List of political families in Lebanon

Bachir Gemayel (left) with his father Pierre Gemayel (right) who are the main figures of the Maronite Gemayel family.

This is a list of political families in Lebanon and their prominent members. This list does not include historical monarchies that ruled the region of the Levant but can include its modern-ruling decedents.

Abou Fadel family

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The Abou Fadel family is a prominent Greek Orthodox family originating in the village of Ain Aanoub. They are the descendance of Prince Abd al-Masih al-Qandil, affiliated with the Yemeni princes of the Qahtani family of Ghassan.[1]

Notable members:

Aoun family

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Michel Aoun, former president of the republic

The Aoun family is a Maronite family that was recently established as political via Michel Aoun's daughters.[2] Aoun's second child, Claudine Aoun, married politician and former brigadier general, Chamel Roukoz. The third, Chantal, is married to Gebran Bassil, whom she met at an FPM conference in Paris in 1996. He served as a minister in different cabinets, and succeeded Aoun as president of the Free Patriotic Movement in 2015.[3] Michel's nephew, Alain Aoun, is a Member of Parliament, elected in 2009, 2018 and 2022.

Notable members:

Arslan family

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The Arslan family is a hereditary Druze leadership dynasty descends from the Lakhmids. The family name of Arslan was given to the descendants of the dynasty. The Arslan family was sent to the coast of the Lebanon by the Muslim Khalifa in 634 and they were responsible of guarding the coast and protecting it. They ruled Beirut for 476 years (from 634 until 1110).

Notable members:

El Assaad family

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El-Assaad or Al As'ad is a feudal political clan originally from Najd and a main branch of the anza tribe.[4] Unrelated to Syrian or Palestinian Al-Assads, El-Assaad dynasty that ruled most of South Lebanon for three centuries and whose lineage defended fellow denizens of history's [5]Jabal Amel (Mount Amel) principality – today southern Lebanon – for 36 generations, Balqa in Jordan, Nablus in Palestine, and Homs in Syria governed by Ottoman rule between generations throughout the Arab caliphate. El-Assaads are considered now "Bakaweit" (title of nobility plural of "Bek" granted to a few wealthy families in Lebanon), and are considered princes or heirs to the family's dynasty to some.[6][7][8]

Notable members:

Bazzi family

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The Bazzi family is a Lebanese Shia Muslim family that has been the largest family in Bent Jbeil, South Lebanon, for centuries. The Bazzi clan is spread across the Middle East from Lebanon to Iraq, Iran, and Yemen, and to Europe as far as Northern Italy, without confirmed[by whom?] connections among all regions.[citation needed] Their political presence has been established since the French mandate of Greater Lebanon with MP Ali Bazzi (Abu Hani). The family includes many notable politicians, academicians, military officers, journalists, political analysts, and writers.

Notable politicians include:

Chamoun family

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Notable members:

Daoud family

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The Daoud family is a Druze political family from Rashaya. Politically, the family is represented by the Lebanese Arab Struggle Movement which Faisal Daoud headed between 1986 and 2014.[9]

Daouk family

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The Daouk family is a prominent Sunni Beirut family that stemmed in Ras Beirut, Lebanon during the 15th century; after fleeing Marrakesh, Morocco, the family escaped Morocco in the late 12th century from Marrakesh to the Levant during the Reconquista inquisition. The immigration came as a consequence of the heavy influx of refugees from the Iberian Peninsula.[10] This was due to the heavy influx of Arab refugees coming from the Iberian Peninsula to the Maghreb and the Levant following the fall of Al-Andalus to the Catholic Monarchs.

Notable members:

Eddé family

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Notable members:

Eid family

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The Eid family is an Alawite political family that leads an Alawite community concentrated in the Jabal Mohsen neighborhood in Tripoli.[11] The family founded the Arab Democratic Party which was founded in the early 70s by Ali Eid.[12] Rifaat Eid has relations with the Syrian Alawite regime and fought during the Bab al-Tabbaneh–Jabal Mohsen conflict against Sunni armed militias who opposed the Syrian regime.[13]

Notable members:

Fakhoury family

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The Fakhoury family is a prominent Greek Catholic family, It is one of the original aristocratic families of Saida, [14] Fakhoury family can trace their roots to the Lebanese city of Rachaya Al Foukhar but they separated and some of them relocated to Saida where they bought a great amount of lands and got involved in the political decision of the South, while others spread in Keserwan and Matn area.

The Fakhoury family used to be one of the most important families of the South since 1785. After the turn of the 19th century they began to establish significant positions of power within the Ottoman empire where they were granted the title of بيكBeik. As a long line of land owners and tax collectors, the Fakhouries were able to leverage their finances and capital using their connections to American, British, French, German and Russian consuls over the decade to establish extensive economic and political connections.

Notable members:

  • Maurice Beik Fakhoury - Political figure
  • Kamal Beik Fakhoury - Political figure
  • Wadih Beik Fakhoury - Businessman
  • Shawki Fakhoury - Former Minister

Frangieh family

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Notable members:

Gemayel family

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Pierre Gemayel memorial in Bikfaya

The Gemayel family is a Maronite political family in the region of Metn and West Beirut which is headquartered in the town of Bikfaya. The family is mentioned in bureaucratic records as among the inhabitants of Bikfaya as early as the 16th century. Between that time until the 18th century they were the sheikhs of the village.[15] In 1642 Sheikh Abu Aoun was the joint governor of the subdistrict of Bsharri alongside the Druze chief Zayn al-Din of the Sawwaf family.[16] Pierre Gemayel was the founder of the Lebanese Kataeb party (Phalange) as a paramilitary youth organization inspired by Spanish Falange and Italian Fascist parties and currently has 5 seats in parliament.[17][18]

Notable members:

Hariri family

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Notable members:

Helou family

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Notable members:

Hobeika family

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Notable members:

Jumblatt family

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The Jumblatt family is a prominent Druze family based in the Chouf area of Mount Lebanon that has dominated Druze politics since the 18th century. The current head of the family is veteran politician Walid Jumblatt, the son and successor of Kamal Jumblatt, one of the most influential figures in modern Lebanese politics.[19] Other members of the family have contributed to cultural, economic and social life in Lebanon. Khaled Jumblatt, a distant cousin of Walid Jumblatt, held the position of minister of economy and was a prominent politician in Lebanon for many years until his death in 1993.[20] Besides the Chouf, the family owns mansions and villas within the distinguished Clemenceau area of Beirut and in the northwest area of Sidon.[21]

Notable members:

Karam family

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Notable members:

Karami family

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The Karami family is a Sunni political family in the city of Tripoli in Northern Lebanon. Members of his family traditionally held the position of mufti of Tripoli. The family is also known to adhere a strong Arab nationalist ideology as it runs the Arab Liberation Party, now known as the Dignity Movement.[25]

Notable members:

Khazen family

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El Khazen family crest

The El Khazen family were very influential within the Maronite Church. Several members have played leading roles in politics for many generations. In modern times, Khazen have always represented Keserwan with at least one MP in the Lebanese Parliament. They have also been represented in many recent governments. Prominent politicians include Cheikh Philippe El Khazen, a prominent doctor and medical professor born in 1921 in Ghosta. Cheikh Philippe El Khazen was a member of the Parliament in 1968-1972 and a Co-Founder and Vice President of the Maronite League[26] and Farid Haykal Khazen, incumbent MP.[27]

Notable members:

Lahoud family

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The Lahoud family is a Maronite family whose members claim to have been the decedents and were a part of the Dhaou families of the Levant, they allegedly trace their origin back to Ghassanids.[28] In modern politics, the family saw the likes of Emile Lahoud as the country's president who had close ties with the Syrian Al-Assad regime.[29]

Notable members:

  • Jamil Lahoud (1901–1983), general in the Lebanese Army and former minister and MP, father of president Emile Lahoud
    • Émile Lahoud (b. 1936), president of Lebanon from 1998 to 2007
    • Nasri Lahoud – Head of the High Legal Magistrate, Military Judge (son of Jamil).
  • Fouad Lahoud [ar], (1912–1987), Lebanese Army officer and MP of Metn district between 1972 until his death, brother of Salim Lahoud
  • Salim Lahoud (1910–1971), former Minister and MP of Metn District, brother of Fouad Lahoud

Mghabghab family

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The Mghabghab family is a Greek Catholic political family in the Chouf region. The family is known to be allied with the National Liberal Party and having members that are viewed as Lebanese independence heroes.

Mikati family

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Notable members:

Moawad family

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The Moawad family is one of numerous Maronite Christian political families ruling in the region of Zgharta-Ehden. Rene Moawad was the 9th president of the republic and his widow, Nayla, founded the René Moawad Foundation, to further the goals of dialogue, peace, and social justice, to which they had dedicated their life.[30] Nayla Moawad was elected to the National Assembly in 1991 and was a member of the Qornet Shawan Gathering.[31] The eldest son of Rene, Michel Moawad, founded the Independence Movement, a reformist, Lebanese Nationalist party that goes against the Syrian Regime and the weapons of Hezbollah.[32]

Notable members:

Murr family

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The Murr family is a Greek Orthodox family from the district of Metn who are notable for launching the Murr TV (MTV). Many of its members have held ministerial and parliamentary positions, most notably Michel El-Murr and his son Elias who made fortunes in Africa.[33] The family is married into the Tueni family.

Notable members:

Al-Musawi

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The Al-Musawi is a Shi'ite political family.[36] Members of this family are referred to by the anglicised version of their name. They are usually given the honorific title Sayyid before their first name, implying that a person is a direct descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his sixth generation grandson, Musa al-Kadhim.

Notable members:

Osseiran family

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The Osseiran family traces its Shia origins to what is now Iraq and there to the tribe of the Bani Asad, which fought alongside Hussein - the son of Ali and grandson of the prophet Mohammed, at Karbala in 680. After their defeat the survivors suffered persecution and after an unknown period of time one of the tribal members - Haidar - reportedly fled to Baalbek, where he had two sons: Ali and Osseiran. According to the family's historiography, the latter settled in Sidon/Saida.[37] Historians have established that the Osseirans rose to prominence and power as grain merchants in Sidon and the Jabal Amel region of modern-day Southern Lebanon soon after the Ottoman Empire assumed control over the area in 1516.

Notable members:

Pakradouni family

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Notable members:

Rassi family

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The Rassi family is a Greek Orthodox family in the areas of Koura and Tripoli which became known through the political legacy of Abdullah Rassi. The family has gained notability through the marriages its members to the Frangieh family.

Notable members:

Saad family

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The Saad family is a Sunni Muslim political family in the city of Sidon. The family is known to have founded the Popular Nasserite Organization which is currently led by the founder's son and MP, Osama Saad.[38]

Notable members:

Salam family

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Notable members:

Skaff family

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The Skaff family is a Greek Catholic political family in the city of Zahle. The family is represented politically by the political party and an electoral coalition the Popular Bloc which is led by Myriam Skaff, the widow of Elias Skaff.[39]

Notable members:

Al Solh family

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Notable members:

Sursock family

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Sursock lineage since 1712

The Sursock family is a Greek Orthodox family and used to be one of the most important families of Beirut. Having originated in the Greek-Orthodox village of Barbara near Jubail, the family has lived in Beirut since 1712, when their forefather Jabbour Aoun (who later adopted the family name Sursock) left the village of Barbara. After the turn of the 19th century, they began to establish significant positions of power within the Ottoman Empire. The family, through lucrative business ventures, savvy political maneuvering, and strategic marriages, embarked on what Leila Fawaz called "the most spectacular social climb of the nineteenth century," and, at their peak, had built a close network of relations to the families of Egyptian, French, Irish, Russian, Italian and German aristocracies, alongside a manufacturing and distribution empire spanning the Mediterranean.[40][41][42]

Tawk family

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Notable members:

Tueni family

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The Tueni family is a prominent Greek Orthodox family. It is one of the original aristocratic “Seven Families” of Beirut, along with the Bustros, Fayad, Araman, Sursock, Ferneini, and Trad families, who constituted the traditional high society of Beirut for a long time. The family is known for being the founders of Al-Nahar newspaper and for being critics of the Syrian government which costed the life of a March 14 member and Lebanese nationalist, Gebran Tueni.[43]

Notable members:

  • Gebran Tueni (journalist) – Lebanese journalist, founder of the newspapers Al Ahrar and An-Nahar
    • Ghassan Tueni – Lebanese journalist, ambassador, politician, government minister, Member of Parliament; son of Gebran I
  • Nadia Tueni – Lebanese Francophone poet; wife of Ghassan Tueni

El Zein family

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The El Zein family (الزين) is a prominent feudal Lebanese family, often associated with notable influence in various fields, including politics, business, and academia. The El Zein family has roots in the south of Lebanon, mainly in Shehour, Jibshit and Kfar Reman, though members may now be spread across different areas, both within the country and in the diaspora, unrelated to the Al-Zein crime family based in Germany.

Youssef Bek El Zein with his ten children

Notable members:


See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ Abu Fadel family Al Nahar
  2. ^ "Inside The House of Michel Aoun: A Feuding Dynasty". رصيف 22. 2019-11-09. Retrieved 2022-06-06.
  3. ^ "Lebanese president's health fuels growing uncertainties, speculation about successor | Sami Moubayed". AW. Retrieved 2022-06-02.
  4. ^ Fouad Ajami, The Vanished Imam: Musa al-Sadr and the Shi'a of Lebanon (Itahac: Cornell University Press, 1986) p. 69
  5. ^ M. Firro, Kais (2006). "The Shi'is in Lebanon: Between Communal 'Asabiyya and Arab Nationalism, 1908-21". Middle Eastern Studies. 42 (4): 535–550. doi:10.1080/00263200600642175. JSTOR 4284474. S2CID 144197971.
  6. ^ Gharbieh, Hussein M (1996). Political awareness of the Shi'ites in Lebanon : the role of Sayyid #Abd al-Husain Sharaf al-Din and Sayyid Musa al-Sadr. Durham Theses, Durham University (Doctoral). Durham University. pp. 3–293.
  7. ^ Nucho, Emile N. (1972). "The Shi'i Matawila of Lebanon: A Study of their Political Development in Historical Perspective". McGill University. Institute of Islamic Studies (1): 15,134.
  8. ^ Philipp, Thomas (2013). Acre: The Rise and Fall of a Palestinian City, 1730–1831. Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231506038.
  9. ^ فيصل الداوود. Annahar
  10. ^ Jean-Charles. "آل الداعوق". www.yabeyrouth.com. Retrieved 2016-08-26.
  11. ^ "Lebanon's Alawi: A Minority Struggles in a 'Nation' of Sects | Al Akhbar English". 2018-11-04. Archived from the original on 2018-11-04. Retrieved 2022-05-27.
  12. ^ ADP chief Ali Eid dies at age of 75 in Syria http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2015/Dec-25
  13. ^ Enders, David (2012-02-13). "Syrian violence finds its echo in Lebanon". mcclatchydc.com. McClatchy Washington Bureau. Archived from the original on 2017-12-29. Retrieved 2022-10-22.
  14. ^ "All in the family: Lebanese politicians seeking to inherit their parents' seats". Arab News PK. 2018-03-12. Retrieved 2022-05-27.
  15. ^ Hourani, Alexander (2010). New Documents on the History of Mount Lebanon and Arabistan in the 10th and 11th Centuries H. (16th and 17th centuries AD). p. 1086.
  16. ^ Hourani 2010, p. 1086.
  17. ^ Lee Griffith, The war on terrorism and the terror of God (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1 June 2004), p. 3, ISBN 0-8028-2860-4
  18. ^ Mark Ensalaco, Middle Eastern terrorism: from Black September to September 11 (University of Pennsylvania Press, 30 November 2007), p. 85, ISBN 0-8122-4046-4
  19. ^ "Kamal Jumblatt | Lebanese politician | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2022-05-27.
  20. ^ "Druze | History, Religion, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2022-05-27.
  21. ^ "Druze | History, Religion, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2022-05-27.
  22. ^ "Youssef Karam, I b. May 1823 d. 7 Apr 1889: Ehden Family Tree".
  23. ^ "Youssef Karam, III b. 5 Apr 1910 Ehden d. 3 Feb 1972 Zgharta: Ehden Family Tree".
  24. ^ "Salim Karam, II b. 22 May 1946 Zgharta: Ehden Family Tree".
  25. ^ "Dima Jamali recaptures Tripoli seat amid low voter turnout". annahar.com. Retrieved 2022-06-02.
  26. ^ "Cheikh Philippe el Khazen". www.khazen.org. Retrieved 2022-05-26.
  27. ^ "Our full breakdown of newly elected MPs by party affiliation". L'Orient Today. 2022-05-17. Retrieved 2022-05-26.
  28. ^ Ad-Diyar Newspaper 3 October 1998 issue
  29. ^ Mugraby, Muhamad (July 2008). "The syndrome of one-time exceptions and the drive to establish the proposed Hariri court". Mediterranean Politics. 13 (2). Taylor and Francis: 171–194. doi:10.1080/13629390802127513. S2CID 153915546. Pdf. Archived 12 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  30. ^ "RMF - The René Moawad Foundation - Lebanon". 2011-07-22. Archived from the original on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2022-05-27.
  31. ^ "H.E. Nayla Moawad". rmfusa.org. The René Moawad Foundation, USA. Retrieved 2022-10-22. In 1991, Nayla Moawad started her political career as a member of parliament
  32. ^ "Son of slain president urges action before Lebanon becomes 'failed state'". The National. 2021-06-14. Retrieved 2022-05-27.
  33. ^ "The Murr dynasty, a legacy of clientelism". L'Orient Today. 2022-05-04. Retrieved 2022-05-27.
  34. ^ "Our full breakdown of newly elected MPs by party affiliation". L'Orient Today. 2022-05-17. Retrieved 2022-05-27.
  35. ^ "Gabriel Murr Family". lebanon.mom-rsf.org. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
  36. ^ The name is written in many different ways and forms, including but not limited to: (Al-, Il-) Musawi, Mosawi, Moussawi, Moosawi, Musawy, Mousawy, Mousawi,Moosvi,Mosawy (Arabic transliteration), Mosavi, Moosavi, or Moussaoui (in the French transliteration) Moosawi (Bahraini translation) Al Mosawi (English translation)...etc
  37. ^ Nabti, Patricia (January 2018). "Featured Family: The Osseirans - Saida Family distinguishes itself in diplomacy and politics". Home: The Soul of Lebanon. No. 7. pp. 68–71.
  38. ^ "Osama Saad declares he will stand in vacated Sidon seat". www.dailystar.com.lb. Retrieved 2021-02-12.
  39. ^ "الوكالة الوطنية للإعلام - سكاف في مهرجان انتخابي في زحلة: أبناء هذه المنطقة أوفياء وباقون على العهد". اﻷحداث (in Arabic). Retrieved 2022-05-27.
  40. ^ "Ghosts of Lebanon's Past". Stambouline.com. Retrieved 2015-11-12.
  41. ^ Trombetta (2009), p. 224
  42. ^ "Sursock House". Sursock.
  43. ^ "Gebran Tueni". Committee to Protect Journalists. Retrieved 2022-05-28.
  44. ^ https://www.darelmachreq.com/book/2106-les-conditions-juridiques-des-juifs-et-d-des-chretiens-en-pays-dislam--jusqua-la
  45. ^ https://abbaselzein.com/books-and-articles/leave-to-remain-a-memoir/
  46. ^ https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2024/09/06/258195/queensland-literary-awards-2024-winners-announced/
  47. ^ https://rmf.org.lb/our-story/
  48. ^ https://www.gilebanon.org/
  49. ^ https://ae.linkedin.com/in/hekmat-el-zein-aba9b61a
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