Faris Al-Rawi


Faris Al-Rawi has been Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago since 9 September 2015. He is also a People's National Movement Member of the House of Representatives for the constituency of San Fernando West.

Early life

Faris Al-Rawi, was born in San Fernando. He is the son of Husam Al-Rawi and Diane Seukeran. His father is Iraqi Arab, while his mother, an Indo-Trinidadian, also represented the San Fernando West constituency in Parliament. His grandfather, Lionel Seukeran, served in Parliament as a member of the Democratic Labour Party, a former opposing party of the People's National Movement and predecessor to the United National Congress.
Al-Rawi was educated at Presentation College, San Fernando, the University of the West Indies and completed a master's degree in Law at King's College London.
Al-Rawi claims descent from the Islamic Prophet Muhammad through his Iraqi father, but he is noted for his relaxed religious views and mixed religious background. He has described himself as "the son of an Iraqi Muslim man and a Trinidadian Presbyterian woman and a Hindu grandfather". He is married to Mona Nahous who is a Catholic of Arab descent. He has also said he has fasted for Divali, Ramadan, and Lent and calls himself a “child of God” when asked what his religion was. He has said he has never eaten pork and that alcohol is not for him.

Political career

Al-Rawi entered politics in 1995 as a legal advisor to the Tunapuna–Piarco Regional Corporation. He served as an Alderman in the Port of Spain City Corporation between 2003 and 2006 and was appointed an Opposition Senator in 2010. Al-Rawi contested San Fernando West constituency in the 2015 General Election, beating Raziah Ahmed of the United National Congress. Newly elected Prime Minister Keith Rowley appointed Al-Rawi as Attorney-General.

Controversy

Al-Rawi is currently the subject of a probe involving military grade weaponry. In October 2016 Al-Rawi's children were photographed in possession of high powered military grade assault rifles. He responded that they were receiving training from the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Forces in response to unreported death threats. A key witness to this incident died mysteriously from a questionable suicide, he was found with 2 gun shots to the head but the gun was hidden.