{{Short description|Syrian football referee (1945–2012)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2025}} '''Mohammad Marwan Arafat''' ({{langx|ar|محمد مروان عرفات}}; 5 January 1945 – 12 June 2012) was a Syrian football referee, sports analyst, academic lecturer and journalist, well known for being the first Arabic and Asian football referee to be a linesman in a third place Olympic game match (Moscow 1980). He was the head of the Syrian football association<ref>{{cite news |title=Al Jaban retains presidency by one vote |url=http://www.the-afc.com/en/member-association-news/west-asia-news/1766 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120913132719/http://www.the-afc.com/en/member-association-news/west-asia-news/1766 |url-status=dead |archive-date=13 September 2012 |publisher=Asian Football Confederation |date=9 November 2007 |accessdate=3 March 2011 }}</ref> three times. During his presidency of the Syrian FA, the Syrian U-21 team won the Asian cup in 1994 in Indonesia.
==Early life== Marwan Arafat was born in the district of Rukn ad-Deen in Damascus, where he finished his primary and secondary school studies. He continued his studies in Geography department of the Damascus University. He received his diploma and Master's degree in Education from the Damascus University. Later on, he received his PhD in Physical education from the United States{{where?|date=July 2012}}.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.aksalser.com/?page=view_articles&id=dbb81a8ee2ec36b7067f956dcbf80963&ar=116850019 |title=Marwan Arafat assassinated |access-date=13 June 2012 |archive-date=12 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171112132255/http://www.aksalser.com/?page=view_articles&id=dbb81a8ee2ec36b7067f956dcbf80963&ar=116850019 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Later life== Arafat was married to Afaf Al-Hibri and had four children: Waheed (a lawyer), Hanadi (a Sport teacher and special Olympics trainer), Waseem (a Urologist in Germany) and Waddah (Internal Medicine physician at Indiana University in the United States). Arafat was a journalist, lecturer in Asian football and a sports figure in Syrian football and media. He was a lecturer in Damascus University from 1978 until his death in 2012.{{fact|date=December 2024}}
==Death== According to the Syrian government sources, on 12 June 2012, Arafat was assassinated by unknown armed militants on the Daraa-Damascus road, while his wife was severely injured.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://sns.sy/sns/?path=news/read/55497 |title=محطة أخبار سورية | رياضة البلد | استشهاد مروان عرفات على طريق درعا دم… |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130418145205/http://sns.sy/sns/?path=news/read/55497 |archive-date=18 April 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.echoroukonline.com/ara/articles/132101.html |title=Assassination of Marwan Arafat |access-date=7 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306003023/http://www.echoroukonline.com/ara/articles/132101.html |archive-date=6 March 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>[http://www.france24.com/ar/node/795389 The assassination of Marwan Arafat] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120619071901/http://www.france24.com/ar/node/795389 |date=19 June 2012 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.elheddaf.com/actualite-flash/%D8%A7%D8%BA%D8%AA%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%B9%D8%B1%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%B1%D8%A6%D9%8A%D8%B3-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AA%D8%AD%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%82 Assassination of Marwan Arafat the former president of SAFF] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120718074518/http://www.elheddaf.com/actualite-flash/%D8%A7%D8%BA%D8%AA%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%B9%D8%B1%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%B1%D8%A6%D9%8A%D8%B3-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AA%D8%AD%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%82 |date=18 July 2012 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.skynewsarabia.com/web/article/27372 Marwan Arafat was killed in Syria]</ref><ref>[http://www.alwafd.org/أخبار-وتقارير/18-عربى%20وعالمى/224616-مقتل-مروان-عرفات-فى-سوريا Marwan Arafat assassinated in Syria]</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arafat, Marwan}} Category:2012 deaths Category:1945 births Category:Damascus University alumni Category:Academic staff of Damascus University Category:Footballers from Damascus Category:Olympic football referees Category:Football referees at the 1980 Summer Olympics Category:Syrian football referees Category:People murdered in Syria Category:Assassinated Syrian people Category:Deaths by firearm in Syria
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