Ali Eid

Ali Eid was born in Tibani, Tripoli, Lebanon on the 14th of July 1940. Ali Eid, the eldest son of Youssef Eid, a wheat dealer, and his wife Amoun Eid, began his studies at Tibbineh Boys School (TBS) known as the American School. In the summer he would study at the place of Sheikh Khoder in Tibbineh. Ali always exceeded in his studies coming first in his class.

In 1960 Ali Eid decided to continue his studies in United States of America, majoring in Biochemistry. In the US, Ali Eid was known amongst his peers for his patriotism, revolutionary spirit, and enthusiasm towards injustice. While there he shared the same vision and ideas as the late Martin Luther King, Jr., which bounded a friendship between the two men against the suppression of African Americans, that built up his character in wanting to help his people back home through politically and socially.

Ali Eid returned to Lebanon in 1960, and attended the American University of Beirut (AUB) and majored in Political Science & Public Administration (PSPA). During his studies and time in Beirut, he discovered that the political structure of the Lebanese system deprived the people of his religious sect, Alawites, of their rights at any level.

Mr. Eid realised that the Alawites in Lebanon were like the African Americans in the US, that had no rights of a citizen, with that Ali Eid began his political life in hope of succeeding with helping his people. In 1971 he got stabbed in the back by a Saudi Arabian prince while defending the honor of his country Lebanon, and which ended up changing his life.

In 1972 Ali Eid began his political life after he founded The Young Alawite Organization, and his alliance with the late Syrian President Hafez Al-Assad. At the same year he got married to Fatat Maroush. In 1977 Talal El Merhebi, MP since 1972, Ali Eid and a group of friends founded "The Front Opposing Patriotism" party. It's founders were Talal El Merhebi elected as President, Ali Eid as the vice presidant of the party, Souhale Hamadah, Rashid Al-Muadim, George Mourani, and Nasib Al-Khatib. In 1982 the Front Opposing Patriotism party was resolved and The Arabic Democratic Party was founded with Ali Eid being the general secretary. In 1989 he was hit by a catastrophe, the death of his son Zoulficar due to an unexploded bomb from the Lebanese civil war.

Ali Eid was appointed to the then newly established Alawite seat in the Lebanese Parliament in 1991, which was created following the Taif Agreement. [ [http://www.unhcr.org/home/RSDCOI/3ae6ab295e.html "Alawite from Tripoli, Ali Eid was appointed to the newly-established Alawite seat in 1991."] ]

He is the leader of the Arab Democratic Party in Lebanon, and though he and his party was pro-Syrian during the Lebanese Civil War, he and other Lebanese Alawites have since become more neutral. [ [http://www.tharwaproject.com/node/2127 "Former Tripoli MP Ali Eid, who ran in the 2000 elections on former Premier Omar Karami's list, said: 'The Allawite sect was never granted any privileges during Syria's 29-year presence. Their regime is secular, not sectarian like here, and thus for them it is not logical to distinguish any specific sect."] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.geocities.com/alawite/Bibliography.html Site about Ali Eid.]