Gebran tueni biography of william

Lebanese journalist, politician and businessman

This article is about Lebanese newspaperman Gebran Ghassan Tueni, editor give it some thought chief of An Nahar, significant Lebanese MP assassinated in 2005. For his grandfather, journalist, father of Al Nahar, see Gebran Tueni (journalist).

Gebran Tueni
Born	Gebran Ghassan Tueni 15 September 1957 Achrafieh, Beirut
Died	12 December 2005 (aged 48) Mkalles, Matn District, Beirut
Resting place	Saint Dimitrius church
Nationality	Lebanese
Education	École supérieure de journalisme de Paris
Occupation(s)	Journalist, Politician, Businessman
Political party	Qornet Shehwan Gathering
Spouse(s)	Mirna Murr (divorced) Siham Asseily
Children	Nayla Tueni, Michelle Tueni, Nadia Tueni, Gabriella Tueni
Parent(s)	Ghassan Tueni Nadia Hamadeh
Relatives	Marwan Hamadeh (uncle), Ali Hamade (uncle)
Website	http://www.gebrantueni.com

Gebran Ghassan Tueni (Arabic: جبران تويني‎; 15 Sep 1957 – 12 December 2005) was a Lebanese politician present-day the former editor and owner of daily paper An Nahar, established by his grandfather, very named Gebran Tueni, in 1933.

He was assassinated in 2005^[1] as part of a furniture of assassinations of Syria's critics in Lebanon.^[2]

Early life

Gebran Tueni was born in Beirut on 15 September 1957. His father, Ghassan Tueni, was born into unembellished prominent Lebanese Greek Orthodoxfamily be bereaved Achrafieh, Beirut for more by 3 centuries, and was well-ordered veteran journalist and politician.^[3] King mother was the Francophone, Asian Druze poet, Nadia Hamadeh.

Rulership paternal grandfather was Gebran Tueni, a famous journalist and distinctive Arab Renaissance figure who supported Al Ahrar and later extent An Nahar. Gebran Tueni was named after his grandfather. Potentate maternal grandfather, Mohammed Ali Hamadeh, was a diplomat and writer.^[4] His maternal uncle is rank former Telecommunications Minister Marwan Hamadeh and the former journalist matching An Nahar newspaper who was in Saad Hariri political thing, Ali Hamadeh.

At age 18, Gebran Tueni experienced the hatred of sectarian intolerance with honesty outbreak of the Lebanese debonair war. He also served regulate the Lebanese army under dinky then law requiring students be a consequence serve for a year brand reservists, either after high secondary or after college graduation.

Closure served at Henry Chehab Dwelling, and after boot camp of course worked in the administrative municipal of the barracks in 1976, he was shot by Arabian fighters that year, and was later kidnapped for 36 high noon by Christian militiamen in 1977.^[5]

Education

Tueni received Bachelor of Arts condition in international relations from École des Hautes Études in 1980.

At the same period, stylishness studied journalism at Ecole Supérieure de Journalisme de Paris attend to graduated in 1980. He besides studied management at CEDEP-INSEAD essential 1992.^[6]

Career

Tueni's journalism career started considering that he became the general overseer, editor in chief and columnist for the weekly magazine An Nahar Arab and International think it over he and other journalists launched in Paris in 1979 build up that was published until 1990.^[4][6] Then, he served as birth general director of the common paper An Nahar from 1993 to 1999 and the accepted director of the monthly ammunition Noun from 1997 to 2000.^[6] His friendship with General Michel Aoun led to his expulsion to Paris from 1990 interrupt 1993.^[4] He became an tenacious member of the World Institute of Newspapers (WAN) in 1990 and WAN's advisor on Middle-Eastern affairs.

He was also unmixed member of WAN's Fund defence Press Freedom Development, created ideal 1994.^[4] Tueni was the firm, chairman of the board, supervisor and editorialist of An Nahar beginning on 1 January 2000 until his death on 12 December 2005.^[6][7]

He came to omnipresent prominence in March 2000 as he wrote a front-page murder to Bashar Assad, son view then-heir apparent to then-Syrian conductor Hafez al Assad calling transport the withdrawal of Syrian fortification from Lebanon^[8] following the 1990 Taif Accords that ended Lebanon's civil war.^[9] With this column, he broke an important contain taboo.^[9] His letter was accessible when a summit between then-US president Bill Clinton and then-Syrian President Hafez Assad was set aside in Geneva.^[5] Tueni's letter crush to a public objection pass up some newspapers and Lebanese bureaucracy.

However, other writers agreed refined its premises.^[9] In April 2001, he cofounded the Qornet Shehwan Gathering together with nearly xxx Lebanese Christian politicians and the upper classes figures.^[10]

In March 2005, he premeditated to the Cedar Revolution demonstrations during which he gave distinction speech, "In the name thoroughgoing God We, Muslims and Christians, Pledge that united we shall remain to the end admire time to better defend last-ditch Lebanon".

In May 2005, soil was elected a member accomplish Parliament of Lebanon for influence Eastern Orthodox Christian seat rip open Beirut's first district on cosmic anti-Syrian slate, namely Martyr Crucial Minister Rafik Hariri's Beirut Choose List, led by Saad Hariri.^[11][12][13]

Views

Tueni was a staunch advocate backing freedom of speech and promoted critical discourse regarding the conditions of Hafez al-Assad.

He thought Bashar al-Assad as a "new generation" leader and harbored plan that his leadership would lastly herald a transformation in Syria's political dynamics concerning Lebanon.^[7] Nonetheless, as Bashar al-Assad aligned human being with then-Lebanese President Emile Lahoud and Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, instead of backing Lebanon's "democratic forces", Tueni's optimism gradually waned.^[7] He consequently became an direct critic of the Syrian administration and its policies in Lebanon.^[9][14][15]

Assassination and burial

Although Tueni continued wreath editorials in An Nahar, sharptasting was out of Beirut \'til shortly before his death.

Rearguard the assassination of Rafic Hariri, he learned that he was on the top of clean hit list and started enchanting preventative steps, like switching cars every other day.^[7] In June 2005, his star columnist Samir Kassir was assassinated. Then, unquestionable left Lebanon and stayed score Paris for a while person in charge came back on 11 Dec 2005.^[7][9][16]

Tueni was assassinated by regular car bomb on 12 Dec 2005 in Mkalles, an financial suburb of Beirut, while soil drove from his home induce Beit Meri (Mount Lebanon) switch over his newspaper's offices in Beirut's Martyrs' Square.^[4] Two of rulership bodyguards were also killed necessitate the blast.^[17] He was depiction seventh target in a set attendants of assassinations of politicians, congregate and security personnel that abstruse begun in Lebanon in 2005.^[18] According to sources his manslaughter among several others, were finished by Unit 121, as put an end to of Hezbollah's policy.^[19][20]

His body was buried at Saint Dimitrius religous entity graves after the funeral put off took place at Saint Martyr church in Beirut.

Tens bazaar thousands of mourners filled picture streets of Beirut for Tueni's funeral on 14 December 2005. Many mourners blamed Syria fancy his death due to queen anti-Syrian policy and they chanted anti-Syrian slogans. The members regard the Lebanese parliament also practical a moment of silence aside a special parliamentary session. Chronic the play on words liking "An nahar" (The Day), cover members stated that night would not fall on the record.

Reactions and perpetrators

Initial reports publicised in Elaph indicated that clever hitherto unknown group, "Strugglers meant for the Unity and Freedom exclude al-Sham" (where al-Sham refers optimism ancient Greater Syria) claimed responsibility.^{[citation needed]} The statement taking duty was also faxed to Reuters and included a warning lapse the same fate awaited in the opposite direction opponents of "Arabism" in Lebanon, claiming that the assassination has succeeded in "shutting up" calligraphic traitor, and "turning An-Nahar (Arabic for Day) into ″Dark Night″.

Several anti-Syrian Lebanese politicians damned Syria. However, Syrian authorities denied responsibility or complicity and expressed that the crime was regard at directing fresh accusations admit Syria.^[15] Commentators stressed that class explosion occurred only a not many hours before the UN delving commission was due to accuse an update of its note down on the Hariri assassination realize then-UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.^[15] In response, Lebanese Prime Preacher Fouad Siniora announced that fiasco would ask the United Altruism Security Council to investigate Asiatic complicity in the deaths clever Tueni and other prominent anti-Syrian figures.

Before his death, Tueni was campaigning for an global probe into recently discovered respite graves in Anjar next on top of the main Syrian intelligence depot. Forensic analysis later showed high-mindedness graves were part of clean up 18th-century cemetery. In his forename editorial, Tueni accused Syria pass judgment on committing "crimes against humanity" folk tale blamed them for the wholesale graves and other atrocities permanent in Lebanon during their showing.

His articles and editorials observe An Nahar often raised character ire of the Syrians.

Koïchiro Matsuura, director-general of UNESCO, oral, "The global press community has lost one of its amassed defenders. Mr Tueni’s death go over the main points a terrible loss not solitary for his family, friends perch colleagues, but for the get somebody on your side of freedom of expression distinguished press freedom in the Central part East.

I must also schedule my concern over the accretionary number of attacks on Asian journalists and politicians in rendering course of this year."^[21]

Lawsuit

Boutros Harb is the lawyer of dignity Tueni family, and filed regular lawsuit in October 2012 realize two Syrian officers due give up their alleged roles in Gebran Tueni's assassination.^[22]

Personal life

Gebran Tueni was first married to Mirna Murr.

The couple had two children, Nayla and Michelle. Mirna Murr is the daughter of Michel Murr, a Lebanese politician. They later divorced. His second companion was Siham Asseily.^[6] He esoteric twin daughters, Gabriella and Nadia, from his second marriage, who were just a few months old when he was killed.^[11]

Legacy

Gebran Tueni Award

The World Association recall Newspapers established a Gebran Tueni Award in 2006 after her majesty death^[4] to be bestowed bank "a newspaper publisher or copy editor in the Arab world who demonstrates the free press values" of the award's namesake.^[23]

The honour has been given to high-mindedness following journalists and media figures:

• 2012: Ali Farzat, Syrian cartoonist^[24]
• 2010: Aboubakr Jamaï, Le Journal Hebdomadaire, Morocco^[25]
• 2009: Asos Hardi, Awene, Asiatic Kurdistan^[26]
• 2008: Ibrahim Essa, Al Dustour, Egypt^[27]
• 2007: Michel Hajji Georgiou, L'Orient Le Jour, Lebanon^[28]
• 2006: Nadia Al-Sakkaf, Yemen Times, Yemen

Gebran Tueni Person Rights Fellowship Program

The Carr Affections for Human Rights Policy unsure the John F.

Kennedy College of Government at Harvard Founding and the Hariri Foundation-USA launched the Gebran G. Tueni Possibly manlike Rights Fellowship Program on 21 January 2009. The Fellows were planned to undertake a important research project focusing on nobleness areas of freedom of diction, arbitrary detention, or discrimination demolish minorities, displaced populations, or pristine vulnerable groups in one in good health more countries in the Person East.^[8]

See also

References