Jean Aziz
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Jean Aziz (1917–1986) was a Lebanese
politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...
,
lawyer A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters. The exact nature of a lawyer's work varies depending on the legal jurisdiction and the legal system, as w ...
and
poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator (thought, thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral t ...
. He began his career in
Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...
as a lawyer before becoming an active participant in politics. He was first elected as a member of parliament in 1957, representing
Jezzine Jezzine ( ''Jizzīn'') is a municipality in Lebanon, located from Sidon and south of Beirut. It is the capital of Jezzine District. Surrounded by mountain peaks, pine forests (like the Bkassine Pine Forest), and at an average altitude of 95 ...
district city. He became known in particular as of 1958 for his advocacy for unity within various Lebanese sects. This led to his name being considered for the presidency. Aziz was also recognised for his poetry whereby he was strongly influenced by
French literature French literature () generally speaking, is literature written in the French language, particularly by French people, French citizens; it may also refer to literature written by people living in France who speak traditional languages of Franc ...
. He was remembered by a number of politicians for his eloquent political speeches as his written work influenced his abilities as a politician and judge. On 13 March 1986, Jean Aziz died after suffering from diabetes.


Early life

Jean Aziz was born on 24 June 1917 in
Jezzine Jezzine ( ''Jizzīn'') is a municipality in Lebanon, located from Sidon and south of Beirut. It is the capital of Jezzine District. Surrounded by mountain peaks, pine forests (like the Bkassine Pine Forest), and at an average altitude of 95 ...
, Lebanon. He began his education at Ayantoora College before moving to Saint Joseph School in
Beirut Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the List of largest cities in the Levant region by populatio ...
to continue his studies. He became a qualified lawyer as a result of his studies.


Career


Law and Politics

Aziz's career began in the legal sector. He worked as a lawyer in
Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...
before being appointed as a judge in 1947. Aziz began his political career when he became a member of parliament for
Jezzine Jezzine ( ''Jizzīn'') is a municipality in Lebanon, located from Sidon and south of Beirut. It is the capital of Jezzine District. Surrounded by mountain peaks, pine forests (like the Bkassine Pine Forest), and at an average altitude of 95 ...
district in 1957 after collaborating with Farid Kozma in the parliamentary elections. He was re-elected in 1960, 1964 and 1968. His involvement increased a few years later when he was chosen to occupy the role of Minister of Labour and Social Affairs in President's Rashid Karamy's cabinet on 4 April 1961. During his term, he introduced and revised a number of influential laws regarding social security and social welfare in Lebanon. Other positions that Aziz held included being selected as the Minister of Media and Planning in President's Abdallah Alyafy's cabinet from February to October 1968. He was also chosen to fulfil the role of the Minister of Communication and Public Works and he was mentioned as a potential presidential candidate, particularly in 1976. Aziz was also known for his close connection to President Fouad Chehab, Lebanon’s third post-independence president. Aziz participated in establishing the parliamentary democratic front to endorse Chehab’s presidency and acted as Secretary General of the Nahj Movement. Throughout his political career, he upheld a strong belief in equality and solidarity between the different Lebanese factions. He usually indicated that he was not supporting one faction over the other, and he consistently attempted to dissolve ethnic conflicts in Lebanon, especially in the south. Aziz was reportedly an intermediary between factions during the 1975–1990 Lebanese Civil War and worked to protect Jezzine (a Christian enclave) during this turbulent time. He had good relations with the Saad family in Saida, the Junblat family in the Chouf and all of the numerous allied groups around the Palestinian Liberation Movement (PLO). One of the ways in which he was able to aid Jezzine and protect it from further conflict was when he initiated a pact between two prominent leaders in this region – Kamal Junblat and Maarouf Saad.


Poetry

While Aziz was most notably recognised for his influence in politics, he was also a poet. It was this love for poetry that aided his political orating skills as he believed that ‘politics and literature are two faces of one coin’. His works were largely influenced by French politicians who also contributed to
French literature French literature () generally speaking, is literature written in the French language, particularly by French people, French citizens; it may also refer to literature written by people living in France who speak traditional languages of Franc ...
such as
Charles De Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French general and statesman who led the Free France, Free French Forces against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government of the French Re ...
and Mauriac. One of his more well-known works titled ‘The Lights of the Night’ ("Azaher el-Leil") is used frequently by public figures in ceremonies. A book was composed of his poetry works and was published by Notre Dame University.


Personal life

While his father worked as a wood trader in Mexico, Aziz's brother, Alfred Aziz, grew in recognition when he became a member of parliament in Mexico. He continued to gain this prominence in politics when he acted as the Speaker of the Mexican House of Representatives. Furthermore, Jean Aziz’s late uncle (his mother Anissa’s brother) was Patriarch Paul Meouchy, arguably one of the most prominent Maronite Patriarchs. In his spare time, Aziz enjoyed reading. His favourite topics included poetry, philosophy and history. On 13 March 1986, after struggling with
diabetes Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a group of common endocrine diseases characterized by sustained high blood sugar levels. Diabetes is due to either the pancreas not producing enough of the hormone insulin, or the cells of th ...
, Aziz died. To allow for the prayers and religious traditions following his death, his body was moved from the American University’s Hospital in Beirut to Saint Joseph Church in Ashrafyah. Aziz's funeral took place in Jezzine and despite the district being under siege, his funeral was attended by a large number of high ranking state officials such as ministers, religious personals and members of parliament.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aziz, Jean 1917 births 1986 deaths 20th-century Lebanese politicians People from Jezzine