lebanesekataeb

Born on November 6, 1905 (Bifkayya, Lebanon)
Died on August 29, 1984 (Bifkayya, Lebanon)

Lebanese politician

Pierre Gemayel gave Christians within Lebanon a forceful political voice in a country dominated by Muslims. His efforts to secure his people's place in Lebanon inspired his followers to call him "the rock on which Lebanon is to be built," according to the New York Times. He helped to found the Phalange Party (also known as the Lebanese Kataeb) in 1936, with a goal of uniting Maronite Christians in order to protect them from domination by foreign or religious rivals. Under Gemayel's charismatic leadership, the Phalange Party played a significant role in winning Lebanon its independence from France. It also protected Christians during the extended Lebanese civil war of the 1970s, and dominated Lebanese politics into the 1980s.

Sheikh Pierre Gemayel, founder and leader of the Lebanese Kataeb Party and father of two Presidents of the Lebanese Republic, the late President-elect Sheikh Bashir Gemayel and the former President Sheikh Amine Gemayel. Sheikh Pierre died August 29, 1984 of a heart attack in his home in Bikfaiya,Just hours before, he had returned from a morning Cabinet meeting

Sheikh Pierre, as he was respectfully known, spent his life struggling for the independence and sovereignty of his country. Hardly a page of the political history of modern Lebanon has been written without his name appearing. He represents the belief in the coexistence of Muslims and Christians in one state

Sheikh Pierre Gemayel was born in Bikfaiya on November 6, 1905. Since his family openly expressed hostility to Ottoman rule in Lebanon, his father and uncle were sentenced to death by the Ottoman authorities. To escape, the family was forced to settle in Mansourah, Egypt from 1914 until the end of World War I

Sheikh Pierre studied at Jesuit schools and graduated from the French Faculty of Medicine in Beirut with a degree in Pharmacology. He founded the Kataeb Party in 1936 with four other young Lebanese: Charles Helou ( who later became a President of Lebanon ), Shafic Nassif, Emile Yared and Georges Naccache. Sheikh Pierre was chosen to head the organization because he was not a political figure

In the early days of the Kataeb Party, the Party opposed both the attempts by the pan-Arabists to dominate Lebanon and the French efforts to dominate Lebanon under the mandate. Sheikh Pierre and the Kataeb Party have always believed in an independent and sovereign Lebanon free of all foreign influence. During their first year, 300 persons joined the Kataeb Party. In a 1937 demonstration, defying a French order to disband their party, the Kataeb clashed with the Senegalese French colonial police near Gemayel's Pharmacy. Sheikh Pierre was wounded and arrested only to be released shortly afterwards

Sheikh Pierre and his Kataeb followers clashed again with the French Police in November 1943 following a joint demonstration with the Najjadah Party to protest the arrest of the Lebanese President and other Lebanese leaders by French authorities. By 1943, the Kataeb membership reached 35,000 due to their increasing popularity and a change of rules which allowed women to join the party

Several times a Cabinet Minister and a member of Parliament since 1960, Sheikh Pierre has been an active leader in Lebanese politics. He was Minister of Post and Telecommunications and Minister of Health and Social Affairs. On October 11, 1978 after the 100-day war between the Lebanese resistance and the Syrian Army, he strongly denounced the Syrian occupation of Lebanon. He participated in the Geneva and Lausanne conferences for national unity in November 1983 and March 1984

Sheikh Pierre played an outstanding role as a leader of the Lebanese Christian community. In 1976, he formed the "Lebanese Front", a political alliance of mainly Christian parties, with former President Camille Chamoun and other Christian leaders. He has survived several assassination attempts, one in 1962 and one on June 5, 1979

Sheikh Pierre was a loyal nationalist of an independent Lebanon. His life was dedicated to this goal. He represented the belief in a multi-confessional, democratic Lebanon. The wisdom and statemanship he demonstrated throughout his life will certainly be remembered with pride and distinction.

HIS LIFE

1905 November 6: Born into a notable Maronite Christian family in Bikfayya (20 km east of Beirut).
1914: Since his family opposes Ottoman rule in Lebanon, they all seek refuge in Mansoura in Egypt.
1918: The Gemayel family can return home to Lebanon, following the fall of Ottoman power.
1920's: Educates himself from universities in Beirut and Paris, France, as a pharmacist. He opens up a pharmacy in Beirut.
1936: Gemayel founds the Phalange Party, or Kataeb Party, as it is also known, together with 4 others: Charles Helou (later president of Lebanon), Shafic Nassif, Emile Yared and Georges Maccache.
1937: The Phalangists rally a demonstration in Beirut, which is crushed by French authorities. Gemayel is arrested, but released after short time.
1958: In the 2 month civil war this year, Gemayel and the Phalange Party side with President Camille Chamoun against the pan-Arabists.
— September 23: Fuad Chebab becomes new president, and Gemayel is appointed to the 4 member interim cabinet.
1960 June/July: Gemayel is elected to the parliament.
1962: Assassination attempt on Gemayel's life.
1964 September: Becomes Minister of Finance in the government of Hussein Oweini.
1968: In the general elections, Gemayel forms a triple alliance together with Chamoun and Raymond Edde. This alliance condemns the presence of Palestinian militia in Lebanon as a threat to national security.
1970: Gemayel gives his support to Suleiman Franjieh in the presidential elections. Franjieh is elected president.
1975 April: With the start of the Lebanese Civil War, the Phalange militia, along with Gemayel's son, Bashir, plays an important role in the fight.
1976: The Phalange Party turns to its secret ally, Israel, for support against the Syrian-backed groups.
— Forms the Lebanese Front, an alliance of Christian parties. Chamoun participates in this.
1978 May: Gemayel visits Israel to sign an arms and training agreement.
1979 June 5: Another assassination attempt on Gemayel's life.
1980: Following fighting between the militia of the Phalange Party and Chamoun's party, Gemayel and Chamoun decide to solve the conflict by merging the 2 parties.
1982 September: Gemayel's son, Bashir, the president-elect, is killed by Syrian agents, and a week later his other son, Amin, is elected president.
1984 May: During the National Reconciliation Conference in Switzerland, Gemayel together with Chamoun, gives support to forming a federal system in Lebanon, but does not win sufficient support from other participants.
— April: Gemayel joins the government of Rashid Karami.
— July: Gemayel steps down as chairman of the Phalange Party.
— August 29: Dies from an heart attack in his home in Bikfayya.

Piczo