|
Welcome to the Bitar Family Web Site (The site is under construction)
|
|
|
The Bitar Family is from Kfifane, North Lebanon located 60 Kms North of Beirut at an altitude of 400 m above sea level.
You reach Kfifane from the coastal city of Batroun through the villages of Ijdabra, Aabrine and Bijdarfil or through the coastal city of Byblos through the villages of Mayfouk, Douq, Toula and Derya.
Agriculture: Tobacco, olives, grapes and almonds.
Water Source: The Daleh Spring.
Celebrations: The feast of Mar NehmetAllah el Hardineh.
|
|
|
|
|
|
How it started in Kfifane:
Cheikh Moussa Al-Bitar was born in Ghosta, Lebanon around 1798. Ghosta was the birthplace of his father, Cheikh Geryes Michael Al-Bitar. Upon the death of his father, Moussa's mother moved back with her son to Kfifane, her native village. Moussa had two sons, Geryes and Karim.
Who were the Bitars of Ghosta?
Cheikh Michael Al-Bitar (the grand father of Moussa) is the nephew of Cheikh Semaan Al-Bitar who was the representative of Emir Youssef Chehab responsible for the Batroun region.
Emir Youssef Chehab ruled the Lebanese mountains from 1763 until his death in 1790.
Cheikh Yacoub Al-Bitar, son of Semaan, was chief of staff of Emir Bachir II, the nephew of Emir Youssef. Emir Bachir II, who forced his uncle out of power, ruled the region from 1790 until 1840.
The Al-Bitar were originally from Bikfaya, Lebanon before relocating to Ghosta (see next page for more details on the Bitar of Ghosta Family History).
|
|
|
|
The Bitars of Kfifane:
Assaf Al-Bitar (1853-1913, son of father Geryes Al-Bitar the great grandson of Michael) was one of the most prominent magistrate of Mount Lebanon. Known for his courage and fairness, he was an advocate of freedom of speech and civil liberties.
A staunch opponent of ottoman rule, he played a significant role in the Lebanese struggle for liberty and self-Rule.
Assaf Geryes Al-Bitar was one of the closest friends and advisors of Patriarch Elias Hoayek, the founding father of Great Lebanon.
In 1905, Patriarch Hoayek visited his friend Assaf Al-Bitar in Kfifane and told him that two reputed foreign nuns were coming to Lebanon to offer help and support to the Christian community. Assaf Geryes AL-Bitar immediately offered the patriarch a piece of land in Kfifane and built a school to house those nuns and their institution.
This school became larger and larger, the foreign nuns had numerous followers in Lebanon and Hoayek and Bitar decided to create a congregation. The Order of the Maronite Sisters of the Holy Family was born. Its headquarters were set in Ibrine, near Kfifane. Today, the Maronite Nuns of the Holy Family run more than 75 schools and hospitals throughout Lebanon.
In 1887, Assaf Geryes Al-Bitar, who was the Maronite Church candidate supported by the French, lost the elections to Kannaan El-Daher, the candidate supported by the Ottomans and the British. The elections were known to have been rigged, which caused many riots at the time.
|
|
|
|
Youssef Al-Bitar (1883-1907, son of Assaf Al-Bitar), who died in his mid-twenties, was a very cultured and refined man. He was educated in Paris at the prestigious Saint Sulpice School.
When Youssef Assaf Al-Bitar died, President of Lebanon Emile Eddé, who was his classmate said : “ I traveled a great deal and met thousands of interesting people in my lifetime, but none of them was as intelligent, brilliant and cultivated as my friend Youssef Bitar. Had he lived longer, he could have had an enormous positive impact on Lebanon.”
Youssef Assaf Al-Bitar was an intellectual who at 24 already owned an impressive library with several thousand titles. Unfortunately, all those books were burned at his death due to popular belief at the time that tuberculosis could be contagious and transmitted through books.
Wakim Al-Bitar (1891-1963, son of Assaf Al-Bitar), was a member of the Lebanese Parliament representing North Lebanon. He was also chairman of the Bar Association for many years between 1934 and 1956.
As an MP, Wakim Assaf Al-Bitar was known for his oratory skills and courageous stands. One of his main accomplishments as an MP was to bring Water Resources to his deprived region. Former foreign minister Lucien Dahdah wrote : “Wakim Bitar saved The Batroun Region and North Lebanon from an agricultural disaster because he was able to lead the masses, mobilize them and taught them to have the courage to stand up for their rights.”
Wakim Bitar was the classmate of famous Lebanese writer Gibran Khalil Gibran in the Hikme School.
Emile Bitar (1931-1988, son of Wakim Assaf Al-Bitar)(visit www.emilebitar.org for more on the life of Emile Bitar)former Lebanese minister of Health, professor of medicine. He studied medicine in Montpellier, France. He specialized in rheumatology.
He was a founding member and president of the Lebanese Rheumatology Society and was head of the rheumatolgy service at the Hotel Dieu de France Hospital and at the Dr Rizk Clinic. He also taught at the French Faculty of Medicine in Beirut.
On October 13, 1970, at the age of 38, Emile Bitar was appointed Health Minister.
He co-founded Lebanon's Democratic Party in 1969 and presided the Party after his ministerial term.
When the Lebanese War broke out in 1975, he retired from active politics, refusing to serve foreign interets. He ceaselessly condemned violence and advocated dialogue and national unity.
In 1980, he was appointed Vice-Rector of the Saint Joseph University.
He passed away at the age of 56 on February 8, 1988, after a three-year battle with illness.
Dr Emile Bitar was decorated with the Lebanese National Order of Merit, at the dignity of Grand Cordon, the very highest Lebanese distinction.
More to come....
|
|
|
