Rageh Omaar: The Scud Stud

Born in the Somali capital Mogadishu, Omaar is a son of a wealthy Isaaq businessman from the north of Somalia. His family were originally from Hargeisa in the Republic of Somaliland. Omaar came to Britain when he was 6. He was educated at two independent schools: at the Dragon School in Oxford, Oxfordshire and Cheltenham College in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, before reading Modern History at New College at the University of Oxford. His career highlights include reporting live from war-torn Somalia and Iraq.

He began his journalistic career as a trainee for The Voice newspaper, and in 1991 he moved to Ethiopia where he freelanced as a foreign correspondent, working mainly for the BBC World Service. A year later, he returned to London to work as a producer and broadcast journalist for the BBC. He moved to South Africa after being appointed the BBC's Africa correspondent - his wife and children were based there through 2004, and his regular commuting made domestic life difficult.

Omaar is outspoken in voicing his frustrations, and his words help to explain his recent career-path, which has taken him from being the flak-jacketed golden boy of the BBC to a presenter for Al Jazeera who also wrote a deeply personal book about the experiences of living as a Somali and Muslim in contemporary Britain. His book is called 'Only Half of Me'.

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[nsgunner]

The winners of the 16th annual Amnesty International UK Media Awards, sponsored by PCI:Fitch, will be announced at a ceremony at the Café Royal, London, on Wednesday 4 July, hosted by Al Jazeera English presenter and writer Rageh Omaar.

[nsgunner]

Film Show and Q&A with Rageh Omaar

Plus Paul Sapin (Director) Ziba Mir Hosseini (London Middle East Institute) Elaheh Rostami Povey (School of Oriental and African Studies)

7pm, Thursday 14th June

London Irish Centre, 52 Camden Square (off Camden Road), London, NW1 9XB.

Near Camden Road BR, Camden Town tube

[nsgunner]

This World: Slave Children with Rageh Omaar will be broadcast on Monday, 26 March, 2007 at 2100 BST on BBC Two.

[nsgunner]

I was born in Somaliland, the self-declared republic in the north of Somalia, where my relatives still live.

A couple of miles outside the capital Hargeisa is a vast and flat savannah landscape that still belongs to nomads who herd camels and goats.

[waarabo]

u somalis are soo dumb walahi....wat just becuz hes a journalist makes him an hero????

how pathetic!

[nsgunner]

Come on waarabo, don't be silly, rageh is the only guy who made it and we should be proud of him. WE LOVE HIM.

[Reqrezentin]

2 years after...

[2526as]

cool neat! visit my profile! l

[22garaad]

raage is the man!! U HIDDING BEHIND QABIILNA ADAY KU JIRTAA. DADKA QALBI CARUURKAA HOOSNOO DHIGAAYO.

[missgarowe]

Rage is a proud somali, he is a legend reporter.

Maximum respect to R_Omar

[filsan9999]

You Do Kno Right That He Doesn't Care What Diin His Kids Are........And All He Is Is A Bloody Reporter Wallahi Whats So Amazing We Have Somali Surgeons Business Men Lawyers And Your Excited Bout Him No Disrespect To Him he's An Educated Bre But Styll He Aint Nuffin Special Give Us 20 yrs And Youll See Alot MOre Somalis On Tv Cos Dat Seems To be You Lots Most Amazing Factor:$

[MahdiMohamud]

Rageh Omaar is passionate & intelligent. I have seen Rageh Omaar film about Slave Children on Swedhish public TV and I loved it. Rageh keeps the issue of poverty and child abuse at a very human level to where one understands what is going on. Thank you Rageh Omaar.