Mounir Abou Fadel (Arabic: منير أبو فاضل) (June 5, 1912 – January 29, 1987) was a Lebanese politician. He was a member of the Lebanese Parliament for thirty consecutive years (1957–1987) representing the district of Aley, Mount Lebanon.[1]
Personal background
Mounir Abou Fadel - Official visit to the Vatican - Pope Jean Paul II
Abou Fadel was born to a prominent Greek Orthodox family in Ain Aanoub to parents Habib Abou Fadel (1850–1927), a judge and Kaymakam, and Jamileh Saadeh. His uncle Youssef Abou Fadel (1837–1892), also a judge, was a member of the first administrative council of the Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate, from 1861 to 1864.[2]
Abou Fadel studied law at universities in Jerusalem. His books include The Lebanon Issue, The Palestine War Has Not Ended, in addition to several political articles in the major Lebanese newspapers.[3]
He married Reine Mokhbat in 1957. They had three children: Marwan, born 1958, a local political figure and former MP of Mount Lebanon; Rafic, born 1960, a diplomatic adviser; and Mila, born 1964, an associative and social Lebanese figure.[4]
Prior to entering the political field, he was a high-ranking officer in the British Army in Mandatory Palestine and conducted his troops to Beirut during the May–June 1945 crisis in Lebanon and Syria between France and Britain. He ended his military career as Brigadier General. He is considered as one of the founders of the Lebanese Army.
Abou Fadel was also head of general security in Mandatory Palestine and the highest Arab officer serving the mandate.[6]
Awards
22, including: Two Vatican's distinctions, 12 British distinctions and 1 from the Orthodox Patriarchate.
