Elias Sarkis

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Elias Sarkis Elias Sarkis RLL Street, Adonis – Lebanon [email protected] / [email protected] Mobile telephone: +961 3 645011 https://www.linkedin.com/in/elias-sarkis-7b19815a/ Professional Experience Language Assistant Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) Beirut – Lebanon Employment date: April 2010 – Present Duties Performing written and sight translations of urgent classified documents and assisting the investigators through marking, linking and analyzing different types of information. Preparing briefing materials for supervisor for official trips and special meetings. Drafting summary and analytical reports and briefing notes. Organizing and supporting preparations for official meetings, events and visits. Preparing background notes, political profiles and databases of relevance to the assigned portfolio. Assisting specialists in reviewing the Arabic language material. Selecting and making pertinent abstracts and undertaking searches for information. Identifying new terminological material. Interpreting official meetings and phone calls between Investigators and Lebanese Representatives and submitting relevant summaries. Liaising between the Headquarters in the Hague and the Beirut Office in issues related to translations. Liaising Reviewing,with the Terminoref correcting and team updating to coordinate outdated the templates creation of new templates and the agreed DevelopingIdentifying, and analyzing maintaining and monitoring active and domestic, constructive regional working and international relations politicaland liaising developments. with different organizations.Conducted official travel arrangements as per the request of my supervisor. AnalyzingAttended maps several prior Interpretation to missions andfor safety Translation and security Workshops reasons. in Beirut and The Hague in 2010 an Going into field missions in dangerous zones. Elias Sarkis curriculum vitae Administrative Assistant Sure Track Contracting Company Al-Khobar – Saudi Arabia Employment date June 2009 – March 2010 Duties Managed, organized and handled all administrative tasks, namely 202 staff members' affairs, insurance contracts, social security formalities, sites materials and daily reports. Implemented, edited and translated the ISO 9000-9001 procedures and forms intended for the Company’s development Represented the company and negotiated offers with suppliers and insurance companies. Performed finance-related tasks (maintained petty cash, prepared requests for payments, assisted in preparing work plans and budgets). Liaised between the main office and the sites. Recruited several staff members. Maintained all HR and administration files. Kept attendance and all personal records including staff lists, residencies, passports etc. Contacted travel agencies for travel reservations. Initiated requests for visas, driving licenses and residencies. Inspected the inventory and the archives office. Provided administrative and operational support to the project managers and their teams. Coordinated with site engineers and the General Manager. Attended weekly meetings and drafted minutes. Organized and monitored data on project by reviewing a variety of records including control plan, progress reports, project inputs, budget and financial expenditures. Analyzed and maintained an overview of the administration work of the office to ensure that timely administrative support is provided in general and specialized areas and supervised office- related activities with such as grounds maintenance, security, transport and similar services. Maintained records of financial transactions, prepared special reports, calculation and payment of salaries, allowances, travel claims and other payments to staff members. Briefed staff on general administrative/personnel matters in connection with their assignment and provided assistance to all staff members in the area of office administration. Arranged for and/or attended meetings on day-to-day administrative matters, participated in discussions of new or revised procedures and practices. Collected information mainly from records and reports and prepared ad hoc reports on projects activities. Performed any other duties, as required. Elias Sarkis curriculum vitae Temporary Language Services Assistant United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) Beirut Employment date: July 2017 – August 2017 Duties Read different types of ESCWA publications in English or Arabic, and amended them as needed to ensure compliance with the United Nations editorial rules and standards. Compared English and Arabic versions of the same document to verify proper translation and ensure consistency in terms of data, terminology and non-text material (figures and tables). Provided draft translations of Arabic texts into English, checked insertion of corrections before publishing, and assisted editors in various tasks as required. Positive feedback from peers and supervisors and renewed requests for my services. Management Consultant LERECOM RENT A CAR S.A.R.L Beirut - Lebanon Employment date: October 2013 – June 2017 Duties Liaising with logistics officers at the non-governmental and international organizations. Determining and clarifying strategic and operational problems via consultation. Identifying problems and seeking solutions. Reviewing current business strategy. Undertaking research into the car rental industry sector, markets and competitors. Collecting, analyzing and interpreting data and statistics. Compiling and presenting information verbally, visually and in writing. Identifying and assessing the pros and cons of possible strategies. Outlining objectives. Developing and advising on agreed solutions. Drafting rental and leasing contracts / offers. Social Media Moderator MindShare Beirut - Lebanon Employment date: December 2015 – January 2016 Duties Supporting the company's regional and local clients in moderating their Social Hub campaigns and the social media platforms under it (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) The Social Hub was established in 2011 and has since grown to include a list of clients in various industries in UAE, KSA, Egypt and Lebanon. Education Notre Dame De Louaizé (NDL) - 1992-2005 Graduated from Notre Dame De Louaizé (NDL), Baccalaureate in Humanities Notre Dame University (NDU) - 2005-2013 Master of Arts, International Affairs and Diplomacy - graduated with a GPA of 3.34 / 4 Bachelor of Arts, Political Science - graduated with a GPA of 3.1 / 4 Elias Sarkis curriculum vitae Certifications Name of Certificate Issuing Entity Issuing Date Intro to the International Legal UN Environmental Law and Conventions Portal 11 April 2018 Framework on Marine Pollution Intro to Human Rights and Environment UNITAR / UN Environment 10 April 2018 HIV in the workplace UN Cares 8 February 2017 Initiation à la consécutive École de traducteurs et d'interprètes de Beyrouth 3 February 2016 (ETIB) Advanced Security In The Field United Nations Department of Safety and 26 May 2016 Security Basic Security In The Field II United Nations Department of Safety and 25 May 2016 Security Information Security Awareness United Nations Department of Safety and 25 May 2016 Foundational Assessment Security Gender Equality and Sexual Diversity Udemy 23 September 2016 E-Tutorial on the Post-2015 Framework United Nations Institute for Training and 9 February 2015 for Disaster Risk Reduction Research Certificate of Carbon Offset Impact Choice 29 October 2014 International Criminal Law Course Special Tribunal for Lebanon 4 July 2013 Language Proficiency Certificate in United Nations, New York September 2013 English Computer Skills Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) Outlook Lotus Notes Unite Conferences Portal Research Languages Arabic, English and French Interest and Hobbies History and politics (books and documentaries) Humanity Basketball Elias Sarkis curriculum vitae .
Recommended publications
  • The Reconstructions of Beirut Joe Nasr, Éric Verdeil
    The reconstructions of Beirut Joe Nasr, Éric Verdeil To cite this version: Joe Nasr, Éric Verdeil. The reconstructions of Beirut. Salma K. Jayyusi, Renata Holod, Attilio Petruccioli and André Raymond. The City in the Islamic World, Brill, pp.1116-1141, 2008, Handbook of Oriental Studies, 10.1163/ej.9789004162402.i-1500.299. halshs-00261149 HAL Id: halshs-00261149 https://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-00261149 Submitted on 6 Mar 2008 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. The Reconstructions of Beirut The City in the Islamic World, Brill, Leiden Joe Nasr, independent researcher, associated with the Institut Français du Proche-Orient, Beirut, Lebanon Eric Verdeil, CNRS, UMR 5600 Environnement Ville Société, Lyon, France Introduction Beirut has successively been seen as the icon of the war-destroyed city, the paradigmatic case of “urbicide”1 and then as the symbol of a city rebirth through the reconstruction of its city center,2 praised in real estate journals and sold as a booming touristic destination to natives of the Arabo-Persian Gulf. Both images place Beirut as a city out of compare, out of norm, defining it as a unique and extraordinary city.
    [Show full text]
  • Middle East: Syrians Attack Lebanese Christians; Other Developments PRINT EMAIL SAVE TEXT • Israeli Planes Fly Over Beirut • U.S
    Issue Date: July 07, 1978 Middle East: Syrians Attack Lebanese Christians; Other Developments PRINT EMAIL SAVE TEXT • Israeli Planes Fly Over Beirut • U.S. Urges End to Fighting Syrian troops of the Arab League peacekeeping force in Lebanon engaged in fierce fighting with outnumbered Christian militiamen in and around Beirut July 1-6. At least 200 persons were killed and more than 500 others were wounded, mostly civilians in Christian sections. Property damage in the capital was extensive. The combat, the worst since the 1975-76 civil war, prompted Israel to warn Syria July 6 to halt attacks against its Christian allies. The violence erupted after Syria declared June 30 that it would not tolerate a breakdown of order in the country, and would "punish the criminals." The Syrian warning referred to a massacre of Christian civilians June 28, the second such incident in a month. [See 1978 Middle East: Lebanese Christian Factions Clash] Unidentified gunmen raided Baalbek and three adjacent villages in northeastern Lebanon, killing 36 persons. The attack was believed to be in retaliation for the reputed Phalangist Party slaying of about 45 Christians in the same region June 13. Suleiman Franjieh, leader of one of the Christian factions, had vowed at the time to take revenge for the slaying of his son, Tony Franjieh, and others in that raid. Camille Chamoun, leader of the Christian National Liberal Party, said the latest murders were committed by "non-Lebanese and noncivilian elements." Other Christian sources said the victims were members of the Phalangist and National Liberal parties. The Phalangists blamed the Syrians for the killings.
    [Show full text]
  • Political Party Mapping in Lebanon Ahead of the 2018 Elections
    Political Party Mapping in Lebanon Ahead of the 2018 Elections Foreword This study on the political party mapping in Lebanon ahead of the 2018 elections includes a survey of most Lebanese political parties; especially those that currently have or previously had parliamentary or government representation, with the exception of Lebanese Communist Party, Islamic Unification Movement, Union of Working People’s Forces, since they either have candidates for elections or had previously had candidates for elections before the final list was out from the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities. The first part includes a systematic presentation of 27 political parties, organizations or movements, showing their official name, logo, establishment, leader, leading committee, regional and local alliances and relations, their stance on the electoral law and their most prominent candidates for the upcoming parliamentary elections. The second part provides the distribution of partisan and political powers over the 15 electoral districts set in the law governing the elections of May 6, 2018. It also offers basic information related to each district: the number of voters, the expected participation rate, the electoral quotient, the candidate’s ceiling on election expenditure, in addition to an analytical overview of the 2005 and 2009 elections, their results and alliances. The distribution of parties for 2018 is based on the research team’s analysis and estimates from different sources. 2 Table of Contents Page Introduction .......................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • The Hariri Assassination and the Making of a Usable Past for Lebanon
    LOCKED IN TIME ?: THE HARIRI ASSASSINATION AND THE MAKING OF A USABLE PAST FOR LEBANON Jonathan Herny van Melle A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS May 2009 Committee: Dr. Sridevi Menon, Advisor Dr. Neil A. Englehart ii ABSTRACT Dr. Sridevi Menon, Advisor Why is it that on one hand Lebanon is represented as the “Switzerland of the Middle East,” a progressive and prosperous country, and its capital Beirut as the “Paris of the Middle East,” while on the other hand, Lebanon and Beirut are represented as sites of violence, danger, and state failure? Furthermore, why is it that the latter representation is currently the pervasive image of Lebanon? This thesis examines these competing images of Lebanon by focusing on Lebanon’s past and the ways in which various “pasts” have been used to explain the realities confronting Lebanon. To understand the contexts that frame the two different representations of Lebanon I analyze several key periods and events in Lebanon’s history that have contributed to these representations. I examine the ways in which the representation of Lebanon and Beirut as sites of violence have been shaped by the long period of civil war (1975-1990) whereas an alternate image of a cosmopolitan Lebanon emerges during the period of reconstruction and economic revival as well as relative peace between 1990 and 2005. In juxtaposing the civil war and the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri in Beirut on February 14, 2005, I point to the resilience of Lebanon’s civil war past in shaping both Lebanese and Western memories and understandings of the Lebanese state.
    [Show full text]
  • Who Are We? HISTORY
    INVEST IN CULTURE Who are we? HISTORY Since the establishment of the Lebanese Maronite Order (OLM) in 1695, its monasteries, as places of prayer and studies, have always had their1695 own libraries. In 1938, the Order opened the first national BY THE 1980s AND 1990s, GENEROUS university in Lebanon. In 1950, the Holy Spirit DONATIONS ENABLED THE LIBRARY TO University of Kaslik (USEK) was founded in FURTHER TRANSFORM AND ENRICH ITS which theology, philosophy, letters and canon COLLECTION. law were taught. With the expansion and development of the University to include more Then in the 2000s, new departments were majors, USEK Library began to expand and established; the library was revamped, and develop its collection with books and journals electronic collections were introduced to accommodate the additional fields of study. with subscriptions to the collections of major publishers. As a result, the Library continued to honor its mission in supporting research, teaching, and learning needs within the University community by providing comprehensive collections, services, facilities, and expertise. USEK Library | Invest in Culture | 2 Embracing change and diversifying services to support professional growth and opportunity, and to reward flexibility and innovation is a major driving force. The USEK Library spans four locations - the main Library at the Kaslik campus and satellite libraries at our Regional University Centers in Chekka, Rmeich and Zahle. USEK LIBRARY AFFILIATED CENTERS THE CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION CENTER THE DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT CENTER THE PHOENIX CENTER FOR LEBANESE STUDIES EmbracingUSEK Library | Invest in Culture | 3 change ACADEMIC LIBRARY AND BEYOND USEK Library excels beyond the notion of a traditional academic library of higher education and plays a fundamental role as a caretaker in preserving the endangered cultural, historic, and ethnic heritage of Lebanon.
    [Show full text]
  • The Crisis in Lebanon: a Test of Consociational Theory
    THE CRISIS IN LEBANON: A TEST OF CONSOCIATIONAL THEORY BY ROBERT G. CHALOUHI A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE COUNCIL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 1978 Copyright 1978 by Robert G. Chalouhi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to express my thanks to the members of my committee, especially to my adviser, Dr. Keith Legg, to whom I am deeply indebted for his invaluable assistance and guidance. This work is dedicated to my parents, brother, sister and families for continued encouragement and support and great confidence in me; to my parents-in-law for their kindness and concern; and especially to my wife Janie for her patient and skillful typing of this manuscript and for her much- needed energy and enthusiasm. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS iii LIST OF TABLES vii ABSTRACT ix CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION 1 Applicability of the Model 5 Problems of System Change 8 Assumption of Subcultural Isolation and Uniformity 11 The Consociational Model Applied to Lebanon 12 Notes 22 CHAPTER II THE BEGINNINGS OF CONSOCIATIONALISM: LEBANON IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE. 25 The Phoenicians 27 The Birth of Islam 29 The Crusaders 31 The Ottoman Empire 33 Bashir II and the Role of External Powers 38 The Qaim Maqamiya 41 The Mutasarrif iyah: Confessional Representation Institutionalized. 4 6 The French Mandate, 1918-1943: The Consolidation of Consociational Principles 52 Notes 63 CHAPTER III: THE OPERATION OF THE LEBANESE POLITICAL SYSTEM 72 Confessionalism and Proportionality: Nominal Actors and Formal Rules . 72 The National Pact 79 The Formal Institutions 82 Political Clientelism: "Real" Actors and Informal Rules The Politics of Preferment and Patronage 92 Notes 95 CHAPTER IV: CONSOCIATIONALISM PUT TO THE TEST: LEBANON IN THE FIFTIES AND SIXTIES.
    [Show full text]
  • THE POLITICS and LIBERATION of LEBANON by Etienne Sakr (Abu Arz)*
    THE POLITICS AND LIBERATION OF LEBANON By Etienne Sakr (Abu Arz)* For 30 years, political events in Lebanon were dominated by Syrian occupation until 2005, when the Syrian army withdrew under international pressure. Yet the national future of Lebanon remains clouded in doubt and tension, as acts of terror against anti-Syrian elements continue, the March "Cedar Revolution" is stymied, and the country totters between freedom and political paralysis and breakdown. Events in Lebanon in the first half of 2005 Lebanese/Maronite-Palestinian fighting in altered the political state of affairs Beirut and Mount Lebanon.3 concerning Syria's long occupation of that By June 1976, Syria also sent its own country. Yet the outcome of these events is army into Lebanon to dominate the country still unclear and fluid. This article analyzes and subdue it to the will of Damascus. the history of the Lebanon issue and Manipulating the complex fighting scenario prospects for creating a new, more in Lebanon, Syrian-Palestinian cooperation equitable and stable order given the against the Christian community became dramatic changes which have taken place. the major motif. For example, in February 1980, the Syrians turned over the western STAGES AND METHODS IN SYRIAN area from Damur to the Zahrani to the PLA, OCCUPATION OF LEBANON along with heavy military equipment.4 On The hegemonic notion of Greater Syria July 20, 1976, following the launching of provides the ideological and historic Syria's direct military intervention in underpinnings for Damascus's drive to Lebanon, Hafiz al-Asad gave an historic eliminate Lebanese independence.1 Among speech in which he declared that its tools in realizing this goal was the "[throughout] history, Syria and Lebanon Saiqah Palestinian faction established in have been one country and one people"--a 1968.
    [Show full text]
  • Volume 29, January, 1983 Lebanon, Page 31920 © 1931-2006 Keesing's Worldwide, LLC - All Rights Reserved
    Keesing's Record of World Events (formerly Keesing's Contemporary Archives), Volume 29, January, 1983 Lebanon, Page 31920 © 1931-2006 Keesing's Worldwide, LLC - All Rights Reserved. A. LEBANON Summary and key dates Syrian-Phalangist clashes in Zahle and Beirut (April-June 1981). Lifting of Syrian siege of Zahle (June 30, 1981). Arab League committee peace proposals (Aug. 3, Nov. 7, 1981). Renewal of violence throughout Lebanon (late 1981–1982). Murder of French ambassador (Sept. 4, 1981). Bomb attack on PLO offices in west Beirut (Oct. 1, 1981). Bomb attack on Iraqi embassy (Dec. 5, 1981). Election of Mr Bashir Gemayel as President (Aug. 23, 1982). Assassination of Mr Bashir Gemayel (Sept. 14, 1982). Election of Mr Amin Gemayel as President (Sept. 21, 1982). Formation of new Cabinet under Mr Chafiq al-Wazzan (Oct. 7, 1982). During the period from April 1981 to late 1982 the internal security situation in Lebanon remained extremely precarious, being marked by periodic outbreaks of fighting between the contending factions and military forces in different parts of the country [for previous developments to March 1981, see 30917 A]). Efforts by the LebaneseGovernment to re-establish its authority continued to make little headway in the face not only of the mutual suspicion and rivalries of the Lebanese factions themselves but also of escalating conflict between military units of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) based in Lebanon and the Israeli defence forces, culminating in a fullscale Israeliinvasion in June 1982 [see 31905 A]. A new wave of fighting had erupted in April 1981 following the bombardment by the (Syrian) Arab Deterrent Force (ADF)—deployed in Lebanon since the end of 1975– 76 civil war [see pages 30917; 30005]—of Christian militiamen in the town of Zahle and in the eastern sector of Beirut.
    [Show full text]
  • Durham Research Online
    Durham Research Online Deposited in DRO: 15 May 2006 Version of attached le: Published Version Peer-review status of attached le: Peer-reviewed Citation for published item: Stoten, D. (Ed.) (1992) 'A state without a nation.', Working Paper. University of Durham, Centre for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, Durham. Further information on publisher's website: http://www.dur.ac.uk/sgia/ Publisher's copyright statement: Additional information: Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in DRO • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full DRO policy for further details. Durham University Library, Stockton Road, Durham DH1 3LY, United Kingdom Tel : +44 (0)191 334 3042 | Fax : +44 (0)191 334 2971 https://dro.dur.ac.uk b....I~uij ~I,_ .b.. :LL...J-,.II L.I,,,.J. n.\:TRE FOR ~ttDDLE [ASTE~~ :HW ISLAMIC SHIDIES A STATE WITHOUT A NATION edited by D. 5tot8n - 8 OCT 1996 Occasional Paper Serle!;; No 41 (1m, ISSN 0307 0654 \ @ Centre for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies University of Durham, 1992 ISBN 0 903011 255 • The view. and interpretations in this paper are tho•• of the author. and should not be attributed to the Centre tor Middl.
    [Show full text]
  • The Political Vision of the Association) in Lebanon 2010
    Appendix The Political Vision of the A L- JAMA’A AL- ISLAMIYAH (Islamic Association) in Lebanon 2010 In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful Thanks to almighty God, and prayer and peace be upon all God’s prophets, upon the seal of prophets, our master Muhammad, and upon all his com- panions. Thereafter: al- Jama’a al- Islamiyah in Lebanon is a reformist, ideo- logical, and Islamic movement whose objective is satisfying almighty God and accomplishing the total meaning of worship in the life of the individual and society. Al- Jama’a al- Islamiyah upholds national co- existence with non- Muslims within Islamic law safeguards, and cooperates with all citizens in order to achieve social justice and to protect human rights and his/her free- doms. Al- Jama’a operates in its Da’wa [call to Islam] within Lebanon’s reality and through legitimate means. It seeks to reform, among other things, the moral, economic, and political conditions so that they could become more harmonious with Islamic principles, which, we see, realize the interests of society. General Departing Points Political activism is an undivided part of the program of the Islamic Association. It is similar to all other areas of activisms, be they cultural, physical, societal, or propagational, which cover the life and needs of people in their religion and world. From this departing point, political activism is the ref lection of the think- ing and program of the Association, which works to achieve. Political activism is neither a sheer reaction nor an acquiescence to the political reality in which we live.
    [Show full text]
  • National Pact of 1943
    PAPERS ON LEBANON ---- ---- - ------- .~ --- Centre for Lebanese Studies ---- -- --- -- --- - -- -- - 59 Observatary Street. Oxford OX26EP. Tel: 0865-58465 Papers on Lebanon 12 The Comnlunal Pact of National Identities: The Making and Politics of the 1943 National Pact October 1991 ----- - ----- --. --_--- -- - Centre for Lebanese Studies =-: =-: - -- 59 Observatory Street, Oxford OX2 6EP. Tel: 0865-58465 @ Farid el-Khazen 1991 Published by the Centre for Lebanese Studies, Oxford ISBN 1 870552 20 2 ISSN 0269 - 8919 Typeset on a Monotype Lasercomp at Oxford University Computing Service Printed in Great Britain by Oxonian Rewley Press Ltd. THE COMMUNAL PACT OF NATIONAL IDENTITIES: THE MAKING AND POLITICS OF THE 1943 NATIONAL PACT * Farid el-Khazen t Since the outbreak of war in 1975, Lebanon has been the subject of a plethora of writing reflecting the divisive issues that have marked conflict. This contrasts with the dearth of writing on the period that immediately preceded the war, namely, the late 1960s and early I~~OS, which would have helped explain the process of disintegration that opened the country to almost all the destabilising forces that have swept the Middle East in the last three or four decades. The same can be said about another period, namely pre- independence Lebanon under the French mandate, beginning in the early 1920s with the establishment of the modern Lebanese state. Aside from the proclamation of the Constitution in 1926, the most important development that occurred in the next two decades was Lebanon's independence, achieved by the mid-1940s. The National Pact of 1943 (al-Mithaq al-Watani) was the new label that came to symbolise post-independence confessional politics, thereby crowning the process of change that occurred during the mandate both within Lebanon and in its regional order.
    [Show full text]
  • Vol. 3 No. 1, January 2001 Michel Aoun
    Jointly published by the United States Committee for a Free Lebanon and the Middle East Forum Vol. 3 No. 1, January 2001 Michel Aoun Former Lebanese Prime Minister by Gary C. Gambill Former Lebanese Prime Minister Michel Aoun continues to be many things to many people. To Lebanese political elites, he is a populist rabble rouser whose mass appeal continues to undermine the foundations of political clientalism in Lebanon. The late Syrian President Hafez Assad bore a particularly acute and personal hatred of Aoun, whose success in bridging sectarian divisions in Lebanon has stifled Syrian attempts to "divide and conquer" Lebanon's pluralist society. For most ordinary Lebanese, however, Aoun remains the most salient symbol of secular Lebanese nationalism, a revolutionary commanding almost messianic adoration in the streets of Beirut. Many have questioned Aoun's judgement in launching his 1989 "war of liberation" against Syrian military forces, but few have questioned his integrity. Even his critics acknowledge that Aoun's refusal to compromise his principles in the face of overwhelming adversity struck a very powerful chord in the hearts of millions of Lebanese. "He was a David to an infinite Goliath," recalls former Foreign Minister Elie A. Salem, "and this image was well received by all the non-sophisticated in Lebanon, irrespective of religion and locale."1 Background Aoun, a Maronite Christian, was born in 1935 to a poor family in Haret Hraik, a mixed Muslim- Christian suburb south of Beirut. He is remembered by many as an intelligent, hardworking child who transcended the difficult conditions of his youth. At age six, British and Australian allied forces evicted his family and occupied their house.
    [Show full text]