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Lokman Mohsen Slim (; 17 July 1962 – 4 February 2021) was a Lebanese
Shiite Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political successor (caliph) and as the spiritual leader of the Muslim community (imam). However, his right is understood ...
publisher,
political activist A political movement is a collective attempt by a group of people to change government policy or social values. Political movements are usually in opposition to an element of the status quo, and are often associated with a certain ideology. Some ...
, and commentator. As a contributor to the development of civil-society
initiatives A popular initiative (also citizens' initiative) is a form of direct democracy by which a petition meeting certain hurdles can force a legal procedure on a proposition. In direct initiative, the proposition is put directly to a plebiscite o ...
, several of which he founded, he promoted a
Culture of Remembrance (from German), or Culture of Remembrance, is the interaction of an individual or a society with their past and history. Definition In the strictest sense, Remembrance Culture consists of all the behavioral configurations and socially appro ...
to cope with the many past and present conflicts of
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 ...
and the whole region. Slim was known to be a prominent critic of
Hezbollah Hezbollah ( ; , , ) is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and paramilitary group. Hezbollah's paramilitary wing is the Jihad Council, and its political wing is the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc party in the Lebanese Parliament. I ...
(as well as all other sectarian parties). He was found shot to death in his car in Hezbollah-dominated
southern Lebanon Southern Lebanon () is the area of Lebanon comprising the South Governorate and the Nabatiye Governorate. The two entities were divided from the same province in the early 1990s. The Rashaya and Western Beqaa districts, the southernmost distr ...
in 2021. Many people, including Slim's sister have alleged Hezbollah to have committed the assassination, a charge that Hezbollah has denied.


Early life and career

Lokman Mohsen Slim was born in
Haret Hreik Haret Hreik () is a mixed Shia and Maronite Christian municipality, in the Dahieh suburbs, south of Beirut, Lebanon. It is part of the Baabda District. Once an agricultural and Christian village, Haret Hreik lost its rural and Christian identity ...
, what was then a village near and is now Southern Beirut. He was the scion of an influential Lebanese-Shia family with strong ties to the
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
elites. His mother Salma Merchak, who survived him, is a Christian from
Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
. His father Mohsen Slim was a deputy (MP) in the
Lebanese parliament The Lebanese Parliament (, ) is the unicameral national parliament of the Lebanon, Republic of Lebanon. There are 128 members elected to a four-year term in Electoral district, multi-member constituencies, apportioned among Lebanon's divers ...
from 1960 to 1964 and in 1977 founded the Shia-dominated party of the '' Union des Forces Libanaises'', which demanded the
disarmament Disarmament is the act of reducing, limiting, or abolishing Weapon, weapons. Disarmament generally refers to a country's military or specific type of weaponry. Disarmament is often taken to mean total elimination of weapons of mass destruction, ...
of the militant Palestinian forces in Lebanon. Later in the course of the
Lebanese Civil War The Lebanese Civil War ( ) was a multifaceted armed conflict that took place from 1975 to 1990. It resulted in an estimated 150,000 fatalities and led to the exodus of almost one million people from Lebanon. The religious diversity of the ...
he moved his law practice to
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
. Lokman Slim moved to France in 1982 to study
philosophy Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...
at the
Paris-Sorbonne University Paris-Sorbonne University (also known as Paris IV; ) was a public university, public research university in Paris, France, active from 1971 to 2017. It was the main inheritor of the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Paris. In 2018, it m ...
. He returned to Beirut in 1988. Two years later, he founded Dar al Jadeed
Publishing House Publishing is the activities of making information, literature, music, software, and other content, physical or digital, available to the public for sale or free of charge. Traditionally, the term publishing refers to the creation and distribu ...
, which publishes Arabic literature and essays of controversial content. Its publications range from books banned by the Lebanese General Security to the first Arabic translations of the writings of
Muhammad Khatami Mohammad Khatami (born 14 October 1943) is an Iranian politician and Shia cleric who served as the fifth president of Iran from 3 August 1997 to 3 August 2005. He also served as Iran's Minister of Culture from 1982 to 1992. Later, he was critic ...
, the former Iranian reformist president, which generated controversy within the Shia community in Lebanon. Several of Slim's articles, essays, and translations have been published in
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...
,
French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...
, and
Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...
newspapers and books. He lived and worked in the Southern Suburbs of
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 ...
,
Greater Beirut Greater Beirut () is the urban agglomeration comprising the city of Beirut (Beirut Governorate) and the adjacent municipalities over the Mount Lebanon Governorate. It does not constitute a single administrative unit. Greater Beirut geographicall ...
,
South Lebanon Southern Lebanon () is the area of Lebanon comprising the South Governorate and the Nabatiye Governorate. The two entities were divided from the same province in the early 1990s. The Rashaya and Western Beqaa districts, the southernmost distr ...
, and the
Bekaa Valley The Beqaa Valley (, ; Bekaa, Biqâ, Becaa) is a fertile valley in eastern Lebanon and its most important farming region. Industry, especially the country's agricultural industry, also flourishes in Beqaa. The region broadly corresponds to th ...
.


Art as political activism

In 2001, Slim moved into film with the establishment of Umam Productions, which has produced several films, including ''Massaker'' co-directed by Slim and his
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
wife Monika Borgmann. It won the
Fipresci Award The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI, short for ''Fédération Internationale de la Presse Cinématographique'') is an association of national organizations of professional film critics and film journalists from around the worl ...
at the
Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (), usually called the Berlinale (), is an annual film festival held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festival has been held every February since 1978 and is one of Europ ...
in 2005. In 2004, he co-founded Umam Documentation & Research (D&R), a non-profit organization based in the southern Beirut suburb of Haret Hreik, where the organization is creating an open archive of materials concerning Lebanon's social and political history. The organization organizes and facilitates exhibits at its famous “Hangar” for artists to openly address the scars of the Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990), which is considered taboo and taught neither at the elementary or high school levels. Umam also organizes film screenings, art exhibitions, and discussions relating to civil violence and war memory. One of Umam's ongoing exhibits since 2008 is “Missing,” a collage of photographs depicting persons missing from the Lebanese Civil War. The exhibition is presented in conjunction with the "''Committee of the Relatives of the Kidnapped and Missing in Lebanon,"'' "''Support of the Lebanese in Detention and Exile (SOLIDE),"'' and the "''Committee of the Families of Lebanese Detainees in Syria,"'' along with hundreds of individuals related to the missing.


Civic education as driver for political change

Slim's project Hayya Bina (HB) (an Arabic phrase meaning "Let’s Go") is an initiative which began during the 2005 parliamentary elections in Lebanon with the aim of promoting citizen involvement in the political process and opposing Lebanon's sectarian system. Slim himself compared the religiously-based sectarian communities to “cells in which the Lebanese are jailed." Hayya Bina implements projects nationwide, working particularly in the Shiite communities of South Lebanon, the “
Dahieh Dahieh (, ) is a predominantly Shia Muslim suburb in the south of Beirut, in the Baabda District of Lebanon. It has a minority of Sunni Muslims, Christians, and a Palestinian refugee camp with 20,000 inhabitants. It is a residential and commerc ...
” of
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 ...
,
Mount Lebanon Mount Lebanon (, ; , ; ) is a mountain range in Lebanon. It is about long and averages above in elevation, with its peak at . The range provides a typical alpine climate year-round. Mount Lebanon is well-known for its snow-covered mountains, ...
, and the
Bekaa Valley The Beqaa Valley (, ; Bekaa, Biqâ, Becaa) is a fertile valley in eastern Lebanon and its most important farming region. Industry, especially the country's agricultural industry, also flourishes in Beqaa. The region broadly corresponds to th ...
regions. In 2008, Hayya Bina participated as a partner with the National Democratic Institute's (NDI) “Citizen Lebanon” project. In conjunction with leadership and civic participation trainings conducted by NDI, Hayya Bina spearheaded a number of public advocacy projects in Shiite areas of Lebanon. In
Baalbek Baalbek (; ; ) is a city located east of the Litani River in Lebanon's Beqaa Valley, about northeast of Beirut. It is the capital of Baalbek-Hermel Governorate. In 1998, the city had a population of 82,608. Most of the population consists of S ...
, Hayya Bina's field staff organized a pesticide project in order to help boost the economy of local farmers; in Shmustar, staff coordinated with residents to publicly advocate for garbage collection services to prevent communicable diseases from spreading; in Hermel, a region-wide project to clean up the Assi River. This project included environmental awareness activities, cleanup days, and formal discussions with elected officials. Hayya Bina continues to implement Lebanon's only nationwide English education program for adult women, “Teach Women English,” recruiting teachers in rural areas in order to bring classes to economically depressed areas in the south and Bekaa Valley. The program's pedagogy combines formal grammar with substantive nodes, such as human rights, civics, workplace, and around-the-home vocabulary. The program's cross-regional emphasis has also enabled rural teachers who have never left their villages to travel across the country for teacher training programs.


Political views and threats

Slim stated in 2019 that Hezbollah's leader was responsible for alleged incidents where people came to his home and offices to chant slurs and threats. He also reported death threats after a debate during the
2019–2020 Lebanese protests The 17 October Protests, commonly referred to as the 17 October Revolution or Hirak or Thawrah (), were a series of civil protests in Lebanon that began after the Lebanese cabinet announced financial measures on 17 October 2019. These national ...
. Slim has stated a belief that Hezbollah had a role in the
2020 Beirut explosion On 4 August 2020, a major explosion occurred in Beirut, Lebanon, triggered by the ignition of 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate. The chemical, confiscated in 2014 from the cargo ship and stored at the Port of Beirut without adequate safety me ...
.


Death

On the night of 3 February 2021, during the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
lockdown, Lokman was returning alone in his rented car to
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 ...
, after visiting a friend in the village of Niha,
Tyre District The Tyre District is a district in the South Governorate of Lebanon. Municipalities The following 72 municipalities are all located in the Tyre District: * Al-Aabbassiyah * Aaitit * Aalma ash-Shaab * Ain Abu Aabdallah * Ain az-Zarqa * Ain ...
, and was not traceable in the next hours. Later his car was discovered in a remote area between the villages of Addousiyeh and Tafahta in southern al Zahrani district,
Sidon District The Sidon District () is a district within the South Governorate of Lebanon. Municipalities The following 53 municipalities are all located in the Sidon District: * Aabra * Al-Aaddoussiyah * Aadloun * Aanqoun * Aaqtanit * Ain ad-Delb * An ...
, and Lokman was found dead inside it, after being shot four times in the head and once in the back. He was admitted to a local hospital, where he was declared dead. His sister said that "probably there's an ideological and political background in the assassination". Slim had, in the days before the killing, stated that
Hezbollah Hezbollah ( ; , , ) is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and paramilitary group. Hezbollah's paramilitary wing is the Jihad Council, and its political wing is the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc party in the Lebanese Parliament. I ...
supporters had been threatening him at his home and accusing him of treason. After the death was confirmed, Jawad Nasrallah, the son of Hezbollah's leader, tweeted: "The loss of some people is in fact an unplanned gain #notsorry". He later deleted the message and denied that he had been referring to Slim. It was part of an attack and hate campaign on social media targeting Slim. Hezbollah condemned the killing, denied any involvement and called for an immediate investigation. '' DW'' judged that Slim was "one in a long list of killings" befalling Hezbollah's critics, and that "no one in Lebanon expects any resolution to Slim's murder".


Investigation

The investigation into Slim's death was completed by the
Internal Security Forces The Internal Security Forces (; ; abbreviated ISF) are the national police and gendarmerie of Lebanon. Modern police were established in Lebanon in 1861, with the creation of a gendarmerie force. In April 2005, Ashraf Rifi became head of the I ...
. In May 2021, the public prosecutor for southern Lebanon closed in the investigation with no arrests and charges having been made. Following complaints by Slim's family, the case was referred to an investigative judge. In 2022,
Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Headquartered in New York City, the group investigates and reports on issues including War crime, war crimes, crim ...
raised concerns about the "flawed" investigation, citing evidence including the ISF's failure to secure the crime scene, potentially leading to the contamination of evidence. Slim's family criticised that the investigation was initially led by local officers in
Srifa Srifa () is a municipality in Southern Lebanon, located in Tyre District, Governorate of South Lebanon. It is located 20.8 kilometres east of the city Tyros and 90 kilometers south of the capital Beirut. It is the birthplace of Rima Fakih, Miss U ...
and
Zefta Zefta (  , Coptic: ⲍⲉⲃⲉⲑⲉ ''Zevethe'Emile Amélineau.'' La géographie de l’Egypte à l'époque copte. — Paris: Imprimerie nationale, 1893. — 690 p) is an Egyptian city in the Nile delta, within the Gharbia governorate, ...
, prompting the ISF to transfer the investigation to its Information Branch. They also commented that the investigation appeared focused on Slim's death being as a result of a personal dispute or suicide. The investigations of the murder as well as the Beirut Port explosion lead to Unit 121 assassination squad that was headed at the time by
Salim Ayyash Salim Jamil Ayyash (; 10 November 1963 – 9 November 2024) was a Lebanese militant and senior Hezbollah military operative, who served as the head of its assassination squad Unit 121. He is best known for his indictment by the Special Tribunal f ...
. In November 2023, the judge overseeing the investigation, Charbel Ali Samra, retired. Slim's family reported that Samra only interviewed three witnesses during his two years of involvement. The following month, Bilal Halawi took over as the investigating judge. In February 2024, Human Rights Watch renewed its appeal for prosecutorial and investigative authorities in Lebanon to ensure justice for Slim.


Calls for investigation renewal

As the fourth anniversary of Slim's death approached, calls to renew the investigation into his murder grew. However, the president and prime minister-designate remained firm in rejecting these demands. Later, MP
Ashraf Rifi Ashraf Rifi (; also spelled Achraf Rifi) (born 1 April 1954) is a Lebanese politician and former police chief. He was the general director of the Lebanese Internal Security Forces (ISF; the national police) from 2005 to 2013 and served as mini ...
was quoted by
MTV Lebanon Murr Television, marketed and known as MTV Lebanon, is a Lebanese television station based in Naccache, Metn District. It was founded in 1991 by businessman Gabriel Murr Gabriel Murr (; born 26 February 1939) is a Lebanese politician and ...
: "closing the investigation file into the assassination of the martyr of the word, Lokman Slim, constitutes a black stain on the history of the judiciary and an underestimation of the values represented by the great martyr. We also consider it a blatant transgression,".


Personal life

Lokman Slim was married to Monika Borgmann.


References


External links


Hayya Bina

UMAM Documentation and Research
{{DEFAULTSORT:Slim, Lokman 1962 births 2021 deaths Paris-Sorbonne University alumni Lebanese activists Businesspeople from Beirut Assassinated Lebanese newspaper publishers (people) Lebanese newspaper publishers (people) Lebanese Shia Muslims Deaths by firearm in Lebanon Lebanese people of Egyptian descent