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Bashir
Gemayel
1947-1982
"Biography"
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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
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* 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 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
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