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Amin GemayelFormer President of Lebanon
Country:
 Lebanon |
Content:
Biography of Amin Gemayel
Amin Gemayel, the former President of Lebanon, was born in 1942. He graduated from the Faculty of Law at Saint Joseph University in Beirut in 1965 and worked as a lawyer. Gemayel was first elected as a member of parliament in 1970 and served as the President of Lebanon from 1982 to 1988.
Return to Lebanon
After an eight-year exile in Paris, Amin Gemayel returned to his homeland, becoming a symbol of the fight against Syrian influence in Lebanon. His return was made possible after receiving security guarantees from the President and Prime Minister of Lebanon.
Political Activism
In 1992, Gemayel briefly returned to Lebanon to personally lead a campaign to boycott parliamentary elections in the country, which he claimed were controlled by Damascus. However, due to receiving multiple threats, he was forced to return to France, where he continued to lead the opposition campaign against the 35,000-strong Syrian military presence in Lebanon.
Language Skills
Besides Arabic, Amin Gemayel is fluent in English and French.Controversial Invitation
Surprisingly, in June, Gemayel received an invitation to attend the funeral of Syrian President Hafez al-Assad, with whom he had been in conflict for years. He even planned to travel to Damascus and then to Lebanon. However, he had to decline the invitation after the Lebanese ambassador in France explained to Gemayel that his invitation was a "protocol error" by the Syrian government.
