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Raghid Kazim EL-SOLH
Raghid Kazim EL-SOLH
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Raghid EL-SOLH Obituary
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Wade Goria
December 17, 2018
It is with the deepest sadness that I learned of the passing of Raghid Kazim el Solh, who I had the honor and great pleasure of knowing as a friend during my years as a post graduate student of international relations at St. Antonys College, Oxford, living there from 1977-1984.
Over the past decade, I have not been in
touch with St. Antonys, or with Raghid. My on-line discovery yesterday that Raghid had died on February 1st 2018, to be followed by Camillas death in September 2018 gave me a terrible shock. Im grateful to pay tribute to Raghid life and legacy and to reminisce a little about my wonderful experience with Raghid and Camilla.
Fortune gave me the splendid opportunity to meet and befriend Raghid at St Antonys Oxford in 1979. We were both at an initial stage of writing our dissertations on Lebanese politics under the supervision of Oxfords revered historian, Albert Hourani. The Ghorra family on my fathers side, from which the name Goria is derived, was descended from the predominantly Greek Catholic city of Zahle. I had become very interested in Lebanese history having recently transfered from the Modern History Faculty (where I had been studying US history), to the International Relations program, then supervised by Sir Hedley Bull in the Politics Faculty. I was a most enthusiastic neophyte to the study of Lebanese politics and its history. For his part, Raghid was already an immensely accomplished respected expert whose prestigious Sunni Beiruti family ties resided deeply within the matrix of Lebanons creation in 1943.
As a naturally generous and good hearted man, Raghid readily comprehended the deep pride I possess for my Lebanese heritage. He also delighted in the fact that my Ghorra family lineage descended from the city of Zahle, known for its tough, hearty tenaciousness, the courage and good natured demeanor of its citizenry.
Raghid seemed happy to become something of an unofficial mentor on my behalf. I was positively thrilled at the prospect of learning so much from him. He was an immensely warm, humane, compassionate and gentle soul. Raghid was modest and extremely likable. He was further endowed with extraordinary native wisdom, balance, erudition, political acumen and refinement.
In the most generous manner imaginable, Raghid would afford me access to his own extraordinary range of friendships and political contacts in Lebanon. Our friendship became invaluable to my research in Lebanon, to the successful completion of my Dissertation and to the eventual publication of my book: Sovereignty and Leadership in Lebanon, 1943-1976.
It addition to our many conversations at his Oxford home, and, at the dining hall of St. Antonys College, from time to time, I accompanied Raghid on his numerous research trips by car to the Public Record Office at Kew. These rides not only afforded me convenient access to the PROs vast archival collection, but a further, much appreciated opportunity to chat endlessly with Raghid about Lebanon as we drove back and forth from Oxford to the PRO.
At their home, Raghid and his very gracious and lovely wife Camilla always treated me with the utmost hospitality, generosity and kindness. These are experiences that I will always treasure. Their daughter Lina, then just five years old could not have been more adorable or charming. When I was graduated from Oxford in December 1984, my brother Kaleal, who attended my ceremony at Oxfords Sheldonian Theatre, and, who met Raghid and Camilla, observed that Lina was the most intelligent, poised and sweetest girl he had ever met!
During his life after the submission of his eminently successful D. Phil thesis, Raghid became a preeminent observer of Lebanese history and politics. The overarching mission of his life followed in the historic footsteps of his illustrious father Kazim and his uncles: Takieddine and Riad. The great achievement of these exemplary Sunni Muslim founding fathers of Lebanon involved their ultimately successful effort to create a sovereign Lebanese state in 1943 in the face of ongoing French colonial rule. Success in this endeavor was based upon British behind the scenes assistance, but also upon a sensitive spirit of political compromise with Lebanons large Maronite community to forge a sovereign and independent state upon decidedly fragile political foundations.
To my mind, Raghid personified all of the requisite superior qualities to guarantee Lebanons future independence, sovereignty and peace.
During my extended fieldwork In Lebanon for a large portion of 1980, Raghid afforded me a splendid and most cherished opportunity to interview the full range of the leadership of Lebanons National Movement including Walid Jumblat, son of the slain Druze Progressive leader and a chief protagonist in the civil war, Kamal Jumblatt. Walid continues to exercise leadership over his Druze community to the present day.
Through Raghid efforts, I further enjoyed the privilege of meeting his distinguished and very impressive uncle, former Prime Minister of Lebanon, Takieddine el Solh who similarly possessed that unique admixture of kindness, dignity and keen democratic spirit so evident in the personality of Raghid.
Through Raghid unique example, I came to understand the stunning extent to which the Solh family represented qualities of fairness and statesmanship that in 1943 resulted in the creation of a modern Lebanese sovereign state.
After my return to Oxford from Lebanon in 1980, the country became an exceedingly dangerous place in which to safely conduct further political investigations, too much so for an independent American citizen such as myself. I thus refrained from placing myself in extreme danger by making additional research visits in the country.
To further assist me toward continuing my research, whenever someone of political importance from Lebanon travelled to London or to Oxford, Raghid would arrange for me to conduct an interview with that person. No one at Oxford, in Lebanon, or anywhere else enabled me to grasp the essence and delicate, often lethal intricacies of Lebanese politics more than Raghid. His commanding knowledge of Lebanon was limitless, ever absorbing and a guiding star.
In February 2004, I finally returned to Lebanon, my first visit there since 1980. By 2004, Lebanon had finally achieved peace, something that I had never before witnessed in the country. During that exciting visit, I was thoroughly heartened to see that downtown Beirut had been entirely rebuilt through the tireless and generous effort of Rafiq Hairi, who like Kamal Jumblatt and others was murdered by agents representing the Syrian government.
Raghid was now working with the UN in Beirut while maintaining his house in Oxford. At this time, I was prepared to embark upon another research project leading to another book, one that would serve as a follow up to Sovereignty and Leadership in Lebanon.
Upon seeing Raghid for the first time since December 1984, it became evident to me that while Raghid had aged quite visibly, he possessed the very same divine inclination to assist me towards jump starting my proposed research project. Raghid introduced me to a number of important Lebanese politicians and key observers of the current Lebanese political scene in Beirut. This was the last time I would see Raghid.
One year after that too brief 2004 trip to Lebanon, I purchased 19 acres atop a mountain in the Endless Mountain region of Northeastern Pennsylvania, after which purchase, I completely immersed myself into the process of building my second home. In 2007, my marriage ended and for the next two years, I entered the throes of an extremely painful divorce. In the face of these new life circumstances, the momentum that I had generated for writing a second book on Lebanon using 1976 as a starting point would gradually dissipate.
In recent years, my varied research interests including maritime history have carried me away from the study of Lebanon and back again towards the US, which, now suffers from a very dangerous sovereignty problem of its own in the face of a concerted globalist onslaught to destroy America. Ive yet to return to Oxford since I travelled there in 2007 to attend the 50th Anniversary of Oxfords Middle East Center with my 17 year old son, Alton.
Time does pass with ruthless rapidity and Raghid and I drifted out of touch with each other for over a decade.
Still my cherished memories of Raghid and my deep gratitude to him for all of the times we shared at Oxford and for the extraordinary opportunities and assistance with my research in Lebanon that he provided, remain constant and always a part of me.
God most definitely blessed Raghid el Solh and those in his orbit who knew and loved him. Raghid was a first citizen of Lebanon. He indefatigably brought continued honor to his illustrious family lineage and to his community. I thank God for enhancing and gracing my life by giving me the high honor and privilege of knowing and befriending this thoroughly enlightened, kindest, and very best of men.
Wade R. Goria
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Evelyn
February 7, 2017
A capacity to bring sharpest insights with gentleness and empathy - unique. Few could know him without loving him.
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