Youssef Karam - Biography

Biography

In 1840, Youssef aged 17 years, fought alongside his father and elder brother against the Egyptian armies then occupying Lebanon in the battles of Houna and Bazoun. Youssef showed remarkable skill as a warrior and leader, and his reputation and influence in the area steadily grew; so much so that in 1846, when his father died, Youssef succeeded him as ruler instead of his elder brother. Youssef ruled with fairness, and his credibility and influence as a soldier and politician continued to grow.

Youssef Karam became the acknowledged leader of the district, and in time one of the most powerful personalities in Lebanese Politics. And although politically and militarily very powerful, he remained ever loyal to his faith and to the Church. Karam's loyalty to the Church and to Bkerke, the seat of the Maronite Patriarch, never wavered, and this loyalty was to have far reaching implications in future years.

In 1858, when the farmers of the predominantly Maronite Keserwan District staged an uprising against their Sheikhs and landlords, the Khazen family, the Maronite Patriarch, conscious of Karam's influence and his loyalty to the Church, appealed to Karam to save the Sheikhs and restore peace to the area. Karam did save the Sheikhs and managed to restore peace without resorting to force, and avoided what was expected to be a long and bloody conflict.

Future conflicts however, were not to be so peacefully settled. During that period, when the Ottomans ruled Lebanon, there existed a certain amount of distrust between the Druze and Maronite Communities. The Muslim Druze felt threatened by the growing presence of the Christians Maronites in their traditional area of Mount Lebanon. The suspicion and distrust between the two Communities was allowed to be fueled by petty and personal conflicts until September 1859 when finally open conflict broke out between the Druze and Maronite Communities at Beit Mery, a town of different religious denominations. Karam reacted by calling a meeting of Community leaders at the village of Baan, and concluded an agreement with the Muslim ruler of Tripoli, North Lebanon, Abed El Hamid Karami, to keep North Lebanon free from any religious conflict.

In May 1860 however, conflict again broke out between the two Communities, and a number of Maronite Monks and villagers were massacred. This time Karam reacted by raising an army of 500 men to protect the Maronites in the Mount Lebanon area. On 2 June 1860, Karam and his men marched to Bkerke and offered to the Maronite Patriarch their protection of Maronites.

In Karam's mind however, there was no doubt that the conflict between the Druze and the Maronites was being nurtured by Khorshid Pasha, the then Turkish Foreign Affairs Minister, for the purpose of justifying continued Ottoman rule in Lebanon and to counter Karam's calls for a free and sovereign Lebanon. Turkey at that time was a mighty power that ruled Lebanon and surrounding Arab countries. The Ottoman Empire rule was harsh and prejudicial against Lebanese. Taxes were unjust and aimed largely at the poor. Khorshid Pasha saw Karam's calls for Lebanese self-rule as a threat to Turkish interests in Lebanon and the area, and convinced the European Ambassadors that Turkish presence in Lebanon was essential to maintain peace between warring factions in Lebanon. The French Ambassador to Lebanon convinced Karam to halt his march at Bikfaya, near Keserwan, in return for guarantees of safety for all Christians offered by Khorshid.

Several days later however, Christian villages were attacked and Christians massacred by Druzes aided by Turkish forces. In addition, Khorshid ordered Turkish Marines to effect a sea blockade to stop food and military supplies entering Lebanon and reaching Christians areas. Karam and his army retaliated against Druze and Turkish forces, and succeeded in saving the majority of Christian towns and villages in the Kisrawan area. Christian presence in the area was therefore established. Eventually, French ships reached the port of Beirut with supplies and the Turkish sea blockade ended. Peace was then restored whilst a new constitution was drafted to provide how Lebanon was to be governed. In the interim, two provisional Governors were appointed to rule Lebanon, one to rule Christians and the other to rule the Muslims. Karam was appointed the Governor of all Christians in Lebanon (Kaymakam) on 17 November 1860. Again, Karam ruled with distinction, restoring law and order, re-organising public institutions and conducting an honest government. However, he still refused to allow foreigners to interfere with Government affairs, or allow foreign troops on Lebanese soil. As Kaymakam, Karam tendered his resignation a number of times in protest against what he saw as Turkish insistence to provide for continued Turkish rule in the proposed Lebanese constitution. On each occasion he was persuaded to remain in office by the French Ambassador who always suggested further negotiations.

The new constitution was finally completed in June 1861 and provided for a Governor to rule all of Lebanon for a trial three-year period. Again a foreigner was appointed to the position, an Ottoman Christian by the name of Dawood Pasha.