Palestinian intellectual dies at 67

Palestinian intellectual and former member in the executive committee of the PLO, Ahmad Siqi al-Dajani, died Monday in Cairo, at age 67, following a struggle with disease in one of Cairo's hospitals. Family sources said he will be buried today in the family's cemetery in Cairo.

The Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, the PLO and the Palestinian national authority eulogized "one of the main leaders of the Palestinian national march, Dr. Sidqi al-Dajani," who bore "the burdens of his people, and Arab nation in several people, and international circles, and won the respect and appreciation people whom he had met."

The deceased was one of the cofounders of the PLO since 1964. He had several posts including the membership of the PLO executive committee. He also represented Palestine in the Arab- Euro dialogue conferences, and took part in the foundation of the Arab national congress. He was also among the first to found the Islamic national conference in 1994, and the first general coordinator for this conference. He had composed scores of books and research, and supervised several academic studies and research at the Arab universities.