Samir Frangieh | |
---|---|
Born | Samir Hamid Frangieh 4 December 1945 |
Died | 11 April 2017 Beirut, Lebanon | (aged 71)
Nationality | Lebanese |
Occupations |
|
Known for | 14 March alliance |
Spouse | Anne Mourani |
Children | 2 |
Samir Frangieh (4 December 1945 – 11 April 2017) was a Lebanese politician and a leftist intellectual. He was a member of the Lebanese Parliament. He was from the Frangieh family, one of the well-known political families of Lebanon.
Frangieh was born in Zgharta on 4 December 1945. [1] He hailed from an old political family, Frangieh family. [2] He is the son of Hamid Kabalan Frangieh and Lamia Michel (née Raffoul). [3] Hamid Frangieh was a lawyer and a businessman. [4] He was the elder brother of Suleiman Frangieh who was the President of Lebanon in the period 1970-1976. [2] Therefore, Suleiman Frangieh Jr. and Samir Frangieh were cousins. [5]
Frangieh was a leading journalist. [6] He contributed to many leading publications, including L'Orient (1970), L'Orient-Le Jour (1971–1975), Le Monde diplomatique, Libération, An Nahar, As Safir and Financial Times. [1] He also published articles in academic journals such as Journal of Palestine Studies. [7] [8]
Frangieh joined the Lebanese Communist Party and left it in 1967. [1] He was the founder of the Lebanese Communist Union which was disestablished in 1970. [1] He was also a member of the National Movement Center. [1] During the term of President Émile Lahoud, Frangieh was one of the opposition leaders, who tried to challenge close allies of the president. [9] The opposition group was also led by Rafik Hariri and Walid Jumblatt. [9] Frangieh was a political ally of Jumblatt. [10]
Frangieh was also one of the founders of the Qornet Shehwan Gathering. [11] He supported the implementation of the Taif accords and the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon. [12] In addition, he was part of the 14 March Alliance [13] and a member of its general secretariat. [14] [15] He was the author of "Beirut manifesto" that was published in Le Monde on 22 June 2004. [16] The manifesto, which was signed by Lebanese intellectuals and eminent public figures, challenged the dominance of Syria in Lebanon. [16]
In the 2005 general elections, Frangieh became a member of the Lebanese Parliament, representing Zgharta. [17] However, in the general elections of 2009, Frangieh was not included in the election list of the March 14 alliance. [18]
Frangieh was elected president of the March 14 national council in June 2015 against Fawzi Ferri. [19]
Frangieh was married to Anne Mourani with whom he had two children. [1] He was the author of The Journey to the Extreme of Violence that was published in 2011. [13] He died on 11 April 2017 in Beirut's Hotel Dieu Hospital. [20] [21]