of government and Mahmoud Abbas as president. The Arabic term Ra'ees or Ra'is (رئيس) can be translated to English as either "President" or "Chairman". As the status of Palestine as a political entity is controversial, the use of the term "President" to describe the leader of the Palestinian government is controversial to some, as its use may be seen to imply a recognition of state sovereignty. Until
Tarek Fatah religion, Fatah opines: He became involved in the Ontario New Democratic Party (NDP) and worked on the staff of Premier Bob Rae. Fatah was NDP candidate in Scarborough North in the 1995 provincial election but was unsuccessful. He subsequently worked for Rae's successor as Ontario NDP leader, Howard Hampton. In July 2006, he left the NDP to support Bob Rae's candidacy for the Liberal Party of Canada's leadership. In an opinion piece published in Toronto's "Now Magazine", Fatah wrote that he decided to leave the NDP because of the establishment of a "faith caucus" which he believes will open the