May Chidiac ( ar, مي شدياق) (born 20 June 1963) is a journalist and former
Lebanese Minister of State for Administrative Development.
Chidiac is a former television journalist at the
Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation
The Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International ( ar, المؤسسة اللبنانية للإرسال انترناسيونال), widely known as LBCI, is a private television station in Lebanon. LBCI was founded in 1992 by acquiring the asse ...
(LBC) and one of the station's
television anchors until an
assassination
Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not have ...
attempt on her life. She was one of the few critics of
Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
's keeping troops stationed in
Lebanon
Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...
after the end of the
Lebanese Civil War
The Lebanese Civil War ( ar, الحرب الأهلية اللبنانية, translit=Al-Ḥarb al-Ahliyyah al-Libnāniyyah) was a multifaceted armed conflict that took place from 1975 to 1990. It resulted in an estimated 120,000 fatalities a ...
and charged that the
Taif Accords
The Taif Agreement ( ar, اتفاق الطائف), officially known as the ( ar, وثيقة الوفاق الوطني, label=none'')'', was reached to provide "the basis for the ending of the civil war and the return to political normalcy in Le ...
stipulated that Syria withdraw from Lebanon.
On the day she was attacked, after the
Cedar Revolution
The Cedar Revolution ( ar, ثورة الأرز, ''thawrat al-arz'') or Independence Uprising ( ar, انتفاضة الاستقلال, ''intifāḍat al-istiqlāl'') was a chain of demonstrations in Lebanon (especially in the capital Beirut) trig ...
and Syria's troop withdrawal from Lebanon earlier that year, she hosted a talk show in which she criticized what she called Syria's continuous meddling in Lebanon's affairs and voiced fears of further violence ahead of the
UN report on the death of the former prime minister,
Rafik Hariri
Rafik is the given name of:
*Rafik Al-Hariri (1944–2005), business tycoon, former Prime Minister of Lebanon
*Rafik Bouderbal (born 1987), French-born Algerian player currently playing for ES Sétif in the Algerian Championnat National
*Rafik Deg ...
. On 3 February 2009, she announced her resignation on her LBC show ''Bi Kol Jor'a''.
Assassination attempt
Chidiac was seriously injured on 25 September 2005, by a
car bomb
A car bomb, bus bomb, lorry bomb, or truck bomb, also known as a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), is an improvised explosive device designed to be detonated in an automobile or other vehicles.
Car bombs can be roughly divided ...
in
Jounieh
Jounieh ( ar, جونيه, or ''Juniya'', ) is a coastal city in Keserwan District, about north of Beirut, Lebanon. Since 2017, it has been the capital of Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate. Jounieh is known for its seaside resorts and bustling nightlife ...
, Lebanon. The bomb which nearly killed her was a one-pound device, detonated as she entered her car. Her left leg below the knee was blown off and her hair and clothes were set on fire. She was in stable condition following the
amputation
Amputation is the removal of a limb by trauma, medical illness, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on indi ...
of her severely injured left arm. The blast was one of a
series of bombings in Lebanon mostly targeting critics of Syria, but including the centrist Lebanese defense minister,
Elias Murr
Elias Murr ( ar, إلياس المرّ, '; born 30 January 1962) is a Lebanese politician and an International political figure.
Early life and education
Murr was born on 30 January 1962 in Bteghrine. He is the son of former deputy prime min ...
.
According to reports obtained by the Committee to Protect Journalists, half a kilogram of explosives was placed in Chidiac’s Range Rover. The explosion blew off the driver-side door, which was recovered more than 30 feet away from Chidiac’s car.
One other journalist,
Samir Kassir
Samir Kassir ( ar, سمير قصير, 5 May 1960 – 2 June 2005) was a Lebanese-Palestinian journalist of ''An-Nahar'' and professor of history at Saint-Joseph University, who was an advocate of democracy and prominent opponent of the Syri ...
, and
anti-Syrian
The March 14 Alliance ( ar, تحالف 14 آذار, taḥāluf 14 adhār}), named after the date of the Cedar Revolution, is a coalition of political parties and independents in Lebanon formed in 2005 that are united by their anti- Syrian stanc ...
politicians including
George Hawi
George Hawi ( ar, جورج حاوي; born 5 November 1938 – 21 June 2005) was a Lebanese politician and former secretary general of the Lebanese Communist Party (LCP). An outspoken critic of Syrian interference in Lebanese affairs, he was kill ...
and
Gebran Tueni
Gebran Ghassan Tueni ( ar, جبران تويني; 15 September 1957 – 12 December 2005) was a Lebanese politician and the former editor and publisher of daily paper ''An Nahar'', established by his grandfather, also named Gebran Tueni, i ...
, editor and publisher of the daily newspaper, ''
An-Nahar
''An-Nahar'' ( ar, النهار, lit=The Day or The Morning) is a leading Arabic-language daily newspaper published in Lebanon. In the 1980s, ''An-Nahar'' was described by the ''New York Times'' and ''Time Magazine'' as the newspaper of record f ...
'', were killed in these attacks. After months of treatment and numerous surgeries in
Beirut
Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...
and
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
, May appeared on TV on 25 May 2006, defiant, smiling and promising to return to journalism. On 27 January 2006, Chidiac announced her candidacy for the vacated
Maronite
The Maronites ( ar, الموارنة; syr, ܡܖ̈ܘܢܝܐ) are a Christian ethnoreligious group native to the Eastern Mediterranean and Levant region of the Middle East, whose members traditionally belong to the Maronite Church, with the larges ...
seat in Lebanon's Baabda-Aley district in a televised interview.
On 12 July 2006, May Chidiac returned to Beirut. Her first visit in Lebanon was to the shrine of Saint
Charbel
Charbel or Sharbel may refer to:
Religion
* Maronite Catholic Eparchy of Saint Charbel in Buenos Aires, named after St. Charbel Makhlouf
* ''Acts of Sharbel'', a Syriac Christian martyrdom text
People Mononym
* Charbel (martyr) (died 107 AD) ...
, in the
Byblos
Byblos ( ; gr, Βύβλος), also known as Jbeil or Jubayl ( ar, جُبَيْل, Jubayl, locally ; phn, 𐤂𐤁𐤋, , probably ), is a city in the Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate of Lebanon. It is believed to have been first occupied between 880 ...
region. This was the location where she spent the day before the attack on her life. She participated in a mass celebrated by the superior of the monastery, Fr. Tannous Nehme. In 2007, she published her biography, ''Le Ciel m'attendra'' (French for ''Heaven Can Wait'')
Career
Chidiac was the Minister of State of the Administrative Reform of the
government
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...
of
Saad Hariri
Saad El-Din Rafik Al-Hariri ( ar, سعد الدين رفيق الحريري, translit=Saʿd ad-Dīn Rafīq al-Ḥarīrī; born 18 April 1970) is a Lebanese-Saudi politician who served as the prime minister of Lebanon from 2009 to 2011 and 2016 t ...
since January 31, 2019. On October 19, 2019, May Chidiac and her 3 others colleagues from the
Lebanese Forces
The Lebanese Forces ( ar, القوات اللبنانية '')'' is a Lebanese Christian-based political party and former militia during the Lebanese Civil War. It currently holds 19 of the 128 seats in Lebanon's parliament and is therefore th ...
resigned from the government after a third day of
protests
A protest (also called a demonstration, remonstration or remonstrance) is a public expression of objection, disapproval or dissent towards an idea or action, typically a political one.
Protests can be thought of as acts of coopera ...
across the country against tax increases and alleged official corruption.
She was Professor of Journalism and Radio/Television at the
Notre Dame University–Louaize
Notre Dame University–Louaize (NDU) ( ar, جامعة سيدة اللويزة) is a private university, private Catholic university in Zouk Mosbeh, Lebanon, founded as Louaize College for Higher Education in 1978 in cooperation with Beirut Unive ...
(NDU) since 1997.
She is the Founder and President of the two
NGO
A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...
s; May Chidiac Foundation (MCF) and its affiliated Media Institute (MCF-MI) since 2011. The Foundation organizes two annual conferences.
After over 220 people were killed and over 5,000 were wounded in the
2020 Beirut explosion
On 4 August 2020, a large amount of ammonium nitrate stored at the Port of Beirut in the capital city of Lebanon exploded, causing at least 218 deaths, 7,000 injuries, and United States dollar, US$15 billion in property damage, as well as lea ...
, the
Lebanese Forces
The Lebanese Forces ( ar, القوات اللبنانية '')'' is a Lebanese Christian-based political party and former militia during the Lebanese Civil War. It currently holds 19 of the 128 seats in Lebanon's parliament and is therefore th ...
President
Samir Geagea
Samir Farid Geagea ( ar, سمير فريد جعجع Lebanese pron.: , also spelled Samir Ja'ja'; born 25 October 1952) is a Lebanese politician and militia commander who has been leading the Lebanese Forces party and dissolved militia ...
appointed Dr. May Chidiac as Head of the GROUND-0 Beirut Relief Committee, on August 6, 2020.
She was part of Women On The Front Lines (WOFL) Lebanon &WOFL MENA Chapter, Jordan.
She is the Founder of the Academy of Leadership & Applied Communication (ALAC), certified by the Lebanese government by the decree N° 2844/2016.
She was the Head of the Press Division at the Lebanese Embassy in Bern-Switzerland between 1989 and 1990. She was a
real estate agent
A real estate agent or real estate broker is a person who represents sellers or buyers of real estate or real property. While a broker may work independently, an agent usually works under a licensed broker to represent clients. Brokers and agen ...
between 1994 and 1998.
She was the Producer and presenter of the prime time political talk show “Bi Kol Joraa” (With Audacity), in the “
LBCI
The Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International ( ar, المؤسسة اللبنانية للإرسال انترناسيونال), widely known as LBCI, is a private television station in Lebanon. LBCI was founded in 1992 by acquiring the asse ...
”, 2006 – 2009.
She hosted the political Talk show “Nharkom Saiid”,1998 -2005
She was the Editor, reporter and News Anchor at
LBC
LBC (originally the London Broadcasting Company) is a British phone-in and talk radio station owned and operated by Global and based in its headquarters in London. It was the UK's first licensed commercial radio station, and began to broadcast ...
, 1985-2005., and Journalist on the radio “Free Lebanon”, 1991 -1993, and Journalist on the radio “
Voice of Lebanon
Voice of Lebanon (Arabic , French as or VDL) is a private radio station in Lebanon, owned by the Kataeb Party since 1958. In December 2010, two rival Lebanese radio stations using the same name ran at the same time, ”, 1982 – 1985.
Publications
*“Le Ciel M’attendra” (Heaven Can Wait) in 2007 awarded the “
Prix Vérité The prix Vérité is a French literary award bestowed by the commune (France), commune of Le Cannet in the Alpes-Maritimes department of southeastern France..
Established in 1986 by Michèle Tabarot, the prize rewards each year a book about a conte ...
” in
Le Cannet
Le Cannet (; oc, Lo Canet; older it, Canneto) is a commune of the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.
Administration
Le Cannet was part of Cannes until 1778, when it was made a separate commune.
Location
Le Cannet is locate ...
, France.
*“La Television Mise à Nu” (Influence of politics on the television scene) in 2014. The book was awarded the “Phoenix Prize” for literature.
Awards and honors
On 27 October 2006 May Chidiac received one of the three Courage in Journalism Awards presented by the
International Women's Media Foundation
The International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF), located in Washington, D.C., is an organization working internationally to elevate the status of women in the media. The IWMF has created programs to help women in the media develop practical so ...
.
In June 2006, she received the "CRANS Montana Foundation Award" for Freedom of Expression offered by his Royal Highness
Prince Albert De Monaco, Monte Carlo.
On 3 May 2006,
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
awarded the
UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize
The UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize, created in 1997, honours a person, organization or institution that has made an outstanding contribution to the defence and/or promotion of press freedom anywhere in the world, especially whe ...
to May Chidiac in recognition of her courage in defending and promoting
freedom of the press
Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the fundamental principle that communication and expression through various media, including printed and electronic News media, media, especially publication, published materials, should be conside ...
.
In December 2007, May Chidiac was honored in the frame of "She Made It" by the
Museum of Television and Radio
The Paley Center for Media, formerly the Museum of Television & Radio (MT&R) and the Museum of Broadcasting, founded in 1975 by William S. Paley, is an American cultural institution in New York City, New York with a branch office in Los Angeles, ...
, New York City.
In April 2006, she received an Honorary Award, presented by his Royal Highness Prince Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi (, ; ar, أَبُو ظَبْيٍ ' ) is the capital and second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the centre of the Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Area.
...
.
On 3 May 2007, the former French president,
Jacques Chirac
Jacques René Chirac (, , ; 29 November 193226 September 2019) was a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. Chirac was previously Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988, as well as Ma ...
awarded May Chidiac the ''
Legion of Honour
The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon, ...
'' at the
Elysée Palace in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
. Chirac described Chidiac as a "symbol of free speech in Lebanon."
In March 2008, she was honored as a prominent and audacious figure in politics and journalism during the Olympe De Gouge event, at Montauban France. In December 2010, The "Prix Verité" ("Truth Prize") was awarded to Chidiac for ''Le Ciel M'attendra'' in 2007 in La Ville de Cannet,
Cannes, France
Cannes ( , , ; oc, Canas) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. The ...
.
In 2010, Chidiac was named one of the
International Press Institute
International Press Institute (IPI) is a global organisation dedicated to the promotion and protection of press freedom and the improvement of journalism practices. The institution was founded by 34 editors from 15 countries at Columbia Universit ...
's
World Press Freedom Heroes
International Press Institute World Press Freedom Heroes are individuals who have been recognized by the Vienna-based International Press Institute for "significant contributions to the maintenance of press freedom and freedom of expression" and "i ...
.
Chidiac has participated in significant symposiums and colloquiums such as the UN's Resolution 1325 Symposium in Vienna, the University of Sidney Ideas Talk, the International Press Institute Congress in South Africa and Jordan, UNESCO International Colloquium in Beirut, and UNESCO's Global Forum on Media and Gender in Thailand, its former Regional Forum for Media Development, as well as its Symposium for Freedom of Expression.
In 2016, Chidiac was awarded with an honorary doctorate from the
American University of Science and Technology
The American University of Science and Technology (AUST) (french: link=no, Université américaine de sciences et technologie; ar, link=no, الجامعة الأميركية للعلوم والتكنولوجيا) is a private, non-sectarian, an ...
.
See also
*
List of people who survived assassination attempts
This is a list of survivors of assassination attempts, listed chronologically. It does ''not'' include those who were heads of state or government at the time of the assassination attempt. See List of heads of state and government who survived as ...
References
External links
Assassinations haunt the press ifex.org; accessed 15 December 2015.
unesco.org; accessed 15 December 2015.
LBC interview with May Chidiac memritv.org; accessed 15 December 2015.
May Chidiac, the Ardent Champion alwaref.org; accessed 15 December 2015.
May Chidiac Foundation
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chidiac, May
1963 births
Lebanese amputees
Lebanese Maronites
Living people
Lebanese journalists
Lebanese women journalists
Politicians from Beirut
Terrorist incidents in Lebanon in 2005
Chevaliers of the Légion d'honneur
2005 crimes in Lebanon
Lebanese Forces politicians