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Bashir Gemayel was born in Beirut, on November 10, 1947. He was the
youngest of a family of six children: four girls and two boys. His
home-town was Bikfaya in the caza of Metn. His father was Pierre
Gemayel, founder and president of the Lebanese Kataeb party.
* He
completed his primary and intermediate studies at “Notre-Dame de
Jamhour” and his secondary studies at the Lebanese Modern
Institute.
* In 1962,
he joined the Kataeb party and became a member in the Kataeb Student
Section
* In 1968,
he participated in a student colloquium organized by the newspaper
Orient, following the events which occurred in the universities
between the leftist students supporting Palestinians in Lebanon and
Lebanese and nationalist students.
* In 1970,
Palestinian militants kidnapped him from Dekwaneh to the Tal el-Zaater
camp and released him after 8 hours. This incident had an impact on
his subsequent political positions.
* In 1970,
he paid a visit to Egypt in response to an invitation addressed to
him by Khaled Abdul-Nasser, the son of President Jamal Abdul-Nasser,
with whom he met, and he was impressed by his personality.
* He
received a degree in Law (1971) and a degree in Political Science
(1973) from the Saint Joseph University in Beirut.
* During
the course of his university studies, he taught for three years
(1968 - 1971) Civil Education at the intermediate and secondary
levels in the Lebanese Modern Institute.
* In 1971,
he was appointed inspector in the Kataeb Regular Forces, which was
the para-military branch of the Kataeb party.
He traveled
the same year to Dallas, Texas to take a law course; he obtained in
1972 a degree from the American and International Law Academy.
* He joined
the bar association and opened an office in Hamra street, in West
Beirut (1972-1975).
* In 1973,
he was appointed vice-president of the Kataeb Achrafieh sector.
In 1974, he
founded the “B.G.” squad, the core of the Lebanese Forces, which
was formed by university students in order to face the Palestinian
military danger, reflected at that time by armed barricades,
kidnapping and attacks on citizens.
* In 1976,
he was appointed vice-president of the Kataeb Military Council,
then, president of the Military Council following the death of
William Hawi in the Tal el-Zaater battle.
During the
same year, he met the Druze leader, Kamal Jumblatt, in order to
unify the Lebanese ranks against the spread of the Syrian army in
Lebanon.
During the
same year, he formed the unified Lebanese Forces and headed its
leadership council.
* In 1977,
he married Solange Toutoungi.
* In 1978,
the Syrian army arrested him in Sassine square and held him for a
short period.
In the same
year, his daughter Maya was born.
He led the
“100 days war” against the Syrian forces which bombarded the two
sectors of Achrafieh and Ain el-Remaneh.
* In 1980,
his daughter Maya was killed by a car bomb aimed at him.
His
daughter Youmna was born later.
During the
same year, he unified the military forces in the Eastern sector and
put an end to the military confusion in this region,
He became a
member in the Lebanese Front which represented at that time the
highest political power in the Eastern sector.
* In 1981,
he led the battle of Zahleh, which was surrounded by the Syrian army
in the Bekaa valley.
He paid his
most important visit to the United States, to explain the Lebanese
cause.
* In 1982,
he organized the first international conference of solidarity with
Lebanon.
During the
same year, his son Nadim was born.
He became a
member in the “National Salvation Front”, which was founded by
president Elias Sarkis, which included many Lebanese Christian and
Muslim leaders.
* Before he
was elected president of the Lebanese Republic, he traveled to Taef
in Saudi Arabia where he met with the foreign ministers of the Arab
countries.
The
Lebanese parliament elected him president of the Lebanese Republic
on August 23, 1982.
He was
killed along with many of his companions in the explosion of the
Kataeb headquarters in the Achrafieh sector on September 14, 1982.
The
institutions founded by Bashir Gemayel
Al-Ashbal :
its first camp was organized under the patronage of sheikh Bashir in
Jbeil scout camping grounds (1975).
Popular
Committees: launched
by sheikh Bashir in 1976, their aim is the people’s participation
in the organization of daily life.
Hamat
Airport: created by
sheikh Bashir in 1976 for special tourist trips and for the export
of agricultural products....
Radio Free
Lebanon : founded by
sheikh Bashir in 1978 to explain to the world the reality of the
Lebanese cause.
Radio 102:
out of sheikh Bashir’s desire for a commercial station in order to
alleviate the burden of the war (1979).
Delta
Computer: founded in
1979 as a specialized information body related to all components of
social organization.
Help
Lebanon: founded to
take care of children and alleviate the consequences of the war.
Lebanese
Forces television (LBC):
launched in 1980 as a national, educational, cultural and
non-commercial television.
Gamma Group:
an institution including specialists to plan the building of a
modern state in all of its sectors (1982).
The
Lebanese Cultural Association:
created in 1982 to deal with intellectual, literature and artistic
affairs as well as Lebanese civilization.
Achrafieh
Merchants Committee:
created in 1982 to revive the economy and trade and organize the
market.
Achrafieh
Festival Committee:
created in 1982 to organize fairs and exhibitions and to encourage
artistic activities.
©
Copyright 1998 Bashir Gemayel Foundation |
