Marcel Khalifé

Composer, Oud Master and Performer

Marcel Khalifé was born on June 10, 1950 in Amchit, Lebanon. He studied the Oud (the Arabic lute) at the Beirut National Conservatory of Music and graduated in 1971, and, ever since, has been injecting a new life into the Oud.

From 1972 to 1975, Marcel Khalifé taught at the Beirut National Conservatory of Music, public Universities and other local private music institutions. During that same period, he toured the Middle East, North Africa, Europe and the United States giving solo performances on the Oud.

Oud playing was traditionally constrained by the strict techniques that governed its playing. Highly talented and skillful musicians such as Marcel Khalifé were, however, able to free the instrument from those constraints and thus greatly expanding its possibilities.

In 1972, Marcel Khalifé created a musical group in his native village, Amchit, with the goal of reviving its musical heritage and the Arabic chorale. The first performances took place in Lebanon. 1976 saw the birth of Marcel Khalifé’s Al Mayadine Ensemble. Enriched by the previous ensemble’s musical experiences, Al Mayadine’s notoriety went well beyond Lebanon. Accompanied by his musical ensemble, Marcel Khalifé began a lifelong far-reaching musical journey, performing in Arab countries, Europe, the United States, Canada, South America, Australia, and Japan.

Marcel Khalifé has been invited several times to festivals of international fame such as: Baalbeck, Beit Eddine(Lebanon), Carthage, El Hammamat (Tunisia), Timgad (Algeria), Jarash (Jordan), Arles (France), Krems, Linz (Austria), Bremen (Germany), Re Orient (Sweden), Pavia (Italy), World Music Festival in San Francisco, New York, Cleveland (USA), Wellington Music Festival (New Zealand) and the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music in Morocco.

He has performed in such prestigious halls as the “Palace of Arts” in Montreal, “Symphony Space” and “Merkin Concert” in New York, “Berklee Theatre” and “New England Conservatory” in Boston, the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, “Royal Festival Hall”, and “Queen Elizabeth Hall” in London, “UNESCO Palace” of Beirut, Cairo Opera House (Egypt), “Reciprocity”, “House of the Cultures of the World” and “UNESCO Hall” in Paris, “Central Dionysia” in Rome, “Yerba Buena” in San Francisco, “Sodra Teatern” in Stockholm, “Bozar” in Brussels, Royal Tropical Institute in Amsterdam, Konzerthaus in Berlin, “Detroit Symphony Hall” in Detroit, “Sydney Opera House”, “The Arts Centre” in Melbourne, Australia, “The Champs Elysees Theater” in Paris and the “Teatro Alla Scalla Milano” in Italy.

He has also composed several purely instrumental works like The Symphony of Return, Sharq, Concerto Al Andalus- Suite for Oud and Orchestra, Mouda’aba (Caress), Diwan Al Oud, Jadal Oud duo, Oud Quartet, Al Samaa in the traditional Arabic forms and Taqasim, duo for oud and double bass which was awarded the Grand prize of the prestigious Charles Cros Academy in France in November 2007. One of his recent works, Sharq, a choral symphonic composition was performed by the Italian Philharmonic Orchestra and the Piacenza Choir. His latest work, “Arabian Concerto”, premiered at the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra inaugural concert and was performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC and the Champs Elysees Theater in Paris.

Marcel Khalifé’s compositions have been performed by several orchestras, notably the Kiev Symphony Orchestra, the Academy of Boulogne Billancourt Orchestra, The San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, the Orchestra of the city of Tunis, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, the Italian Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra and the “Absolute Ensemble”.

Since 1982, Marcel Khalifé has been writing books on music that reflect his avant garde compositions and the maturity of his experience. He published Al Samaa, a collection of compositions for various traditional Arab musical instruments (1981), a six part methodology for the study of the Oud (1982), and Arabic Music-Theory and Practice (French Edition, 1984), Jadal oud Duo (1996), OUD (1997), Andalusian Suite for oud and Orchestra (2002).

His challenges, however, are not only musical in character. Interpreter of music and Oud performer, he is also a composer who is deeply attached to the text on which he relies. In his association with great contemporary Arab poets, particularly Palestinian poet par excellence, Mahmoud Darwish, he seeks to renew the character of the Arabic song, to break its stereotypes, and to advance the culture of the society that surrounds it.

Marcel Khalifé’s lyrical and instrumental recordings add up to more than 20 albums and DVDs, Promises of the storm (1976), Rain Songs (1977), Where from, do I Enter the Homeland? (1978), Weddings (1979), At the Borders (1979), Stripped Bare (1980), Happiness (1981), The Bridge (1983), Collections – 3 Albums (1984), Dreamy Sunrise (1984), Ahmad Al Arabi (1984), Peace Be With you (1989), Ode To A Homeland (1990), Arabic Coffeepot (1995), Jadal Oud Duo (1996), Magic Carpet (1998), Concerto Al Andalus (2002), Caress (2004), Voyageur DVD (2004), Taqasim (2007), Sharq CD & DVD (2007).

Since 1974, Marcel Khalifé has been composing music for dance which gave rise to a new genre of dance, the popular Near Eastern ballet (Caracalla, Sarab Ensemble, Rimah, and Popular Art Ensemble). His compositions for dance include The Marvels of the Prodigy (1974), The Black Tents (1978), A shot of Glory (1980), The Taming of the Shrew (1981), Echoes (1981), Summer Night’s Dream (1992), Alissar, Queen Of Carthage (1997) and Andalusia (2000).

Marcel Khalifé has also been composing soundracks for film documentaries produced by Maroun Baghdadi like Kamal Jumblatt (1976), The Martyr (1977), All for the Homeland (1978), Whispers (1979), and Maarouf Saad (1979) by Samir Zaki. He also scored music for fiction film The Half meter Incident (1981) and The Box of the World (2003) by Ousama Mohammad. His published music has also been used in Hollywood produced films like East West (2006) and Rendition (2007) and also used in independently produced films like Driving to ZigZigland (2006) by Nicole Ballivian and Me, the Other (2006) by Mohsen Melliti.

Marcel Khalifé’s works has been critically acclaimed both in the Arab World and worldwide. His creativity, innovations and his educational and humanitarian concerns and contributions to the promotion of arts and Culture in the Arab world has earned him tens of awards in the Arab World and Internationally. Upon his receipt of the National Palestine Medal for Arts and Culture in 2001, Khalifé contributed the financial part of the Award to the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music in Palestine. The Conservatory has since established in his name an annual music competition under the title of The Marcel Khalifé National Music Competition grants young gifted musicians financial support for their continued music education. Following are some of the awards and recognition that Marcel Khalifé has received throughout the years.

1- The Intellectual Merit and Achievement Medal – Fez, Morocco 2008
2- Charles Cros Award (World Music category) – Paris, France 2008.
3- World Lebanese Cultural Union Medal- Beirut, Lebanon 2008
4- Cultural Movement Award- Antelias, Lebanon 2008.
5- Freemuse Ambassador- Copenhagen, Denmark 2007
6- UNESCO Artist For Peace- Paris, France 2005
7- The Lebanese Cedar Medal- Presidential Award, Lebanon 2005.
8- The National Palestine Medal- Palestine, 2001.
9- Algerian Ministry of Youth Award- Algiers, Algeria 1984
10- South Lebanon Cultural Council- Lebanon 1984
11- Arab American University Graduates- USA 1982
12- Arab American Community Center for Social and Economic Services (ACCESS) Dearborn, USA 1982.
13- Lebanese Ministry of Tourism- Beirut, Lebanon 1981
14- The Jerusalem Medal- Beirut, Lebanon 1981
15- The Cultural Achievement Award- Tunis, Tunisia 1980
16- The American Folkloric Festival Award- USA 1975
17- The Arab Music Foundation Award- Tunis, Tunisia 1974 .

Official website: www.marcelkhalife.com

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Hassan Kamel Al-Sabbah (August 16, 1895 – March 31, 1935) was an electrical and electronics research engineer, mathematician and inventor. He was born in Nabatieh, Lebanon. He studied at the American University of Beirut. He taught mathematics at Imperial College of Damascus, Syria, and at the American University of Beirut. He died in an automobile accident at Lewis near Elizabeth Town, N.Y.
In 1921, he travelled to the United States and for a short time studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology before joining the University of Illinois in 1923. He entered the vacuum tube section of the Engineering Laboratory of the General Electric Company at Schenectady N.Y. in 1923 where he was engaged in mathematical and experimental research, principally on rectifiers and inverters and he received 43 patents covering his work. Among the patents were reported innovations in television transmission.

Susan Tamim also known as Suzan Tameem is a Lebanese singer with a beautiful voice and attractive face.

Susan Tamim graduated from the Studio El Fan TV Show in 1996. Susan was characterized by the presence of beautiful and form the most beautiful, beautiful voice and beautiful Professional life began issuing Songs singel any songs alone without Albums With it is against this method is regarded as Aandalmt this thing and that he was discriminated against in that period And

Susan Tamim moved away from the art industry for a long time, where she spent time in Paris.

Because of special circumstances refused to disclose them with complete frankness she loves

But privacy life She says she gained experience in this period and that the delay was in favour and not against it

Suzan Tamim was first married to Ali Al Mouzannar, they got a divorce in the year 2002.

In this same year (2002) Susan tamim came back with an album entitled (Saken Albi) which means inhabitant of my heart.

Sousan Tamim married again to Adel Matouk a music producer.

However her second marriage had its ups and downs as well, later Adel Matouk prevented Susan Tamim from leaving her home country Lebanon.

After that Susan moved from Lebanon to France, then from france to Egypt, and spend the last 8 months of her life in Dubai, where she was murdered in a mysterious way.

Maptlahz was another hit song for Susan.

Melhem Barakat, a Lebanese singer, was born in 1944 in Kafr Chima, Lebanon.

Melhem Barakat grew up with the sound of legendary Egyptian composer and singer Mohamed Abdelwahab. Still a child, Melhem showed a special talent while singing in school parties. One day, he composed a text from the school journal and sang it first before his classmates and teachers who appreciated a lot his performance and then before leader names of Lebanese musical scene who affirmed he was an exceptional talent and a charming voice.

Melhem Barakat career was a series of successes. His best works were “Amarine”, “Abouha Radi”, “Farah Ennass” and “Habibi Inta”.

Later on, he entered the prestigious Rahbani school that married western classical and folk music with old Lebanese traditional gigs and gave birth to numerous outstanding artists.

Octavia Nasr is CNN’s senior editor of Middle East affairs. She serves as an on-air and off-air analyst across all of CNN’s worldwide platforms. She appears regularly on CNN/U.S., CNN International and HLN and offers expertise on issues ranging from Middle East politics and current affairs to insurgency, terrorism and radical Islamist messages and sites. She also contributes to a CNN.com weekly segment that provides audiences with in-depth analysis of breaking news and issues affecting the Middle East.

Prior to this position, Nasr served as anchor and head of newsgathering for CNN World Report. During her years with the program, she coordinated coverage and was responsible for contributions from some 150 international broadcasters from around the world.

In 2005 Nasr traveled to Lebanon and Syria to report on The Cedar revolution and its regional repercussions. During that trip she co-produced a series of reports for CNN’s flagship program Anderson Cooper 360°. She was instrumental in the 2006 coverage of the war between Israel and Hezbollah. In addition to running the Arab desk which monitored and analyzed dozens of Lebanese and Arab TV stations and on-line media, she traveled to the region and contributed to CNN’s award-winning coverage of the conflict. She continues to monitor the situation in Lebanon and report on the many facets of the political and military turmoil’s there.

In 2003, Nasr played a pivotal role during CNN’s Operation Iraqi Freedom coverage. She managed the 15-member Arab desk and coordinated all Arabic translations for the network. She also served as executive producer and anchor of CNN’s popular segment “Arab Voices” which aired several times a day throughout the war providing CNN domestic and international audiences with an inside look into Arab media and culture and how they viewed the conflict. Since then, her reporting on Iraq has included the fall of Baghdad, the capture and later trial and execution of Saddam Hussein, and the historic national elections. She also followed Arab and Muslim reaction to the Abu Ghraib abuse scandal. She has filed reports on the rise of the insurgency, the continued escalation of violence and terror attacks against coalition and Iraqi forces. She continues to track down Iraq’s insurgency, analyzing their many propaganda messages, websites and videos.

Nasr’s experience and deep knowledge of the Middle East put her in the spotlight during CNN’s coverage of September 11th and its aftermath. Shortly after the attacks, she spent months traveling in the Middle East region coordinating on-air appearances and forging exclusive newsgathering deals with media partners.

Nasr anchored CNN World Report and CNN International’s World News from 1993 to 2003. Among the major stories she covered live were the Bosnian war, the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, Japan’s Sarin gas attack, the Concorde crash, and every major step of the Middle East peace process.

Nasr is the recipient of the 2006 Excellence in Journalism award from the Lebanese-American Chamber of Commerce. She was honored CNN World Report’s 2003 Achievement Award for her numerous contributions to the program. Her work has also brought her with her colleagues recognition and many prestigious awards including: Edward R. Murrow for Continuing Coverage: CNN, Coverage of the Middle East Conflict; Peabody Award in 2005 for CNN’s coverage of Hurricane Katrina and its Aftermath; duPont-Columbia University Award in 2005 for coverage of the Tsunami Disaster in South Asia; Golden Cable ACE Award in 1993 for CNN’s coverage of the Gulf War; and Overseas Press Club Award in 2002 for CNN’s post 9-11 coverage.

Nasr joined CNN in 1990 and served as an editor on the international assignment desk coordinating coverage of the first Gulf War. Before joining CNN, Nasr was a war correspondent for the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation. She reported from the front lines of the civil war during Lebanon’s most dangerous times for journalists. She was the first woman reporter to interview Hezbollah spiritual leader Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah. Her journalism career began in 1985 as an assistant news director at LBC before becoming executive producer of news.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication arts from the Lebanese American University. She is fluent in Arabic, English and French.

Official Website: http://www.octavianasr.com

Mr. Rafic Hariri has been at the helm of five governments in Lebanon since 1992. For over a decade, Prime Minister Hariri has presided over the physical and economic reconstruction of a Lebanon torn by war. No such work has ever been accomplished under this limited time frame and conditions. Prime Minister Hariri is heading the current government after having been elected to office in April 17, 2003 and having received the support of 93 out of the 128 Members of the Lebanese Parliament.

Mr. Hariri was born in Sidon, Lebanon, in 1944, to parents who were dedicated to their three children, Rafic, Shafic, and Bahia. Mr. Hariri studied at elementary and secondary schools in Sidon, and pursued university studies at the Arab University of Beirut, majoring in commerce. He moved to Saudi Arabia in 1965 in search of a better life, working there as a school teacher, and as an accountant before starting his business as an entrepreneur, which took him very far thanks to his hard work, perseverance and ethics. He was able to build and deliver a hotel in Taef, Saudi Arabia in six months, a task rather impossible. There he married Mrs. Nazik Audeh Hariri and are parents to seven children and now seven grandchildren.

Mr. Hariri is a philanthropist, a self-made man who built his businesses single-handedly on the basis of his reputation as an honest, credible and trustworthy partner in all his endeavors. He believes that trust is the most important asset that guides people, personal and business relations alike. He is also renowned for his efficiency and dedication to his work and to every cause he champions as his quick rise in Saudi Arabia shows.

Mr. Hariri began his involvement in the political and economic life of his country long before he became prime minister. As a Lebanese businessman living in Saudi Arabia, he was concerned about the ongoing strife in Lebanon and he played a behind-the-scenes role as a mediator, advisor and promoter of cease-fires and agreements to end the civil war. He invested his time and contacts in the Arab world and outside to bring peace to his war-torn country. In 1982 for example, after the Israeli invasion, his firm, Oger Liban, became actively involved in the removal of destroyed buildings, the opening of streets and roads littered with roadblocks and sand bags, which paved the way for the resumption of normal life in the Lebanese capital.

In 1984, Mr. Hariri participated in the Geneva and Lausanne conferences to bring about political reconciliation in Lebanon and helped broker initiatives to put an end to the civil war.

In 1989, Mr. Hariri was the power behind the Taef Agreement, which succeeded in ending the war and the drafting of a new constitution for Lebanon. This agreement was the political contract that laid down the principles of national reconciliation, which governs political life in Lebanon today.

THE YEARS OF PREMIERSHIP

Mr. Hariri returned to Lebanon in 1992 to assume office as prime minister after 28 years of living and working in Saudi Arabia. He formed his first government on October 22, 1992. He shouldered the responsibility for helping guide a country that had just emerged from 17 years of civil war with all the legacy of that conflict: massive physical damage, an economy in tatters, and political divisions.

As President of the Council of Ministers, Mr. Hariri took up the challenge. He immediately ushered Lebanon into the post-war era, starting a massive reconstruction effort that transformed Lebanon, in less than six years, from a war-torn country to a huge reconstruction site domestically, and a respected player on the international scene. Prime Minister Hariri declared everything a priority when he was faced with the question of what to start rebuilding first: schools, hospitals, infrastructure, or the economy?

At the same time, the government focused on stabilizing the Lebanese pound and rebuilding infrastructure through restoring basic services in the country, i.e. water, electricity, phones, and cleaning Beirut of the debris of the war. The President of the Council of Ministers also paid special attention to the social, educational and health problems that Lebanon was facing as a result of the war.

In April 1993, Mr. Hariri, established the Ministry for the Displaced to help thousands of people who were forced to flee their homes during the war to return to their towns and villages. In that same year (July 25, 1993) however the country became the scene of a seven-day bombing campaign against Lebanon and its civilian population. Prime Minister Hariri called for an emergency Arab meeting, held in Damascus, and secured Arab support for Lebanon.

Despite these events, Mr. Hariri launched in May of 1994 the project to rebuild the Beirut Central District (BCD), which was totally destroyed during the war. Mr. Hariri believed then, and still believes today, that rebuilding the heart of Beirut would bring life to all of Lebanon. He proved to be right. The heart of Beirut is now the meeting place for all Lebanese and also for Arabs and foreigners at large, who come by the thousands to enjoy Beirut. It is now the financial district and centre of the countrys institutions. Among all of the reconstruction projects launched by his governments, the reconstruction of downtown Beirut is the closest to Mr. Hariris heart and the one he worked on long before becoming Prime Minister. The reconstruction process was undertaken during the continued Israeli occupation of South Lebanon and the constant threat of Israeli attacks against the countrys infrastructure, especially its electricity sector.

In May 1995, the President of the Council of Ministers Mr. Rafic Hariri formed his second government and he set about continuing the process of reconstruction.

In the spring of 1996, Israel launched an attack against Lebanon, killing more than one hundred Lebanese civilians at a UN post in Qana in South Lebanon, as part of a military campaign that Israel called the Grapes of Wrath. Prime Minister Hariri launched a diplomatic campaign to stop the Israeli aggression. His efforts succeeded in focusing world attention on the Israeli occupation of South Lebanon and culminated in a ceasefire agreement, known as the April Understanding. This understanding forced Israel to accept, for the first time, keeping civilians out of the military confrontation in South Lebanon. The parties to the understanding formed a Monitoring Group to oversee compliance with the ceasefire, and agreed on a framework to assist in the reconstruction of Lebanon. Since then the overall situation has stabilized and the country has registered positive signs of growth.

On September 1, 1996, Lebanon held a round of parliamentary elections and Prime Minister Rafic Hariri was elected a Member of Parliament along with thirteen candidates on his electoral list. He formed his first parliamentary bloc. On November 25, 1996, Prime Minister Hariri was asked to form his third consecutive government. Under this government, in the summer of 1998, Lebanon held its first municipal elections for 35 years. The government reopened the new Beirut International airport and succeeded in breaking down international isolation through the lifting of American travel restrictions.

On October 23, 2000, the President of the Council of Ministers, Mr. Rafic Hariri, was designated to form his fourth cabinet, after his parliamentary bloc won all of the seats in Beirut on September 3, 2000. The Prime Minister won the support of 106 out of the 128 MPs to form a government.

Reviving the economy has been at the core of Hariris strategy and attracting foreign investors back to Lebanon after a long absence was seen as primordial.

On October 20, 2004, Mr. Hariri presented the resignation of his government, declining to form a new government.

THE MARTYRDOM

Former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri was assassinated in an explosion that targeted his motorcade on a Beirut waterfront road, killing the late Lebanese leader, seven of his bodyguards and bystanders. Dozens were also injured. Mr. Hariri had just left Parliament when the attack took place.

The late Lebanese leader’s family issued a statement describing the attack as a criminal act and declared Mr. Hariri a martyr for the entire nation (The Hariri family statement is attached).

Lebanon and the whole world paid farewell to Martyr PM Rafic Hariri and his seven companions in a huge popular and historic funeral procession that went through the streets of Beirut heading toward Mohammed Al Amin Mosque in Beirut’s Central District, where they were laid to rest. An outstanding Lebanese, Arab and international participation characterized the procession, which hardly went through the huge crowds, who came from all Lebanese regions and sects, raising Lebanese flags and pictures of Martyr Prime Minister and his companions. During the procession, Church bells were ringing in the capital, while verses from the Quran were broadcasted from the mosques.

Many Arab and international officials attended the funeral and countless eminent figures and dignitaries shared the grief and sorrow of Hariri family and the Lebanese people by paying tribute to Martyr PM Rafic Hariri. French President Jacques Chirac and his wife, many members of the Saudi royal family as well as members from the Kuwaiti ruling family and numerous Arab and international political figures also came to present their condolences.

The Hariri family also received condolences at the late leader’s residence in Majdelyoun (Saida) and later in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where Crown Prince Abdullah Ben Abdel Aziz was among the first visitors to offer his condolences, expressing his grief and bereavement for the loss of a great Arab leader and friend. The Lebanese community in the Kingdom also came to extend condolences.

INTERNATIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS

FRIENDS OF LEBANON

In December 1996, the first international conference whose only target was to help Lebanon was held at the State Department in Washington, under the auspices of the United States with Prime Minister Hariri as co-chairman of the conference. Representatives of international organizations, financial institutions and businesses of more than thirty countries attended the conference. Many of the participating countries pledged financial or technical help for Lebanon. It was crucial for Lebanon to return to the financial scene and continue to raise the capital needed to sustain the reconstruction and development effort. To that end two major conferences, PARIS I and PARIS II were held subsequently in order to request help from the international community to help Lebanon manage its public debt.

PARIS I

On February 27, 2001, Prime Minister Hariri headed the Lebanese delegation to the second Friends of Lebanon conference at the Elyse Palace in Paris under the auspices of French President Jacques Chirac. The conference was dubbed the Paris I meeting. This meeting was attended, in addition to Prime Minister Hariri and President Chirac, by EU Commissioner Romano Prodi, World Bank President James Wolfensohn, European Investment Bank Vice-President Francis Meyer, French Finance Minister Laurent Fabius, and other prominent European, French and Lebanese officials.

Key reform initiatives presented: Prime Minister Hariri presented his governments economic reform program, which was based on several basic elements:

Stimulating and modernizing the economy,
Following up the process of modernizing the tax system
Ensuring the structural improvement of general public finances
Preserving monetary and financial stability as well as price stability.
Results of the conference: The Lebanese governments reform program won the support of the participants of the conference, and the World Bank and the European Investment Bank agreed to provide Lebanon with 500 million Euros to finance development projects.
PARIS II

On November 23, 2002, President Jacques Chirac of France hosted the “Paris II” meeting at the Elyse Palace, entitled: After Construction and Recovery, Toward Sustainable Development. Paris II was attended by key officials from several countries and multilateral institutions.

Objective of the conference: To seek support of the international community in helping Lebanon in its endeavor to alleviate the burden of the public debt and to reverse the macroeconomic and fiscal imbalances of the Lebanese economy. The help would consist in extending long-term financing at interest rates significantly lower than the rates at which the government borrowed in the domestic and international markets.

Convening this conference was an unprecedented positive sign of the economic and political support made available to Lebanon. It reflected the consensus of the international community on the governments commitment towards Lebanon financial and economic program.

Key reform initiatives presented:

Structural reform of the various administrations and institutions
Boosting productivity of the public sector and improving competitiveness
Stimulating economic growth and improving the investment climate
Results of the conference: According to the Ministry of Finance, $10.1 billion of grants and loans resulted from Paris II. Funds amounting to $ 2.4 billion were provided by seven lending countries, $3.6 billion from a scheme arranged by commercial banks operating in Lebanon and $4.1 billion from the Central Bank scheme.

THE HARIRI FOUNDATION

If there is anything that defines Mr. Hariri and points to his proudest achievement, it is, by his acknowledgement, the Hariri Foundation. It is a testimony to the importance that he gives to education and future generations. He admits that the work of the foundation is the closest to his heart. He founded the Hariri Foundation in 1979, a non-profit organization that helped educate more than 33.000 Lebanese students in the best universities in Lebanon, the U.S., the U.K, France, and Canada.

The Hariri Foundation provides also health, social and cultural services to the needy in Lebanon as well as promotes cultural issues and childrens welfare. It maintains offices in Lebanon, Paris and Washington.

In recognition of the Hariri Foundation’s commitment to education and culture, it has granted scholarships, built schools and colleges throughout Lebanon and sponsored efforts to preserve Islamic architecture and refurbished mosques, the Foundation won “King Faysal International Award for Serving Islam”, for the year 2005, equally with the Islamic Bank for Development, in Jeddah.

Here is a name to always bear in mind, the name Joseph Matar. Here also is a lifetime of achievement, a masterpiece in itself.

Artist Joseph Matar is a great humanist, born of the piercing sun and glowing luminosity of the Orient. He is a poet and creative spirit, matured in the universities, workshops and museums of Europe, of Spain, of France and of Italy. His is the eastern soul out to conquer the genius of the West, a human flame with mystic roots in the divine.

Creative artist, theorist and technician, free of all burden of system, he seeks to express himself in light! To him blind chance and obscurity are repugnant. On every canvas, the interplay of line, colour and volume falls into place of hard struggle, like the victory of a strategist or like some great symphony! Here is “a nest of verdure where a house rings out a melody” and there is a whole village rapt in contemplation of the sea. Beyond stands a vigorous tree that offers the bounty of its fruit. In yet another place one sees an immense sun beating down on the plain, a family around a newborn babe, or the golden glory of an ascending crowd.

Joseph Matar is a master of many artistic fields and pictorial techniques portraiture, anatomy, landscape and history, and above all sacred art brought to life with a new inspiration. He is master of many media, oils, water-color, pastels, ink and pencil…

When he welcomes you at Eddé-Byblos, you feel yourself in the studio of some great figure of the Renaissance, abounding in creative energy. An experience awaits you that will leave its imprint in the depths of your psyche.

Full Biography

Gibran Khalil Gibran was born on January 6, 1883, to the Maronite family of Gibran in Bsharri, a mountainous area in Northern Lebanon.

Lebanon was a Turkish province part of Greater Syria (Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine) and subjugated to Ottoman dominion, which granted the Mount Lebanon area autonomous rule. The people of Mount Lebanon had struggled for several years to gain independence from the Ottoman rule, a cause Gibran was later to adopt and become an active member in. The Mount Lebanon area was a troubled region, due to the various outside and foreign interferences that fostered religious hatred between the Christian, especially the Maronite sect, and Moslem populations. Later in his life, Gibran was to seek and unite the various religious sects, in a bid to abolish the religious snobbery, persecution and atrocities witnessed at his time. The Maronite sect, formed during the schism in the Byzantine church in the 5th century A.D., was made up of a group of Syrian Christians, who joined the monk St. Marun to lead their own sectarian thought.

His mother Kamila Rahmeh was thirty when she begot Gibran from her third husband Khalil Gibran, who proved to be an irresponsible husband leading the family to poverty. Gibran had a half-brother six years older than him called Peter and two younger sisters, Mariana and Sultana, whom he was deeply attached to throughout his life, along with his mother. Kamila’s family came from a prestigious religious background, which imbued the uneducated mother with a strong will and later on helped her raise up the family on her own in the U.S.

Growing up in the lush region of Bsharri, Gibran proved to be a solitary and pensive child who relished the natural surroundings of the cascading falls, the rugged cliffs and the neighboring green cedars, the beauty of which emerged as a dramatic and symbolic influence to his drawings and writings. Being laden with poverty, he did not receive any formal education or learning, which was limited to regular visits to a village priest who doctrined him with the essentials of religion and the Bible, alongside Syriac and Arabic languages. Recognizing Gibran’s inquisitive and alert nature, the priest began teaching him the rudiments of alphabet and language, opening up to Gibran the world of history, science, and language. At the age of ten, Gibran fell off a cliff, wounding his left shoulder, which remained weak for the rest of his life ever since this incident. To relocate the shoulder, his family strapped it to a cross and wrapped it up for forty days, a symbolic incident reminiscent of Christ’s wanderings in the wilderness and which remained etched in Gibran’s memory.
At the age of eight, Khalil Gibran, Gibran’s father, was accused of tax evasion and was sent to prison as the Ottomon authorities confiscated the Gibrans’ property and left them homeless. The family went to live with relatives for a while; however, the strong-willed mother decided that the family should immigrate to the U.S., seeking a better life and following in suit to Gibran’s uncle who immigrated earlier. The father was released in 1894, but being an irresponsible head of the family he was undecided about immigration and remained behind in Lebanon.

On June 25, 1895, the Gibrans embarked on a voyage to the American shores of New York.

The Gibrans settled in Boston’s South End, which at the time hosted the second largest Syrian community in the U.S. following New York. The culturally diverse area felt familiar to Kamila, who was comforted by the familiar spoken Arabic, and the widespread Arab customs. Kamila, now the bread-earner of the family, began to work as a peddler on the impoverished streets of South End Boston. At the time, peddling was the major source of income for most Syrian immigrants, who were negatively portrayed due to their unconventional Arab ways and their supposed idleness.

Growing up into another impoverished period, Gibran was to recall the pain of the first few years, which left an indelible mark on his life and prompted him to reinvent his childhood memories, dispelling the filth, the poverty and the slurs. However, the work of charity institutions in the poor immigrant areas allowed the children of immigrants to attend public schools and keep them off the street, and Gibran was the only member of his family to pursue scholastic education. His sisters were not allowed to enter school, thwarted by Middle Eastern traditions as well as financial difficulties. Later on in his life, Gibran was to champion the cause of women’s emancipation and education and surround himself with strong-willed, intellectual and independent women.

In the school, a registration mistake altered his name forever by shortening it to Kahlil Gibran, which remained unchanged till the rest of his life despite repeated attempts at restoring his full name. Gibran entered school on September 30, 1895, merely two months after his arrival in the U.S. Having no formal education, he was placed in an ungraded class reserved for immigrant children, who had to learn English from scratch. Gibran caught the eye of his teachers with his sketches and drawings, a hobby he had started during his childhood in Lebanon.

With Kamila’s hard work, the family’s financial standing improved as her savings allowed Peter to set up a goods store, in which both of Gibran’s sisters worked. The financial strains of the family and the distance from home brought the family together, with Kamila providing both financial and emotional support to her children, especially to her introverted son Gibran. During this difficult period, Gibran’s remoteness from social life and his pensive nature were deepened, and Kamila was there to help him overcome his reservedness. The mother’s independence allowed him to mingle with Boston’s social life and explore its thriving world of art and literature.

Gibran’s curiosity led him to the cultural side of Boston, which exposed him to the rich world of the theatre, Opera and artistic Galleries. Prodded by the cultural scenes around him and through his artistic drawings, Gibran caught the attention of his teachers at the public school, who saw an artistic future for the Syrian boy. They contacted Fred Holland Day, an artist and a supporter of artists who opened up Gibran’s cultural world and set him on the road to artistic fame.

\Gibran met Fred Holland Day in 1896, and from then his road to recognition was reached through Day’s artistic unconventionality and his contacts in Boston’s artistic circles. Day introduced Gibran to Greek mythology, world literature, contemporary writings and photography, ever prodding the inquisitive Syrian to seek self-expression. Day’s liberal education and unconventional artistic exploration influenced Gibran, who was to follow Day’s unfettered adoption of the unusual for the sake of originality and self-actualization. Other than working on Gibran’s education, Day was instrumental in lifting his self-esteem, which had suffered under the immigrant treatment and poverty of the times. Not surprisingly, Gibran emerged as a fast learner, devouring everything handed over by Day, despite weak Arabic and English. Under Day’s tutelage, Gibran uttered his first religious beliefs, when he declared “I am no longer a Catholic: I am a pagan,” after reading one book given by Day.

During one of Fred Holland Day’s art exhibitions, Gibran drew a sketch of a certain Miss Josephine Peabody, an unknown poet and writer who was to later become one of his failed love experiences; later on, Gibran was to propose marriage and be met with refusal, the first blow in a series of heartaches dealt to Gibran by the women he loved.

Continually encouraging Gibran to improve his drawings and sketches, Day was instrumental in getting Gibran’s images printed as cover designs for books in 1898. At the time, Gibran began to develop his own technique and style, encouraged by Day’s enthusiasm and support. Gradually, Gibran entered the Bostonian circles and his artistic talents brought him fame at an early age. However, his family decided that early success could cause him future problems, and with Gibran’s approval, the young artist went back to Lebanon to finish his education and learn Arabic.
In 1898, Gibran arrived in Beirut speaking poor English and even little Arabic; he could speak Arabic fluently, but not read nor write it. To improve his Arabic, Gibran chose to enroll in the school Madrasat-al-Hikmah, a Maronite-founded school which offered a nationalistic curriculum partial to church writings, history and liturgy. Gibran’s strong-willed nature refused to abide by the parochial curriculum, demanding an individual curriculum catering to his educational needs and aimed at a college level, a gesture indicative of Gibran’s rebellious and individualistic nature; his arrogance bordered on heresy. Nonetheless, the school acquiesced to his request, editing course material to Gibran’s liking. He chose to immerse himself in the Arabic-language bible, intrigued by its style and writing, features of which echo in his various works. As a student, Gibran left a great impression on his teachers and fellow students, who were impressed with his outlandish and individualistic behavior, self-confidence, and his unconventional long hair. His Arabic teacher saw in him “a loving but controlled heart, an impetuous soul, a rebellious mind, an eye mocking everything it sees”. However, the school’s strict and disciplined atmosphere was not to Gibran’s liking, who flagrantly flouted religious duties, skipped classes and drew sketches on books. At the school, Gibran met Joseph Hawaiik, with whom he started a magazine called al-Manarah (the Beacon), both editing while Gibran illustrated.

Meanwhile, Josephine Peabody, the twenty-four year old Bostonian beauty who caught Gibran’s attention during one of Day’s exhibitions, was intrigued by the young Syrian artist who dedicated a sketch to her, and began corresponding with Gibran throughout his stay in Lebanon. Soon, he became romantically involved with Josephine, and they kept exchanging letters until the relationship fell apart, following the rebuffal of Gibran’s marriage proposal and Josephine’s eventual marriage in 1906.

Gibran finished college in 1902, learning Arabic and French and excelling in his studies, especially poetry. Meanwhile, his relationship with his father became strained over Gibran’s advanced erudition, driving him to move in with his cousin and to live an impoverished life he detested and was ashamed of until the rest of his life. The poverty in Lebanon was compounded with news of illness striking his family, with his half-brother’s consumption, his sister Sultana’s intestinal trouble and his mother’s developing cancer. Upon receiving news of Sultana’s dire illness, Gibran left Lebanon in March of 1902.
By 1923, Gibran had developed a close correspondence with an Arab writer, May Ziadeh. Their acceptance began in 1912, when she wrote to Gibran recalling to him how moved she was with the story of Selma Karameh in The Broken Wings.

May, an intellectual writer and an active proponent of women’s emancipation, was born in Palestine where she received classical education in a convent school. In 1908 she had moved to Cairo where her father started a newspaper. Similar to Gibran, May was fluent in English, Arabic and French, and in 1911 she published her poems under the pseudonym Isis Copia. May found The Broken Wings too liberal for her own tastes, but the subject of women’s rights occupied her until the rest of her life and was a common passion between her and Gibran. Later on, May became a champion of Gibran’s writings and came to replace Mary’s role as an editor and conversant over the coming years. By 1921, Gibran had received her picture and they were to continue corresponding until the end of his life.

During the twenties, Gibran continued to be active in the political arena, writing extensively on the issue of culture and society and the need of the emerging Arab countries to transport the positive sides of Western culture. Gibran’s writings had remained controversial in his home country, especially with his liberal views on the Church and clergy. As a writer, Gibran relished controversy, and his writings reflected this spirit. His limited success in the Arab world drove Gibran to abandon the cause of gaining acceptance as an Arabic writer and he concentrated his efforts instead on writing in English. Slowly, Gibran was getting to grips with his writing, creating a style of language, as he revealed to Mary that he wished to write small unified books, which could be read in one sitting and carried in one’s pocket.

Mary’s role in Gibran’s writing career was gradually dwindling, but she came to his rescue when he made some bad investments. Mary had always handled Gibran’s financial affairs, ever present to extricate him from his bad financial keeping. However, Mary was about to make her life decision in 1923 by deciding to move into the house of a Southern landowner, to become his future wife in May of 1926. Gibran helped her reach this decision, which slightly clouded their relationship. However, Gibran continued to confide in Mary, and he told her about the second and third parts of The Prophet which he intended to write. The second part was to be called The Garden of the Prophet and it would recount the time the prophet spent in the garden on the island talking to his followers. The third part would be called The Death of the Prophet and it would describe the prophet’s return from the island and how he is imprisoned and freed only to be stoned to death in the market place. Gibran’s project was never to be completed, due to the deterioration of his health and his preoccupation with writing his longest English book, Jesus, The Son of Man.

As Mary slipped slowly out of his life, Gibran hired a new assistant Henrietta Breckenridge, who later played an important role following his death. She organized his works, helped him edit his writings and managed his studio for him. By 1926, Gibran had become a well-known international figure, a stance which was to his liking. Seeking a greater cosmopolitan exposure, Gibran began in 1926 to contribute articles to the quarterly journal The New Orient, which had an international approach encouraging the East and West to meet. At the time, he had started working on a new English work, Lazarus and His Beloved, which was based on an earlier Arabic work. This book was a dramatic collection of four poems recounting the Bible story of Lazarus, his quest for his soul and his eventual meeting of his soul mate.

In May of 1926, Mary married the Southern Landowner Florance Minis. At the time, Mary’s journals reveal Gibran’s perception with the writing of Jesus, The Son of Man. Writing the story of Jesus had been a lifetime ambition, especially the attempt at portraying Jesus as no one else has done before. Gibran had traced Jesus’ life from Syria to Palestine, never sparing a book that recounted his life journey. To Gibran, Jesus appeared as human acting in natural surroundings and he often had dreams about meeting his ideal character in the natural scenery of Bsharri. Gibran’s imagination was further fueled by the native stories he had heard in Lebanon about Jesus’ life and acts. Soon, by January of 1927 Mary was editing the book, for Gibran still relied on Mary’s editing before sending his works to print.

By 1928, Gibran’s health began to deteriorate, and the pain in his body due to his nervous state was on the increase, driving Gibran to seek relief in alcohol. Soon Gibran’s excess drinking turned him into an alcoholic at the height of the prohibition period in the U.S. That same year, Gibran was already thinking of the post-life and he began inquiring about purchasing a monastery in Bsharri, which was owned by Christian Carmelites. In November of 1928, Jesus, Son of Man was published and received good reviews from the local press, who delighted in Gibran’s treatment of Jesus, the Son of Man. By that time, the artistic circles thought it was high time Gibran was honored; by 1929 every possible society sought to give him a tribute. In honor of his literary success, a special anthology of Gibran’s early works was issued by Arrabitah under the title As-Sanabil.

Gibran’s mental health, however, and his alcohol addiction drove him in one evening to burst out crying, lamenting the weakness of his mature works. ‘I have lost my original creative power,’ he lamented to an audience during a reading of one of his mature works. By 1929, doctors were able to trace Gibran’s physical ailment to the enlargement of his livers. To avoid the issue of illness, Gibran ignored all medical care, relying instead on heavy drinking. To distract himself, Gibran turned to an old work about three Earth gods written in 1911. This new book recounts the story of three earth gods who watch the drama of a couple falling in love. Mary edited the book which went into print in mid-March of 1930.

By 1930, Gibran’s excessive drinking to escape the pain in his liver aggravated his disease, and hopes of finishing the second part of The Prophet, The Garden of the Prophet, dwindled. Gibran revealed to Mary his plans of building a library in Bsharri and soon he drew the last copy of his will. To his pen-pal May Ziadeh, Gibran revealed the fear of death as he admitted, ‘I am, May, a small volcano whose opening has been closed.’

On April 10th 1931, Gibran died at the age of forty-eight in a New York hospital, as the spreading cancer in his liver left him unconscious. The New York streets staged a two-day vigil for Gibran’s honor, whose death was mourned in the U.S. and Lebanon. His will left large amounts of money to his country, since he wanted his Syrian citizens to remain in their country and develop it rather than immigrate. Mary, Mariana and Henrietta all attended to Gibran’s studio, organizing his works, sorting out books, illustrations and drawings. To fulfill Gibran’s dream, Marianna and Mary travelled in July of 1931 to Lebanon to bury Gibran in his hometown of Bsharri. The citizens of Lebanon received his coffin with celebration rather than mourning, rejoicing his homecoming, for in death Gibran’s popularity increased. Upon Gibran’s return, The Lebanese Minister of Arts opened the coffins and honored his body with a decoration of Fine Arts. Meanwhile, Marianna and Mary started negotiating the purchase of the Carmelite monastery Gibran wished to obtain. By January of 1932, the Mar Sarkis monastery was bought and Gibran moved to his final resting-place. Upon Mary’s suggestion, his belongings, the books he read, and some of his works and illustrations were later shipped to provide a local collection in the monastery, which turned into a Gibran museum.

With Gibran’s death, he rose to the post of a god among some of his fans, who shed his mortal image. His close friend Naimy embarked on writing a personal biography, which was not well received due to

Chamoun’s main political goal in national politics was to reorganize the departments so that they would function more efficiently. He was not, however, capable of realizing his intent.

Much of Chamoun’s politics was oriented towards Western countries, creating disdain from many of his allies. But he was also active for many years in a Christian movement that wanted to build a bridge between the Muslims and Christians in Lebanon.
Chamoun was a power politician who forged alliances with the powerful Druze leader, Kamal Jumblatt, in order to to remove president Bishara Khouri from office, so that he himself could become president. But as soon as that goal was achieved, he cut his ties with Jumblatt. This would backfire on him 6 years later, during the Civil War of 1958, when Jumblatt was central in forcing him out of the presidential office.
After this political defeat, Chamoun was never able to return with the same political force in Lebanese politics.
Biography
1900 April 3: Born in Dayru l-Qamar into a Maronite Christian family.
1925: Gets a degree from the French Law College, Beirut.
1934: Is elected to parliament.
1938: Is appointed finance minister.
1943: Is appointed interior minister.
1944: Becomes Lebanon’s envoy to Britain.
1946: Is the chief Lebanese representative to the United Nations.
1948: Chamoun starts to form an opposition group in the parliament against president Bishara Khouri. This reaction comes when Khouri doesn’t let him take over as president, something that Chamoun expects.
1952: He forms an alliance with Kamal Jumblatt of the Progressive Socialist Party.
— September: Khouri has to resign because he is charged with corruption, and Lebanon experiences a general strike. Chamoun is now able to become the new president, but he breaks the ties with his ally, Jumblatt.
1956: Muslim leaders demand that Lebanon break relations with Britain and France, after the start of the Suez-Sinai War. Chamoun refuses.
1958 May: An armed rebellion starts in Tripoli, mainly involving Muslims. The uprising soon spreads to the other main cities along the coast. The army refuses to comply with Chamoun’s order to quell the rebellion. Jumblatt supports the rebels, and starts to take control over large parts of the country.
— June U.S. troops move into Lebanon, and manage, by June 31, to restore order in the country. The involved groups agree that Fuad Chehab shall become new president.
— September 23: As Chamoun’s term as president comes to an end, he steps down in favour of Chehab.
1968: Chamoun’s party joins an alliance against the Christian groups that want to partake in the movement of Arab nationalism.
1975: With the start of the Lebanese Civil War, Chamoun emerges as one of the main Christian leaders, heading the Lebanese Front.
1984: Chamoun joins the national unity government.
1987 August 7: Dies in Beirut.

The youngest Commander-in-Chief of the Lebanese Army (1984-1990) and ex-Prime Minister of Lebanon (1988-1990), the “General”, as the Lebanese call him, is today a deputy of the Kesrouan-Jbeil district, the Head of the Change and Reform parliamentary bloc (consisting of 22 deputies from all the Lebanese communities) at the Lebanese Parliament and the leader of the Lebanese opposition.

Michel Aoun was born on February 18th, 1935 in Haret Hreik, a Christian-Shiite village located in the southern suburbs of Beirut. He is the son of Naim Aoun, a farmer, and Marie née Aoun, a housewife. His family consisted of six children: three boys and three girls. He studied in Beirut where he attended the educational institution of the Brothers of the Christian Schools and the Sacred Heart School. As a teenager, he found himself forced to suspend his studies for an entire academic year due to the financial situation of his family. During that year, he worked as a trainee in industrial drawings at an engineering studies office. When he returned to school, he successfully completed the educational curriculum, which is normally covered in two years, in one single year.

Although he was born in a Christian family with strong spiritual values, as a young boy, Michel Aoun succeeded to establish friendships with several Muslim comrades. “We have never had prejudices or discrimination between Ali and Pierre or Hassan and Michel”, he says. “We shared our meals and we slept over at each other’s houses. Their religious celebrations were ours and ours were theirs.”

Two major incidents deeply influenced his childhood and made him the man he is today; the spirit of rebellion was born in him and he applied it to defend the rights of his homeland and its people. The first incident consisted in the harassment of the women in his village by the Senegalese soldiers serving with the French army during the mandate in the 40’s; the other incident occurred during World War II when the Australian soldiers of the Allied Forces invaded the houses of Haret Hreik at night and took the villagers by surprise, including his family and him.

It was in this spirit that in 1948, at the age of 13, he volunteered to distribute humanitarian aids to the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.

On November 30th, 1968, he married Nadia El-Chami. They had three girls together: Mireille, Claudine and Chantal, and today, they have eight grandchildren. Michel Aoun has always shown great attachment to family values, and the support of his family, who has never left his side, was certainly crucial in getting him through the difficult times in his life.

His Military Career

On 1/10/1955, Michel Aoun joined the military school as an officer cadet. He was given his first rank as second lieutenant in the artillery on 30/9/1958. Then, he was appointed captain in 1968, major in 1974, lieutenant colonel in 1975 and colonel in 1980.

During the period extending from 1959 till 1972, Aoun occupied several positions in the army artillery in several Lebanese regions. In August 1973, he was transferred to Saida, North Lebanon, where he was placed in command of the 2nd artillery battalion. During the clashes between the Lebanese Army and the Palestine Liberation Army (PLA) at the beginning of 1976, Michel Aoun kept ground in spite of the military command’s passivity in giving out orders and continued to defend the remaining free enclaves, while several soldiers, who were concerned for the fate of their families, returned to their villages.

From January 1976 till 1978, he occupied positions in Yarzeh with a mission to reorganize the artillery. From 1978 till 1980, he attended a session of studies at the Higher War School in Paris (France).

When he came back to Lebanon on 20/09/1980, he was dispatched to the Army Staff – Department of Personnel – in the capacity of Acting Head of the Technical Bureau.

On 24/12/1980, he was appointed Major of the Ain El-Remmaneh-Baabda department. Thus, Michel Aoun was in command of the “Defense Brigade”, which units had been stationed along the lines of demarcation separating the East and West sectors of the capital. During the Israeli invasion of Beirut, his troops stopped the advance of the Tsahal towards the southern suburbs of Beirut.

On 14/08/1982, he was appointed Chief of Staff of the Lebanese Armed Forces charged with upholding security in Beirut and entrusted with law enforcement during the evacuation of the Israeli army.

By the end of 1982, he was called up to form and be in command of a multifunctional brigade: the 8th brigade known for its heroism during the most crucial battles of the Lebanese War. In 1983, Michel Aoun, at the head of this brigade, won the battle of Souk el-Gharb after fighting off the assault of the Syrian army and its local allies (the Druze militias of Walid Jumblat’s Progressive Socialist Party and certain Palestinian divisions) on the Lebanese regions still under the control of the legal government.

In recognition of his heroism in defending the capital, Aoun was appointed Brigadier-General on 01/01/1984, and on 23/06/1984, he was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Army.

Sessions Attended Abroad

Michel Aoun was awarded diplomas from:
- The Artillery Training School in Chalons-sur-Marne in France (1959)
- The USA Army Artillery and Missile School in the United States (1966)
- The Higher War School in Paris (1980)
In 1983, he participated in military maneuvers in Fort Benning in the United States.

Medals, Distinctions and Commendations

General Aoun was awarded many medals:
At the national level:
Memorial Medal of 31/12/1961
Lebanese Silver Order of Merit
War medals (4 times)
National Cedar Medal, rank of Knight
Lebanese Order of Merit, 2nd rank
Purple Heart Medal
Lebanese Order of Merit, 1st rank
National Cedar Medal, rank of Officer
National Cedar Medal, rank of Grand Officer
Distinction of the General Commander-in-Chief of the Army (6 times)
Commendations of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army (3 times)

At the international level:
Commander of the Legion of Honor by the President of the French Republic (January 29th, 1986)

His Political Career

During the summer of 1988, the presence of the Syrian occupation army and the existing political pressures made it impossible to elect a president for the Republic. Before leaving Lebanon, President Amine Gemayel, by virtue of Decrees No. 5387 and 5388, appointed Michel Aoun at the head of a government consisting of the Army Staff, which principal task was to ensure the election of a new president. This government, which puts an end to the functions of the previous Council of Ministers pursuant to the Constitution, was not acknowledged by the Syrians who gave recognition to the government of Selim Hoss .

On March 6th, 1989, Aoun’s government decided to reactivate the Maritime Chamber in view of regulating illegal ports, which were set up without government authorization during the 14 years of war and which became sources of income for the Syrian militias and army who used the ports to smuggle drugs and weapons. As a result, the Syrian artillery immediately bombed the Port of Beirut. On March 14th, 1989, the bombing hit the office of Michel Aoun at the Ministry of National Defense and attained civilians, resulting in 38 dead and 142 injured. On that same day, Michel Aoun declared the “Liberation War” and officially ordered the Syrians to withdraw their troops from Lebanon. “We have decided to fight and we are certain that victory will be ours”, he confirmed in April 1989. “If we lose, we will at least have left our children with the right to protect their homeland. In all events, we will never give it away to the Syrians.”

In October 1989, the Lebanese deputies were convened in Taif in Saudi Arabia to discuss a “national accord document”. Aoun requested that they not commit to the document before a firm decision is taken concerning the evacuation of the Syrian troops from the Lebanese territories and that they not allow any change to the Constitution before the withdrawal.

On October 22nd, 1989, 58 deputies ratified the “Taif Agreement” by show of hands. Michel Aoun objected to the agreement, seeing that it would not contribute in recovering the peace and would only reconfirm the Syrian control over Lebanon. He warned the deputies of the possible dissolution of the Parliament. However, the deputies met under the Syrian supervision to elect a president: René Moawad (assassinated on 22/11/1989), and then, Elias Hraoui. Aoun appealed against the dissolution of the Parliament by virtue of motivated decree No. 420 of November 4th, 1989. Tremendous demonstrations that have never been witnessed before rushed forth to support the General at the Presidential Palace, renamed the “House of the People”, and permanent sit-ins were held in the gardens surrounding the Palace.

However, when it became evident that the western forces supported “Taif”, that a first attempt was made to dislodge him from Baabda on January 30th, 1990 through the fierce confrontations between the Army and the Lebanese Forces of Samir Geagea and the embargo imposed on the regions under his control, all taking place in vain, and that the invasion of the free regions became inevitable, Michel Aoun officially accepted to ratify the agreement under the following conditions:
1- Lifting the embargo;
2- Acknowledging Elias Hraoui;
3- The consecutive resignation of the 2 governments of Aoun and Hoss;
4- Constituting a credible and representative government of national union;
5- Dissolving the militias;
6- Unifying the army;
7- Refraining from appointing new deputies;
8- Holding free legislative elections under international supervision (ex. under the supervision of the UNO);
9- Ratifying constitutional changes.
These conditions aiming at preserving democracy and national sovereignty were refused.

After the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August 1990, the American government desperately called for Syria’s participation in the coalition it raised against Baghdad. In return for its participation, the Bush government will give Syria the green light to carry out its conquest of Lebanon.

At the dawn of October 13th, 1990, the Syrian army, supported by its intensive bombing raids, invaded the free territories of Lebanon. In the early morning and in view of avoiding a bloodbath, Michel Aoun ordered ceasefire negotiated by the French Ambassador in Lebanon, René Ala. He was asked to head to the embassy headquarters to confirm the negotiated agreement. He was forbidden to leave and go back to the Presidential Palace of Baabda. He arrived to France on August 30th, 1991. Thus, his 15-year exile in France began.

On February 18th, 1996, the resistance movement against the occupation was established, the “Free Patriotic Movement” (FPM).

In September 2003, Michel Aoun testified before the American Congress in favor of the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act. In his testimony, he confirmed that “the genuine nature of the Lebanese people is reflected in their love for freedom and their affection towards America; and the genuine nature of America is reflected in its support of those who seek freedom… We have never lost faith – and we never will – that our natural allies in the free world will finally see [the Lebanese struggle with Syria] for what it truly is: a fight for freedom against terrorism and oppression”.

On 21/11/2004, on the eve of Independence Day, Michel Aoun called for a Lebanese national dialogue to reach the necessary solutions in view of turning a new page in the history of Lebanon, which will take place upon the imminent retreat of the Syrian army.

On February 14th, 2005, ex-Prime Minister Rafic Hariri was assassinated in Beirut. The crime led to a revolutionary uproar and a movement of indignation causing the emergence of several demonstrations that called for the immediate withdrawal of the Syrian troops from Lebanon. The Syrian army left the Land of the Cedars for the last time on April 27th, 2005 after about three decades of occupation.

On May 7th, 2005, Michel Aoun returned to Beirut after 15 years in exile. He was acclaimed by hundreds of thousands of Lebanese who jammed the streets of the capital to welcome him back.

In June 2005, the FPM focused all its efforts on the legislative elections. Michel Aoun and his proponents came forth with a program including the following keywords: laicism, change, reform, transparency, auditing public funds, responsibility, true democracy, putting an end to corruption, extending the authority of the Lebanese State all over the territory… In spite of the lack of time and funding required to conduct an electoral campaign, the controlled media propaganda launched by his opponents, an electoral law (imposed by the Syrians in 2000) carved to ensure the victory of some at the expense of others… Michel Aoun and his allies won 21 of 128 seats in the Parliament.

On February 6th, 2006, a document of bilateral accord was signed between Hassan Nasrallah, Secretary General of “Hezbollah”, and Michel Aoun. This document consisted of 10 issues of purely Lebanese concern, providing a pacifist framework for the implementation of Resolution 1559 issued by the Security Council, particularly with regard to the weapons of “Hezbollah”. This document received mixed reviews, and the attempt to promote national unity was misinterpreted by the press that unleashed against him a most virulent campaign conducted to mislead the public opinion by making it seem that Michel Aoun has converted – sic – into a pro-Syrian and pro-Iranian.

This campaign grew into an even bigger, more deceitful campaign in the effect of his position vis-à-vis the International Tribunal that the UN is set on initiating to try the assassins of ex-Prime Minister Rafic Hariri. Truth be said, Michel Aoun was the first to claim the constitution of a mixed tribunal to determine the perpetrators of this crime, not failing since then to restate his original position at every possible occasion, all without receiving any favorable echoes.

In an attempt to overcome all conflicts, the frontline representatives of all the Lebanese parties initiated a national dialogue during the second half of 2006, which rounds were soon interrupted by Israel’s merciless attack on Lebanon in July-August 2006. Lebanon succeeded to come on top but the prices paid at all levels turned out to be extremely high.

It is at that time that Michel Aoun called for the constitution of a government of national unity that is capable of managing the consequences of the dilemma being lived. However, the existing government insisted on focusing on the International Tribunal and nothing else, without taking into consideration the remarks put forth by the Shiite ministers on this project, which led to their resignation in November 2006, after which they joined the Opposition where they stood behind the FPM. Thus, the Council of Ministers was deemed unconstitutional pursuant to Article 95-J of the Preamble of the Lebanese Constitution.

Putting forth two recommendations: the constitution of a government of national unity and holding the anticipated legislative elections, the different constituents of the opposition organized two monster demonstrations in downtown Beirut each consisting of about 1.5 million Lebanese . The demonstrators then organized a huge permanent sit-in in downtown Beirut, which Lebanon has never witnessed before. Fouad Siniora, at the head of the government, insisted on turning a deaf ear and not stepping down.

On 30/03/2007, Michel Aoun met with Ban Ki-Moon, the UN Secretary General. He informed him by written notice of the potential dangers putting Lebanon at threat, the biggest danger being the proliferation of terrorist cells in the country with the authorities’ knowledge. Two months later, one terrorist cell, known as Fateh Al-Islam and connected to Al-Qaida, shut down 10 officers and soldiers of the Lebanese Army while they were near the Palestinian refugee camp in Nahr al-Bared located in North Lebanon. This led the Lebanese army to strike back by waging an anti-terrorist war against the terrorists, among whom were many Saudis. The General gave the army his absolute, unconditional and unfailing support, calling upon the international community to provide the army not only with verbal support but also with the necessary material assets to go through with their counterattack.

His Works

Under the editorials of an-Nachra (issued weekly from 1992 till 2004), the General gave speeches and held conferences all around the world to defend the Lebanese cause: texts that were learned by several academics, transmitted among themselves via Internet or reproduced in brochures to be distributed to the proponents in secret.

Here-below are only some of his most famous works:
- His speech at the Lebanese National Congress in Paris (June 11th, 1994);
- His message at the Special Assembly for Lebanon of the Synod of Bishops of the Catholic Church, convened by Pope John Paul II at the Vatican ( December 5th, 1995);
- His speech at the European Parliament in Strasbourg (May 20th, 1996);
- Conference in Australia: “Lebanon: Past, Present and Future” (March 12th, 1998);
- His speech at the Imperial College in London: “The Dialogue: Road to Salvation” (October 12th, 2000);
- His speech in Lyon: “10 Years of Peace without Peace” (February 3rd, 2001);
- His speech in Versailles (January 24th, 2002), Address at the Higher School of Economic and Commercial Sciences: “Stability in Lebanon and Peace in the Middle East” (March 7th, 2002);
- His address at the “Foundation for the Defense of Democracies” in Washington DC (March 7th, 2003);
- Conference at the Institute of Political Studies in Paris (June 5th, 2003);
- His testimony at the American Congress for the ratification of the law “The Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act” (September 18th, 2003);
- His call for the Lebanese National Dialogue (November 21st, 2004);
- His address at the Maison de la Recherche at the Sorbonne for “The Geopolitical Days in Lebanon at the Sorbonne” (April 7th, 2005);
- Conference at the National Press Club in Washington: “The New Lebanon: from Liberation to Reform” (November 22nd, 2005).

In 2007, the General published his first book: “Une Certaine Vision du Liban” (interviews with Frederic Domont, Fayard editions), in which he refers to the fate of the Land of the Cedars, the country that gives out a message of pluralism, freedom and dialogue, the country juggling between cultures and religions, at the heart of the Middle East overtaken by homogenization and wars from the time of Abraham, and a world that is crushed day and day out by the aftermath of ideologies, the“Clash of Civilizations”.