In 1957, the Christian Maronite president of Lebanon, Camille Chamoun, unveiled a statue of a Muslim figure whose life spanned several eras and whose politics helped shape the nation. The sculpture was of Lebanon's first post-independence prime minister, Riad Al Solh, a great political pragmatist who made his name as an uncompromising Arab nationalist. At the time of its unveiling, six years had passed since Al Solh's assassination in Amman. In the intervening period, Al Solh's vision for the country had hit uncertain times – and in 1958, the fledgling Lebanese state would be plunged into months of civil war. Another conflict, which lasted from 1975 until 1990, would almost finish the country for good.
Despite that, Al Solh, who was born 125 years ago today, remains part of Lebanon's national fabric, as does his statue, which today stands proudly in Beirut in the square that bears his name. But as Lebanon grapples with its place in a restive Arab region, the question must be asked: how should history judge the legacy and motivations of a man who made a vibrant, but ultra-sectarian, nation state on the Mediterranean possible?
Al Solh grew up surrounded by politics
"Al Solh represents a Sunni politician who, in a post-Ottoman Middle East, manoeuvred from pan-Arabism and initial rejection of a Lebanese state to eventual acceptance of that state, with a central role for Sunnis in it," says Michael Young, author of 2014 book The Ghosts of Martyrs Square: An Eyewitness Account of Lebanon's Life Struggle.
Al Solh was born a citizen of the Ottoman Empire in Sidon on August 17, 1894, and died on July 17, 1951 a fully fledged Lebanese citizen. The years in between were pivotal to the creation of the nation, and Al Solh, after a political about-face, had an important role in making it happen. He grew up surrounded by politics. He spent his formative years living in Istanbul with his family, on account of his father's work in the Ottoman Parliament. At the time, much of the land that would become Lebanon was confined to the autonomous Ottoman province of Mount Lebanon, while Beirut was an Ottoman coastal town.
In October 1918, with the First World War nearing its end, Faisal bin Hussein, son of the Sharif of Makkah and commander of the forces that defeated the Ottomans in the Arab Revolt, swept into Damascus and bestowed a cabinet position on Al Solh's father, Rida, who had severed his Ottoman loyalties.
Through his father, Riad Al Solh found himself at the centre of the fight for Arab independence. But this experience was short-lived, and two years after the revolt, Faisal's dreams of glorious Arab unity were shattered by the Anglo-French Sykes-Picot Agreement, which carved up the Middle East into colonial spheres of influence.
Al Solh became a hunted man, sentenced to death
After the collapse of Faisal's grand plan and the allocation of Lebanon (and Syria) to the French, Riad Al Solh was a hunted man. France sentenced him to death in absentia in August 1920 – a punishment that was later commuted to exile – after he rejected France's creation of Greater Lebanon and its separation from Syria as distinct political entities.
In 1924, Al Solh returned to Greater Lebanon, the French-established mandate within the larger borders of the modern state. He was exiled again for his participation in the unsuccessful Great Syrian Revolt from 1925 until 1927 – when Arab nationalists across Mandatory Lebanon and Syria sought to rid themselves of French rule.
By the 1930s, the great pan-Arabist was beginning to cool his nationalist fervour and embrace the political realities of the mandate. "Even though he was very much an Arab nationalist, he realised the French-drawn borders had made [Lebanon] a fait accompli," says Caroline Attie, author of 2003's Struggle in the Levant: Lebanon in the 1950s. "And he reconciled himself to that."
'On pragmatic grounds, he ended up promoting France’s ‘Grand Liban’
William Harris, author of 2012 book Lebanon: A History, 600 – 2011, says he agrees with that assessment. He argues that "in theory, Al Solh never abandoned the ultimate goal of a big Arab state, but … on pragmatic grounds, he ended up promoting France's 'Grand Liban'".
It is crucial to note that "Riad Al Solh belonged to the first wave of Arab nationalist notables straddling Ottoman and post-Ottoman worlds," says Hicham Safieddine, a lecturer in Modern Arab history at King's College London. "They often held conservative notions of independence that sought a modus vivendi [way of life] with colonial powers without total subjugation. We have to understand Al Solh's Arab nationalism and its transformation … in that context."
By 1940, Al Solh was the leading figure among Lebanon's Sunnis and, according to Patrick Seale, whose biography of Al Solh – The Struggle for Arab Independence: Riad Al Solh and the Makers of the Modern Middle East – was published in 2010, a man whose "great qualities of charm, wit and shrewdness" marked him out from the crowd.
How Al Solh became prime minister
As the Second World War raged, Lebanon was ostensibly given independence by the French in 1941. But real sovereignty remained elusive and, two years later, Al Solh and Christian Maronite Bishara El Khoury assumed the roles of prime minister and president respectively and jointly agreed the National Pact, which forms the basis of today's Lebanese republic.
This arrangement aligned power along sectarian lines, stipulating that the presidency must go to a Maronite Christian, the role of prime minister to a Sunni Muslim, while the speaker of parliament must be a Shiite Muslim. With confessional politics established in Mount Lebanon in the mid-19th century – and continued under the French mandate – Al Solh was "a pragmatist, who was just working within the system", says Attie.
Safieddine, however, has some misgivings. The author of Banking on the State: The Financial Foundations of Lebanon, published last month, says the volatile confessional nature of modern Lebanon can, to some extent, be laid at Al Solh's door. "He was partly responsible for reproducing sectarianism," he says. "By choosing to support the Lebanese sectarian arrangement despite his Arab nationalist standing, he legitimised sectarianism and gave it a lease of life after the French had set it up."
Al Solh's release from jail is today celebrated as Lebanon’s independence day
The French eventually gave up their colonial claims on Lebanon, but not before putting people such as Al Solh and El Khoury in jail in a final desperate bid to retain power. Their release on November 22, 1943, is today celebrated as Lebanon's independence day.
Al Solh went on to serve as newly independent Lebanon's prime minister twice. But he was killed on a lonely stretch of road in Amman in 1951, when he was gunned down after a meeting with Jordanian officials only months after leaving office. Antoun Saadeh, founder of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, was executed in 1949 on the orders of the Al Solh administration after a botched coup attempt in Lebanon. SSNP assassins are thought to have killed Al Solh in revenge. With his death, the country's Sunni Muslims lost their greatest advocate.
Al Solh's legacy lives on through his family
Years after his death, however, Al Solh's familial legacy thrives thanks to the prominence of his daughters. They include Leila Al Solh, who made Lebanese history when she and Wafaa Hamze became the first women to hold cabinet positions in 2004. Today, Leila Al Solh is vice president of Lebanese philanthropic body Alwaleed bin Talal Humanitarian Foundation, and is widely regarded as one of the most powerful women in the Middle East.
The National Pact and the continuation of its power-sharing arrangement remains Al Solh's political legacy. His confessional framework has resulted in a functionally volatile Arab republic, but only 15 years after independence, Chamoun upset the delicate balance of the agreement by embracing the American anti-Soviet Eisenhower Doctrine, prompting the brief 1958 civil war.
Attie explains that after Al Solh's time in office, "there was no person of stature to counterbalance the president", demonstrating how easily the National Pact could be violated. The 1989 Taif Agreement, which negotiated an end to the country's 1975-1990 civil war, gave more power to the Lebanese prime minister.
Yet many observers agree that Al Solh's conduct in office is more worthy of praise than that of the country's current leaders. Young says Al Solh now brings a sort of nostalgia for "the kind of politician the Lebanese have come to idealise, or mythologise, from their past, in stark contrast to the lamentable crew in place today".
Abdelmawla Al Solh, a distant relation of the former prime minister and a one-time political adviser to former Lebanese prime minister Takieddin Al Solh during the 1970s, agrees. "He was a true statesman – he and his colleagues built Lebanon," he says. "If he saw the country today, he would be shocked at the corruption. He was clean by comparison."
As his statue stands tall in downtown Beirut, Al Solh will forever be watching his country.
The specs
Price: From Dh529,000
Engine: 5-litre V8
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Power: 520hp
Torque: 625Nm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.8L/100km
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
A new relationship with the old country
Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates
The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.
ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.
ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
Signed
Geoffrey Arthur Sheikh Zayed
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Nancy 9 (Hassa Beek)
Nancy Ajram
(In2Musica)
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Company%C2%A0profile
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Profile of Udrive
Date started: March 2016
Founder: Hasib Khan
Based: Dubai
Employees: 40
Amount raised (to date): $3.25m – $750,000 seed funding in 2017 and a Seed round of $2.5m last year. Raised $1.3m from Eureeca investors in January 2021 as part of a Series A round with a $5m target.
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Company%20profile
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Results
2.15pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,950m
Winner: Hello, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ali Rashid Al Raihi (trainer).
2.45pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,800m
Winner: Right Flank, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
3.15pm: Handicap Dh115,000 1,000m
Winner: Leading Spirit, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
3.45pm: Jebel Ali Mile Group 3 Dh575,000 1,600m
Winner: Chiefdom, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
4.15pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,400m
Winner: Ode To Autumn, Patrick Cosgrave, Satish Seemar.
4.45pm: Shadwell Farm Conditions Dh125,000 1,200m
Winner: Last Surprise, James Doyle, Simon Crisford.
5.15pm: Handicap Dh85,000 1,200m
Winner: Daltrey, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihi.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
The years Ramadan fell in May
Juliot Vinolia’s checklist for adopting alternate-day fasting
- Don’t do it more than once in three days
- Don’t go under 700 calories on fasting days
- Ensure there is sufficient water intake, as the body can go in dehydration mode
- Ensure there is enough roughage (fibre) in the food on fasting days as well
- Do not binge on processed or fatty foods on non-fasting days
- Complement fasting with plant-based foods, fruits, vegetables, seafood. Cut out processed meats and processed carbohydrates
- Manage your sleep
- People with existing gastric or mental health issues should avoid fasting
- Do not fast for prolonged periods without supervision by a qualified expert
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
THREE
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Company profile
Company: Rent Your Wardrobe
Date started: May 2021
Founder: Mamta Arora
Based: Dubai
Sector: Clothes rental subscription
Stage: Bootstrapped, self-funded
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