Tarek Loubani Explained

Tarek Loubani
Birth Place:Kuwait
Citizenship:Canada
Alma Mater:Dalhousie University
McGill University
Queen’s University
Occupation:Medical Doctor
Employer:University of Western Ontario
Organization:Glia Project
Awards:Bassel Khartabil Fellowship,
Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance Teaching Award

Tarek Loubani is a Canadian doctor. He runs the Glia Project, which seeks to provide medical supplies to impoverished locations, and developed a low-cost stethoscope in 2015.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] He serves as Associate Professor at the University of Western Ontario and works in emergency rooms.[8]

In 2013, along with filmmaker John Greyson, he was arbitrarily arrested and spent seven weeks in Egypt's Tora Prison without charges.[9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] In 2018 he was shot in the leg while in the Gaza strip providing medical care during the 2018 border protests.[17]

Early life and education

Loubani was born in Kuwait and lived in Palestine as a child. He is of Palestinian descent, the son of Dr. Mahmoud Loubani, who works at a medical clinic in New Brunswick.[18] When he was nine years old, his family immigrated to Bathurst, New Brunswick as refugees.[19] He attended high school in Bathurst before studying medicine at Dalhousie University, completing family medicine residency at McGill University in Montreal and Emergency Medicine Residency at Queen’s University in Kingston Ontario.

Career

Loubani began serving as an assistant professor at the University of Western Ontario in 2010.

In April 2018, the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance awarded Loubani with their annual teaching excellence award.[20]

Humanitarian work

In 2015, Loubani designed a low-cost stethoscope which could be made for $2.50 using a 3D printer. He runs the Glia Project, which seeks to provide medical supplies to impoverished areas and has created designs for 3D printable surgical tools such as needle drivers and pulse oximeters.

Detainment in Egypt

On August 15, 2013, Loubani and Greyson arrived in Egypt, intending to travel to Gaza.[21] On August 16, they were arrested and detained in Tora Prison, where they were held without charges and were subjected to physical violence and harsh conditions.[22] Egyptian authorities were considering a number of intended charges against Loubani and Greyson, including murder and "intention to kill," which both men denied.[23] They were released after more than seven weeks in detention.[24]

Injury in Gaza

On Monday May 14, 2018, Loubani was shot in the leg near the border between the Gaza strip and Israel. Loubani was delivering emergency medicine to the protesters and believes he was targeted by an Israeli sniper. The paramedics wore high visibility vests to identify themselves as medical personnel, but in spite of that, Loubani says that a total of 19 medical professionals were shot on that day,[25] including Musa Abuhassanin, the first paramedic to assist Loubani in the field, moments after he was shot.[26] In a May 17, 2018 interview by Democracy Now!'s Amy Goodman, Tarek narrated the moments after he was shot and Abuhassanin's subsequent death.

Ketchup protest incident

On October 22nd, 2023 Loubani was identified by London Police Service as a suspect in spraying ketchup on a political office.[27] On November 15th, 2023, Loubani was arrested and charged with mischief for spraying ketchup on the facade of London MP Peter Fragiskatos constituency office as a form of protest against the alleged genocide being carried out by the IDF in Gaza.[28] [29]

In November of 2024, Loubani's charges were dropped, and he again covered Fragiskatos' office with ketchup, hours after the dismissal. Fragiskatos believes Loubani's actions exceed simple protest, although he said he respects the court's decision to withdraw the doctor's charges.[30] On November 15th, 2024 Loubani was charged again by London Police for his second incident involving MP Fragiskatos constituency office.[31]

Awards

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Canadian doctor makes stethoscope with 3D printer to deal with Gaza shortage. www.cbc.ca. 2016-06-15.
  2. Web site: A doctor in Gaza producing an industry leading 3D printed stethoscope of 30 cents. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220526/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/doctor-tarek-loubani-in-gaza-working-to-produce-medical-industrys-best-stethoscope-for-30-cents-10458076.html . 2022-05-26 . subscription . live. 2015-08-16. The Independent. en-GB. 2016-06-15.
  3. Meet the doctor bringing cheap, 3D printed medical devices to Gaza. Clark. Liat. WIRED UK. en-GB. 2016-06-15.
  4. Web site: Interviews: Dr. Tarek Loubani Answers Your Questions - Slashdot. science.slashdot.org. 24 August 2015 . 2016-06-15.
  5. News: Gaza Doctor Invents Stethoscope Which Is 'Better Than World's Best' but Costs Only 30 Cents. Haaretz. 2015-08-15. Haaretz. en. 2016-06-15.
  6. Web site: This 3D-Printed Stethoscope Costs $5, Outperforms $200 Competitors. Motherboard. 21 August 2015 . en-us. 2016-06-15.
  7. Loubani. Tarek. Yanev. Kliment. Al-Alawi. Mahmoud. Chambers. Spencer. Glauche. Jennifer. Pavlosky. Alexander. 2018-03-14. Validation of an effective, low cost, Free/open access 3D-printed stethoscope. PLOS ONE. en. 13. 3. e0193087. 10.1371/journal.pone.0193087. 1932-6203. 5851543. 29538426. 2018PLoSO..1393087P. free.
  8. Web site: Who are John Greyson and Tarek Loubani?. Logan. Nick. Global News. 2016-06-15.
  9. Web site: Greyson, Loubani return to Canada after release in Egypt. www.cbc.ca. 2016-06-15.
  10. News: 'Relieved' Tarek Loubani recounts brutal jail stay as pair leaves Egypt. The Globe and Mail. 11 October 2013 . 2016-06-15.
  11. Web site: John Greyson and Tarek Loubani: Canadians jailed in Egypt return home Toronto Star. thestar.com. 11 October 2013 . 2016-06-15.
  12. Web site: Q&A with Loubani and Greyson. nurun.com. The London Free Press. 2016-06-15.
  13. Web site: Jailed Canadians in Egypt recount day of arrest, imprisonment. www.cbc.ca. 2016-06-15.
  14. Web site: Canadian doctor Tarek Loubani and filmmaker John Greyson, arrested in Cairo. rabble.ca. 18 August 2013 . 2016-06-15.
  15. Web site: Canadians John Greyson and Tarek Loubani in their own words Toronto Star. thestar.com. 11 October 2013 . 2016-06-15.
  16. Web site: Profiles in courage. nurun.com. The London Free Press. 2016-06-15.
  17. News: London, Ont., physician Tarek Loubani shot in leg near Gaza border CBC News. 15 May 2018. CBC.
  18. Web site: Father of Canadian detained in Egypt proud of son's humanitarian work. Logan. Nick. Global News. 2016-06-15.
  19. Web site: Why I interrupted the minister. nurun.com. The London Free Press. 2016-06-15.
  20. Web site: OUSA's 2018 Teaching Excellence Award Recipients. OUSA. 15 May 2018. en.
  21. Web site: Canadian pair describe 'shared trauma' of ordeal in Egyptian prison. Kingsley. Patrick. 2013-10-11. the Guardian. 2016-07-08.
  22. Web site: John Greyson and Tarek Loubani: Egypt extends Canadians' detention another 45 days Toronto Star. thestar.com. 29 September 2013 . 2016-07-08.
  23. News: Ward. Olivia. John Greyson and Tarek Loubani: Egypt considering murder charges against Canadians. 22 May 2018. The Star. 1 October 2013.
  24. News: Kingsley. Patrick. Egypt releases two Canadians held without charge. 22 May 2018. The Guardian. 5 October 2013.
  25. Web site: London, Ont., physician Tarek Loubani shot in leg near Gaza border. cbc.ca. May 16, 2018.
  26. Web site: Meet Tarek Loubani, the Canadian Doctor Shot by Israeli Forces Monday While Treating Gaza's Wounded. Democracy Now!. May 21, 2018.
  27. Web site: Baleeiro . Beatriz . November 15, 2024 . London doctor charged again with mischief involving MP's office . The London Free Press . 2024-11-18.
  28. Web site: Loriggio . Paula . November 12, 2024 . Doctor sprays ketchup on MP's office in anti-Israel protest after charges for doing same in 2023 dropped . National Post.
  29. Web site: Baleeiro . Beatriz . November 15, 2024 . London doctor charged again with mischief involving MP's office . The London Free Press . 2024-11-18.
  30. Web site: Dubinski . Kate . November 12, 2024 . Hours after ketchup protest charges dropped, Dr. Tarek Loubani returns to London MP's office.. CBC News.
  31. Web site: Police Service . London . November 15, 2024 . 24-105830 MISCHIEF INVESTIGATION . London Police Service . 2024-11-18.
  32. Web site: Teaching Awards. 2024-07-10. Western USC. en-US.
  33. Web site: Honours: Dr. Tarek Loubani awarded Bassel Khartabil Fellowship. 2022-01-15. www.schulich.uwo.ca. en.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Tarek Loubani".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2025, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.