"You called for equality and for respecting human rights and always defended Lebanon as a whole. A man of great integrity and loyalty who will be greatly missed and will never be forgotten," said Strida. Naim headed Samir Geagea's defense team when the LF leader was accused of the 1994 bombing of the "Notre Dame de Deliverance" Church north of Beirut, and he continued to defend Geagea until his release last year.

"We lost the main pillar of our parliamentary bloc, but we will not weaken, as you left behind strong foundations upon which we will continue to build," said Strida.

LF flags were banned from the service, as a message by the LF that Naim was being honored as "a great Lebanese," and was not a member of the LF.

Also during the service, Naim was awarded the Legion of Honor by Justice Minister Charles Rizk, on behalf of President Emile Lahoud.

"You were born a great man, you lived a great life and you died an even bigger man," said Bechara Samaha, speaking on behalf of Naim's family.

"You left behind you a legacy of free thought and a way of life that we should aspire to live up to," said Samaha, bursting into tears in the midst of his speech.

Naim was honored by the Beirut Bar Association, who described him as a "tenacious man who fought for what he believed in."

"A man of firm stands and courage. Who used his knowledge of the law and applied it for the good of humanity and Lebanon," read a statement from the association.

Naim, a lawyer by profession, wrote several books in Arabic and was respected by the association as "a great authority on constitutional law whose wisdom will be greatly missed by the Lebanese Parliament."

He served as head of Lebanon's Bar Association, president of the state-run Lebanese University for several years and was also appointed Central Bank Governor by the former President Amin Gemayel.

"Naim held many positions during his life, and always maintained his integrity through them all," said the association.(Daily Star)