The Arab Martyr

March/April 2004

Kamal Jumblatt was born in Mukhtara, Chouf, on December 6, 1917

In 1926, he joined the Lazarus Fathers institute in Aintoura where he completed his elementary studies in 1928; achieved his high school diploma, Lebanese and French, scientific and literary at the same time in 1936; and his philosophy diploma in 1937

In France, he joined the faculty of Arts at the Sorbonne University, and achieved a degree in Psychology and Civil Education, and another degree in Sociology

He practiced law from 1941 to 1942 and was designated then as the Official State Lawyer for the Lebanese Government

In September 1943, he was elected as deputy for Mount Lebanon for the first time. During that period, he was an opponent of the reigning constitutional bloc party, headed by the late president Bechara Khoury

In 1946, he was appointed as Minister of Economy, Agriculture and Social Affairs

In 1947 and in spite of his election for the 2^nd time as deputy he resigned from the government protesting against the fraud during the elections

He officially founded the Progressive Socialist Party on March 17, 1949 and declared its constitution on May 1, 1949

In 1951, he was reelected for the third time as Mount Lebanon’s Deputy

In August 1952, he organized a National Conference in Deir al-Qamar, in the name of the National Socialist Front, calling for the resignation of President Bechara Khoury. He then led a democratic fight that resulted in Bechara Khoury’s resignation in that same year

In 1953, he was reelected as a deputy for the fourth time.

He founded the Popular Socialist Front in 1953 and led the democratic opposition against Camille Chamoun. Chamoun had tied Lebanon to the policies of the US, the UK and monarchist Iraq, Turkey and Pakistan coalition that were against the Arab Liberation trend headed by Egyptian President Nasser

He participated in the conference of the Arab opposition parties, held in Beirut in 1954.

He supported the Egyptian struggle against tripartite aggression in 1956, and was one of Nasser’s permanent allies

In 1956, he failed for the first time in the parliamentary elections due to confirmed rigging by the authorities

He led the national uprising of 1958 politically and militarily, against the reign of Camille Chamoun, who had tied Lebanon to the afore - mentioned imperialist coalition.

The uprising ended with a settlement by which Fouad Chehab was appointed as new President

He chaired the “Afro - Asian People’s Conference” in 1960

In 1960 he founded the “National Struggle Front” that gathered a large number of nationalist democratic deputies

In 1960, he was reelected as deputy for the fifth time and the “National Struggle Front” won 11 seats at the parliament

From 1960 to 1961, he was Minister of National Education

In 1961, he was Minister of Public Work and Planning

From 1961 to 1964, he was Minister of Interior Affairs

On the May 8, 1964, he won at the parliamentary elections for the sixth time.

In 1965, he placed the foundations of the Progressive Parties and forces, and Nationalist Personalities Front.

In 1966 he was assigned as Minister of Public Work and Minister of PTT

He represented Lebanon at the Congress of Afro-Asian Solidarity, and presided over the parliamentary and popular delegation to the People’s Republic of China in 1966.

He supported the National Palestinian cause and backed-up its struggle. He regarded it as the main national issue.

On the May 9, 1968 he was reelected as a deputy for the seventh time

From 1969 to 1970, he was Minister of Interior Affairs

In 1972, he was awarded Lenin’s Peace Decoration

He was reelected as deputy for the eighth time, in 1972

He was chairman of the “Arab Commission for Nasser’s Commemoration”, in 1973

In 1973, he was unanimously elected as Secretary General of the Arab Front that was contributing to the Palestinian revolution

In 1975 - 1976, he confronted the Israeli policies in Lebanon. He founded and led, till the day of his assassination, the “Lebanese National Movement”

In August 1975, he declared the program for the democratic reform of the Lebanese Political System.

He wrote more than 1,200 editorials in both Arabic and French.