The sudden and unexpected passing of former Lebanese Prime
Minister Rafik Hariri is a severe blow to his country.
Lebanon prides itself as a cradle of moderation and sectarian
coexistence in the Arab world. But because of its tiny size,
regional conflicts have impacted its social order, politics and
economy.
Known for its tolerance and forward-looking leanings, this
multicultural mosaic has played host to the first American
university in the Middle East more than a century ago. Decades
before that, Quakers from Switzerland established a
European-modeled mixed high school on a mountainous resort, called
Broummana, not too far from the capital city, Beirut.
During the tumultuous years of the Lebanese civil war of the
1970s and ’80s, when the region was experiencing a high
degree of instability, the country of Khalil Gibran, a
world-renowned thinker, philosopher and writer, was savaged.
Sectarianism showed its ugly face, plunging Lebanon into anarchy
and creating a chaotic environment where warlords grabbed power and
amassed wealth.
Tens of thousands of innocent people perished while the world
watched in horror. Then it was left to the Lebanese people to pull
back from certain demise. Yet only one leader ““ a person who
made a fortune for himself with hard work and ingenuity, a man who
had no blood on his hands ““ was destined to steer Lebanon to
the path of rebuilding, prosperity and democracy.
Hariri symbolized the best of Lebanon. Abandoning his affluent
Parisian lifestyle and risking his physical security, he returned
to his beloved homeland to champion the cause of the
underprivileged masses, to lead Lebanon back to the days of
glory.
Under his stewardship, devastated Beirut, the crown jewel of
Lebanon, was rebuilt with amazing speed and efficiency. And you
know what? It turned out to be even more majestic than the old
one.
Hariri single-handedly brought together the warring factions of
Lebanon, stifled the voices of religious extremists ““ both
Christian and Muslim ““ and presided over ministerial cabinets
formed mainly of technocrats, whose commission was to remake the
country and re-establish tolerance and harmony.
Nevertheless, Hariri remained a man of the people. Using his own
funds, he established many foundations to help educate the
post-civil war generation of Lebanese so that the youth would serve
the country with the same distinction, dedication and dynamic zeal
that he exhibited.
He contributed to the education of more than 30,000 Lebanese
young people in different disciplines of academia so that Lebanon
could regain its place in the heart of the Middle East as a magnet
of commerce and intellect ““ a mecca of tolerance and
reconciliation.
He was indeed a legend, and not because of some war-time
bravado. Anecdotes abound about his countless deeds of charity.
It is told that an old woman from the slums of Beirut wanted
desperately to see then-Prime Minister Hariri to tell him about her
family’s plight. After being dismissed by his aides, she
finally was granted an audience with him.
Her only son, the sole breadwinner of her extended family, had
traveled to the United Arab Emirates to find meaningful employment
and send some remittance back home to support his family.
There, the young man was duped into an embezzlement scheme and
subsequently jailed, depriving his family of any income. Hariri
asked one of his aides to immediately go to the United Arab
Emirates and see this young man and render all possible
assistance.
The aide met with the jailed Lebanese citizen and with local
judicial authorities and was alarmed of his findings. He reported
to Hariri that this was not a case of a small embezzlement and that
a handsome amount of money was involved. Thus, until full
restitution was made, this person would sit in a foreign prison
cell.
Hariri responded to his aide, “Do you think that if a
small amount of money was involved, this poor woman would have
bothered to knock at my door?” The aide returned home, along
with the freed man.
This act of nobility and utmost humanity, among many others that
Hariri undertook, earned him the title of “Mr.
Lebanon.”
This unmistakably shows Hariri’s faith in his beloved
people. It’s no wonder that during the funeral procession,
with a sea of people participating, church bells rang loudly while
religious prayers were offered from nearby mosques.
Thousands of people waving the Lebanese flag mourned the passing
of a legend, while searching for an answer to this senseless
assassination that robbed Lebanon of its true leader.
In these uncertain times, will the country of the pacifist
Gibran produce yet another Hariri, the man who put his cherished
watan on the road to the Promised Land?
Babayan, a visiting student at UCLA, is a third-year history
and international relations student at Tufts University.