George Hawi
Encyclopedia
George Hawi was a Lebanese
politician
and former secretary general of the Lebanese Communist Party
(LCP). He was assassinated in 2005.
in Lebanon 1938 to a Greek Orthodox
family. Although born into a Christian family, Hawi was a professed atheist.
He became active in student politics in his early years at university, participating in numerous strikes
and demonstrations and in several popular movement
s. He joined the LCP in 1955 and became one of the main leaders of its Student League by the end of the decade.
In 1964 he was imprisoned for his involvement in a strike against Lebanon’s state-controlled tobacco
manufacturer. In 1969 he was again in prison for participation in a demonstration on April 23 in support of the Palestinian
cause, and again in 1970 for his part in attacking an army detachment.
Hawi was briefly expelled from the LCP in 1967 for calling for more independence from the policies of the Soviet Union
. He rejoined the Party and was elected secretary general in 1979 — a position he kept until 1993.
During the Lebanese Civil War
Hawi, who used the kunya
-style nom de guerre "Abu Anis", established the Popular Guard, the LCP militia, which was aligned with the Lebanese National Movement
(LNM) of Druze
leader Kamal Jumblatt
in its opposition to the Maronite-dominated government and Christian
-backed militia
s. The LCP was also active in the guerrilla warfare
against Israel
and its proxy militia, the South Lebanon Army
(SLA), in southern Lebanon, after the Israeli invasion
in 1982. During the invasion he created the Lebanese National Resistance front together with Muhsin Ibrahim. LNRF was commanded by Elias Atallah
. At later stages of the war, the LCP under Hawi allied with Syria
, which had entered Lebanon in 1976, but was to stay in the country for nearly 30 years.
He became a critic of the influence of Damascus
in Lebanon
late in his life, after having left the LCP in 2000. In 2004, he supported the foundation of the leftist
Democratic Left Movement (DLM), that was with the Syrian presence in Lebanon and participated in the Independence Uprising
of 2005. Murdered journalist
Samir Kassir
was a prominent member and co-founder of this group.
's Wata Musaitbi neighborhood. Several sources including the March 14 Alliance
and members of the Western media immediately blamed Syria for his killing and for the other explosions in the capital though a definitive culprit has yet to be found.
In August 2011 the Special Tribunal for Lebanon
informed members of Hawi's family that they had found a link between his murder and that of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri. The STL had previously issued indictments against members of Hezbollah for the Hariri killing.
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and former secretary general of the Lebanese Communist Party
Lebanese Communist Party
The Lebanese Communist Party – LCP or Parti communiste libanais in French, is a communist political party in Lebanon...
(LCP). He was assassinated in 2005.
Background
George Hawi was born in the village of BteghrineBteghrine
Bteghrine is a municipality in the Matn District of the Mount Lebanon Governorate of Lebanon.- Etymology :The exact origin of the name Bteghrine is unknown, but possibilities include Place of Warriors, Place of Rocks, and House of the Saddest - references to a large battle in the area around 1290...
in Lebanon 1938 to a Greek Orthodox
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
family. Although born into a Christian family, Hawi was a professed atheist.
He became active in student politics in his early years at university, participating in numerous strikes
Strike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
and demonstrations and in several popular movement
Popular Movement
The Popular Movement is a conservative liberal party in Morocco established in 1957 by the Berber Caid Mahjoubi Aherdane with help from Dr. Abdelkrim al-Khatib who founded later a splinter party that became the Justice and Development Party.The present party results from a 25 March 2006 merger...
s. He joined the LCP in 1955 and became one of the main leaders of its Student League by the end of the decade.
In 1964 he was imprisoned for his involvement in a strike against Lebanon’s state-controlled tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
manufacturer. In 1969 he was again in prison for participation in a demonstration on April 23 in support of the Palestinian
Palestinian territories
The Palestinian territories comprise the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988, the region is today recognized by three-quarters of the world's countries as the State of Palestine or simply Palestine, although this status is not recognized by the...
cause, and again in 1970 for his part in attacking an army detachment.
Hawi was briefly expelled from the LCP in 1967 for calling for more independence from the policies of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. He rejoined the Party and was elected secretary general in 1979 — a position he kept until 1993.
During the Lebanese Civil War
Lebanese Civil War
The Lebanese Civil War was a multifaceted civil war in Lebanon. The war lasted from 1975 to 1990 and resulted in an estimated 150,000 to 230,000 civilian fatalities. Another one million people were wounded, and today approximately 350,000 people remain displaced. There was also a mass exodus of...
Hawi, who used the kunya
Kunya (Arabic)
A kunya is a teknonym, the name of an adult derived from their child, especially their eldest son, in Arabic names.A kunya is expressed by the use of abū or umm in a genitive construction, i.e "father of" or "mother of" as a honorific in place of or alongside given names in the Arab world and the...
-style nom de guerre "Abu Anis", established the Popular Guard, the LCP militia, which was aligned with the Lebanese National Movement
Lebanese National Movement
The Lebanese National Movement or Mouvement National Libanais in French, was a front of parties and organizations active during the early years of the Lebanese Civil War...
(LNM) of Druze
Druze
The Druze are an esoteric, monotheistic religious community, found primarily in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan, which emerged during the 11th century from Ismailism. The Druze have an eclectic set of beliefs that incorporate several elements from Abrahamic religions, Gnosticism, Neoplatonism...
leader Kamal Jumblatt
Kamal Jumblatt
Kamal Jumblatt ; was an important Lebanese politician. He was the main leader of the anti-government forces in the Lebanese Civil War until his assassination in 1977. He is the father of the present Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt.-Family background and education:Kamal Jumblatt was born in...
in its opposition to the Maronite-dominated government and Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
-backed militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
s. The LCP was also active in the guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
against Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and its proxy militia, the South Lebanon Army
South Lebanon Army
The South Lebanon Army , also "South Lebanese Army," was a Lebanese militia during the Lebanese Civil War. After 1979, the militia operated in southern Lebanon under the authority of Saad Haddad's Government of Free Lebanon...
(SLA), in southern Lebanon, after the Israeli invasion
1982 Lebanon War
The 1982 Lebanon War , , called Operation Peace for Galilee by Israel, and later known in Israel as the Lebanon War and First Lebanon War, began on 6 June 1982, when the Israel Defense Forces invaded southern Lebanon...
in 1982. During the invasion he created the Lebanese National Resistance front together with Muhsin Ibrahim. LNRF was commanded by Elias Atallah
Elias Atallah
Elias Atallah born in 1947, is a Lebanese politician, and an elected member of parliament during the 2005 elections. He is also the chairperson of the Democratic Left Movement, and a prominent member in the March 14 Alliance...
. At later stages of the war, the LCP under Hawi allied with Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, which had entered Lebanon in 1976, but was to stay in the country for nearly 30 years.
He became a critic of the influence of Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
in Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
late in his life, after having left the LCP in 2000. In 2004, he supported the foundation of the leftist
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
Democratic Left Movement (DLM), that was with the Syrian presence in Lebanon and participated in the Independence Uprising
Cedar Revolution
The Cedar Revolution or Independence Intifada was a chain of demonstrations in Lebanon triggered by the assassination of the former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri on February 14, 2005.The primary goals of the original activists were the...
of 2005. Murdered journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
Samir Kassir
Samir Kassir
Samir Kassir was a Lebanese professor of history at Saint-Joseph University and journalist. Born to a Palestinian father and a Syrian mother, Kassir received his degree in philosophy and political philosophy in 1984, in 1990, Kassir earned his PhD in Modern History also from the University of...
was a prominent member and co-founder of this group.
Assassination
George Hawi was assassinated when a bomb planted in his car was detonated by remote control, as he traveled through BeirutBeirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
's Wata Musaitbi neighborhood. Several sources including the March 14 Alliance
March 14 Alliance
The March 14 alliance , named after the date of the Cedar Revolution, is a coalition of political parties and independents in Lebanon that call for sovereignty over all Lebanese territories, led by MP Saad Hariri, younger son of Rafik Hariri, the assassinated former prime minister of Lebanon, as...
and members of the Western media immediately blamed Syria for his killing and for the other explosions in the capital though a definitive culprit has yet to be found.
In August 2011 the Special Tribunal for Lebanon
Special Tribunal for Lebanon
The Special Tribunal for Lebanon is an international tribunal for the prosecution under Lebanese law of those responsible for the assassination of Rafic Hariri on February 14, 2005. The tribunal also has jurisdiction over a series of other attacks in Lebanon if they are proven to be connected...
informed members of Hawi's family that they had found a link between his murder and that of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri. The STL had previously issued indictments against members of Hezbollah for the Hariri killing.
See also
- Lebanese Communist PartyLebanese Communist PartyThe Lebanese Communist Party – LCP or Parti communiste libanais in French, is a communist political party in Lebanon...
- Democratic Left Movement