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Prominent Lebanese Profiles | MP Boutro Harb Family Background
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Boutros Harb | Top
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MP Boutros Harb
Family Background
His father, Joseph El Khouro Harb, was the only supporter
of a family of nine. Renown for his integrity, Joseph began his life as an empoyee at the
Lebanese Tobacco Company (Regie Lebanais), and left his home town Tannourine. The family's
dire living conditions compelled Boutros to work during his university years as a teacher.
True his father inherited tens of thousand Dunms of land in Tannourine, but the commercial
value of this vast property remained insignificant due to its location in a rugged,
mountaneous terrain. In addition, the inheritance was split between Boutros and his six
bothers.
His granfather Boutros El Khouri Harb, after whom he was named, died jsut before MP Harb
was born. His great grandfather El Khouri (Priest) Yussef Habib Harb, on whom the Harb
family status is based, was instrumental in unifying the Harb family six branches of
farmers and livestock breeder: Abou Assaf of whom MP Boutros is a descendant, Merheb,
Shalhoub, Nasr and Rizk. Today, the entire Harb family constitutes about 40 percent
of Tannourine, the largest town in Batroun.
However, the status of the Harb family did not come to light until after the Independence,
despite the prominence of two of El Khouri Yussef Harb's sons, Antoine, who was appointed
diector of what was termed at that as Al Nahiyah (District) and Boutos
who assumed the role of Sheikh El Solh (arbitration chief). The first attempt to cosecrate
the Harb family leadership was carried by Charles El Khouri Harb, the son of Boutros El
Khouri and the uncle of MP Harb, who was renown for his education, integrity and proximity
to the Constitutional Bloc. But for electoral considerations, he failed to make it to the
Parliament, and died at a young age in 1947. The Harb family leadership came to prominence
with the election of MP Harb's uncle, Jean, who entered the Parliament in 1953 and stayed
there until 1968. The death of Jean Harb, who was unmarried, paved the way to his nephew,
Boutros. Yet the Harb family leadership did not pass to Boutros until after the family met
in the presence of Bishop Shukrallah Harb, and chose Buutros for the job, ending a bitter
competion with his cousin Wassim Antoine Harb.
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