L'Emir Magid Arslan
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L’Emir Mageed Toufic Arslan (February 1908 in Shoueifat, Lebanon - September 18, 1983)
He was the son of L’Emir Toufic Arslan, who, in 1920, helpted to found Greater Lebanon. He had three brothers (Nouhad, Riad, Melhem) and a sister (Zahia)
In 1932, he married his cousin, L’Emira Lamiss Shehab. She bore him two sons: Toufic (1935-2003) and Fayssal (born 1941).
In 1956, after his first wife’s untimely death, he remarried, to Sitt Khawla Jumblatt. She bore him three daughters (Zeina, Rima, and Najwa) and a son, Talal.
He was known for his exceptional skills in horsemanship and would often exercise his hobby in a southern village El Mageedieh (3 million m²), named after him.
He studied at a French school called “Mission Laique Francaise”.
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[edit] Political career
[edit] in Parliament
L’Emir Mageed Arslan was a Druze leader. The Druzes have two traditional feudal ruling families: the Arslans and the Jumblatts. L’Emir Mageed Arslan was the leader of the Yazbaki (Arslan affiliations) faction. He ran for parliamentary elections in 1931 and won the Druze seat of Aley Cazaa district. His allies also won the elections. From 1931 until his death in 1983, he and his allies would win all the parliamentary elections of 1934, 1937, 1943, 1947, 1951, 1953, 1957, 1960, 1964, 1968 and 1972. And so, he was rightly designated as the Dean of Ministers and Deputies of the world.
[edit] in Cabinet
Over a period of 35 years, L’Emir Mageed Arslan held various ministerial posts.
- October 1937: Minister of Agriculture
- September 1943: Minister of Health & Defense
- July 1944: Minister of Health & Defense
- May 1946: Minister of Health & Defense
- December 1946: Minister of Telecommunications & Defense
- June 1947: Minister of Telecommunications & Defense
- July 1948: Minister of Agriculture & Defense
- October 1949: Minister of Defense
- February 1954: Minister of Health & Defense
- July 1955: Minister of Defense
- March 1956: Minister of Defense
- November 1956: Minister of Health & Agriculture
- August 1957: Minister of Telecommunications & Defense
- March 1958: Minister of Agriculture
- August 1960: Minister of Defense
- October 1961: Minister of Defense
- October 1968: Minister of Defense & Justice
- January 1969: Minister of Defense
- November 1969: Minister of Defense
- May 1969: Minister of Defense
- July 1973: Minister of State
- October 1974: Minister of Health
- July 1975: Minister of Health & Agriculture & Housing
[edit] Story of Lebanon’s 1943 independence
Right after World War I, in 1918, the French colonialized Lebanon. In 1943, the leaders of the country together with the ministers held a national convention and drew up a National Charter stating that:
- Lebanon is an independent country with an Arab aspect,
- Lebanon is to be lead by neither East nor West,
- No to Colonialism,
- Religious sects are to be represented in ministries and all governmental posts,
- The Lebanese government should bring under its control customs, railways and the Regie (tobacco monopoly).
- The Lebanese government should supervise and control its borders.
On 10 November 1943, the French retaliated by arresting the Lebanese President Beshara El Khoury, Prime Minister Riad El Solh and ministers Kamil Shameoun, Adel Osseiran and Rashid Karami. The French used Senegalese mercenaries to transport these political prisoners to Rashaya Fort in the Beqaa. Ministers Mageed Arslan, Sabri Hamadeh and Habib Abi Shahla escaped the arrest because they were not in their homes that night.
On 11 November, 1943, Arslan, Hamadeh and Abi Shahla created the “Government of Free Lebanon” with Habib Abi Shahla as Prime Minister. Their headquarters were in Bshamoun, a village 30 Km from Beirut. Mageed Arslan grouped around him men and artillery in an armed rebellion and was ready to fight the French troops. Meanwhile, disturbances and riots raged all over Lebanon. The Deputies held a secret session during which they drew and signed on a new flag that they handed over to the cabinet of Bshamoun.
On 21 November 1943, Due to riots, open strikes, the armed rebellion of Arslan and the interference of Arab and Western states (mainly Britain), the political prisoners are released. The freed prisoners pass by Bshamoun on their way back home, to thank the rebels. There, they sing the Lebanese National Hymn and Mageed Arslan kneels in front of the Lebanese flag and kisses it.
On 22 November 1943, Lebanon is proclaimed an independent state.
[edit] Founding the Lebanese Army
As Minister of Defense, Mageed Arslan founded the Lebanese army together with Fouad Shehab.
[edit] Malkieh fight
June 1948: Mageed Arslan led a campaign in Palestine and recuperated(?) the Arab village of Malkieh from the Zionists.
[edit] Death
L’Emir Mageed Arslan died peacefully on September the 18th, 1983. He was 75 years old. He is buried in Khaldeh, a village South of Beirut.
[edit] Trivia
Emir is an Arabic word that means Prince.
