Wiam Maher Najib Wahhab ( ar, وئام وهاب; born on 11 October 1964) is a Lebanese

Druze The Druze (; ar, دَرْزِيٌّ, ' or ', , ') are an Arabic-speaking esoteric ethnoreligious group from Western Asia who adhere to the Druze faith, an Abrahamic, monotheistic, syncretic, and ethnic religion based on the teachings of ...

politician and journalist from

Jahlieh Jahlieh ( ar, جاهلية) is a village in the Chouf District of the Mount Lebanon Governorate in Lebanon, located southeast of Beirut with an altitude ranging between above sea level and a total land area of . Jahlieh is bordered by village ...

Chouf District Chouf (also spelled Shouf, Shuf or Chuf, in ''Jabal ash-Shouf''; french: La Montagne du Chouf) is a historic region of Lebanon, as well as an administrative district in the governorate (muhafazat) of Mount Lebanon. Geography Located south-east o ...

, and the founder of the

Arab Unification Party The Arab Unification Party is an Islamist political party that was founded by former leaders of the Egyptian Islamic Labour Party, independents and Islamists. The party withdrew from the Anti-Coup Alliance The Anti-Coup Alliance (also known as t ...

Biography

He ran for parliamentary elections in

1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A Centennial Olympic Park bombing, bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical Anti-abortion violence, anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 8 ...

and won 12,000 votes but lost the elections. He heads the

that he founded on 26 May 2006, and whose principles are based on cross-border:

secularism Secularism is the principle of seeking to conduct human affairs based on Secularity, secular, Naturalism (philosophy), naturalistic considerations. Secularism is most commonly defined as the Separation of church and state, separation of relig ...

, sects, doctrines and narrow fanaticism, and his rejection of all forms of injustice, exploitation, feudalism, deprivation and sanctification of public freedoms and human rights. Wahhab was the target of assassination attempts in the

Hasbaya District The Hasbaya District is a district in the Nabatiyeh Governorate of Lebanon. It lies in the southeast, bordering Syria. The capital of the district is Hasbaya Hasbeya or Hasbeiya ( ar, حاصبيا) is a town in Lebanon, situated at the foot of Mo ...

in 2006 and in the town of Kfar Him,

in 2008 for rejecting the feudal reality in the Druze community. Wahhab was in the 2018 parliamentary elections against the

March 8 Events Pre-1600 * 1010 – Ferdowsi completes his epic poem ''Shahnameh''. *1126 – Following the death of his mother, queen Urraca of León, Alfonso VII is proclaimed king of León. * 1262 – Battle of Hausbergen between bour ...

and

March 14 Events Pre-1600 * 1074 – Battle of Mogyoród: Dukes Géza and Ladislaus defeat their cousin Solomon, King of Hungary, forcing him to flee to Hungary's western borderland. * 1590 – Battle of Ivry: Henry of Navarre and the Huguen ...

alliances, and the slogan of his battle was the war on corruption, and the list that led by a number of independent candidates for March 8 and 14. He received 13,000 votes and defeated candidate

Marwan Hamadeh Marwan Hamadeh ( ar, مروان حمادة; born 11 September 1939) is a Lebanese journalist and politician, who served in various capacities in different cabinets, including minister of education, minister of telecommunications, minister of econ ...

by preferential votes, with 7,391 votes against 7,266 yet still lost the elections since his list failed to reach the required electoral quotient. In the 2022 parliamentary elections Wahhab formed an electoral alliance with FPM and

Talal Arslan Emir Talal Arslan ( ar, الأمير طلال أرسلان) is a Lebanon, Lebanese politician, Political Leader of the Druze sect. He is the chief of the Arslan family, who claim to be descendants of the Lakhmids. Early life Arslan was born in ...

yet lost the elections once again.

Controversy

During a television interview, Wahhab made disparaging comments about the Niqab which Saudi women wear. Sunni Muslim groups protested. Wahhab apologized to Saudi women for the niqab remarks. Wahhab commented on

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

's warnings to

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 ...

during the 2011 uprising by claiming that Syria and

Bashar al-Assad Bashar Hafez al-Assad, ', Levantine pronunciation: ; (, born 11 September 1965) is a Syrian politician who is the 19th president of Syria, since 17 July 2000. In addition, he is the commander-in-chief of the Syrian Armed Forces and the ...

were prepared to launch 100,000 rockets at Turkey if it tried to invade. The US has placed financial sanctions on Wahhab.

Personal life

Wahhab's daughter,

Rida Rida ( ar, رضا, ''Riḍā'') is an Arabic name, "''riḍā''" literally means 'Veil '. In religious context, this term is interpreted as ''satisfaction'' or "''perfect contentment'' with God's will or decree". It is neutral Arabic name, given ...

, played for the

Lebanon national football team The Lebanon national football team,french: Équipe du Liban de football controlled by the Lebanese Football Association (LFA), have represented Lebanon in association football since their inception in 1933. The squad is governed by the Asian ...

References

External links

*
نشأة حزب التوحيد العربيمبادئ الحزبLebanon: Shouf-Aley District to Turn into Electoral Battleground
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wahhab, Wiam 1964 births Living people People from Chouf District Lebanese Arab nationalists Lebanese Druze Political party founders Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List