Featured Family The Osseirans Saida family distinguishes itself in diplomacy and politics li Osseiran is a representative of the Zahrani District to the AParliament, where he has served since 1993. His father, Adel Osseiran, or Adel Beyk, as he came to be called, was a recognized leader of the Lebanese fight for independence from France and went on to become a distinguished politician in the new country. In interviews with HOME, Ali Osseiran History of the family In time, Ali settled in Lalaa in Western and his sister, artist Samia Osseiran, The Osseiran family traces its roots to Bekaa and Osseiran settled in Saida, talked about their father’s legacy and Iraq, where its ancestors were part of where his was the first Shiite family in a As a result of their diplomatic status, Abdullah Osseiran, who succeeded In his fiery speech to the judge of the their family's history and commitment the Bani Asad, the tribe that fought predominantly Sunni city. the Osseirans and the people working his father as Iranian consul, figured military court, he declared that he was to education, social justice, secularism alongside Husayn, son of Ali and for them were given favored treatment prominently in the struggle for not a common criminal but a political and Lebanon’s full independence. grandson of the prophet Muhammad, As early as the 1860s, the Osseirans by the Ottoman government, including independence from the Ottoman Turks. prisoner, and that the French, who at Karbala in the year 680 (61 received support from Iran against exemption from military service and taught the world of freedom by their Hayat Osseiran, Ph.D., a senior child AH). Survivors of the tribe suffered Turkish persecution of Shiites. Iran taxes. These privileges, their growing The Osseirans, however, were not own revolution, should respect the labor consultant at the Regional persecution as Shiites (partisans of Ali) influenced the appointment of al- wealth and landholdings, and their unified in their opposition to French struggle for freedom by others. Office of the International Labour and in time one of its members, Haidar, Hajj Hassan Osseiran as head of the efforts to provide social support, control of Lebanon. Abdullah’s elder Organization for the Arab States, and fled to Baalbek, where he had two sons, merchants there and appointed Ali counseling and mediation services to brother Najib Osseiran, who sided with In 1937, Adel ran for parliament and engineer Nabil Osseiran also added to Ali and Osseiran. Affandi Osseiran as its general consul to their followers, especially in the Zahrani the French, was rewarded with election was the first candidate in the history of this story about their prominent Saida Saida and the surrounding area. area of Saida, gave the leaders of the to parliament and later became vice- Lebanon to present a formal electoral family. family considerable social and political speaker of parliament for six years. platform. It expressed opposition to the status. French and to the feudal, clan-like social Adel Osseiran, after graduating from the and political order. It supported social, American University of Beirut, followed economic, cultural and administrative his father Abdullah in opposition to reform as well as Arab unity. It called for the French. In 1936, he led a major compulsory elementary education and demonstration of some 5,000 people in the unity of the educational programs Nabbatieh against the French tobacco in the country, as well as innovations in monopoly. He was jailed along with agricultural technology. He lost to the other leaders of the demonstration. candidate supported by the French. 60 Magazine - HOMELAND & HERITAGE Magazine - HOMELAND & HERITAGE 61 In 1943, Adel Osseiran was again jailed al-Arabi (House of the Arab Orphan). In as a forensic doctor led him to finding Bureau. In an event in his honor in Sheikh Muhammad Osseiran is education and technical skills to street with other members of the independent 1956, he founded Jam’iyat al-Ta’addud abandoned newborn babies that he 2006, the press federation's current the current Jaafari Mufti of Saida boys and boys in trouble with the Lebanese government when the British al-Rifi (Rural Cooperative Society), brought to the hospital and to his head Mohammed Baalbaki declared and Zahrani, and the trustee of law, without any political or religious entered Lebanon with De Gaulle, which supported rural development. wife to care for. He added rooms to that Zuheir Osseiran was a patriot and the Husseiniyah of Saida. He is a discrimination. who was in exile against the Vichy And in 1969, he established a technical his house to accommodate them and a bright journalist who had "fought prominent member of the Higher government. They were soon freed due agricultural school near Nabatieh that in time expanded the building into a through his pen" for his country and the Shiite-Islamic Council of Lebanon and While his conversion initially disturbed to demonstrations throughout Lebanon was destroyed by Israeli bombardment huge orphanage that today takes up to "freedom of the word." is a co-founder and spokesman of the the family, in time they came to accept and British support. in 1981 and has since been rebuilt. He 300 orphaned and street children, and World Organization of Pan-Islamic his decision and respect his significant participated in drafting the Ta’if Accord, provides their food, clothing, education Samia Osseiran Jumblat is a Lebanese Jurisprudence. He is recognized as a contributions to Lebanese society. Adel Beyk, as he was called, was which officially ended the Lebanese civil and vocational training. artist of considerable renown. She religious moderate who focuses much of recognized as a leader of the war at the end of 1989, and then retired has participated in many collective his efforts on interfaith dialogue. Dr. Hayat Osseiran co-founded the independence movement when Lebanon from politics in 1992. In 1941, prior to Lebanon’s exhibitions in Lebanon and abroad South Lebanese Society for the Blind in won its independence from France in independence, Dr. Fouad Osseiran was (including the Sursock Museum's 1995 with a group of visually disabled 1943, and became minister of commerce Ali Osseiran followed his father as appointed Minister of Health, Public Autumn Salon) and has held regular people who wanted to help others in the new government. representative to parliament for the Works and Agriculture. After he died, solo exhibitions in Beirut. She with visual disabilities in remote areas Zahrani district from 1993 until now. his sons, Drs. Imad and Majed, and taught fine arts at Beirut University and villages to become independent, From 1953 to 1992, he represented engineer Nabil Osseiran took over the College (now the Lebanese American ... the first Shiite family socially and economically. In 1998, the Zahrani district in the parliament, orphanage and hospital. They also built University) from 1970 to 1972. in a predominantly she also co-founded the Association except for the period of 1964 - 68, and an institution for the elderly in south Sunni city. for Volunteer Services “to promote, was speaker of the parliament between Saida, which was recently inaugurated Sanaa Osseiran was the representative facilitate, and improve volunteering and 1953 and 1959. He held many different to receive not less than 100 elderly of the International Peace Research community service throughout Lebanon cabinet portfolios over the years and persons at a time, providing them with Association to UNESCO in Paris from Father Afif Osseiran was baptized in and beyond.” And since 2000, she has won reelection for the last time in 1972, The Osseiran family traces medical, nutritional and psychosocial 1988 to 1997. In 1992, she initiated the Catholic Church in 1945 at the age worked with the International Labor after which there were no more elections its roots to Iraq, where support. the project "Cultural Symbiosis" in of 25 after having a mystical experience Organization to combat child labor in for 20 years. its ancestors … fought Al-Andalus. She directed a number of while praying at a mosque. By his Lebanon and other countries of the alongside Husayn, son of Ali Zuheir Osseiran, both a journalist other projects with UNESCO, including account, the experience led him to read Arab region. He consistently called for secularism and grandson of the prophet and an activist, started working in the training of trainers in Lebanese civil the Holy Books, including the Gospel. and for compulsory army service for press in the 1930s. He was detained by society in conflict resolution and peace The Honorable Inaam Osseiran the security of Lebanon, particularly Muhammad. French mandate authorities many times education for children and adults. She He earned a doctorate in philosophy and studied law at St. Joseph University South Lebanon. He supported U.S. aid for his participation in the struggle for also participated in the United Nations another in Muslim thought in Belgium. and in 1981 began her career Lebanon’s through the Point IV Program, though Lebanon’s independence. He served as Peacekeeping Operations in Western He was a novitiate of a Catholic order foreign service as attaché. Among other he rejected any political implication of Other prominent Osseirans head of the Lebanese Press Federation Sahara. for nine years, but in 1962 returned to posts, she was charge d’affaires (France it. And he personally administered the Dr. Fouad Osseiran, from the Hajj between 1965 and 1967, and was Lebanon before taking his final vows and Spain), consul general (Egypt and construction and development of 15 Hassan branch of the family, was the honored for his patriotism and the Sheikh Munir Osseiran was the first and was ordained a Maronite priest. Italy) and First Secretary (U.S.